'I could probably live with making a complete idiot of myself on a Saturday night if it wasn’t accompanied by the Horrors on a Sunday morning'

Whenever I start work on a new novel, I make a conscious decision that I’m going to give up men and alcohol.

The former is always more difficult — hey, a gal has needs — but I quite enjoy how sanctimonious the latter decision allows me to become.

In my twenties I would have trampled over Matt Talbot to get to that blind musician first, stolen the fiddle and his First Holy Communion money to have cash for beer.