Did you know you had the ability to make a 52 year old woman cry in her bed on a miserable, wet Sunday morning in Lancashire. And on more than one occasion I might add (“It was Steapa”-produced a veritable flood)! My husband has got used to it now but waits patiently to be so moved himself, as there is a strict ” I read it first” code in our family. My aim in my professional life is to be able to move the eleven year olds I work with sufficiently to inspire them to write and to develop a love of weaving tales. I try my best to be the kind of storyteller who leaves you begging for more. Maybe on occasion I succeed. And then as I finished The Lords of the North this late September morn and began to turn my mind to lesson plans, a question popped into my head. Has the master himself (for that is what you are) ever given thought to writing tales for children – tales of history and heroes – imagine the effect on our children if you did. Well, a girl can hope. Fate is inexorable? Thank you for painting pictures in my mind with your words. Kind regards Diane