I had the pleasure of hearing you speak at Topping’s in Bath last night and thoroughly enjoyed your interesting and witty talk. There are two questions I didn’t have the nerve to ask you then and would like to do so now. Firstly, you spoke with great disdain of the Puritans of the world(and rightly so), yet it could be said you live in the home of the American Puritans – how do you cope?Or is it worse here?

Secondly, how has the arrival of the Internet changed the way in which you do your research and has it made your research easier/faster to do? I thoroughly enjoy your work and have recently managed to turn my brother on to you also- he was there with me last night having bought Sword Song on the day of publication in the UK! Please don’t retire just yet – we are anxiously awaiting more of all your wonderful stories and characters. Kind regards Genevieve Payne