You all know that I love a #BookLaunch and tonight’s event was the launch of “Welcome to the Heady Heights” by David F Ross in Waterstones, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. Published by Orenda Books, this book is picking up some rave reviews and I’m looking forward to sharing my review as part of the blog tour very soon. Hosted by Alistair Braidwood of ScotsWhayHae fame, I was looking forward to a fantastic night of entertainment!
Before the event I met up with my #PartnerinCrime, Scottish crime writer, Alan Jones. A bit of a chin wag about all things bookish, picking his brains for my own WIP and some gentle nagging from me to get another book out there fast, all that was missing was our other #PartnerinCrime Noelle of Crimebookjunkie!
A great turnout for the event which was, once again, something a little bit different for a book launch. Opening with “Archie Blunt: The Movie”, what a fab introduction to the event. This was followed by an impromptu gig from the High Fives – yep it’s a David Ross book launch folks!
Alistair asked David why he had written this book in particular and he talked about his relationship with the city and his family background as his inspiration for his writing. He spoke fondly about the East End of Glasgow in the 1970’s where Archie Blunt was representative of a number of characters of that time. David spoke of 1976 as a summer we all remember, an extended heatwave in an era where we hadn’t even thought of climate change, where kids played in the streets before the internet took over. And of course it was significant in terms of musical influence, just before punk came along and saved the world! (well, the musical world anyway!)
David bases much of his characterisation on people he knew and mixes it up with an important social commentary on some of the issues that we are now seeing emerging from showbiz in the 70s. He admits it was a controversial storyline but it was a story that made David angry and one he wanted to tell.
He also spoke of the dark humour associated with Glasgow and pointed out (with apologies to the East) that you can have more fun at a Glasgow funeral than you do at an Edinburgh wedding!
High Five rounded off the evening with a couple of numbers and the crowd queued up to buy the book!
A great event, if you ever get the chance to attend one of David’s book launches then I’d highly recommend it. You are certainly guaranteed something different!
Theresa Talbot giving an impromptu travel report! (not really , she was asking a serious question!)
Welcome to the Heady Heights is available to purchase from:
And of course, only on Glasgow on a wet Wednesday night in March would you catch sight of an elephant on the steps at the Royal Concert Hall on the way to the train station!
Scottish Crime Fiction Blogger and Author 