Dear Reader,
There is a moment in The Thomas Crown Affair when Pierce Brosnan is about to lead cops and security on a merry chase while donning a bowler hat. He mutters to himself, ‘Let’s play ball.’ Something about this purred delivery stuck in my mind the first time I watched it, and the line became part of my pre-exams good luck ritual as a student. I’d tap a bollard that I passed on the way to school and say to myself, ‘Let’s play ball.’ Years after those exams, the line still fills me with a sense of diving off a dam, launching into something unknown and important, embracing a challenge with a grin. It’s in my mind this week because Double or Nothing comes out on September 1st and I’m entering uncharted territory. It’s pretty scary. But it’s pretty exciting, too.
Part of what’s scary and exciting is the reviews coming in. I don’t read reviews because they stick with you and I don’t find the voices of strangers helpful for my writing process, especially not while I’m writing Book Two in the Double O trilogy. But my family share positive snippets with me. Here’s a lovely excerpt from The Telegraph:
You might think a novel about the Double O Section of MI6 would be Hamlet without the Prince, but I can’t say I missed him much while I was bowled along by Sherwood’s yarn. … Sherwood bustles us round the world – from Syria to the Kazakh desert to Hong Kong – and treats us to a blizzard of well-executed set-pieces, including a thrilling boxing competition and a hair-raising encounter with a tiger. … Unshackled from the burden of fidelity to Fleming’s character, her book feels a lot freer and more spontaneous than the more conventional Bond continuation novels, while still managing to capture something of Fleming’s rollicking spirit – as well as sharing his taste for sadistic violence.
I’m so delighted to receive a comparison with Fleming! I’ve also seen some of the very kind reviews on the Waterstones website – if you are an early reader and are responsible for such wonderful words, thank you! (I’m especially tickled by the reviewer who says the book should get more than 5 stars. From your lips to God’s ears, my friend.)
Anything new is scary/exciting. While I toured festivals and bookshops with Testament, this week at the Edinburgh International Book Festival was the biggest audience I’ve been lucky enough to share a space with. I was chairing Joanne Harris and Margie Orford, discussing The Narrow Door and The Eye of the Beholder, and interviewing Anthony Horowitz about With A Mind To Kill. It was so invigorating to talk about writing powerful women with Joanne and Margie. And the chance to compare notes with Anthony – off stage and on – about writing James Bond was so fabulous and surreal it was like a dream. My childhood love for Alex Rider turned me on to spy fiction, and in many ways that inspiration is responsible for where I am now. It was such a joy to hear Anthony talk so passionately about character, research, genre, plot, style and, of course, Fleming – I don’t think I stopped smiling for even a second. (And, if you’re wondering, I did mutter to myself as I walked on stage: ‘Let’s play ball…’)
Another new experience this week was a photographer from a national paper coming to our flat to take my portrait. It’s the first time anyone has had cause to ask me, ‘Do you have a typewriter?’ And the first time I’ve been able to answer, ‘Why yes.’ You keep a typewriter in a cupboard long enough, one day someone will ask to take your photograph with it. (In case you’re curious, it’s a Czech typewriter, and it was a twenty-fifth birthday gift from my partner, one of the best presents I’ve ever received. Really it belongs on display but my desk isn’t big enough.) Look out for The Sunday Post this weekend to see the results.
And so it begins! This week I’ll be appearing on BBC regional radio stations around the country before celebrating the launch of Double or Nothing with not one, not two but three events. On the 31st I’ll be toasting the book with the media at the News Building, and on the 1st of September the book will be sent into the world with the help of Charlie Higson, with whom I’ll be in conversation at the beautiful British Library. There are still a few tickets left, and you can either join in-person or online. I’d love to see you there. After the launch, I’m going to Salon Privé, the UK’s most exclusive motor show at Blenheim Palace, where I’ll be talking about Double or Nothing. All events should come with sports cars. Now there’s a thought…
If you’d like to come along to an event, you’ll find the schedule on my new website. Big thanks to Moxi Studios for making it so beautiful!
Keep an eye on my Twitter and Instagram for all the fun, and wish me luck. Let’s play ball…
From Kim, With Love x