Mark
Piggott's
website

It seems such a long time since I finished my second novel “Out of Office” that it’s come as a shock to realise the launch is now just 17 days away. Since finishing the book so much has happened, and as the book includes some topical issues (religion, terrorism and the Olympics being just three), I’ve spent the last few months hoping nothing in real life would overshadow the plot. So far, I seem to be in luck, though I did decide to change a few words of the prologue following strange events at Christmas.

You can read the first chapter at the Legend Press website but not the prologue. Can’t think why Legend decided not to publish that, unless they thought it was a bit too controversial. I’m sure Tom wouldn’t worry about something like that – would he..?

Anyway the cover is finalised and any day now I should receive a copy of the book. It’s odd but I’m actually even more excited this time round than with “Fire Horses” – or maybe I just feel more relaxed about the whole thing, more inclined to let go and enjoy the launch.

Meanwhile, most days I’m hidden away working on my new novel, “Emptiness”. I’m still on a first draft and have consciously decided not to plot anything or write about “issues”; I’ll just see where the strange story took me. So far it’s been quite a journey. That’s one of the most exciting things about writing – anything can happen...

When I’m writing novels I tend not to read other novels, so lately I’ve been enjoying the short stories of the great John Cheever, and reading some really interesting stuff about SETI, maglev trains and the life of Christopher Hitchens – all in their own way inspirational and influential, though I can’t see how to get Hitch into my book – at least, not yet.