Meet the Author ...

Earlier this year, I shared the news that The Murder Wall had been chosen by North Tyneside Council as its Summer Read. The idea behind it was to get everyone in that area reading the same book at the same time - and boy did they respond!

Last night, a 'Meet the Author' event was held in The Grand Hotel, Tynemouth to mark the end of the summer read campaign. I was slightly nervous as I arrived - you never know how these things will go or how many people will turn up - but I needn't have been. As you can see from the photograph below, we had a full house and a wonderul evening.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the organisors: Steve Bishop who chaired the event brilliantly; Joanna Simpson and all the North Tyneside librarians who worked so hard to make it happen over the summer; and Rebecca Wilkie from New Writing North who did such a great job on the bookstall last night.

I'd also like to thank my publisher Pan Macmillan for making Settled Blood available in advance of its official publication date, and of course the readers who turned up and made my night so special. I thought I'd never stop signing! Thank you all.