The book I’ve been working on since February goes to press this week, and is officially published on June 15th, with a launch at the Lowdham Book Festival on June 19th (a day of great free events). It’s my first non-fiction book, and it’s a guide to using the auction site eBay.co.uk. Why did I write it? I got an email from an old friend at the end of January. We’d discussed eBay on holiday last year. He asked whether I’d be interested in writing a guide. By the middle of February, I’d agreed to do it. From start to finish, the process will have taken four months, some kind of record for me. The book’s aimed at people who want to start using eBay…

Martin’s in New York and I’m jealous. Somehow, the fact that people can send me emails and update their blogs while they’re away doesn’t seem a positive development. Not when spring hasn’t sprung and I’m getting up an hour earlier than usual because we’re having the outside of the house painted and sleeping in the spare bedroom because we’re having the bedroom painted as well, to give the painters something to do when it’s raining… and I must remember to go and water Martin’s plants. Oh, enough moaning. This morning, there is no pressing university business and I got an email from the editor of my non-fiction book that, for the first time, didn’t give me any more work to do! Final proofs should arrive…

I didn’t hear the crash, or the scream. I was in bed, drinking my second mug of tea while Radio One described the problems people were having buying Glastonbury tickets. The festival web-site wasn’t working and the phones were constantly engaged. Then Sue yelled my name in a terrible, scared voice. I pulled on my dressing gown as I hurried downstairs. Sue was outside with two people. At first I thought they were our next door neighbours, who have a car that colour. As I got to the door, however, I saw that the front of the car at the end of our short drive was wrapped around the tree just to the right of our house. The young woman was sitting in the driver’s…

I’ve got a brief respite, having sent off the first draft of the book I’m working on (rewrites next week and publication in May is the plan, but I suspect it’s more likely to be June. When there’s more definite info, I’ll stop being mysterious about it). Time for a quick catch up then. Lots of people showed up at the reading in Beeston two weeks ago, which was a friendly, relaxed event. OK, Nigel could hardly be described as relaxed, being a claustrophobic giving his first full reading in an overcrowded room, but he read brilliantly. There’ll be more in the autumn, with readers like Matthew Sweeney, Lee Harwood and Clare Littleford. Clare, who joined us for dinner afterwards, is a former NTU Creative…

What follows may well be the last entry for a while. This week, I’ve begun a demanding part time job, as course leader for the MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University and accepted a commission to write a full length non-fiction book that has to be completed within two months. On top of the teaching and writing, I’ve got several other appearances lined up, including the Teenage Kicks conference on Young Adult Fiction, which should be interesting. Maybe I’ll regret it, but, at the moment, I’m thriving on getting up early and doing a lot of hard work. Is this a sign of middle age encroaching? Before I go, a quick account of a memorable evening. Last night began with the crowded launch…