A charming young woman accosted me yesterday, and I stammered thanks. She was a journalist from a local newspaper who wanted to know more about my Hot Air award in Groningen, and cuddled up to me to ask if their photographer could snap me. I confess this was a telephone interview, so the cuddling is just a fantasy, but as a fantasy writer I’m allowed such indulgencies.

Hayley – she had to tell my wonky hearing twice – wanted to know when Hot Air will be available for readers, but sadly I don’t know. I e-mailed Jean-Marcel, the director of the Wuacademia Arts foundation a week ago and he said it was being worked on. Fair enough, it had sat on my hard drive for 3 years, so what’s another month or so. I’d suggested a cover art to him. Two, actually, but one I like the most is of Erica, the feisty red-headed protagonist as seen in the picture on this page. Another possibilty is the chrome-effect photo of the watch tower on Mallorca that Erica was held captive. People are a better grabber by readers than objects, don’t you think?

I’ve a window in my editing-for-other-people schedule, so hello Xaghra’s Revenge, I look forward to spending a week writing a few chapters. Yesterday, I had a welcome visit from someone who could relate to the historical buzz I get when I hug the stones of the ancient temples (if that’s really what they were) on Malta and Gozo. Andrew J., lived a few houses up from us, and his parents still do. His dad, Alan, was stationed on Malta in WW2 and the islands became a family favourite holiday spot. Andrew now works in New Hampshire, in magazine publishing, and although we’d not seen each other for 9 years, we chatted as if we’d never parted!