I was shortlisted for this award two years ago, and never got to the award ceremony, not that I won, but I was so looking forward to going. Hurricane like winds stopped me, and the trains, but maybe everything happens for a reason. I had got as far as Preston, when we were all taken off the train and onto buses for the next part of the journey. I sat beside an American, who turned out to be one of the most interesting men I have ever met. I was writing the Nemesis series at the time, and as we talked he began to tell me of his most interesting life. He was involved with US homeland security, so he gave me lots of tips about the conspiracy I was writing about in the series. He was also a writer himself, had plays produced, loved writing, but at the moment his other career had taken over. Though it was hard to give writing up. Writing is a drug, he told me. In fact, he told me so much I was sure he must have been making half of it up, so I Googled him as soon as I got home, and actually he had been really modest. He's very well known, well thought of, and ...you think I am going to tell you his name. Forget it, he is my Dark Man. We still keep in touch, now and then.
So who knows who I might meet on my journey to Brighton tomorrow? I am so looking forward to going, meeting the other shortlisted authors and the readers too. My son says you should fill your life with 5star days, I am going to make tomorrow one of them.
