Went up to Dublin on Saturday to see Paul McCartney at the RDS. I went to see him several years ago in London, but was quite far back that time. This time we managed to get seats quite close to the front. It was a rollicking good show, like before -- he has so many great songs to choose from!! The only disappointment was that the crowd was very quiet for most of the gig -- they didn't really kick into life until well into the second half of the set. I love to be on my feet and bopping around at a concert, but here it was like being in the middle of a bunch of mummies!!! I guess that's the problem with lasting as long as Macca has -- your audience grows old with you. And while the ex-Beatle has held onto his vigour and love of rocking, most of the older fans in the audience were far more sedate! I think they would have been happier sitting at home listening to him on the wireless... Ah well, it was a great gig anyway. But if I ever go to see him again, I think I'll bring along a cattle prod to poke the oldies around me into life!!!!

I reveived the following email from Lisa a while back:

I know you probably hear this all the time but I'm a huge fan of yours and have every one of your books (gutted I lost out to the Hell's Heroes limited book on ebay though by one bid!), and they're such a good read. Just finished reading The Thin Executioner and I honestly think you should get a world prize for best writer...screw J.K. Rowling, you're like the best!

I do have a question which I hope you can answer. You've been my biggest inspiration to writing for many years now and after recently turning 21 I'd like to try and get something out there but then I re-read the saga or something and I feel inferior to a God like you. Where did you get the confidence to send something off to a publisher? I've heard all the time that we're our biggest critics and I seem to be very critical about every sentence I write, do you ever feel like that when writing?

One final question, which I think the answer would be an obvious no. I've got all your books (including two copies of Dark Calling one with the mistake and one without, and first, second and third edition covers of the saga) ((Yes I am a sad git and need every copy of the covers!)) Would I be able to get every one of the books signed at a signing or would that kill your wrist? :)

To answer the second question first - yes, I'm always happy to sign as many of my books as fans care to bring along. As for finding the confidence to send off your work... you just have to brave and do it. Accept that you're probably going to get rejected (virtually every writer is) and that you're going to have to fight hard to prove your worth. Then get on out there and start fighting!! I began sending out work even when I knew it wasn't good enough to be published, because I couldn't wait to get into the ring and start punching! Nobody's the finished article when they start out. At 21 my writing was still very rough and ready (for proof, look at the first draft extract of Hell's Horizon in the Extras section on my site, which I wrote when I was 23 -- it's currently not there, but should be copied across from the old site soon). Yes, you need to be very critical of your work if you are to learn and progress -- but you also have to be your own biggest fan too!! You should believe in your stories, in your talent, in your potential. Don't see your weaknesses as anchors which are always going to hold you down -- see them as obstacles which every writer must face and overcome. As long as you believe and work hard, you WILL overcome them. But to do that, you need to face them. You have to send out your work and take the criticisms and rejections. You have to develop a tough skin and dig in and fight. It won't be easy. It won't always be nice. But as I've often said before, the battle is ultimately what defines success in your own eyes -- anything that comes easily can't usually be enjoyed as much as something you've had to struggle and fight hard to earn. Don't hide from your work or from yourself. Start sending it out as soon as you feel it's even halfway decent. Don't be ashamed to unleash a bad story onto the world. Don't fear rejection. Writing is just the start of your journey as a writer, assuming you want to be a published author. It will probably be a long, hard climb to the top of your game. The sooner you throw yourself into it, the sooner you're going to get there. In short -- don't put off until tomorrow what you can and should do today!!!