Started another edit of Book 8 of The Demonata -- it comes out in October, so this will be one of the last times I work on it, and probably the last time that I make any really important changes -- after this it should all be very minor fine-tuning. I didn't think I'd be able to get round to this until after my tour, but because I finished the first draft of the new book earlier than anticipated, I was able to get stuck into this ahead of schedule. So, Stella (my editor), if you're reading this, heads up -- all going well, it should be winging your way some time next week!!!

Had to break from editing in the middle of the day to go for a dental check up. It's always a drag going to the dentist, but they're a necessary evil. Luckily she didn't find anything wrong with me this time, so it was just a quick clean and polish, and I was on my way again. Popped in to see my cousin Tiernan in hospital -- he had to have his appendix out a few days ago. He's fine and recovering nicely. While we were in visiting mode, we also went to see my Mum and grandparents. I watched the last episode of season 6 of The Shield back home -- fine stuff. I thought some of the earlier seasons were a bit uneven, but it's grown steadily and is one of my favourite shows at the moment. Also watched the latest episode of The Apprentice (UK edition) later. That always makes me chuckle! It's one of the very few shows I watch live. Most TV shows, I wait and watch when they come out on DVD, sometimes years after they've aired on TV. But I'm always there for The Apprentice and Dragon's Den!!

While I was checking out the IMDB site for the Cirque Du Freak movie earlier (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450405/ -- I highly recommend it for all the latest info about the cast and crew), I spotted a post on the message board from a fan whose friend had shared ebook version of the first 11 books of the series with him. I quickly fired off the following email:

There are currently no official ebooks of any Darren Shan books. Any versions which exist are pirate copies. Illegal ebooks damage author sales. And, on a personal level, they p@@s me off big-time!!! I don't mind people sharing their books with friends - we all do that - but photocopying them and putting them online to distribute to a wider audience... It's robbery! And, even worse, it's downright rude!!! Anyone who reads illegal ebook versions of my books is no true fan in my eyes.

A bit later, deciding upon reflection that I'd been a bit harsher than I needed to be, I added the following:

Sorry if I came across a bit heavy, but I see this as being a serious problem in years to come -- at the moment internet pirating of books isn't a makor issue, but I think it will worsen, and it's the sort of thing that will have a very negative impact on writers. Most writers don't make very much money even as things stand -- if their work becomes widely available, and they don't get any royalties from illegal online versions, it will become pretty much impossible for most people in this business to make a living, meaning less books will get published, making it even harder for new authors to get started. I think everyone involved in the publishing industry has to be aware of this and do what they can to counteract it, even if they're an established, successful author. Those of us who stand back and say, "That won't start harming writers for another 10 or 20 years, so it's not my problem," are in effect selling out writers who are yet to come. I see us all as being part of the same family, and in families you do what you can to look out for your own.

That's pretty much my stand on the whole internet ebook rip-off issue. As I said, I don't think it has much of an impact right now, but I think it will get to be more damaging if left to spread, so I think it's important that writers stand up and speak out about it -- even if it means we come across as being sour, miserly misery guts who only want to fleece people of their money and don't care about our fans!!! I know a lot of people see the internet as open territory, and that they don't think copyright applies where the web is involved. Several years ago, a cousin of mine was telling me how he downloaded all of his music through a free file-sharing site. Even though I've nothing to do with the music industry, I was shocked. "That's stealing," I told him. "It's the same thing as if you walked into a shop and stole a CD." He just refused to see it that way. For him it was the same as borrowing a CD or book from a friend.

But it isn't. Borrowing a CD, book, computer game or whatever from a friend is honourable. We all lend out stuff that we like to the people we know, and accept loans from them in return -- it's how we find out about new bands, new writers, new films. But getting something from a friend is VERY different to getting it from a public online source. If you borrow a CD or book, the person who created it is missing out on one sale. Big deal. And if you like it, the chances are you'll buy other works by them in the future. Even if you don't, you'll hopefully tell other friends about it, and some of them will buy, and sales will spread. And the creator will make money and be able to pay their bills and carry on doing whatever it is that you like, providing you and all their other fans with fresh works for a long time to come.

If something's available on the internet, on the other hand -- if one person makes their CD or film or book available to others -- a hundred people can download it. Or a thousand. Or ten thousand. Or more. And because it's popular, future works by that person will be uploaded and illegally downloaded too. And the creator, from that one copy, will miss out on hundreds and thousands and maybe tens of thousands of sales. And they won't make any money. And the publishers who produced their works won't make any money. So the publishers won't publish any more of that person's work, and that creator will end up being a plumber or teacher or whatever.

When I download music online, I buy from iTunes. If films become more widely available and quicker to download, I'll buy them from official sources too. If ebooks ever really take off, I'll download them from a genuine, author-approved web site. Anything else is theft, and -- as I make VERY clear in Cirque Du Freak -- I don't believe that anything good comes of theft. Thieves are low, dishonourable people, and casual theft is in many ways the worst of all. I mean, if someone steals food because they're hungry and have no money, that's one thing. But to steal a CD or film or book just because you CAN, because it's available and you can't be bothered shelling out for it... Well, what do you think the Vampire Generals would think of that?

Pirate ebooks aren't a major concern right now, but I do believe that they will be one day, which is why I'm getting my view in early. Right is right, people, and wrong is wrong. We make moral decisions in everything we do. Be aware of that. Take responsibility for your choices. Show respect for the work of those you admire. Be true to your role models -- and be true to yourself.