A blessing upon: the good folk of Lancashire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire, who apparently borrowed more Ruso books from their libraries than anyone else in the UK in 2008-9. This isn’t really a fair comparison, since I got the figures from the PLR (Public Lending Right) website and they only include the sample libraries chosen for that year. But thank you anyway. I hope you enjoyed them.
A curse upon: the gremlins who seem to have invaded the British distribution of ‘Ruso and the Demented Doctor’ and ‘Ruso and the Root of All Evils’. There are a few copies in a box under the desk here, so if Santa needs one urgently and the local bookshop can’t oblige, please get in touch – see below.
A warning: the gremlins have also struck the email system. I would blame the snow (since it’s being blamed for everything else) but we haven’t had any. Anyway, if you’ve made contact recently and not had an answer, please try again. To outwit the gremlins, use the ‘comment’ option below, and if it’s really just intended for me, put ‘not for the blog’ on it.
Ruth Downie 
Ms. Downie. As I don’t really understand what a ‘blog’ is I’ll leave that up to you.
This is a note of thanks for your comments on Debut Dagger bulletin 4. I’m one of those people whom you refered to in your ‘The Delights of Research’ paragraphs. In this case a Roman Re-enactor, currently in priestly garb but previously hiding, and having fun, behind a Medicus persona. Thanks for the nice things you’ve said about us. Also thanks for writing the G. Petronius Ruso stories, I only wish that I could write to that standard. Keep up the good work, please.
I’ve already replied to Clive privately on this one but just to explain – the Crime Writers’ Association run a Debut Dagger competition every year for new writers (it’s not too late! Check out http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/index.html ). People who sign up get regular bulletins from the CWA, and this year I was invited to chip in with some thoughts about writing historical fiction. You can read what Karen Maitland and I wrote at http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/bulletins/index.php?2011-04
When you draft this sort of thing you never really know what anyone else will make of it, so it’s great to have some feedback.