Crypt
5 November 2007
To celebrate publication of Sepulchre, my publisher - Orion - organised a party in the crypt of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square in central London.
It
was a brilliant do - and for a few hours, I could forget the anxiety
that I feel for putting a new novel out into the cold world.
Of course, I say to myself that Sepulchre has to stand on its own. If people enjoy reading Sepulchre, it will be because they feel an emotional connection with my characters - with Léonie and Anatole Vernier, with Meredith Martin and Victor Constant.
Years ago I published a techno-thriller - a dystopian story of a flooded London rife with tropical diseases called Crucifix Lane. It's out of print now but, I got an email from the US recently from someone who had tracked down a copy in a Canadian library, borrowed it for a modest fee - and really enjoyed it.
Now, I can honestly say that I haven't even thought about Crucifix Lane for ages and ages. So it was lovely to hear from a reader - like an unexpected postcard from an old friend.
Because of the publication of Sepulchre, this is a busy week or two. I will be travelling here and there for signings and interviews. At the weekend, Greg and I will be busy West Dean College for the Chichester Writing Festival where I will chair discussions with our headline guests Marian Keyes, Sarah Waters, Joanne Harris and Jacqueline Wilson.
On Tuesday 13 November - a first for me - I will be interviewed by an online 'radio' station - Rennessence.
So, like Elvis and the building, the novel has finally left the Sepulchre ...
