My new novel: Ten Masks of Evil

Well, I finally published my first novel in English, Ten Masks of Evil. I give you a brief description.

Milton Mills, evil in its purest, is the main character of these ten short stories. He is seductive, mysterious or histrionic actor: it depends on the time, place or sinner who wanted to convince. He is the guide for a trip to our most remote dreams and we will travel from Russia to Spain, from New York to Sad Bride, from the seventies to the first moment of Creation.
Ten Masks of Evil is a volume of short stories created to introduce readers in a new world which is growing as the book progresses. We can read the stories one at a time, but they are complementary and the main characters appear in more than one, under different disguises and situations.
The book is born of a game of cards between the reader and the author, who is asking about the true nature of fiction and reality. Each short story offers a different style: thriller, comedy, romantic tale, historical story or fantasy to complete a literary and experiential way. At he end, in the last story, it is Edgar Allan Poe, in the last moments of his life and the strange circumstances surrounding his death, who will confuse his own biography with those on which he wrote or knew, the same as it has happened to every author and reader, to every policeman or killer, to every person or imagination.

Buy it:

On Kindle (1$):  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q08CZW

Paperback (6$): http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Masks-Evil-Volume-1/dp/1470175967/

Well, I would like to say thanks (again and again) to Elena Malec for her portrait. Altough the model, the picture looks fantastic!. I have written an article for her to tell her how honored I am. You can read it here: http://yareah.com/?p=2035

You can find more pictures here: http://elena-malec.blogspot.com.es/ (and some great information about the painter, of course).

… And here is the portrait:

My new book is coming

I began to write Ten Masks of Evil years ago… I cannot remember when. In one first view, I was trying to revert the rules of genres writing ten tales about the writing, menacing and  playing with the reader a different game into a different book.

The book begins with a deal between two men and continues repeating the pact between the tale and the reader tale after tale, configuring not only a simple tale but a new kind of structure with tales that tells about tales, characters from another stories who tries to find their sense not only in a simple story but in the novel.

Ten Masks of Evil will available in the next months.

Working the new language, discovering new frontiers

It’s always difficult to change your native language. I’ve been writing in Spanish my whole life, a life plenty of words, tobacco and whiskey of course… now I’m trying to do it in a different language I feel something between nostalgia and fear (it’s funny nostalgia it’s the same word both in Spanish and English). Spanish Book Market is off; I had to change my sight. Of course, I prefer Spanish; it will be always my language but… I am beginning to find something different and good in the new frontiers I am seeing now.

In Europe, we look at the United States and its people like something strange for us, like people that haven’t got anything to do with us. Yes, of course, they have their own manners and habits and a different culture… but in these recent times I have discovered that they are more similar to us than we could think first. We’ve seen them on movies thousands of times and we’ve seen them here like tourists with their peaked caps and their white faces… nothing similar to us. Or not? I’ve been speaking with many American people during last year and I could feel their proximity and how they want to know us too. They are not closed for us; they want to know about Europe and Spain… some of my new friends really admire our literature and our arts.

Well, my friends, I will continue investigating and writing. I don’t have anything more to do. I need to publish my new book far away from Spain. I will never forget it, but I think it will be a better way to improve my, in old times, falling career.

Like someone said before me… That’s all, folks!

Martin Cid: Happy New Year 2012

Read my interview in Yareah magazine:
http://yareah.com/?p=692

by Courtney Curran

My idea of ETA Hoffman

ETA Hoffman

This is not a funny but a serious article about ETA Hoffman:
http://yareah.com/?p=282

A peculiar vision of The Borgias

http://yareah.com/?p=594

A fantastic caricature of my friends in Yareah magazine

http://yareah.com/?p=429
The artist is Isabel del Rio

A funny Caricature of my person

http://yareah.com/?p=429

A review of A Century of Ashes

http://yareah.com/?p=615
I like this review, I like all of the reviews about my book... especially when the tags are TOBACCO and SEX!
Well, it is perfect although I liked to write High-quality Literature.

Socialism vs. Alcoholism

There’s a monster even more dangerous than Lorena Bobbit with a pair of scissors: an angry Spanish socialist. In fact, I hate politics: promises and promises and, after all the promises, just smoke (and they continue saying “Smoke Kills” and other slogans when they must say, darkness there and nothing more, just “Please, don’t vote us, we are going to stole you”). The other day I was speaking with one of them and (if you don’t know I will tell you right now: my wife is a teacher) he said, no doubts about it:

Money, money, money

Money, dirty money

Must I say the famous phrase ‘I said it before’? Barcelona won again but there’s another issue that I want to share with all the audience (I know ‘all the audience’ means a lost man with a coconut and an empty bottle of whiskey): I won money! I am proud to announce I’ve never worked for money, the only money I won came from the aristocratic manner of betting. Anyway, because I am as poor as the sailor’s rat, I just could bet 10€, but I won 210. Don’t you think it’s funny? I was right with the result and… I won! I know this is not the wiser text you will ever read, but it is the best text I can write today because I am very happy for this matter. Maybe I can write tomorrow about Schopenhauer or another ugly philosopher but, today, I am planning my future as a professional and successfully gambler. Do you really think I can do? Maybe I must continue writing books, maybe not, but next weekend I will bet again. As Mr Paul Newman said, the flavor of the money that you win gambling it’s very better than the saved. Wise man, nice movie.

I must study now. Possibilities, players and numbers, my new future as a rich man begins now.

P.S: Of course, all of this is a joke, I am going to write right now, not so excited, not so funny, not so sweet… what a shiii…!

Spanish Football League

Since I changed the template in this blog I’ve been detecting that the advertisements are laughing of me: need help with alcohol? Of course not, I used to answer, I can drink the whole bottle, I am a Spanish gentleman! Anyway, today is a great day, another match between Madrid and Barça is coming up (see, Isabel, I`m even using phrasal verbs, like a real big boy!). I will say what I am thinking about: Barcelona is going to win again. You may argue that I am a Barça fan and the tobacco blocks my brain, but I have a most powerful reason to think that: if Real Madrid wins, league is over. Will the bosses of the league allow this? I don’t think so but as the Spartans said: this is Spain. Good luck for all and thanks for read these words from this stupid novelist. See you later (if you think I will come back with a terrible hangover you are true, please forgive me, god!). Bye.

Yareah magazine issue 19

Yareah magazine issue 19 has just been published. As always full of artists and authors and full of artistical and literary ideas and comentaries.
I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.yareah.com

Martin Cid: My last true article

Have you ever known a handsome writer? Nooooo (you will answer), all of them are terribly ugly, poorly dressed; sometimes unshaven, and some others without a teeth (see Cortazar or Eco if you have any doubt).
Have you ever heard about a polite writer? Of course, no (neither me). They have bad temper, they behave eccentric and the list of drunkards would be interminable (recently, Saramago has said he is abstemious: well, every rule has one exception, but no more than one).
Nevertheless, the majority of them have had no problems with the opposite sex and on the contrary, women have raffled their company (the same with authoresses and their relationship with men).
Read more: http://yareah.com/?p=234

Bad times, sorry.

I am laughing. Have you ever compare Superman and Odysseus?
Superman was born in a planet called Krypton. He had a scientific father who sent him to the Earth when their planet was going to be destroyed. Here, a couple of farmers took care of him and taught him a strict behavior. With his superpowers, he tried to help mankind. Superman was created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and his first adventure was published in Action Comics.
Ulysses or Odysseus was the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. He was known by the epithet of “the Cunning” due to his intelligence. He fought, together with Achilles and other heros, in the Trojan War, being victorious thanks to the Trojan Horse trick. Afterwards, he spent ten years to return home having very many adventures.
Yes, supermen have always existed. But…also today??!!!!... Bad times, sorry.

http://www.martincid.com/

Giving it up!

It’s really difficult then I will give it up tomorrow and, today, I will smoke these lovely cigars I show you in the photo. They are from Nigeria, Honduras and Nicaragua. To complete the Madrid Vice, I have a bottle of Passport Scotch Whisky that, I promise, I will be able to drink or, I promise too, I will stop writing books. Anyway, don’t worry about my doubts or my health (I know none is).
Be happy with your children and smile and drink some non spirits drinks and take care of your health.

I am going to give up smoking

Of course, I am not thinking of it and I don’t feel like it but it was funny for me to use that title in this no ending and nonsense post. Time ago I haven’t published anything in this blog and that’s the reason why someone may be interested in this case (of course, I know nobody will be interested in):
1.- I keep on smoking and drinking because I believe in the Latin phrase In Medio Virtus.
2.- I am looking for an agent in somewhere outside Spain… my beloved Spain is, right now, not so beloved.
3.- I am not going to vote in the next elections because I want both candidates loose (then I think I won’t feel happy by this cause).
4.- I know the title of my next book but I won’t divulge it right now because it will be a best-seller.
5.- They must invent a new category for writers like me: worst-sellers.
I am not brilliant right now because I get hangover.

Voy a dejar de fumar

Por supuesto, ni pienso ni quiero ni me apetece pero me ha parecido divertido para empezar un post que ni tiene sentido ni parecer ni fin. Hace tiempo que no escribo nada aquí así que quizá a alguien le interese (que sé que será a nadie, como casi siempre) información sobre mis últimos movimientos en pos del (nulo) interés público:
1.- Sigo fumando y bebiendo a partes iguales porque soy partidario del lema latino in medio virtus.
2.- Ando buscando agente en el extranjero porque España… mi querida España ya no es tan querida.
3.- No pienso votar en las próximas elecciones porque quiero que pierdan los dos (razón por la cual me llevaré un chasco seguro).
4.- Ya tengo el título de mi próximo libro pero como va a ser un best-seller no lo digo.
5.- Creo que para escritores como yo deberían inventar un nuevo criterio clasificatorio: los worst-sellers.
No estoy demasiado brillante porque tengo resaca.

Noticias de verano

¿Es sólo impresión mía o en verano la actividad cerebral baja? Me pongo delante del ordenador y no doy pie con bola con las palabras. Hacía tiempo que no me pasaba esto.
Necesito vacaciones. He terminado una novela hará apenas dos meses o incluso menos y me puse con la sirena (la novela trata de eso pero en plan sádico). ¿Alguno aún no se ha dado cuenta de que estoy torpe, torpe pero que torpe? Intento escribir la columna para el periódico. Ni con ésas. Ni siquiera me inspiro en las noticias porque no hay noticias y todo es calor, calor y más calor. Al menos me queda el consuelo de que pronto terminará el verano… ¡Pues no! Cuando termine vendrá el invierno y será un infierno porque no podré ir a fumar a las terrazas porque hará frío. Gracias ZP de nuevo, has convertido mi vida en un sinsentido. Encima les barren en las autonómicas y el tío que no dimite. Hay que tener cara dura.
En fin, que menuda auténtica porquería de verano que estoy viviendo y el asunto no promete mejorar. Lo de la literatura… pues haría bien en dedicarme a la política de no ser por una cosa: no me interesa nada. Que estoy hasta las narices. A ver si me hago unas fotos con el perro y las pongo por aquí.
Saludos no demasiado inspirados