GREETINGS!
Welcome to the
August edition
of the Shanville
Monthly!!! The
last month has
been very
topsy-turvy for
me. I spent most
of it on tour in
the Far East,
where I had a
great time (you
can read about
that below).
Then, when I
returned, I
planned to spend
a week in
England, go to a
cousin's
wedding, then
finally come
home to
Limerick. But on
Monday, July
23rd, my father
had a mild heart
attack and my
plans changed. I
flew home to
Ireland the next
day, visited
with him every
day while we
waited to find
out what was
wrong, then went
up to Dublin
when it was
discovered a
couple of the
valves in his
heart were
blocked and he'd
need a heart
bypass
operation. So
much for a nice,
gentle
homecoming!!!!!
:-)
Luckily the
operation was
done quickly,
and seems to
have been a
great success.
My Dad's in fine
shape now,
recovering
nicely, and the
drama appears to
have come to an
end, leaving me
free to relax a
little and get
on with work!!!
Thanks to
everyone who
sent me messages
or comments of
support during
this incredibly
stressful week
-- you guys made
a difficult time
a bit easier for
me, and for that
I'm honestly
grateful.
But enough of my
personal life --
let's get back
to the normal
type of news!!!
I had a VERY
exciting bit of
news towards the
end of July,
regarding a
high-profile
award that I've
been nominated
for ... I've
added lots of
new reviews and
interviews to
the site ... I'm
running the
competition
which I promised
last month (to
celebrate the
7th anniversary
of the Shanville
Monthly) ... the
New York Times
are tipping me
to fill the gap
that the Harry
Potter books
have left
behind!!! (Yeah
... right!!!!!!!)
And there's
more!!!! So
let's put all
thoughts of
heart attacks
and other bad
things behind
us, and plough
ahead with our
first piece of
kid-friendly
news ...
BLOOD BEAST
NOMINATED FOR
NICKELODEON
AWARD!
NICKELODEON
KIDS' CHOICE
AWARDS UK
Blood Beast
has been
shortlisted for
the first
ever UK
Nickelodeon
Kids' Choice
Award!!!!
This is a
huge honour
-- there are
only 4 books on
the shortlist,
and the other 3
are all
women!!!! Holly
Black
("Spiderwick
Chronicles"),
Jacqueline
Wilson and J K
Rowling. The
award is voted
for entirely by
fans, so I
suspect Miss
Rowling will
walk away with
it by a LONG
mile!! But it's
amazing to even
be nominated for
such a
high-profile
award -- I'm
still grinning
with delight to
get the nod!!!
This is the most
prestigious
award I've ever
been shortlisted
for, and even if
I don't win
(and, being
realistic, as I
said above, I
think the
Harry Potter
book is a
shoo-in), I'm
delighted to
have made the
final four. You
can find out all
about the
awards, which
also include
movies, bands,
songs, video
games, etc, by
clicking on the
following link.
It also provides
details on how
to vote, so I
hope you lot
give me your
backing -- we're
outweighed
vastly by the
armies of
Potterites,
people, but if
we have to go
down, we can at
least go down
fighting ... or,
rather,
voting!!!!!!!!
NICKELODEON
KIDS' CHOICE
AWARDS UK
For anyone in
the UK and
Ireland who
hasn't yet read
it, you can buy
Blood Beast
in just about
any book shop, but if you
prefer to buy
online, you can
also get it
through
Amazon.co.uk. Just
click on the
following link --
AMAZON UK -
BLOOD BEAST
BIRTHDAY
COMPETITION
If you'd like
the chance to
win the
exclusive
t-shirt I'm
wearing in the
picture above,
along with
signed copies
of Blood
Beast,
you'll need to
enter the
August
competition!!!
You can find
full details in
the Secret
Shanville
part of my web
site -- if you
haven't already
become a
Shanster, you
will need to
register before
you can access
it. The link for
Secret Shanville
is:
http://www.darrenshan.com/secretgateway.html
BOOK
6 TITLE TO BE
REVEALED ...
SOON!!!!!
As most of you
probably know,
we're keeping
the title of
Book 6 of The
Demonata a
secret until
just before its
official launch
date. Because
Book 5 ended on
a HUGE
cliffhanger, we
wanted to
maintain as much
mystery as
possible about
Book 6!!! But I
can at last
reveal the
DATE on
which I'll be
making the title
known to the
general public
-- it will be
Saturday,
September 29th,
when I appear at
the
Bath
Festival of
Children's
Literature.
I'll reveal the
title on my web
site shortly
after that, but
those at the
festival will be
the first in the
world to learn
what it is!!!! I
have to say, the
Festival
features an
AMAZING line-up,
and I'd
recommend it to
anyone who can
get there -- on
the Saturday
that I'm
appearing, Eoin
Colfer, Neil
Gaiman and lots
of others are
there, and EVERY
day features a
similarly
amazing crew of
writers!! I
imagine tickets
will go pretty
fast, so if
you're
interested in
going to any of
the events, I
suggest you head
on over to the
Festival's web
site and book
ASAP!!! You can
find full
details of all
the authors and
events, and how
to book for
them, by
clicking here:
www.bathkidslitfest.co.uk/
BLOOD BEAST
COMPETITION
WATERSTONES
CHALLENGE
The fantastic
Waterstones
HAVE
YOU GOT
THE GUTS FOR
DARREN SHAN?
competition is
still running --
the closing date
is September
5th. All 10
challenges can
now be viewed
and undertaken,
and you can also
view the entries
of many, MANY
fans who have
already proved
their true
worth!!!! If you
haven't checked
out the
competition yet,
read on for more
info ...
By clicking on
the link at the
top or bottom of
this section,
you will be
taken through to
a specially
created site where
you can create
your own profile
page and take
various
challenges to
prove your
'worth'. There
are 10
challenges in
all, and they
involve holding
a spider, acting
out your
favourite scene
from Blood
Beast, and
more!!! When you
complete a
challenge, you
will have to
provide proof by
uploading a
photo of
yourself
completing the
challenge on
your profile
page. You can
also e-mail a
link to your
friends so they
can see too! (So
you can have
mini-competitions
with your
friends to see
who completes
the most
challenges the
quickest!!!)
Every fan who
completes five
of the
challenges will
get a
certificate
"signed" by
Darren Shan!
(i.e. the
signature will
be a photocopy).
And one lucky
competitor will
also win an
Xbox 360!!!!
It's a
fun,
highly original
challenge, and
there have
already been
loads of
fantastic
entries which
you can check
out on the site.
Don't miss out
on the coolest,
hippest
competition of
the summer!!!!! You can
find out more
about the
competition, including full
rules and how to
submit your
entry, either by
visiting your
local
Waterstones shop
and picking up a
leaflet, or by clicking on
the following
link :
WATERSTONES
CHALLENGE
NEW YORK TIMES
NAMECHECK
There was a
brief but
flattering
mention of
my books in
an article
about the Harry
Potter
books in the
New York
Times in
July --
thanks,
Lila,
for alerting
me about
it!!!! You
can check it
out by
clicking on
the
following
link:
NEW YORK
TIMES
ARTICLE
BLOOD BEAST
STRIKES DOWN
UNDER!!!
There's good
news for my
fans in
Australia
and New
Zealand
--
Blood
Beast,
the fifth
book of
The Demonata,
went on sale
Down Under
on
August 1st
--
hurrah!!!! A
more
affordable
paperback
version of
Bec
also went on
sale on
August 1st
-- double
hurrah!!!!!!!
For more
info, or to
order them,
click on the
following
link:
www.harpercollins.com.au/
and enter my
name in the
SEARCH box
which
appears on
the home
page.
KOYASAN
COMES TO THE
NETHERLANDS
Koyasan,
the short
book I wrote
in 2006 for
World Book
Day, is
being
released in
the
Netherlands
on August
19th,
under the
name of
Het
Mysterieuze
Kerkhof.
You can see
the cover
and read a
bit about it
(in Dutch)
by clicking
on the
following
link:
PROCESSION
OF THE DEAD
COVER!
For an early
glimpse at
the UK cover
for
Procession
of the Dead
-- that's
the book for
adults which
I'm
releasing
next spring
under the
name of D
B Shan
-- visit
Secret
Shanville by clicking on
the
following
link. Please
note, this
book will NOT
be suitable for
children.
It
features
adult
themes,
brutal
violence, swear words,
sexual
scenes
and so
on!!!!
BLOOD BEAST
REVIEWS
I've added
the first
batch of
reviews of
Blood
Beast to
my site.
They're all
mostly very
positive --
phew!!! I
particularly
like the
Waterstones
piece, which
is an extremely
well
written
article. You
can check
them all out
by clicking
here:
BLOOD BEAST
REVIEWS
I've also
added a
couple of
new reviews
for
Bec
and
Slawter,
so make sure
you have a
look at
those too!!
NEW INTERVIEWS
I've added
several new
Darren Shan
interviews
to my web
site, all
from 2007.
Most are
lengthy and
informative,
although
like many
interviews,
they don't
always get
their facts
completely
right!!! But
for the most
part they're
pretty
accurate,
and
certainly
interesting
to read if
you're
curious
about my
life and
writing
career. To
check them
out, click
on the
following
link:
TOUR
MEMORIES
My July
tours of
Japan,
Taiwan and
Hong Kong
were fast and
furious --
just the way
I like it!!!
I'd been to
Japan (three
times) and
Taiwan (two
times)
before, and
it was
lovely to
meet some
old faces --
some fans
had been to
EVERY event
or signing
of mine in
their
country!!!
But most of
the fans
were meeting
me for the
first time,
which was
also
pleasing --
it's nice to
know my
books are
reaching a
fresh
audience. As
a writer,
you always
want to hold
onto your
long-term
fans, but
also attract
new readers
with every
passing book
and year.
From the
variety of
fans I met
on this
tour, I seem
to be doing
that!!!
My events in
Japan and
Taiwan
weren't as
jam-packed
as they were
on previous
visits.
School
holidays and
exams meant
that many
fans were
unable to
attend, so
numbers were
down on last
time at most
venues. Some
parents,
friends and
relatives
came for a
few of those
who couldn't
make it in
person, but
I know many
others were
disappointed
not to be
able to meet
me or get
their book
signed.
Alas, that's
one of the
problems of
touring.
We
try to pick
the best
dates
possible
when I tour,
when the
maximum
number of
fans can
come to see
me, and
overall I
think we do
a pretty
good job --
but
occasionally
events
conspire
against us.
For a number
of reasons,
this was the
only time of
year that I
could tour
in the Far
East, so it
was either
come at a
not-great
time for
fans, or not
come at
all!!!!!
Having said
that, the
turnouts
were VERY
respectable
at most
venues ... I
got enormous
crowds in a
couple of
places ...
and I had a
great time
for the most
part. In a
way, it was
nice not to
be as rushed
as I have
been before
-- I was
able to sign
a lengthy
message for
everyone,
pose for
photos,
answer
questions,
and spend a
bit of time
with the
fans who
came. It was
a case of
Bad News for
those who
couldn't
come -- but
Good News
for those
who
could!!!!
Thanks to
every who
made the
effort to
come and see
me, and
special
thanks to
everyone who
gave me a
present
and/or a
letter. I
WILL respond
to all of
your letters
(assuming
you included
an
address!!)
but it's
going to
take me
quite a
while, so
please be
patient!!
I visted
Hong Kong
for the
first time
at the end
of the tour.
I wasn't
sure what to
expect,
whether I'd
get big
crowds or
not, but to
my delight I
got great
turn-outs at
all of my
events -- I
was even
greeted at
the airport
by a couple
of fans
who'd
managed to
find out
which plane
I was
arriving
on!!!! The
biggest
event was at
the Book
Festival,
where I gave
a talk and
answered
questions,
then signed
books for
LOADS of
keen fans
for over
three
hours!!! But
my other
signings
were all
very well
attended
too. I even
got to visit
a school
there, which
was
fascinating!
I definitely
hope to
return to
Hong Kong at
some stage,
maybe even
in the near
future!!
Keep an eye
on the
Shanville
Monthly for
updates ...
Overall, my
Blood
Beast
tour was my
longest ever
-- it was
spread out
over almost
two months,
across
Ireland,
England,
Wales,
Japan,
Taiwan and
Hong Kong.
(I even
signed books
at
Waterstones
in Edinburgh
in Scotland
too!!!!) I
must have
signed
several thousand
copies of
the book by
the end!!!!
It was
exhausating
but great
fun, and
while I
probably
won't embark
on such a
mammoth tour
again any
time soon, I
don't regret
a bit of
it!! You
can read a
full account
of my tours
in my
BLOG
or on the blog on
my
MYSPACE PAGE.
Just scroll
down through
the older
entries and
you'll be
able to
follow my
entire
voyage from
Day One back
in early
June to The
End in late
July!!!
Thanks to
everyone who
helped set
the tours up
(especially
Maiko
and
Emily
for the Far
East legs),
and to
everyone who
turned up to
see me. I'm
always
amazed by
how
dedicated
you guys
are, and
I'll do my
best to keep
touring in
the years to
come, so
that as many
of you as
possible
have the
opportunity
to get your
books
signed.
EDINBURGH
UPDATE
I'm doing
two events
in Edinburgh this year.
The first is
a
(hopefully!!!)
fun duet
with
Mark
Walden,
author of
the
H.I.V.E.
books. We're
going to be
talking
about
Heroes and
Villains,
inviting the
audience to
decide which
they prefer
-- dashing
good heroes
or
evil-hearted
villains!
I'm going to
be talking
up the
attributes
of Heroes,
and I
suspect that
makes me the
underdog
going in!!!!
I'm not
quite sure
which heroes
I'm going to
focus on, or
even what
angles I'm
going to
come at the
issue from
-- but all
will be
revealed
during the
course of
the event,
which is on
Wednesday
August 15th
at 5.00pm,
in the
ScottishPower
Studio
Theatre.
On
Thursday
August 16th
at 4.30pm
I'm doing a
more normal,
solo event
in the
RBS Main
Theatre.
I'll be
talking
about my
books,
reading some
extracts,
answering
questions
from the
audience,
etc. I'm not
100% certain
which
extracts
I'll read,
but at the
moment I'm
thinking of
reading a
section or
two
from book 6
for the
first time
ever ...
This will be
my
8th
year in a
row at the
Edinburgh
Festival!!!
I always
look forward
to it, and
have often
debuted
material
there --
there are
even some
things I
have only EVER
read out in
Edinburgh!!!
I've had a
great time
every year
that I've
been there,
and
hopefully
this year
will be no
different,
so come
along and
join the fun
if you can
make it!!!
You can book
tickets for
either event
by going to
the
Edinburgh
Book
Festival web
site at:
www.edbookfest.co.uk
Please
note: at
my solo
event on
Thursday
we're going
to be
operating a
ticket
system for
the signing
afterwards.
Last year
many people
started
leaving
about 10 or
15 minutes
before the
end of the
event, in
order to get
to the front
of the
signing
line. I
don't blame
them for
wanting to
avoid a long
wait (it's
something
I've done
myself
occasionally!!),
but I had
lots of
complaints
from fans
afterwards,
saying it
made it hard
for them to
concentrate
and enjoy
the end of
the talk. So
this year
we're going
to be
handing out
tickets at
the end of
the event.
If you don't
have a
ticket, you
won't be
able to join
the line
until
everyone
with a
ticket has
had their
books
signed. This
also means
you won't be
able to send
a parent or
friend to
line up for
you while
you're in
the
event!!!! I
don't like
having to do
this, but
it's the
only way to
avoid the
distractions
of last
year. My
advice is to
come early,
so that you
can sit
close to the
front --
then you'll
be among the
first to
leave, get a
ticket and
join the
line.
Failing
that, if you
end up far
back in the
line, I
suggest you
leave it and
go for a
walk ... get
a drink or
something to
eat ...
relax and
soak up the
festival
sights and
sounds ...
maybe do a
bit of
reading ...
then come
back and
check on the
status of
the line
after an
hour or
thereabouts,
and re-join
it if it's
not too
long. I'll
sign until I
get to the
end of the
line, no
matter how
long it
takes, so
I'll
probably be
there at
least two
hours, maybe
more.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
U.K. TOUR
I'll be
doing a
one-week-plus
tour of the
UK in
late
September/early October
-- more details
will follow
in the
September
issue of the
Shanville
Monthly.
|
Wednesday
August
15th |
5.00pm |
PUBLIC
event
with
Mark
Walden at
the
Edinburgh
International
Book
Festival.
"Heroes
vs
Villains."
For
more
info,
and
to
book
tickets,
click
here:
www.edbookfest.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday
August
16th |
4.30pm |
PUBLIC
event
at
the
Edinburgh
International
Book
Festival.
For
more
info,
and
to
book
tickets,
click
here:
www.edbookfest.co.uk |
| |
|
|
|
Saturday
29th
September |
10.00a.m. |
PUBLIC
event
at
the
Bath
Festival
of
Children’s
Literature.
www.bathkidslitfest.co.uk/ |
IT'S A WRAP
And
that's it for
August! I plan to
spend the coming
month editing -- I
have a lot of work
to catch up on after
my two months on the
road!! I'm also
doing the Edinburgh
Festival for a few
days, of course, but
most of the month
will be spent
editing various
books of The
Demonata. On top
of that I have a
literal MOUNTAIN of
fan mail to
answer!!! It's going
to take me a LONG
time to respond to
everyone who's
written to me over
the last few months,
but rest assured, if
you sent me a letter
any time since May,
you WILL get a reply
within the next
month or so, even if
it means I have to
spend my nights
answering mail
instead of
sleeping!!!!! I'll be
back here in
September
to try and take your
minds off school and
autum by bringing you up to
date with all the
latest news! Until
then, take care and
enjoy the last of
the summer!!!! All
my
bloody best,
Darren Shan x x x
