I did think of entitling this ‘it’s coming home’ but I didn’t want to antagonise football fans. It does seem incongruous though that even the quality media outlets are eclipsing the visit by an individual, who is arguably one of the world’s most unpopular, unpleasant and potentially dangerous leaders, in favour of a game (you get that – a GAME) that we didn’t even win.

All that aside, there is super thrilling Barefoot on the Cobbles news. My masterpiece, aka lovingly crafted manuscript, now almost looks like a book. Ok, it is what is known as a block, so it is unbound but it is excitingly close to being a book and I can see what the layout will look like. I also splashed out my zero marketing budget on some promotional materials and there is still a poster to come. In 129 days (not that I’m counting) copies will be available, to read, love, cherish, or light the fire with, according to your preferences. Actually, I am counting because I hope that there will be something coming on this blog in the 100 days running up to launch day on 17 November.

I’ve said it before, I will no doubt say it again, it is possible to pre-order copies already. An ideal solution if you think you’ll forget if you don’t. My preference is to hand over copies in person, perhaps at one of the events I will be attending but for those of you whose paths only cross mine in a virtual sense, then pre-ordering might be the thing. Alternatively, you could support your local independent bookshop and order a copy from them after it has been published. It will be available via Amazon but ideally I would like to see a larger slice of the very small profit go to my publisher, a small bookshop, oh and me!

In the midst of organising a media frenzy, well, a media ripple anyway, for novel #1, #2 is underway. So far it has a provisional title and is 3000 words of notes. It is still a bit of a secret at the moment but it involves another Devon tragedy, set in the seventeenth century this time. Like Barefoot, it is very much about human behaviour and again it is based on a real incident, with female characters predominating.