A Kiss Before Dying

Well, Ghost Kiss is now on its way to the agency (via Express Post for that extra hint of professionalism). I'm feeling quite positive about it, but then I don't think there have been too many occasions where I've sent off a story or novel with an overriding sense of doom. I think a healthy stripe of optimism is a prerequisite for any writer (or at least any writer who wants to keep his or her sanity in tact).

Every time I send off a novel, it sets in motion a chain reaction of success fantasies. I see myself in my cramped little study, writing as I always do, but this time I'm writing on the wave of a healthy advance. The royalty cheques for [insert novel title here] are still flowing in and regular workdays are not much more than an unpleasant memory. Oh, I still write the odd review or article for magazines, just to keep it real, but my time is now my own.

Then there are the international book tours. First-class flights, flash hotels, lots of interviews where people actually want me to talk about my work (I turn up to some of these a tad hungover, courtesy of the free drinks the night before). The hours are long and the schedule gruelling, but I don't mind, because self-actualisation is mine.

Yeah, one day...

The Fearless Writer

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Postscript – Just received my slush number from Andromeda!