Well, the first and best news I have to share is that I am now officially a professional writer!

I finally screwed my courage up, and kicked my day job to the curb. I was sitting up almost every night until midnight, then getting up again at 6am for work, and my output was still abysmal.

I can tell you, I never felt better than when I walked out of that office for the last time! Of course, the euphoria wore off a little when I realised that I am now solely responsible for my pay-check!

But it was the best feeling in the world when I switched off my daily alarm. I still get up early in the mornings and put in a day’s work, but it’s on my own time. I can take the dog for a walk when I need a break, or even nap on the couch in my office. I have wine on the shelf next to me (but I never touch it before lunch, promise!), and I can listen to my own music all day.

So the best news about that is that I will be publishing more often. I’m relying on journalism for most of my income at present, so I won’t be firing out stories every week, but I will be more regular.

In fact, I have a new story just published – but that’s for my next post.

Finally, to celebrate my new career, my amazing family presented me with an awesome Azio Retro Classic mechanical keyboard. I love it! It looks amazing, a steampunk beauty in bronze and leather, and is just fantastic to write with. The keys have that beautiful typewriter clackety sound, but if functions more smoothly than any typewriter I ever used.

Mine has a black leather finish rather than walnut, but otherwise that is the thing of beauty I’m clickety-clacking away on right now.