BIRTHDAY GREETINGS!
Hi everyone, and
welcome to this
special birthday
edition of The
Shanville
Monthly!!! Yes,
it's hard to
believe, but
this issue marks
the Monthly's
SIXTH birthday!!
How it's
grown!!! If you
have a look in
the Archive (see
the link in the
top right of
this page) you
can re-live that
first, rough
entry, written 6
long years ago,
along with the
71 that have
followed. My
books have come
a long way since
summer 2000 --
if you have lots
of time on your
hands, you can
read through all
72 issues to
follow the
progress so far,
the highs and
lows, the
successes and
failures, the
sorrows and
joys, etc. But
before you
embark on such a
heady,
time-consuming
spree, might I
suggest you
finish catching
up with all the
latest news
first, by
scrolling
down???? There's
chart success to
report ...
updates on the
tour schedule
for the second
half of the year
... awards ...
signed books ...
audio CDs ... a
sneaky
competition ...
and more!!
"SLAWTER"
SCALES THE UK
CHARTS!!
On its first
full week of
sale, "Slawter"
-- book 3 of
"The Demonata"
-- rose to the
Number 2
postion in the
Bestselling
Children's Books
chart in the
UK!!! It
stayed in the
#2 spot the
next week, and
was hogging the
#5 slot
at the end of
the month. It
was also, by a
large margin,
the #1
bestselling
Children's
Hardback in the
UK for the
past three
weeks!!! As
well as that
success, the
paperback
edition of
"Demon Thief",
released at the
same time as
"Slawter",
entered the
chart at #12,
rose to #7
in the second
week, and was
still holding
onto the #7
spot in its
third week on
sale at the end
of the month!!!!
In Ireland,
as in the UK,
"Slawter" rose
to the #2
position on the
Bestselling
Children's chart
also.
This is the
first time I've
had two books in
the UK top 10
(heck -- the top
7!!!!) chart at
the same time,
and I think it
shows how much
of a momentum
the new series
has picked up.
I've been
astonished by
the numbers of
fans turning up
at the events
I've done in
Ireland and the
UK over the last
couple of years.
The legions of
Shansters are
multiplying
rapidly!! I've
seen that
happening during
my travels on
the road, and
now everyone can
see it reflected
in the charts.
It's an exciting
time for me --
and, I hope for
you lot too!!!!
For anyone who's
missed it, "Slawter",
is on sale in
book stores
across the UK
and Ireland
NOW!!!! You
should be able
to find it in a
book shop near
you, or else you can buy
it from Amazon
UK by clicking
on this link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007229550/shanville
Similarly, you
should also be
able to find the paperback of
"Demon Thief"
in your local
shop, or else
through Amazon
UK at :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007193238/shanville/
AND THE AWARD
FOR BEST BOOK
GOES TO...
"Lord Loss"
has won the
Redbridge
Teenage
Award!!!
You can read
all about it
here:
http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/learning/rcba.cfm
It might not
be one of
the bigger,
better known
awards, but
as it's the
first real
award in six
and a half
years that
I've won in
the UK
(having won
a similarly
"local"
prize in
Wyoming, USA
a couple of
years ago
for "Cirque
Du Freak"),
I don't
care!!!! I'm
off to
celebrate
being now
able to add
"prize
winning
author" to
"bestselling
author" on
my CV!!!!!!
In a
surprisingly
awardtastic
month, "Lord
Loss" was
also one of
two
runner-up
books
("Checkmate"
by Malorie
Blackman was
the other)
in the
Lancashire
Children's
Book of the
Year Award.
The winner
was "Raven's
Gate" by
Anthony
Horowitz --
a gross
miscarriage
of justice,
in my
opinion, and
I'm sure Mr
Horowitz
would
agree!!!!
:-)
You can
learn more
about the
award here:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries/services/children/cboty/cboty2006/cboy2006.asp
Being a
horror
writer (or
at least
being
regarded
as a horror
writer), I
don't get
nominated
for many
awards, and
almost never
win any.
That's
something
everyone
working in
the horror
field learns
to live
with, so
it's no big
deal -- I'd
much rather
take big
book sales
over
prestigious
awards any
day!!!!
Having said
that, it's
always nice
when
somebody
acknowledges
the hard
work I've
put into a
book, so I
was
delighted to
be
recognised
in this way,
particularly
by the
Redbridge
crew! What
made the
awards even
more
satisfying
was that
they were
voted for by
children and
teenagers,
not by
adults.
"SLAWTER"
MICROSITE
The
Cartoon
Network,
in
conjunction
with my UK
publishers,
HarperCollins,
have put
together an
incredibly
cool
microsite
to celebrate
the release
of "Slawter"
in the UK!!!
It features
information
about the
books and
characters
... there's
a neat
little game
called
Demon Dodge
... and if
you're under
16 years of
age and live
in the UK,
you can
enter a
competition
where the
first prize
is a
vist to your
school by
ME!!
There are
runner-up
prizes of
signed books
and posters,
which are
pretty great
too!!! To
access the
site, click
on the
following
link:
http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk/microsites_advertiser/demonata/index.jsp
As I said above,
the competition
is only open to
fans under the
age of 16,
living in the UK
-- but you can
still take the
test and enjoy
the rest of the
site, no matter
where you live.
The microsite
has been running
all throughout
June, but it
won't run for
very much longer
-- so get over
there ASAP!!!
SIGNED
"SLAWTERS"
Fans living
in London,
take note --
I popped
into
Waterstones
Picadilly
on Monday
June 19th
and signed
LOADS of
copies of my
books,
everything
from the
latest,
"Slawter",
right the
way back to
"Cirque Du
Freak" -- so
if you're in
London and
looking for
a signed
Darren Shan
book over
the next few
weeks, you
know where
to head!!!!
If you're
fast (and
rich!) you
might even
be able to
pick up a
complete
signed set
of "The
Saga" there
...
UK - AUDIO CDs
The audio CDs of
"Demon Thief"
and "Slawter",
narrated by
Rupert Degas,
are on sale in
the UK and
Ireland
NOW!!! I
really can't
recommend these
highly enough --
they're lovingly
produced and
brilliantly
narrated. I
consider them a
must for either
fans of my books
or fans of audio
books. Look for
them in your
local book store
(or ask the
people working
there to order
them in for you
if you can't see
them on the
shelves). Or
else you can
order them
through the
internet from
Amazon UK. You
can get "Demon
Thief" here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007229771/shanville/
and "Slawter"
here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/000722978X/026-8140752-9574053?v=glance&n=266239/shanville
TAIWAN
- "SLAWTER" ON
ITS WAY!!!
"Slawter", book
3 of "The
Demonata", will
go on sale in
Taiwan in
July. My
Taiwanese fans
are some of the
best in the
world -- I
received lots of
birthday
greetings from
them, via my
Taiwanese
publisher's
message forum,
ahead of my
birthday!! I
hope the book
will be as
warmly greeted
there as it has
been in Ireland
and the UK. You
can check out
the seriously
cool cover for
the book on
Secret Shanville
by clicking
here:
http://www.darrenshan.com/secretgateway.html
EASTERN EUROPEAN
"CIRQUE"
I'm doubly
delighted this
month to be able
to announce that
Lithuania has
become the
31st
country
where you'll be
able to buy my
books!!! The
publishing
company,
Alma
Littera,
have bought the
first two books
in "The Saga of
Darren Shan".
And, hot on the
heels of
Lithuania, the
rights to "The
Saga" have also
been bought for
translation by
Tiritamm
publishers in
Estonia!!!
Estonia thus
becomes the
32nd country
where my books
have been
translated --
yipes, I'm
taking over the
world!!!!!
SECRET SHANVILLE
As I said above,
I've added the
cover for the
Taiwanese
edition of
"Slawter" to
Secret Shanville
-- and it's a
hot little
number!!! Plus,
I've added the
cover for the
American
mass-market
paperback
edition of
"Killers of the
Dawn" -- and I
think it's my
favourite
American cover
to date --
extremely
eerie!!!!!! I've
also added a
recent
interview
with me that
appeared in
Scottish
newspaper, The
Herald, on June
10th. And I've
updated the
Names
section, letting
you know how to
pronounce all of
the names in
"Slawter"! I'll
also be starting
my book notes
about "Bec"
later in the
month, revealing
its origins and
giving fans more
of an idea of
what it's about.
Plus, I'm
running a
competition
there this
month, for the
first time ever.
Hah!!! I slipped
that one in
slyly, didn't
I?!? I bet a lot
of fans will
miss it as they
scroll down just
a little too
quickly for
their own
good!!!! Those
of you with
keener eyes can
click on the
following link to
be in with a
chance of
winning some
super-cool
Darren Shan
prizes!!!
http://www.darrenshan.com/secretgateway.html
THE 2006 TOURS
|
AUGUST
-- Ireland/UK |
|
Saturday
12th --
2.00p.m.
--
public
event at
Kilkenny
Arts
Festival.
You'll
be able
to
access
the full
programme
from
July
5th, and
book
tickets,
by going
to the
festival's
web site
at
http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/
or
phoning
056 775
2175 |
|
Monday
14th,
4.30p.m.
--
public
event at
Edinburgh
Book
Festival.
You can
book
tickets
online
by
clicking
on the
WHAT'S
ON
link at
http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
or by
phone:
0044(0)8453735888.
Tickets
are
selling
fast
(almost
200 in
the
first 2
weeks!)
so my
advice
is to
book
ASAP!!!! |
|
OCTOBER
-- Ireland/UK |
|
I am
currently
in the
process
of
setting
up a
book
tour of
Ireland
and the
UK in
October,
to
promote
the
release
of
"Bec",
book 4
of "The
Demonata".
Everything
is still
to be
confirmed,
but at
present
it looks
like
I'll be
going to
(among
other
places)
Limerick,
Clare,
Tipperary,
Wexford,
Dublin,
Donegal,
Derry
and
Belfast
in
Ireland,
and
Essex,
Cheltenham,
Ilkley,
Birmingham,
London
and more
in the
UK.
Plans
are
still
very
much in
the
early
stages,
so don't
take any
of the
above as
gospel!!!
I hope
to have
a more
concrete
schedule
in place
by the
time of
the next
Shanville
Monthly,
or if
not
then,
certainly
by the
start of
September.
Watch
this
space
.... |
DEMONS HIT
CANADA!!
Good news for my
Canadian fans --
my UK
publishers,
HarperCollins,
have acquired
the rights to
publish "Lord
Loss" and "Demon
Thief" in
Canada!! They'll
export the UK
editions, which
means the books
should be
available widely
in shops in
Canada SOON!!!
BOSTON PARTY
Following last
month's
tentative
report, I'm
delighted to be
able to confirm
that there
will be an
official Darren
Shan celebration
day in Boston in
July!! I
received the
following e-mail
from a fan in
Boston, called
Mykey Cope, who
contacted the
library about
their Darren
Shan event, and
this is how they
responded:
The Young
Adults
Department at
the Central
Library in
Copley Square,
700 Boylston
Street, is
hosting a Darren
Shan program on
Wednesday, July
12, 2-4pm. It
will be a
gathering for
teens to discuss
the author's
books, read
passages, and
answer trivia
questions. Mr.
Shan will not be
at the event.
The Young Adults
Room is located
on the Mezzanine
Level, which is
between the
first and second
floors, of the
Central Library.
When you enter
from 700
Boylston Street,
you proceed
through the
lobby; there is
a set of stairs
on the
right-hand side
of the main hall
next to the
information
desk. There are
also elevators
past the
information
desk. There is a
floor plan of
the Central
Library at
http://www.bpl.org/guides/plan.htm
If you have any
questions,
please feel free
to contact us.
And I later
received this
e-mail from a
member of staff
(Betsy) at the
library:
I would like
to verify that,
indeed, the
Young Adults
Dept is hosting
a Shanster Day,
July 12, 2-4.
This is just a
casual
get-together of
fans of your
books, led by
Justin, a teen
patron here in
Boston.[/b]
It sounds like
it's going to be
a lot of fun!!
Sadly, I can't
be there myself,
but I'll
certainly be
there in
spirit!!! If you
live in the
Boston area, you
should
definitely try
to get along
(maybe even
dress up as a
character from
my book if you
really want to
get into the
party mode!!) --
and, if you do
go, please let
me know what it
was like!!!!
EBAY AUCTION
After a T-shirt from
my October 2004
Sons Of
Destiny
tour sold on
Ebay for
£56
(over $100)
several weeks
ago,
a second T-shirt
from that tour
sold in June for
almost £44 --
over $79!!!!
Not as much as
the first, but a
lot more than I
thought it would
go for! If any
of the rest of
you have
similar Darren
Shan promotional items, hold onto them
and keep them in
good condition
-- they could be
worth big money
one day!!!!!
IT'S A WRAP
And
that's it for July!
I'm going to be
cracking on with
editing and writing
this month, so while
the rest of you are
out soaking up the
sun on your summer
holidays, spare a
thought for poor old
Shan, slaving away
over his computer in
the depths of sodden
Limerick!!!! I'll be
back in August for
the latest round of
updates.
Until then, all the
bloody best,
Darren Shan x x x
p.s. for those
keeping score, it's
my birthday too this
month, on the 2nd!!!
I'll be 34 --
cripes, I'm getting
old!!!!! I'll be 40
in just another six
short years!!! Where
did my youth go?!?!?
*SIGH* Oh
well, no use moping
about it. I guess we
just have to ignore
the creeping hands
of time as best we
can. I still feel
young inside, and
that's what really
counts ... isn't
it?!?!? Anyway,
thanks to everyone
who sent me cards
and/or e-mails
wishing me Happy
Birthday -- they
were all greatly
appreciated.
