What we have there, Dear Reader, is the manuscript for Careless Talk. It's nice seeing it like that – when it exists purely as a file on my computer, it doesn't quite feel real. You can't argue with a couple of kilograms of dead tree, though.

I'm planning to apply a liberal coating of William Strunk on the poor thing during the first week in July and then sitting down to redraft it. Hopefully, it'll be in your hands at some point during August, depending on how many howlers I find.

In the meantime, work on The Sounding continues apace. I'm well into the flow of things now – I have some interesting new people to play with. And while this is all ongoing, I have some nice ideas for a follow-up to Careless Talk. The trouble is, my brain always seems to be two or three books ahead of me.