Daynote - Fri 1 Aug

Moving a bit slow this morning because I was out late for the launch of THE NEEDFIRE, a superb new novel from my friends Erin and Mo, writing as MK Hardy. It came out yesterday and the hardback is gorgeous. Lots of signed copies now available at Blackwell's in Edinburgh, if you're in the vicinity.

It was a great event, with flame-coloured cupcakes, a fantastic reading from Mo, excellent questions and chairing from Ann Landmann and some wonderful insights into the co-writing process from both Erin and Mo.

ON DECK: Said sleepiness meant it took me a while to get going this morning, so I ended up with 370 new words after a tiny bit more consolidation editing. I'm moving through this draft very tentatively, so I think I need to do a bit of micro-outlining ahead over the weekend, while I'm zooming around on trains.

LISTENING: Speaking of MK Hardy, I loved their episode this morning on the Page One Podcast, including the now obligatory meowing of their lovely (though permanently scowling) cat Scout.

WATCHING: Nothing on the telly last night, since I was out and about all day then at the NEEDFIRE launch.

READING: I did however read a bit more of BERLIN WOLVES on the train (see my July newsletter for context).

LINK: If you're in the US and read books on a Kindle, A RELUCTANT SPY is on a Kindle Monthly Deal for the whole of August! A mere 99 cents. I'm not sure what that would buy you in the US today, but I'd wager not much. Except for my book! Bargain.

UP NEXT: Stock permitting, I'll be signing in some Glasgow bookshops tomorrow, so if you're a bibliophilic West Coaster likely to be haunting the bookshops of the Dear Green Place tomorrow, keep an eye out for me.

And on Sunday I'm driving around with fellow author Gareth Brown, hitting shops in St Andrews, Dundee and Perth over the course of the day (midday, 2pm and 4pm is our planned itinerary). Gareth's new book THE SOCIETY OF UNKNOWABLE OBJECTS comes out next week, so if you're lucky and you live in the area you might be able to snag a signed copy!

Then, next week, you guessed it, I shall continue to be writing and editing books. This whole writing career thing requires a lot of that sort of thing.

Onwards!