Simon Maltman Blogs

Love, Drugs, Death and... Jazz I'm just back from seeing this as part of the Belfast Film Festival. It's a very good documentary and it isn't necessary for you to be a 'jazz head' to enjoy it. It's a biography of Lee Morgan, a jazz legend indeed, though not a household name perhaps; like a Miles Davis or a Louis Armstrong. He was probably best known for being part of the classic Jazz Messengers line up of the 50's and 60's and for playing on the likes of Blue Train for John Coltrane. He's one of my favourite trumpeters and one of the key players in the Hard Bop movement.   The movie also follows the life of his common law wife and a chance encounter where in the 1990's, she told her story, shortly before her death. The pivot of the film is the well known tragic tale of how in 1972, Morgan was performing in Slugger's club in New York. The night ended with his wife entering the club and shooting him during his set. There was a hea...

Procrastination Demon or a Creative Break?  When is it a good thing to be stepping back and having a change of scene and when is it just procrastinating? This isn't a self-help blog- I  don't know!  At the moment I'm doing anything to avoid a second round of drafting of a novel. I've been doing promo instead, working on new ideas, starting this blog etc. Maybe it's a good thing- a chance to give perspective. I often switch to music for a while too if I've been doing a large amount of daily writing. Sometimes that's definitely a help and when you write again- the fun is back. Because that's why we do it -right? But when does it become procrastination? What do you think? I'm off to weed the garden...

The Northern Ireland Assembly broke down today again, this time over a controversy regarding breakfast. ;) Following the triggering of Article 50, another letter was delivered to the EU. DUP leader, Arlene Foster snuck off to Brussels, to deliver a letter that stated that Northern Ireland will not give up its autonomy over breakfast- The Ulster Fry. This was the apparent reason for the DUP initially wanting to support the Leave Campaign. "We will not sacrifice our culture. We have fried sausage and bacon since the first bonfires in 1690. Ulster says no to frankfurters, no to croissants, no to free-range eggs." A deal on breakfast between the DUP and Sinn Fein seems unlikely after Gerry Adams posted on Facebook that, "I want to see an all-Ireland Freestate Fry. Soda bread and tatey bread are nice enough, but really just for the Ulster-Scots. I want an Irish Breakfast Act. I will listen to all communities however, and I want a border poll on breakfast where al...

To mark my new blog and my new collection released last week, I'm giving away a free short story. Just email me for your copy at simonmaltman@gmail.com Thanks!

Hello and welcome to my blog. I thought it was time I got round to starting one! For anyone interested, I'm a published crime writer from Northern Ireland and stay home Dad. Hopefully you'll find some of the stuff I post of interest, stay in touch on: facebook.com/simonmaltmancrimefiction @simonmaltman Cheers!

So this is blogging...ok...see you soon :)