Darren Shan - All Feeds

My final vampire tour

Sun, 20 May 2012 13:08:48 +0000

It's a bit late for a round-up of my Brothers To The Death tour, I know, given that it ended more than a week ago, but better late than never! Since this was my final tour (for the time being) for HarperCollins, and the last time (again, for the time being) that I would be touring with my vampire books, I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would be able to end on a high -- and happily that's how I did! It was a smooth, enjoyable tour. I did more fan events this time than I have done on recent tours, and it was a lot of fun to read out some of my favourite extracts to hardcore Shansters, from old, current and future books. Many thanks to everyone who turned up to them, along with all those of you who came along to my signings too. There was an average crowd of about 100 people at most of the events, although we got about double that in Kettering, where the event was held in a cool church that had enough space to hold a couple of hundred fans. Some of the many school events I did during the tour had far bigger crowds than that -- the nice thing about school events is that you have a captive audience!! The average signing time at stores where I just signed instead of doing an event was over 2 hours, although I was signing for 3 hours on the very final day of the tour in Liverpool -- a nice way to finish up! Touring is still the most enjoyable part of the job for me. The actual travelling around from A to B is a pain (if only we had transporters like in Star Trek!!) but meeting the fans make all the hours on the road more than worthwhile. It's such a treat to be able to chat for a little while with you guys, and to see the impact that my books are having. I get a certain sense of that at home, from all the letters and e-mails that i receive, but that's not the same as meeting people in the flesh and seeing by the expressions on their faces that my stories have touched them maybe even more than they have touched me. It's elating and humbling all at the same time. I'd like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who made this tour happen, all the teachers, librarians, booksellers and others who worked hard behind the scenes to set up the events and signings. And a MASSIVE thank you to the team at HarperCollins who made this tour just as much of a triumph as all of the others they have set up for me over the years -- take one final bow, please, Geraldine, Mary, Sam and Rosi!!! And finally, of course, as I've already said, MONUMENTAL thanks to everyone who came along and waited patiently -- without you guys, none of it would matter a damn! I know we live in a world full of tempting distractions, so I really do appreciate it when you choose to spend an hour or two in my company when you could be off doing something else. You have made, and continue to make, my days on the road a thrilling adventure rather than a cumbersome bore!!! Three cheers for the Shansters -- hip! hip! hooray!!!!!

Brothers To The Death on sale on Amazon UK NOW!!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:40:42 +0000

Amazon UK are showing Brothers To The Death as being In Stock NOW!!! If you want to buy it early, click here: www.amazon.co.uk/The-Saga-Larten-Crepsley-Brothers/dp/0007315945/shanville

GUEST BLOG! Alexander Gordon Smith

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:33:28 +0000

For the first time ever, I'm going to allow someone else to post on my blog -- maybe this will make up for me not posting much here myself recently!! Our guest blogger is ALEXANDER GORDON SMITH, author of the Furnace series, who has a new book out called The Fury. I haven't yet had a chance to read the new work, but I'm a big fan of Furnace -- it rocked with a vengeance! So, I hope you all enjoy Gordon's guest blog, and that it intrigues you enough to go out (or go online) and pick up a copy of The Fury. High-quality young authors like Gordon need all the support that we can give! I’m so excited! This is the first post on my blog tour, to celebrate my brand new book, The Fury, and it’s on the website of one of my heroes, Darren Shan! How awesome is that!! Thanks, Darren, for letting me kick-start my blog tour in Shanville! :-) The Fury, my eighth book, was released exactly five years to the day after my first. So April 5th was a double book birthday this year! I had a little party to celebrate, with all eight books sitting in a circle wearing paper hats and holding tiny little teacups. Needless to say, as most of them are horror books, it ended up in a mass brawl with shredded paper and spilled ink everywhere… But it was still a cool day! And it almost never happened. I almost gave up. That’s what I want to talk about, but I’d better start from the beginning. I’ve always dreamed of being a writer. For as long as I can remember it’s the only job I’ve ever wanted – well, that and lorry driver. I used to publish my own little books when I was a kid, giving them covers and hand-drawn bar codes. I wrote stories all through school, usually gruesome ones about serial killers that murdered my teachers (I remember my English teacher once kept me after class to ask me if everything was okay at home), and by the time I was seventeen I decided that I was going to start writing my first novel. This novel was a nice, gentle piece about angels… that ate people. It was called Asylum, and funnily enough it was set in a place called the Furnace Penitentiary for the Criminally Insane. The plot revolved around the idea that the owner of this prison (Alfred Furnace!) had found a way to bring angels back to earth, but these angels were actually ferocious winged predators who would tear people to pieces before gorging on them. Lovely! I had absolute faith that this novel was going to instantly make me incredibly rich and famous, the next Stephen King. I was so convinced of this, in fact, that I decided I didn’t actually need any qualifications, and that I was too cool for school. I stopped working, stopped revising for my exams, and ended up failing my A-Levels. At the same time I got my results, I also began to get rejections for my novel. These weren’t nice rejections, either, they were brutal. I remember one said something along the lines of, ‘This is disgusting, what’s wrong with you? Please never send us anything again.’ I was devastated. Not only had I failed in my bid to become a multi-squillionaire author, I also had to go back to school for another year and re-sit all my exams (I did eventually pass and go off to university). And I did the worst possible thing you can ever do in life: I gave up. I thought, ‘Nobody wants to publish my books, nobody cares, I’m an awful writer, there’s no point in me ever putting pen to paper again!’ And I stopped writing, for years, because I was convinced I couldn’t do it. I had tried, and I had failed. Game over. And that could easily have been the end of my writing career – no Inventors, no Furnace, no Fury. But I was lucky, because a few years later one of my little brothers wanted to write a book and convinced me to write it with him. That book was The Inventors, and it made me realise how much I’d missed writing. The other reason was that I started to read The Saga of Darren Shan books, and I loved them. I devoured them, like a zombie devouring a nice, fresh brain. They made me realise how much I loved stories, the pace of them, the action, the emotion, the incredible journey they take you on. More importantly, they gave me the confidence to believe in myself as a writer, the knowledge that as long as I was telling the stories I wanted to tell, and that I was enjoying telling them, then what I was doing was worthwhile whether I got published or not. And that’s what’s important, I think, believing in yourself, believing that you can do it. I swore, right then, that I’d never, ever give up on anything ever again. That’s why stories are amazing, as well, because the theme of so many books is never giving up – fighting for what you believe in, fighting for your life, fighting for your freedom, fighting for your friends and family, fighting for what is good and just and right. The Fury is a horror novel about what would happen if everyone in the world suddenly turned against you and tried to murder you – your mum, your dad, your brothers and sisters, your friends, your teachers, everyone becomes a mindless, bloodthirsty savage intent on killing you and only you, and once they have, they go back to their lives as if nothing has happened. In this book (and in most of the books I love), if you give up then you get torn to pieces! But even in the real world there’s a certain truth to that, only it isn’t you that dies, it’s your dreams. Giving up is the worst thing you can ever do. Humans are amazing creatures, we’re capable of doing incredible things, of achieving absolutely anything we put our minds to – anything. I honestly believe the only thing that can stop us is ourselves, that little (and sometimes huge) part of our brains that tells us we’re no good, that we’ve got no talent, that we’ll fail, that there’s no point even trying, that we should just give up right now. That self-doubt is like a nagging voice that never stops for breath, refusing to let us really go for the things we want. It’s a little bad guy that lives in our heads and doesn’t want us to achieve our goals. We have to learn to banish that voice, to lock it away in a part of our minds where we just can’t hear it any more. Because once it’s gone you realise that there is nothing to stop you, that you can make your dreams come true. And don’t let other people tell you that you can’t do it either. If you get rejections, just remember that every single writer in the world has had them (including Darren Shan!). Put them behind you and move on, never let it make you believe that you can’t do it. Like I said, the only person who can stop it from happening is you, and that little bad guy in your head. It doesn’t matter what you want to be – writer, doctor, artist, acrobat, athlete, musician, truck driver, bank robber – just wake up every morning and say ‘I AM AMAZING, I CAN DO ANYTHING, NOBODY CAN STOP ME FROM MAKING MY DREAMS COME TRUE!’ You’ll be amazed at how those few little words can help you unlock your full potential. I had the honour of meeting Darren Shan last year – not only meeting him, but doing an event with him at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It was so incredible to be able to say thanks in person, and being there on stage next to my hero made me realise how lucky I had been to find the right inspiration at the right time to shift those doubts, to silence that bad guy in my brain, and to finally believe in myself again. Of course there are still days when I think I can’t do it, when that voice breaks free and starts yelling at me to give up. But at least now I know how to ignore those doubts and focus on the things I really want. I know that giving up is the only way those dreams will remain just dreams. So thanks again, Darren, and to everyone out there, you CAN do it, just never, ever give up! :-) To find out more about The Fury, visit my website at http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/ And if you’re aged between 13 and 18 and are interested in filmmaking, then you might want to enter The Fury trailer competition over on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/stayfurious

Midlands signings added

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:33:40 +0000

Shansters in the UK Midlands take note!! I have added two new signing sessions to my Brothers of the Death Tour, both on Saturday May 5th, the first in Wolverhampton, the second in Birmingham. For full details, see the updated tour schedule in the Shanville Monthly: http://www.darrenshan.com/news/shanville-monthly/

News Talk

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:17:58 +0000

I will be interviewed by Tom Dunne on the Irish NEWS TALK radio channel on Thursday 19th April, shortly after 11.00am. http://www.newstalk.ie/

Irish Times article

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:44:38 +0000

You can read my article in the Irish Times about Bram Stoker online here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0418/1224314868286.html Darren.

Zom-B cover

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:21:44 +0000

The stomach-churning UK cover for Zom-B has been released, so you guys can check it out NOW!! I hope you love it as much as I do!!! https://twitter.com/#!/simonkids_UK/status/191917921629519873/photo/1

Limerick event - tickets on sale NOW

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:33:32 +0000

You can now book tickets for the first public event of my Brothers To The Death tour, in LIMERICK, on April 26th. The event takes place on the first day of publication of the book, and is the only public Irish event that I will be doing on the tour. (I've done a lot on my last few tours, so felt it was time to give my Irish fans a small break!) Not only is this the launch of my final Mr Crepsley tour, it's also the first public event I've done on my home turf for quite a few years, so I'm going to try to make it as special as I can! Hopefully it will be a night to remember!!! Also, if there are any teachers out there, please note that I am doing a schools event earlier that day, and places are still available. If interested, follow the link below and either book tickets directly through the site or get in touch with the staff at the Belltable. For more info, and to book tickets, click here: http://belltable.ticketsolve.com/shows/126524808/events

Victory in sight!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:58:50 +0000

I received a follow-up email today from the librarian in Wyoming who had been challenged by a parent who demanded the withdrawal of Lord Loss from the bookshelves (see my blog of February 3rd for the full story). We had our third committee meeting yesterday concerning the book challenge. This committee was comprised of the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for our school district, the Director of Instruction for our school district, the Language Arts Coordinator for our school district, the Associate Principal for our school, two students from our school, a 5th and 6th grade teacher from two Elementary Schools in our district, a Librarian from one of the High Schools in our district, and 2 parents with kids from various schools in our district. The meeting lasted about an hour with everyone telling of their role in the district as well as their input about the book. We had multiple Librarians from schools in our district, the Young Adult Librarian from our county Library, as well as the parent challenging the book, in our audience. The 11 people on the committee voted unanimously to keep the book in our school library. The parent has the option to take his challenge to the last level, which is the Superintendent of our school district. We will let you know if he takes it to the last level. At this point, your book, Lord Loss, is still safe and able to be checked out by our students. I was delighted when I read this. It was so heartening to find so many people ready to stand up and argue the book's case. Although at the same time I felt it was a shame than one lone parent could create this much of a fuss -- in an ideal world, I think librarians should have the power to stock their shelves with the books that they deem fit. A good librarian will have studied hard, worked hard, and spent a lot of time talking with and listening to and helping shape the minds of a huge variety of children, and their judgement should be trusted. While every parent should of course have the right to question a librarian's judgement, I don't think they should have the right to openly challenge it, especially not if they're in the vast minority, and especially if it's a one-off case. But, that being said, it was great to see democracy at work, and the various forces of reason and commonsense banding together to reject the bullying parent who had been trying to make the system bend to his wishes. I just hope now that the Superintendent -- if the parent chooses to push this all the way -- respects the voices of all the people who have spoken up in support of Lord Loss, rather than the loud-mouthed agitator who (without even reading it) has demanded its withdrawl. Long live the democratic process!!!!!

Shout! Shout! Let it all out!

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:47:12 +0000

I received the following email from a fan in the States: Although this might not mean much to you, I still wanted to let you know. It might not sound real, but it is true. While reading Demon Thief I came upon the part where it says that Kernel wasnt in fights often because he yelled. I was bullied a lot at school. So much that somedays I didn't even want to go. I didn't tell anyone about it because I was afraid. The teachers saw him bully me, but they didn't do anything about it. At schol they showed bully prevention videos. They didnt work for me because this bully had already bullied me for a couple years. After I read that in Demon Thief I decided to try it out. Every time the bully would bully me, I would yell as loud as I could. He soon stopped bullying me. Although this might not mean anything to you, or seem totally fake, I still wanted to let you know. I'm not afraid to go to school anymore because no one bullies me anymore. You have changed my life Darren, thank you. Bullying is a horrible part of the human experience. It can happen to adults, but is more prominent among children -- since children are such little monsters!!! I say that jokingly, of course, but I also think it's true to a large extent. I read an interesting article in National Geographic recently about how brains develop in teenagers. It's a wild, chaotic time. The brain undergoes all sorts of fast, monumental changes, most very positive, but some negative -- although a lot of that depends on your viewpoint. Children can be the most loving of creatures, but also the most vile. We learn as we go through life, and by the time we hit adulthood most of us have evened out. We learn to think more about the consequences of our actions, and about the feelings of others, and tend to be more emotionally stable (which is also why adults are, generally speaking, more boring than children!). In our younger years many of us lack the social skills which make us nicer people in later life. I know that I was certainly more cruel and cutting as a child!! I think a certain amount of peer pressure and bullying is to be expected. In some ways I think it's even important -- it helps toughen us up, so that we can deal with the pressures of life that we will have to deal with later on. I think in the long run it can be a good thing when you are subjected to the occasional bit of teasing by your friends. While sometimes it hurts, over time you learn to bite back and take it with more good humour. This can be a hard world, so it doesn't pay to be too soft! But at the same time, the key words there are "ocassional" and "friends". It's one thing to be mocked from time to time by your friends -- quite another to be targeted by someone who is genuinely trying to break your spirit. Genuine bullies are nasty pieces of work, and it's important to try to stand up to them swiftly and proactively. They thrive on silence and fear. While I'm no expert on the subject, I think the first step should always be to tell people, your parents and teachers. I know the unwritten rule among children and teenagers is "don't snitch" and, generally speaking, it's a rule I agree with. But bullies lose their rights to the protection of that rule. If someone acts in a horrible way to another person, and does so consciously, over an extended period of time, they don't deserve to be treated with the same respect as other people. So, yes, I think the first step is to speak up. That usually works, but not always, as it didn't in this situation -- alas, not all adults are super-heroes, and some deal less capably with the issue of bullies than others. If speaking out fails, then you need to get more creative, as this boy did, by choosing to shout out loud and draw attention to the bullying. Bullies HATE attention. They hate having people know that they're small and petty and mean. They hate having people laugh and sneer at them. So it's worth trying a few belly-bursting yells. There are other methods, I'm sure, so if that fails, or if you don't want to roar, then have a look online -- there are bound to be loads of sites and forums where you can find advice and assistance. The most important thing, though, is not to give in. Don't let them crush you. I know it can be hard, when you're young, to see life as a long, meandering path -- but it IS. Your childhood and teen years are just a very small part of your life. You'll move on and change and leave the bullies behind. Never lose sight of the fact that it's a temporary problem. Don't blow it up to be more than it is. Again, I know it's hard, because the developing brain bends your perception of time, but trust me, the pains we suffer as kids and teenagers are almost never as bad as we think they are. There are always better times ahead. Sometimes we have to huddle up and miserably wait out a storm -- but all storms pass. The sun always comes out again. Or the moon, if you're a vampire!!!!

USA - Zom-B

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Zom-B is Book 1 of my new series for teenagers. The series is also called Zom-B. The first book goes on sale in the USA on October 2nd, 2012. There will be 12 books in total. Each book will be coming out at a period of roughly 3 months.

UK - Zom-B

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Zom-B is Book 1 of my new series for teenagers. The series is also called Zom-B. The first book goes on sale in the UK and Ireland on September 27th, 2012. There will be 12 books in total. Each book will be coming out at a period of roughly 3 months.

UK - Lady Of The Shades

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Lady Of The Shades is a one-off thriller written for adults. It goes on sale in the UK and Ireland on August 30th, 2012.

Slovakia - Lord Loss

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Lord Loss goes on sale in Slovakia at the end of May 2012.

Issue 142 - May 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 03:33:29 +0000

GREETINGS! Hi, everyone, and welcome to the May issue of the Shanville Monthly!! I'll be on tour in the UK for the first couple of weeks of this month -- check out the listings below and come catch me if I'm passing anywhere near where you live! Please note, I've added some new sessions since last month, in the Midlands and Liverpool. If I'm not due to travel to a spot near you on this tour, don't worry, I tour regularly and chances are you won't have to wait TOO long before I swing by!! Even if you can't get to one of my signings or events, you can certainly pick up and read my new book, Brothers to the Death, which is on sale now in the UK, Ireland and Japan, and goes on sale in May in Canada and the USA -- more details can be found below. There's plenty of other news to report too, so I'll leave you to it -- enjoy!!! TO THE DEATH! Brothers To The Death, the fourth and final book in The Saga of Larten Crepsley, went on sale in the UK and Ireland on April 26th -- you can buy it in your local bookshop or book stockist, at Amazon UK by clicking here, or download it onto your Kindle by clicking here. (As far as I'm aware, you can also download it onto any other digital reading device, but I'm a bit woolly when it comes to all of the new technology!) In the USA the official publication date is May 15th, but it will probably start popping up in stores across the country before that -- indeed, it is already IN STOCK on Amazon!! Again, it should be available in any book selling store (if you don't see it on the shelves, ask the staff), or you can order it from Amazon by clicking here, or download it onto your Kindle by clicking here. Or, if you prefer Barnes & Noble you can order it from them by clicking here, or as a Nook Book by clicking here. (Again, I'm pretty sure it's available on all other eReaders too, but don't quote me on that!!) In Canada it also goes on sale on May 15th, so my Canadian fans will be able to buy it at the same time as fans in the Staes -- hurrah! Look out for it in your local book stores, or order it online through Amazon by clicking here. I have added my author notes for Brothers To The Death to my site, in which I talk a bit about the creation of the book. You can check them out here: http://www.darrenshan.com/books/details/brothers-to-the-death/ Early response to the book on Twitter and Amazon has been VERY positive. I think a lot of fans were worried that the series might end limply, leaving them with a disappointing last image of Mr Crepsley -- but as those who've read the book already have been happy to report, that most certainly is NOT the case!!! So what are you wating -- go buy it now and follow Larten on his final, darkest journey!! BROTHERS IN JAPAN Brothers to the Death went on sale in Japan on April 25th, a day before anywhere else in the world. As usual, my Japanese publishing team have craft an absolutely stunning cover for the book, which you can check out here: http://www.darrenshan.com/covers/country/japan/ They also have a lovingly maintained Japanese Darren Shan site, whcih is chockful of goodies. You can access it here: http://www.shogakukan.co.jp/darren/ ARTICLES There was a 4 page special about Bram Stoker in the April 18th issue of the Irish Times, with a lengthy introduction written by… ME!! In it, I talk about why he (and, of course, his most famous creation, Dracula) mean so much to me, and why I think he's still as relevant as ever a hundred years after his death. You can read the complete article online here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0418/1224314868286.html You can read an interview with me in This Is Lincoln, which was published ahead of my event there in late April. http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/vampire-s-tale-ends-watch-zombies/story-15919360-detail/story.html And you can also check out a shorter article in which I talk about some of my musical tastes on the Gulf News site by clicking here: http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/friday/articles/my-playlist-author-darren-shan-1.1007260 FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT Lord Loss never goes down without a fight! Check out this article about a failed attempt to have the book banned from local libraries in Wyoming, in the States. I was very pleased to see how the school supported their librarians and carefully considered and then rejected the bid to have the book removed from the shelves, rather than react hastily and cave-in to the demands of a lone parent. If only all schools were this prepared to stand up for what is right!! http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/supernatural-fantasy-novel-stirs-debate-in-wyoming-school-district/article_0a024fbf-5d64-5264-a241-2014852aae5b.html MORE MICHAEL, PLEASE! I enjoyed reading this article with Broadway legend Michael Cerveris, in which he talks about his most memorable roles. All of them are stage plays, as you would expect, with one notable exception -- I think some people would say it was destiny!!! Like Michael, I would have loved to see him develop the role of Mr Tiny even further, but alas, it looks like it will never be… http://www.broadway.com/buzz/161275/evita-star-michael-cerveris-on-sweeney-tommy-and-his-most-difficult-role-ever/ GUEST BLOGGER For the first time ever I’ve posted a Guest Blog on my site, by the fabulous Alexander Gordon Smith! To hear what he has to say about sticking with your dreams and never giving up, check it out here, then go read The Fury — or else!!!! http://www.darrenshan.com/news/article/guest-blog-alexander-gordon-smith/ WHAT TO EXPECT Those of you who are coming (or thinking of coming) to one of my events on this tour might be interested in this article in the Limerick Leader, which gives you a taste of what you can expect: http://www.limerickleader.ie/lifestyle/entertainment/shan-to-give-a-sneak-peek-of-new-zom-b-series-at-limerick-readings-1-3769525# When I go on tour, I treat it a bit like a rock n roll tour, and carefully choose a mix of old and new extracts to read. This time, at the public events, I’ll mostly be reading out scenes that I’ve never read out on any of my previous tours — although I might occasionally lob in one or two old favourites just to keep myself interested too!! BROTHERS TO THE DEATH UK/IRELAND TOUR All of the details have now been finalised for my UK and Ireland tour to promote Brothers to the Death. A public signing is open to anyone who wants to come. A schools event is for invited schools only. A public event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, but tickets normally need to be reserved in advance -- you MIGHT be able to get them on the day if you just turn up, but you should contact the organiser in advance to make sure that you will be able to get a ticket. Please note, I am always happy to sign as many of my books as fans wish to bring along from home or buy on the day. 26th April, Thursday 11.30am -- schools event, Belltable Theatre, Limerick. http://belltable.ticketsolve.com/shows/126524808/events 7.00pm -- public event, Belltable Theatre, Limerick. http://belltable.ticketsolve.com/shows/126524808/events 27th April, Friday 10.30am -- schools event, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin. 12.30pm -- school event, Castleknock College, Dublin. 7.00pm -- public event, Waterstones Staines, 77 High Street, Staines TW18 4PQ. 28th April, Saturday 11.00am -- public signing, Waterstones Finchley Road, O2 Centre, Finchley Road, London NW3 6LU. 3.00pm -- public signing, Muswell Hill Children's Bookshop, 29 Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill, London N10 3HP. 29th April, Sunday 2.00pm -- public event, Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, London E15 1BX. http://www.stratford-circus.com/events/literature/darrenshan.htm 30th April, Monday 1.00pm -- school event, Beaumont Leys School, Leicester. 6.30pm -- public event, Waterstones Lincoln, 297a High Street, Lincoln LN2 1AF. 1st May, Tuesday 9.30am -- school event, Hull Collegiate School. 12.25pm -- school event, Kelvin Hall School, Hull. 6.30pm -- public event, Waterstones York, 28-29 High Ousegate, York YO1 8RX. 2nd May, Wednesday 10.00am -- Conyers Secondary School, Cleveland TS15 9ET . 3.30pm -- public signing, Waterstones Newcastle, Emerson Chambers, Blackett Street, Newcastle NE1 7JF. Please note, I will have to leave at 4.45pm. 7.00pm -- public event, Waterstones Carlisle, 66-68 Scotch Street, Carlisle CA3 8PN. 3rd May, Thursday 09.15am -- school event, LSA Technology and Performing Arts College, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. 12.30pm -- school event, Kirkham Grammar School, Preston, Lancashire. 6.00pm -- public event, Waterstones Wigan, 6 Grand Arcade, Wigan WN1 1BH. 4th May, Friday 11.30am -- school event, Stockport Grammar School, Cheshire. 2.30pm -- school event, East Manchester Academy. 5th May, Saturday 11.00am -- public signing, Waterstones Wolverhampton, 13-15 Victoria Street, Wolverhampton WV1 3NP. 3.00pm -- public signing, Waterstones Birmingham, 128 New Street, Birmingham B2 4DB 6th May, Sunday 12.00pm -- public signing, WHSmith Hanley, 213 The Potteries Shopping Centre, Market Square, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 1PS. 3.00pm -- public signing, WHSmith Derby, 5 London Road, Derby, DE1 2NS. 7th May, Monday (bank holiday) 12.00pm -- public signing, Waterstones Chester, 14 Eastgate Row, Chester, CH1 1LF. 2.00pm -- public signing, WHSmith Wrexham, 56-58 Hope Street, Wrexham, LL11 1BE. 5.30pm -- public event, Ashton Theatre, Shrewsbury School, SY3 7BA. Part of Shrewsbury Book Fest: http://www.shrewsburybookfest.co.uk/ 8th May, Tuesday 12.15pm -- school event, Bridgnorth Endowed School, Shropshire. 6.00pm -- public event, St Andrews Church/The Kettering Arts Centre, Lindsey Street, Kettering NN16 8RG. Arranged by Waterstones Kettering, 72-76 High Street, NN16 8SY -- contact staff in store for tickets. 12th May, Saturday 11.00am -- public event, Central Library St Helens. Bookselling by Pritchards. For free tickets, phone: 01744 677446, or email: Kathryn.boothroyd@sthelens.gov.uk 3.00pm -- public signing, Waterstones Liverpool One, 12 College Lane, Liverpool L1 3DL. INTRODUCING A VERY SHADY LADY!! I have added the cover for the UK edition of Lady of the Shades, my next book for adults, which will be released in the UK and Ireland on 30th August. I love the cover and I hope you guys do too! http://www.darrenshan.com/covers/design/lady-of-the-shades-uk/ For a little taste of what the book is about, here is what we have revealed so far on Amazon: Ed, an American author on the hunt for a story for his next book, arrives in London looking for inspiration. A stranger in a strange city, he’s haunted by a deadly secret that refuses to stay buried, and no matter how hard he tries he cannot escape the manifest sins of his past. What Ed wants is answers, what he finds is something he definitely didn’t bargain for: the beautiful and untouchable Andeanna Menderes. Andeanna is a woman who is dangerously bound to one of London’s most notorious crime lords, and if they are caught together it could mean death for them both. Ensnared in an illicit affair that can only be conducted in the shadows, Ed’s world is turned upside down as a series of shattering revelations blurs the line between what’s real and what’s not… You can pre-order the book by clicking here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Shades-Darren-Shan/dp/1409143600/shanville LOOKING AHEAD... THE UNDEAD!! The stomach-churning UK cover for Zom-B has been released, so you guys can check it out NOW!! I hope you love it as much as I do!!! I’ve also added the early drafts for the cover to my site, so you can chart its progress — I like to keep you guys as much in the picture as I can!! http://www.darrenshan.com/covers/country/united-kingdom/ I’m not going to be saying much about Zom-B ahead of the release of the first book on September 27th, as there are some major twists in it that we’re trying to keep as secret as possible! But here is what my British and American publishers have revealed so far on Amazon: UK — Zom-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones. As Darren says, “It’s a big, sprawling, vicious tale… a grisly piece of escapism, and a barbed look at the world in which we live. Each book in the series is short, fast-paced and bloody. A high body-count is guaranteed!” USA — When news reports start appearing of a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B’s racist father thinks it’s a joke — but even if it isn’t, he figures, it’s ok to lose a few Micks. B doesn’t fully buy into Dad’s racism, but figures it’s easier to go along with it than to risk the fights and abuse that will surely follow sticking up for Muslims, blacks, or immigrants. And when dodging his fists doesn’t work, B doesn’t hesitate to take the piss out of kids at school with a few slaps or cruel remarks. That is, until zombies attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers. I hope that’s whetted your appetite for more!! IT'S A WRAP And that's it for May!! I'm looking forward to hopefully meeting lots and LOTS of you on my Irish and UK tour -- and to signing untold thousands of copies of my books!! Once the dust settles, we won't have long to wait until my next books start hitting the stores -- Lady of the Shades at the end of August, then the first Zom-B book at the end of September!! It's going to be a VERY busy autumn for me!!! I'll be talking a lot more about those books over the next few coming issues of the Shanville Monthly. But for now I'm off to check that I've packed enough pens to last me until the end of the tour!! I'll be back here at the start of June with all the latest updates. Until then, all my bloody best, Darren Shan. x x x Follow Darren Shan on Facebook and Twitter and MySpace. He also has a YouTube page.