First batch of author copies for The Colossus have been delivered. The arrival of a package in the post, or even from the hands of an Amazon driver, never fails to trigger some small thrill of anticipation. Maybe it's a hard-wired childhood memory of opening Christmas boxes, or possibly just the momentary mystery - my wife never fails to delay opening her packages to find out what they contain and who they are from, so she can take a moment to speculate on what the package contains, and who it might be from. It might be something mundane - a replacement kitchen sink washing up brush, something thoughtful - an unexpected gift from a distant friend, or something craved - the new Peter Gabriel album arrived on vinyl the other day - always a cause for celebration. Or it may just be ... a different story altogether. A new chapter. Just over 5 weeks to go now until launch.