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Sunday, May 28th 2006 : "The Dagger"
Tuesday was always going to be hard work. A 5.30 start, to leave the house just after six to get the train from Wakefield. I was training library staff in Lincoln for Opening the Book - a day called the reader friendly library. I love running this training. I've done it so many times before that I'm on top of the material. I like meeting staff from different authorities, stealing ideas that work, passing on ideas that have worked for me. But it's tiring. On the way home there was an hour's wait at Retford station, so all I wanted when I got in was a big glass of very cold white wine and some mindless television.
I didn't check my emails until just before I went to bed. Even when I saw the number of waiting emails I didn't think there was anything special. I'm on lots of mailing lists through work. Then I read the first one from Jean, who looks after my website. A forward of the press release announcing the shortlist of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger. RAVEN BLACK was one of the 6 nominated books. Completely unbelievable.
Since then it's been lovely. Messages of congratulations from lots of friends. An enormous bunch of flowers from my editor. Murder Squad has put together a news release to go out to our newsletter subscribers. There's a bit of a panic about what to wear to the awards dinner, but my daughter is scouring the charity shops in the posh bits of Bristol to look for a designer cast off which might do.
I've just started work on the new Shetland book - the next in the quartet. I feel under a bit of pressure because of the success of RAVEN BLACK. But I'm planning a trip to Shetland before the awards ceremony at the end of June. It'll be good to celebrate the nomination with friends there and give the book a kick start.
Posted by Ann at 12:08 PM GMT
