“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Thursday, February 14, 2008

In It For The Money

A trumpet tootle there please, maestro – it appears that Crime Always Pays has been short-listed in the ‘Best Specialist Blog’ category in the forthcoming Irish Blog Awards. For this we are entirely grateful, not least because it seems like every Irish blog got a mention in one or other of the categories, and we’d have been pretty miffed if we hadn’t got a mention somewhere along the line. There’s a ceremony planned for March 1st with tickets available over here, where we understand Damien Mulley is doing work that could only be described as Trojan. The elves are still undecided as to whether they’re going to go along, though, given that the general spirit seems to be one of unbridled generosity, self-deprecating modesty and generalised niceness, while the Grand Vizier is only in it for the money. Most importantly, however, is their outrage at the exclusion of Critical Mick from the various categories, and they’re pretty sure his wrath won’t be pretty. Is it coz he’s American? Anyhoo, here’s a list of the people who are for the most part offering more interesting and useful blogs than Crime Always Pays, to wit:
Best Specialist Blog, Sponsored by iQ Content:
The Voyage
Green Ink
The Usual Suspect
Eoin Purcell’s Blog
Piaras Kelly PR
Wood Pellet Ireland
Cearta
Paddy Anglican
Oliver Moore
Lex Ferenda
Public Enquiry
Red Cardinal
Our money is on Eoin Purcell, although to be fair we can’t imagine a more specialist site than Wood Pellet Ireland. Oh, and please visit the sponsor’s site or they’ll realise there’s no money in this blogging malarkey.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah your terribly nice Declan! I wish I could be there but I'm in Galway for the Booksellers conference. For the record, my money's on you taking it!

Eoin

Unknown said...

You have to come along, we'll talk about you if you don't.

Anonymous said...

Congrats Dec!

I was intrigued by that brown thing hanging out of your mouth in the pic. Is it a cigar, cigarillo or the end of a well smoked More fag? So I clicked on the pic.

Now I'm intrigued by who took the pic? (As seen in the reflection in your mirrored shades.) I hope to have a waist like her before I have a birthday that marks the end of this female's current decade's life! Alas, I think it is too late. But I can admire and be VERY jealous!

Again, congrats on the shortlist! And best of luck for rising to the top, when the moment comes. If there is at least one good reason for recognition for this blog and for a win, it's this/these:

1. Your energy and dedication in daily posting (with some time off, but not always, on weekends - and who can criticise that?). You always have something fresh to read on here.

2. The quality of your postings, with your own unique quirky style.

3. That quirky style! If I read a link and quote elsewhere that mentions "interweb thingy", "thusly", "to wit", "quoth" etc., I know where it's come from! Here.

4. You have a passion for your topic, dear Dec, and this shines through. As does your support for the crime fiction writing community that exists in Ireland especially.

I hope you win, because I read you daily here, when I can, and if not then, I'm doing a scanning catch up. Few grab my attention the way you do!

Crime Always Pays to win! (Think plackard waving and walking boots: I'm there at the head of the procession.)

Best of luck!

Declan Burke said...

Thanks for all the kind words, folks - much obliged. Crimefic - the mysterious photographer was my wife, Aileen, who was in suitably inspired fashion at Pamukkale in Turkey (the ancient site of Hieroapolis), where the legend of Cleopatra bathing in asses' milk was born ... Cheers, Dec