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.