Aaaarrrgggghhhhh

Now I remember what being a Leeds fan is all about. How stupid of me to forget.

Six weeks ago we were ten points clear that the top of league one and had just won at Old Trafford. Now we have just lost to Walsall at home and are in danger of dropping out of the automatic promotion spots.

A third year of playoff fun beckons.

But who cares? It doesn't matter if your team is in league one or if it just won in the San Siro, does it? It's about supporting your team. Not like the grown man I met today in Grimsby who said he didn't support his home town team anymore 'because they are rubbish'.

I'm Leeds and I'm proud.

Tod Library

I took my daughter to Tod library this afternoon. We looked at some books and picked up three Famous Five books she'd ordered. Also a DVD.

I also got a couple of books about rugby - as I am about to start my rugby novel for Barrington Stoke. I need to know more about the technical stuff in rugby union. I've not watched it live, like I have rugby league. I start that in a week or so when I've finished Killer Pass.

When we were in the cafe opposite - The Bear - my wife phoned to say Leeds were losing 1-0. Not what I wanted to hear. Fortunately we equalised in the 95th minute. A own goal. What a fine wife I have!

Ran 10K in 51:42 today. A 25 second improvement. The Wigan race is in two weeks. I am desperate to break 50:00, but time is running out. I have four more 10K training runs left to cut the time. Will I do it?

The Bandaged Man

I had a great day today planning a novel with the football writers of Basildon, a group I work with at Ghyllgrove Junior here. We went out into town and looked for setitngs for murders and people we could characterize as criminals and heroes. Then we worked out a plot that includes my own murder...

Then they gave me some feedback on Killer Pass, the book I am just finishing. It has been so useful to have them read the first draft. They convinced me to drop the ending I'd put together, in favour of something else. There was a character in it called the bandaged man. But not any more.

I love days like this. Working in a school that is as welcoming and interested as Ghyllgrove Junior makes it all worth it. So thank you to them!

Bradford

I went back to Bradford today. I used to live and work there - for a decade.

Today it was to take Iris ice skating, though I stayed off the ice. I'm weak-kneed.

We went to the Wool Exchange Waterstone's and saw the empty shop sites an abandoned building sites all around it. It's a depressing city at the moment, I am sorry to say. But - on the bright side - the book shop and Media Museum and Ice Rink are good.

Did my first proper 10K training run for the Wigan race in 3 weeks. Did 52:04. Not bad. For me. I hope to break 50:00 on the race day, but it's probably too late now. We'll see.

Yossi Benayoun

Here's Yossi holding a copy of Dead Ball, his favourite children's book. It is the story of a ruthless Russian billionnaire football club owner who likes to kill footballers.

I'm thrilled Yossi decided to stay at Liverpool and not move to Spartak Moscow.

Jed Mercurio rules

I am reading my third Jed Mercurio novel in two months. Ascent was amazing. Bodies, awesome. Now American Adulterer is stunning. Each novel is brilliant, but each is utterly different. This is one hell of a writer.

Llanelli

Back in Wales. I did lots of writing on the train as it skimmed the English-Welsh border through Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Football Detective 4 is nearly done. Danny just has to rescue Charlotte and avoid a baseball bat that is coming his way. Oh... and the bandaged man who is on his tail.

Also read the final proofs of The Secret Football Club, due May. I am really happy with it.

When I got to the hotel I wanted to carry on writing and it was too early to eat a meal, so I asked for a cream tea. I got two giant scones, half a pound of jam, half a pint of whipped cream, four slices of malty something cake and four Welsh cakes.

That should do me for the week.

Southampton

I had a great time at Bartley Junior school, Southampton, today. They were excellent. I went there as a prize: one of their children won me through Puffin Post.

I met their Newspaper Club before doing my events. They asked me some questions and then came up with a great title for a future book. I want to keep it a secret because it is so good. But I can reveal that the book I am writing now will be called KILLER PASS. Or have I menitoned that already?

So now I am in a Winchester hotel. Eating an M&S dinner. The room has Sky Sports News, so I've that on, plus Radio Five, of course. Big football night. I went for a walk earlier and saw a Leeds fan in a pub. Leeds play Swindon tonight. Very tough.

I miss home. And this is my first night away this week.

Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It is great - and extremely popular with children.

Home tomorrow

I am spending my last night in Carmarthen. It has been good.

I have got into a strange routine after schools. Going to get my tea at M&S foodstore, then looking round Waterstone's, then doing a bit of writing in a cafe near the hotel, then watching live football.

The writing has gone well. Lots of time: lots done. I am well on target now. And pretty happy with it. We have decided on a title too. Killer Pass.

But I am missing Rebecca and Iris a lot. I need to get home.

Every day they put a hot choc in the tea/coffee drawer. I lasted until 7pm before I had it tonight.

Carmarthen

I am in Carmarthen for a week of schools. I got a direct train from Manchester. It took over five hours. I had a look round the town. It is very nice. Small, friendly. The hotel is nice too.

All day I have been reading the first draft of Football Detective 4. To get an idea of what is wrong with the plot, the characters and the themes. There's a bit of work to do, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Once I've sorted all that structural stuff out I'll read it through word for word. I expect that will take a while. Some of it is pretty loose. I did so much of it on trains. Train writing needs a bit more editing.

But I have all the evenings this week to crack it. Then a couple more weeks until I submit it to the writing group.

In fact, a class of 12 children in Basildon is reading it now. I get their feedback in early February. Ghyllgrove Junior School, Basildon. They're great.