Glasgow

I'm in Glasgow this evening. Tomorrow I'm talking at the city's brilliant Aye Write! book fesitval. I came here last year and loved it. They run one of the very best festivals in the UK.

They have put me up in an amazing hotel. There's a 36 inch TV, a gap in the wall so you can watch live football (for instance) from the bath and two Tunnocks tea cakes with the tea/coffee. This is stylish living.

On the way up here on the train I read some more of Forza Italia. It is great and is giving me several possible settings for my next book. I am at that great stage of a book where I'm reading around, looking for characters and places for them to do their stuff.

So far Como, Milan and Rome in Italy look good. The problem is we're a bit skint at the moment, so may not be able to go. But I'm hoping we can. I've been to all those cities before, but it'd be best to go back.

If I see a place in the context of what my story is going to be it helps me get it right. It also gives me new ideas for the plot.

For instance, when I went round St Basil's catherdral in Moscow I had the idea that Danny could hide in there overnight.