A Happy New Year to all you dear readers who’ve stuck with me through thick and very thin. Over the past three weeks I’ve managed to spend time with all of my grandchildren (no mean feat of logistics) and have also had enlightening conversations with two friends who share my tendency to overload. The conclusion: I need to stop it. As I have now added ‘publisher’ to the list of hats I wear and as, no matter how much I rail at the clock, I still only get 24 hours per diem, something has to give. No more overload.

Getting cut adrift without an editor, a designer or a sales force has been a sobering experience. The good news is that it has shown me that Big House publishers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Sometimes, as writer friends bear witness, they make a very bad job of publishing a perfectly good book. So onward and sideways. Hands up, who’s ready for more Dr Dan? Tomorrow I start the edit. I was aiming to publish in February but my winter dance card has suddenly filled up so I’m now thinking March 1st. St David’s Day seems an appropriate choice for a Welsh protagonist.

My only resolution for 2020: to stop the fruitless drive for perfectionism. I will however continue to iron my sheets.