When I last blogged, it was the jewelled end of autumn. I was talking about shadow figures who beckon the writer down elven paths. I was quite certain that my next book would come from following one of those paths.

Huh!

Sometimes the imagination wanders. Sometimes it gets sandbagged from behind.

Here I am two months later, with a completely new book imagined, written, sold and edited. It went to copy-editing this week. It even has a cover.

When I last blogged, it wasn’t even on my list of about 30 (32 actually, I’ve just filed them and I counted) ideas that I can’t bear to leave alone and keep coming back to. 

So what started it off? Elven path? Macchiavelli in the mist?

Nah.

Reuters and allied trades. Plus Publishers’ Prodding. (God bless the Publisher.)

So, here I am, blinking in the light, considering New Year’s resolutions and how did the pile of ironing get so big?

Phew!