It always amazes me that I can update my blog from Laggan Cottage. The signal reaches out across the sea from the Ayrshire coast or from the Isle of Bute – I’m not sure which. Over the hill – in Downtown Lochranza – reception is terrible, so it is a minor miracle that the remote location at Laggan has 3G.

That said, I am constantly frustrated by being unable to post images. I was going to take this time to do so now, but have used most of it to compile a video in an effort to repay the owner of the Cottage for his kindness. I will likely make changes to it, but the following clip is a compilation of some of the time I’ve spent here in the past few weeks with a view to letting people know about Laggan Cottage – the inspiration for Creggan in the book. Don’t forget to expand to full screen (bottom right icon) and ensure that HD is on. Enjoy:

Yesterday was the quietest day yet. It’s the middle of June and the weather is glorious. I was talking to Mark, a guy I had the pleasure to meet walking along the coast and was so engrossed in our conversation that I did not notice that no-one had come by all day until he had wandered into the sunset. I do not worry about quiet days despite the fact that there are no ‘customers’ for the book. It gave me a chance to paint the door on the cottage and to think about the plan ahead.

I’ve yet to decide, but at the moment feel that the Edinburgh Festival beckons in August. For sheer enjoyment, I should stay put, but the Festival should come a close second. Lack of people will not be an issue in Edinburgh. The only thing that gives me pause is that, in throwing the Honesty Edition to thousands of festival-goers, I may be able to distribute a good percentage of them in a four week period, but there is no way I could get the same level of enthusiastic response that I get here. Or could there? That’s the problem, I really don’t know. If I stay on Arran and it remains quiet, I miss the chance of being in Edinburgh in August and if I go to Edinburgh, push out the rest of the books and the results are poor, I’ve blown the whole project.

I won’t stand frozen in the headlights and I will act, but there are a few weeks yet to form a plan. If I do go, I will face certain challenges. After being here for a number of weeks I’ve spoken to hundreds of people. From these conversations, I’m convinced that I need to speak to each reader as they take a book (even if he or she is just part of a group). That appears to be a key criteria. To do this, I’ll need a static location where I can unload a thousand copies each day, stake my claim to it and give the books to those who are willing to agree to the honesty conditions. Now, during the festival, there are countless street performers and if I was busking or doing something that would allow me to move on at a moment’s notice, I doubt I’d have a problem. But I can’t do that and a thousand books is a heck of an obstruction. I’m on my own and while I could recruit family and friends for various days, a month is too much to rely on anyone except myself. Along with the all-or-nothing nature of being there, this is a potential killer that has me stumped for the moment.

I love a challenge!

I have been here over three weeks now. Early signs are good. The reaction from people I meet continues to be enthusiastic and, although it is far too early to draw conclusions, it looks like I will make my target long before I expected to. Perhaps it will hit a wall or perhaps it will continue to build and build as I meet and talk to people and continue to distribute the books.I hope for the latter but try to keep my expectations in check. Time will tell.

I am now in the cottage, courtesy of Mr Charles Fforde. Charles owns (and is the enthusiastic custodian of) the land surrounding Laggan and the cottage itself. Despite my vandalism of his coastline to fit the fiction of the book and despite one of my characters (inadvertently) stealing his first name, he has been extremely kind and supportive of what I’m doing.

Laggan Cottage was the inspiration for Creggan and staying there is a real treat. Being so remote, no-one passes here by accident. Most come from far-flung places and many have a close and ongoing affinity with the place. This adds to the buzz that the book seems to generate and if it gains a fraction of the success of its reception, this part of the experiment will soar.

As an aside, spending so long in such a beautiful area means that I cannot help but find myself close to some of the wildlife here. I’ve filmed seagulls attack an eagle, sea otters play at my feet, dolphins fish a pebble-throw from my front door and seals bask on rocks close enough to count their freckles.

All this and yet I cannot attach images when posting with my mobile. I must be missing something obvious and with luck, I’ll find a way.

Until then, I’ll continue to paint a picture of the ongoing adventure with words.