Daynote - Sun 8th Sep 2024
Well, here's a rare daynote on a Sunday, for a couple of reasons! The biggest one is above, which is a review of my book in today's Sunday Times. The thing about press coverage is you quite often don't actually learn whether you're going to get reviewed until it just shows up in the paper, which can make for some interesting moments. This morning, it was me nearly dropping my phone down the stairs in the dark when I saw the Google Alert and almost tripping over my cat.
And that brings me to the second reason (and why I was up so early on a Sunday) - I'm off to Brighton (via a stopover in London tonight) for my first ever warehouse signing with the wonderful folks at Goldsboro Books. I've got about three hours to sign several hundred special edition copies for the Crime Collective subscription box.
ON DECK: Finished a scene on the train this morning, with a cheeky 509 words. I love train journeys for writing, although this time I've been alternating the drafting with reading and a bit of marketing work, because I fancied a bit of variety. Train seats also aren't the most ergonomic of writing locales and I've learned that three or four hours straight writing on a laptop/tray table combination is a recipe for pain.
LISTENING: I really enjoyed this interview with Charlotte Philby on the Read and Buried podcast - I saw Charlotte chair a panel on spy thrillers at Harrogate and she was excellent. This interview was great.
WATCHING: Between unboxing my author copies and packing for this trip yesterday, we managed to squeeze in another episode of KAOS last night. My comparison to Baz Luhrmann's films recently was also justified - they were explicitly thinking about it when they cast and planned the shoots. Which led to this cool coincidence.
READING: Nearing the three-quarters point on NINTH LIFE by Stark Holborn and it is ramping up beautifully.
UP NEXT: As of this writing, another couple of hours on the train, then London! I'm staying with my brother, but have a couple of hours to kill first, so I may meander around some central London bookshops and see if any copies of my book have escaped containment and made their way onto the shelves. And tomorrow, of course, Brighton! Can't wait.