R.G. Manse (Author of Screw Friendship)

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R.G. Manse

欧宝娱乐 Author

Website

Twitter

Genre

Contemporary, Mystery

Member Since

November 2014

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I caught up with local writer in an odd little cafe near Stockbridge in Edinburgh. Manse writes outrageous stories, closest to contemporary mystery, but not your auntie鈥檚 murder mystery. With a genre as popular as mystery, why not stick to the script?
鈥淭oo many elves,鈥� Manse says and swills the dregs of a tea gone cold.
I blink at the non sequitur but Manse goes on to clarify.
鈥淚 used to read tons of fantasy until one day I just couldn鈥檛 face another elf. I was reading the same story time and again. As a reader, that鈥檚 what drove me back to sci-fi, but I wasn鈥檛 happy back there. I wasn鈥檛 discovering new worlds; my mind didn鈥檛 want to take the journey anymore. I became an omnivore again, as likely to pick up a John Sandford or Tom Cl I caught up with local writer in an odd little cafe near Stockbridge in Edinburgh. Manse writes outrageous stories, closest to contemporary mystery, but not your auntie鈥檚 murder mystery. With a genre as popular as mystery, why not stick to the script?
鈥淭oo many elves,鈥� Manse says and swills the dregs of a tea gone cold.
I blink at the non sequitur but Manse goes on to clarify.
鈥淚 used to read tons of fantasy until one day I just couldn鈥檛 face another elf. I was reading the same story time and again. As a reader, that鈥檚 what drove me back to sci-fi, but I wasn鈥檛 happy back there. I wasn鈥檛 discovering new worlds; my mind didn鈥檛 want to take the journey anymore. I became an omnivore again, as likely to pick up a John Sandford or Tom Clancy as a Stephen King. But that long exposure to the fantasy genre changed me. Sensitised me. To repetition. Predictable set-ups. They turn me right off.鈥�
Our server interrupts the conversation. He鈥檚 not a man to ignore. He looks like he could take down half the Scottish rugby squad. 鈥淲hat else are you having?鈥� he says, and folds his arms. 鈥楴othing鈥� is clearly not an acceptable answer.
鈥淪ame again,鈥� Manse says, a tad nervous, I feel.
A meaty hand lifts my lipstick-stained teacup onto a tray. 鈥淵ou need to eat more. You鈥檙e like itty-bitty matchstick people. Two scones?鈥�
Manse and I exchange glances, then the writer nods. 鈥淕o on. You鈥檝e twisted my arm.鈥�
The man grins. 鈥淣ah,鈥� he says, 鈥渙r I鈥檇 snap it right off.鈥�
鈥淔ormulas?鈥� I say, but find my eyes following our server. He pats a customer鈥檚 head on his way back to the counter.
鈥淚 like stories about people, not people squished into roles. The murder mystery format works, but for every book? I thought I didn鈥檛 want to write a mystery series. Actually, I just didn鈥檛 want to write a series of murder mysteries.鈥�
I check my recorder is still happy. 鈥淗ence the Frank Friendship series, your so-called epic mystery? Your books are rather鈥� crude, and the subjects you鈥檝e chosen are controversial. By your own admission, you鈥檙e not sticking to the murder mystery formula. Who would want to read your books?鈥�
Manse shrugs. 鈥淩eaders who like a story to surprise them鈥攕hock them, even. Who like the odd laugh. Readers who enjoy a realistic story with larger than life characters.鈥�
Our hulking server deposits a tray with two cups and two scones.
鈥淭hanks, Frank,鈥� Manse says.
鈥淔rank?鈥� My eyes widen. 鈥淣ot鈥� Frank Friendship?鈥�
The server鈥檚 not quite straight eyes meet mine, and there鈥檚 a sparkle in there. 鈥淵eah, lady,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat? You think Mansey鈥檚 brain just magicked me up?鈥� He laughs. 鈥淣ow, that鈥檇 be pure fantasy.鈥� ...more

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Combine Editions
R.G. Manse鈥檚 books

Average rating: 3.83 · 199 ratings · 55 reviews · 4 distinct works

	Screw Friendship (Frank Friendship, #1) 3.65 avg rating — 125 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frank Friendship鈥檚 Free Fireworks: Two Darkly Fun Short Stories Starring Everybody鈥檚 Friend 3.58 avg rating — 33 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pursue Friendship (Frank Friendship, #2) 4.39 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Deny Friendship (Frank Friendship, #3) 4.83 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on 欧宝娱乐 for this author. To add more, click here.

24 posts
R.G. Manse's Blog

Genres Suck (get over it)

Dont get me started on genres. But whether you think genres take you on exhilarating new journeys or on a familiar trudge along worn-out paths where only the donkey droppings are fresh, theres one thing for sure: youre far more likely to go looking for a book if its similar to another book you liked.

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Published on April 17, 2016 17:00

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Series by R.G. Manse

Frank Friendship (3 books)
by

R.G. Manse (欧宝娱乐 Author)

3.88 avg rating — 166 ratings

Quotes by R.G. Manse (?)

“Frank's phone beep-beeped and vibrated before he鈥檇 put it back in his pocket:
Love to! xx
Man. Two kisses already. The woman was a nymphomaniac.”
― R.G. Manse, Pursue Friendship

3 likes

“Rosy ferried the drinks back to the table, slid the Guinness his way. 鈥淵ou said you have a show. Is it a comedy?鈥�
鈥淣o, but you will laugh, I hope, after hearing my qualifications.鈥� His eyes glittered. 鈥淚 do magic, with a twist. The twist is, my clothes are the first thing to disappear.鈥�
Rosy gaped.
鈥淵es. I do magic鈥� naked. I not only have a big ego.鈥� Marek wiggled his middle finger. 鈥淚 have a big wand.”
― R.G. Manse, Screw Friendship

tags: comedy, ego, magic, magician, naked, wand

2 likes

“Frank treated customers with the contempt Rosy had only seen before at airport passport control. Even then, she鈥檇 never heard an immigration official refer to anybody as baldy.
鈥淗ey, baldy,鈥� Frank had said and whistled to call a customer back as though he were down in the paddock with an unruly herd. 鈥淵ou forgot your juice.鈥�
Frank held up the bottle of Tropicana orange juice. And when鈥� baldy came back, Frank slapped the bottle into his hand as though passing him the baton in a relay race, then waved the man aside鈥斺€淕o!鈥濃€攁nd pointed at the next customer.
鈥淲hat do you want?鈥� Frank said. 鈥淐heese? Again? That鈥檚 three cheese you鈥檒l have had in a row. Are you eating right?鈥�
The customer stammered.
鈥淓h-but-eh-but-eh-but,鈥� Frank mimicked. 鈥淣ever mind. But think up a different filling next time. And not cheese and tomato.鈥� He shook his head and made up the roll.”
― R.G. Manse, Screw Friendship

tags: bald, cafe, contempt, customer-service, friendship, sandwich, stammer

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 3567. SCREW FRIENDSHIP (Frank Friendship, #1) by R.G. Manse	12	67	May 06, 2015 11:36PM

R.G.鈥檚 Quotes

“Frank's phone beep-beeped and vibrated before he鈥檇 put it back in his pocket:
Love to! xx
Man. Two kisses already. The woman was a nymphomaniac.”
― R.G. Manse, Pursue Friendship

3 likes