What a year this has been! I started 2011 in Clonmel, County Tipperary and expected to stay there for a few years. But it was not to be. Just a few weeks in to the New Year we decided that the Irish economy was not going to recover in time for me to get a job. I hated being unemployed, even though it did free up plenty of writing time. But it is hard to be creative in the face of hundreds of rejections for work. So we returned to Shetland. But just before we left Ireland I published my novel on Amazon. I didn't expect much, but now as the year ends I have discovered that over 1200 people have either downloaded my novel in its e-book format or purchased the new paperback version, and sales are still going strong.

We are now happily settled back in Shetland; back to full employment and a busy social life. My MA is almost complete, just one essay left to write over the Christmas holidays. The year has been full of surprises - mostly good. And almost as soon as next year starts I will be celebrating another big birthday. Maybe 50 is the new 40 after all, and life will begin again, with a new career in writing.

Happy New Year everyone, and thank you for reading my novel.