BIRTHDAYS!
Welcome to the
July edition of
the Shanville
Monthly -- and
it's a month for
birthdays!!!
First of all the
Shanville
Monthly
celebrates its
SEVENTH birthday
this month!! I'm
still amazed
that the Monthly
has been going
strong for such
a long time. I
thought, when I
started, that I
might run out of
things to say
after a few
issues, or
people would get
bored and stop
checking back,
but here we are,
seven years
later, and it's
still attracting
tonnes of hits
every month! I
think it's a
great way to
stay in touch
and keep you all
updated on
everything to do
with my books,
tours, etc --
and I'm
delighted so
many of YOU
think the same
way!!! I planned
to run a
competition this
month, to
celebrate the
Monthly's
birthday, but I
have to head off
to Japan for the
start of my Far
East tour, so
the competition
will have to
wait until next
month. But trust
me -- it'll be
worth waiting
for!!!!
It's also MY
birthday this
month!! I turn
35 on July 2nd.
I don't pay a
huge amount of
attention to
birthdays,
except for
milestones like
30, 40, 50, etc,
so I don't
normally do much
for mine. But
since I'm
spending my
birthday in
Japan this year,
I'll be having a
very nice meal
with Bas and my
friend, Maiko,
to mark the
occasion, so for
once I'm really
looking forward
to it!!!
Right -- enough
about
birthdays!!
Let's crack on
with the news,
starting with
something that
put a VERY big
smile on my lips
when I found out
about it ...
BLOOD BEAST
HITS THE TOP!!!
In the UK,
Blood Beast
-- book 5 of
The Demonata
-- went on sale
on June 4th
and quickly shot
to the top of
the Children's
Bestsellers
chart!!! It has
been Number
One for two
weeks in a row,
selling almost
70% more books
than the #2 book
in each week!!!
In its first
week, it was
also #5 on the
overall UK
hardback fiction
chart!!! This is
the first time
I've topped the
chart in the UK,
so it's a BIG
milestone for
me!!! I've
topped the
bestselling
hardback chart
in the UK
before, but this
is the first
time I've shot
all the way to
the TOP of the
top!!!! I've
been waiting for
this for seven
and a half
years!!! Of
course chart
success isn't
that important
in the grander
scheme of things
-- I've sold
lots more books
in the long run
than many
authors who've
climbed higher
than me in the
charts in the
short run -- but
it's certainly a
nice feeling to
be able to say
"I'm numero
uno!!!" It's
also great that
I'm doing it
after so much
time -- my books
have been
selling well in
the UK since the
start, but
they've been
growing in
popularity every
year, and this
shows that
they're still
picking up new
fans while
pleasing my more
seasoned
Shansters too.
When will the
Shan show
finally start to
slow down over
here? Who
knows!!!! At the
moment it's
still picking up
steam, and that
gives me a
fantastic buzz!!
Blood Beast
also was the
#1
bestselling
children's book
in Ireland
in June, and it
has been selling
like hotcakes
online too. It
was the #1
children's
bestseller on
Play.com,
and #3 on
Amazon.co.uk
(the top two
spots on the
Amazon site are
held by the two
different
editions of
"Harry Potter
7"). It remained
in the overall
Top 20 chart
(including adult
books) for more
than a couple of
weeks -- the
highest position
that I saw it
reach was #11 --
and has been in
the Children's
Top 10 chart for
a month.
You can buy
Blood Beast
in just about
any book shop in
the UK and
Ireland, but if you
prefer to buy
online, you can
also get Blood
Beast
through
Amazon.co.uk. Just
click on the
following link --
AMAZON UK -
BLOOD BEAST
BEC
PAPERBACK ON
SALE
As well as the
the hardback of
Blood Beast,
the paperback
edition of
Bec is now
also on sale in
the UK and
Ireland. It
features a cool,
creepy
glow-in-the-dark
cover --
possibly the
spookiest yet in
the series!!!
You should be
able to find the
paperback
version of
Bec in any
good
bookstore. You
can also order
it online
through Amazon
UK by clicking
here:
AMAZON UK - BEC
BLOOD BEAST
HITS JAPAN AND
TAIWAN
I think Blood
Beast is on
sale in
Taiwan now
-- if not, it
will go on sale
there early in
July. It also
goes on sale in
Japan on
July 5th.
I hope my
legions of
Japanese and
Taiwanese fans
enjoy Blood
Beast as
much as fans in
the UK have.
Also, I'm coming
to the Far East
on tour in July
(see below for
more details),
so some of you
will be able to
come and meet me
and get your
copies signed
-- hurrah!!!
BLOOD BEAST
COMPETITION # 1!
WATERSTONES
CHALLENGE
There are two
great Blood
Beast-based
competitions
running in the
UK (and
the Waterstones
challenge is
also open to
fans living in
Ireland --
hurrah!!!). First up,
in alphabetical
order,
Waterstones
are running a
challenge with
the groovy
tagline: HAVE
YOU GOT
THE GUTS FOR
DARREN SHAN?
In this
competition,
fans are being
asked to
undertake a
series of
Darren
Shan-themed
challenges,
in order to
prove that
they have the
guts to be a
true Darren Shan
fan!!!!
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
will be 10
challenges in
all, and they
involve holding
a spider, acting
out your
favourite scene
from Blood
Beast, and
more!!! The 10
challenges won't
all be revealed
at once --
you'll have to
keep going back
to the site over
the course of
the competition
to find out what
the new
challenges
are. 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
fantastic,
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,
funnest
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 clicking on
the following
link :
WATERSTONES
CHALLENGE
BLOOD BEAST
COMPETITION # 2!
WHSMITH
is also
running a
Blood Beast
competition. In
this
competition,
you and a
friend can
get a
limited
edition
poster with
a facsimile
of my
signature,
and you also
have the
opportunity
to win a
meeting with
Darren
Shan!!!
To enter,
you'll need
to pay a
visit to
your local
branch of
WHSmith and
pick up a
FREE
Blood
Beast
booklet
(it features
a chapter
out of
Lord Loss,
to whet the
appetites of
those who
haven't yet
sampled the
delirious
delights of
The
Demonata!!).
The booklet
will provide
you with a
web link
where you'll
be able to
submit your
details and
enter the
competition.
BLOOD BEAST
TRAILER
My
publishers
in the UK,
HarperCollins,
have created
a
movie-style
trailer for
Blood
Beast,
which
they're
using to
generate
interest in
the book.
It's pretty
cool,
featuring
some text
from the
book, video
images and
nice, creepy
music!! The
video will
be posted to
a number of
sites,
including
Google Video
and
YouTube.
If you want
to check it
out, click
on the
following
YouTube
link. (The
video
quality
isn't great
on YouTube,
but it's
OK.) This is
the first
time we've
done
something
like this,
so it would
be fab if
you could
leave a
comment to
let us know
what you
think. Also,
if you could
forward the
link on to
your
friends, it
would be
much
appreciated
-- spread
the love,
people,
spread the
bloody
love!!!!!
TURK DU
FREAK!!
I'm
delighted to
announce
that the
first 3
books of
The Saga of
Darren Shan
have been
bought by
Tudem
publishers
in Turkey.
The first
book will be
published
later this
year or in
2008. Turkey
becomes the
36th country
where my
books are
now legally
on sale.
NEW
INTERVIEW
You can read
a recent
interview
with me
(from the
start of my
"Blood
Beast" tour
in Ireland)
in the
online
edition of
The Limerick
Leader by
clicking on
this link:
LIMERICK
LEADER
NEW BEC
REVIEW
TOUR
MEMORIES
My June
Blood Beast
tour of the
UK and
Ireland was
a whopper of
a tour!! The
signings
were bigger
than ever, I
met
uncountable
thousands of
fans, signed
mountains of
books,
battled on
with a sore
throat and
blocked nose
for much of
the last
week. (I'm
not sure how
my Lord Loss
voice
sounded in
the latter
third of the
tour -- I
usually do a
pretty
creepy
impression
of the demon
master, but
I suspect I
didn't sound
quite so
menacing
with two
nostrils
full of
snot!!!!) It
was hard
work but
VERY
rewarding,
especially
when "Blood
Beast" hit
the top spot
-- I felt
like I was
on a victory
tour!!! It
was
especially
nice to go
to places
where I
hadn't been
before, like
Norwich,
Ipswich and
Cardiff, to
find long
lines of
Shansters
waiting
patiently
for me. It's
always a
pleasure to
meet up with
old friends
(as I did in
the likes of
Muswell
Hill, Milton
Keynes and
Doncaster),
but there's
a special
thrill (and
a certain
sense of
relief!)
when you
visit
somewhere
for the
first time
and receive
a warm
welcome. I
think we got
the mix of
old and new
venues just
about
perfect on
this tour,
and
hopefully
we'll be
able to
continue in
that vein in
the future.
I enjoyed
just about
everywhere I
went on the
tour, but a
few of the
highlights
which stick
out for me
include: the
first day,
in the
Belltable in
Limerick,
when my
parents and
grandparents
came to see
me ... the
especially
massive
lines in
Liffey
Valley and
Ellesmere
Port, where
a literal
tide of fans
kept
sweeping
forward,
seemingly
without end
... the
gigantic
event in
Sheffield's
Lyceum
theatre,
where 600+
kids were
packed in,
and I had to
sign like a
manic robot
both before
and after my
talk ... and
my
night-time
event in
Norwich,
where
everything
clicked for
me on stage
and I felt
like I had
the world in
the palm of
my hand ...
Like any
tour, there
were a
couple of
not-so-busy
signing
sessions
(but far
fewer of
them than
ever
before!),
but I quite
like the
less busy
events -- I
always hope
for a huge
turnout, but
when I do a
smaller
session, it
means I can
spend more
time
chatting
with the
fans. I
always feel
a bit guilty
when I have
to "process"
a line and
move fans
along
quickly, so
it's nice to
be able to
relax every
so often on
the road and
spend a
minute or
two
leisurely
shooting the
breeze with
anyone who
feels like
chatting
with me.
The vast
majority of
the tour was
GREAT!!! As
I said
above, we
got
brilliant
turnouts
almost
everywhere
-- I'm still
amazed by
how
supportive
you guys
are, the way
you wait so
patiently
and
politely,
the warmth
you show to
me when I'm
on the road.
I try to
thank every
fan at an
event or
signing for
coming, and
I'm sure
that often
sounds like
a
perfunctory
thank you,
as if I'm
just saying
it to be
polite, but
I really DO
mean it. So,
for everyone
who came
along to see
me on this
tour, I'll
say it
again, from
the heart --
THANK
YOU!!!!
I'd also
like to
thank every
bookseller,
teacher,
librarian
and
volunteer
who helped
out on the
tour, who
carted books
to and from
schools,
libraries
and other
venues, who
sat
patiently
for hours
while I
talked and
signed, who
organised
all the kids
and buses
and lines,
who fed me
when I was
hungry and
went out of
your way to
help me when
I was
struggling
with my
cold. I
wasn't
always able
to thank you
all
personally,
but I know
the hard
work that
goes into
putting
together a
good event
or signing,
and I truly
appreciate
all of your
efforts. You
guys are the
unsung
heroes of
the
industry!!!!!
Finally, I'd
like to say
a special
big thank
you to
Geraldine,
Mary, Emma
and
Catherine,
who spent
months
putting the
tour
together,
and
skillfully
escorted me
while on the
road,
ferrying me
safely from
venue to
venue,
working
tirelessly
to ensure
everything
ran as
smoothly as
possible,
overcoming
all sorts of
obstacles
and
potential
pitfalls
with the
greatest of
ease. You
gals were
the real
heart of
this tour,
directing
operations
like a team
of skilled
conductors.
It was a
pleasure to
be on tour
with you
all, and
though I
thanked you
all along
the way, I'd
just like to
say it again
-- so,
THANKS!!!!
Right -- I
think I've
gushed
enough for
the time
being!!! All
that's left
to be said
is that I
had a great
time and I
can't wait
to do it all
again
(albeit on a
slightly
less frantic
scale) in
October when
book 6 is
released.
But first
I'm heading
out East for
the second
leg of the
Blood
Beast
tour, so
while I have
to say
Sayonara
to the UK
and Ireland
for now,
it's a big
Howdy,
all!!!
to Japan,
Taiwan and
Hong
Kong!!!!!!
The Shan
show
continues
apace ...
EDINBURGH
UPDATE
My dates for
the
Edinburgh
Book
Festival
have been
revealed!!
I'm doing
two events
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
small bit
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
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
JULY
JAPAN
TOUR
I will
be visiting Japan
on
tour from
July
5th
to 12th. I
will be be doing
public events
in Tokyo and
Kyoto, and I'm also
doing a
school event in
the Kyoto
region. To
find out
more
information
about the
tour, please
check out
the Shogakukan
web site by clicking on
this link:
http://www.shogakukan.co.jp/darren/
JULY
TAIWAN
TOUR
This is the
tentative plan
for my Taiwan
tour in July.
Please see the
Crown website
for full,
updated details
closer to the
time. Click here
for more info:
CROWN
|
Saturday
14th |
13.30
-
16.30 |
Signing
session
at
Kingstone
Bookstore,
Taipei. |
|
Saturday
14th |
18.30
-
20.30 |
Reading
and
signing
session
at
Hess
Bookstore,
Taipei. |
| |
|
|
|
Sunday
15th |
13.00
-
15.00 |
Signing
session
at
Kingstone
Bookstore,
Kaoshiung. |
|
Sunday
15th |
19.00
-
21.30 |
Signing
session
at
Fnac
Bookstore,
Taichung. |
JULY
HONG KONG
TOUR
This is the
tentative plan
for my Hong Kong
tour in July.
Please see the
Crown website
for full,
updated details
closer to the
time. Click here
for more info:
CROWN
|
Wednesday
18th |
14.30
-
16.00 |
School
visit. |
| |
|
|
|
Thursday
19th |
11.30
-
13.30 |
Seminar
at
Hong
Kong
Book
Fair.
BOOK
FAIR
WEB
SITE
|
|
Thursday
19th |
14.00
-
15.00 |
Signing
session
at
Hong
Kong
Book
Fair.
BOOK
FAIR
WEB
SITE
|
| |
|
|
|
Friday
20th |
13.00
-
15.00 |
Signing
session
at
Hong
Kong
Book
Centre.
WEB
SITE
|
|
Friday
20th |
15.30
-
18.00 |
Signing
session
at
Crown
Bookstore. |
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
later in the
year.
|
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 |
time
t.b.c. |
PUBLIC
event
at
the
Bath
Festival
of
Children’s
Literature. |
IT'S A WRAP
And
that's it for
July! I'm going to
be away for much of
month, on tour in
Japan, Taiwan and
Hong Kong -- I'm
REALLY looking
forward to visiting
Japan and Taiwan
again and meeting up
with some old
friends and fans,
and I'm fascinated
to see what Hong
Kong is like -- this
will be my first
visit there. I'll
try to update my
BLOG
and the blog on
my
MYSPACE PAGE
as regularly as
possible while I'm
away, but there
will be days when it
just isn't possible
to get to a
computer. Also, some public
computers don't
allow access to MySpace, and others
don't let me post on
my BlogDrive Blog!!!
Oh well, I'll work
around things as
best I can!! I'll be
back here in August
to bring you up to
date with all the
latest news and tour
reports. Until
then, all the
bloody best,
Darren Shan x x x
