I'm absolutely delighted to be able to report that Death's Shadow, Book 8 of The Demonata, has gone straight in at 1 in the children's chart in the UK and Ireland!!!! This is the second time that I've hit the top in the UK (the first time was with Blood Beast), and the first time that I've entered directly in number one on both charts. It's an amazing achievement -- many thanks to all of you who bought the book and helped propel it up the charts to swiftly!!! This is especially pleasing coming near the end of my tour -- it makes all the hard work and signing seem even more worthwhile than it already was! I'll also be interested in analysing the figures later in the week, to see how the book fared on the overall hardback chart -- in the UK, they don't include children's books on the general hardback chart, but when Blood Beast was released, it out-sold every other fiction hardback in the UK, so it will be instructive to find out where D8 sits in the overall scheme of things ...

Had another busy day. The morning was actually quite relaxing. I went and signed some stock in Waterstones Picadilly, Goldsboro Books, and Foyles Southbank. If you're in central London over the next few days, you should be able to find signed copies of Death's Shadow in all 3 stores, and maybe signed copies of the paperback of Demon Apocalypse too, though I didn't sign quite so many of those. Alternatively, you can order signed copies of Death's Shadow online through Goldsboro Books (it's in the NEW ARRIVALS section) by clicking here: GOLDSBORO BOOKS

After that I went to do a very nice school event in Twickenham, and then to do a Waterstones signing in Staines. Once again I stocked up on a strawberries and cream frappucino before I began -- the weather has been very hot in London over the last few days, so I'm using that as my excuse!!! I was then signing for almost two and three-quarter hours -- the hordes of Shansters show no signs of ceasing any time soon!!! It was as I was on my way home afterwards that I learnt that Death's Shadow was number 1 -- needless to say, that was an extremely nice way to end the day!!!!! Watched The Apprentice back in my flat, checked my emails, and now I'm off to bed for another early night ahead of a very full day on Thursday. At least I can dream sweetly of being 1 tonight!!!!!!

There's been no let-up in the crowds of Shansters flocking to book stores in hunt of a signed book (or twenty!!). I did a big school event this morning, a quieter one in the afternoon, then reported for duty to Borders in Watford. Even though I was half an hour early, there was already a large line. I decided to start early, but popped upstairs to the loo. By the time I got back, the line had trebled, and I sensed we were in for a big one!!! THREE AND A HALF HOURS later, I signed my last book and draw a long breath!!! For an evening signing, that's incredible! Weekends are different -- people are off school, mums and dads aren't working, and larger crowds are the norm. But kids have homework on week nights ... parents are tired after work ... there are sporting events and TV shows to watch. An hour of signing is good. Two hours is excellent. But three and a half -- that's practically unheard of!!!!! I was stunned, but all in a good way -- I LOVE IT when big crowds turn up!!!! I get a buzz out of marathon signing sessions, knowing these people have given up their time to come and wait to see ME, that my books have done everything I ever hoped they would, that I'm living the dream. I can see how some writers get tired of large crowds and prefer either not to tour or to set limits when they do. Me -- I thrive on them!!! The more of you guys who come out to support me, the bigger a kick I get!!! There's no denying this has been a tiring tour, but it's the sort of "tired" that I always want to be!!! Roll on the last few days ...

Another fan -- hi, Toni!!! -- has had a tatto, based on the designs on the covers of my books. If you want to check it out, click here: TONI'S TATTOO

And, finally ... I've added the cover for the UK/Ireland edition of Wolf Island, book 8 of The Demonata, to my web site -- and it's a bloodily brilliant beauty!!!! To check it out, visit Secret Shanville (you'll need to become a Shanster if you haven't joined already) by clicking here: http://www.darrenshan.com/secretgateway.html

The last couple of days have sped by in a signing blur!! I only had one signing session on each day -- but what sessions they were!!!! First came Bluewater, on Sunday, scene of one of my biggest signings ever in the UK during the Bec tour. I thought it might be disappointing second time round, that less people would come, but that myth was swiftly debunked when I arrived to discover that lots of people had been waiting since the shopping centre opened at 09.30!!! I was signing for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS in total!! I think that might be my new UK record!!!! I was delighted to have such a huge turnout. I often get asked if my hand hurts after such a long signing, but the honest answer is no -- I've only once had a problem with it, and that was on my first trip to Hungary, when I was caught by surprise by the number of fans who turned up. My eyes do hurt a bit, from all the photos and squinting that I have to do when I strangle people (!!!!), but so far the hand has held up beautifully!! I had a couple of strawberry-and-creams frappucinos from Starbucks, which helped keep my strength up while signing (if anyone from Starbucks is reading this, I'm totally open to offers on sponsorhip for future tours!!!!! ). And when I got back home, Bas and I went to a temporary street market behind the Southbank, serving organic food, and I had a delicious burger and a bun with yummy pork -- a vegetarian's nightmare, but good times as far as the Shan stomach is concerned!!!!!!

Today I headed up to Swindon for an afternoon signing. Since it was a bank holiday Monday in the UK, I wasn't expecting a huge crowd, and confidently told Bas that I'd be back in time for a long walk before an early dinner. Nuh-uh!!!!! There was already a large crowd when we arrived, and it built steadily. In the end I was signing for 3 hours!!!! I came away very happy (I even managed to get another frappucino!), then met with Bas near the Tower of London, where we went to a restaurant that does scrumptious Argentian steaks. We went for a 4 slab taster, and waddled out VERY happy an hour or so later!!

The new book (Death's Shadow) has been going very strongly. Response from fans has been immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Sales have been brisk -- the official nationwide chart won't come out until later in the week, but it's currently the 1 bestselling children's book on Amazon UK, and 6 on the Amazon UK overall chart!!! I'm looking forward to the last 5 days of the tour -- it's going to be a busy week, but I'm determined to have lots of fun, and I hope everyone who comes to my events has fun too -- I'll do my best to keep you all happy!!!

Another couple of busy days on the tour. Went to St Albans and Reading yesterday. Left the flat at 08.30 and didn't get back until 23.00!!! I pretty much fell into bed!! Today wasn't quite as jam-packed, as I just had one event in the morning (in a lovely church -- the first time I think I've performed in a sacred place!), then a signing in the afternoon. After that I went with Bas to visit her brother and his two young sons. Spent a couple of hours playing with them -- a nice break from the demands of the tour! Then it was back home, pausing to grab a kebab on the way.

As those who've come to my events will know, I love to strangle people!!! I don't like smiling for photos -- I much prefer to pull a snarling face! And often I pretend to strangle the people who pose with me. I think that makes for a much better photo -- the fans can show it to their friends and boast that they survived strangulation at the hands of Darren Shan!!!! A few days ago, one fan asked if he could pretend to strangle me. Of course I agreed, but it was only when he had his hands round my throat that I realised how vulnerable a position I'd left myself in -- if he chose to squeeze tight, it would be hard to fight him off, and since people around would probably think I was only acting, help might be slow coming to hand!!!! I immediately thought -- this would be a good idea for a scene in a book, in which a villain decides to kill a famous author in public! It's the sort of idea that would have sat right at home in an old Vincent Price film! But then, later, I realised that I probably wasn't the first person to think of this -- I'm sure it's flashed through the thoughts of many of the fans who have trusted themselves to the tender mercies of my hands! Sometimes, when I have my hands around a fan's throat, I can feel their heart beating really fast. I used to think it was because they were especially excited to see me -- but now I think it's because they're absolutely terrified I'm going to kill them!!!!! But will I stop strangling, now that I have this new insight? Will I heck -- it's my job to scare!!!!!!! As far as I'm concerned, the more you guys tremble in your socks, the better a service I'm providing!!!!

The tour's been going splendidly. Had a very busy second day on Wednesday, a big school event and a very enjoyable evening event. I did my "Ballad of Darren Shan" at the public event -- the story of the first 3 books of The Saga set to rhyme. I used to do that a lot at events, but haven't performed it regularly for some years now. I really enjoyed going back to it, and the kids who volunteered to help me with it were all top-notch -- so I might roll it out a few more times over the coming weeks ...

Had a quieter day today. I went up to Swindon to sign hundreds of copies of Death's Shadow at the WHSmith head offices. They're going to be shipped all round the country to various WHSmith stores, so watch out for them if you fancy getting hold of a signed copy!! After that I went to do a public signing in North London, the first straightforward signing of the tour. While I have more fun at events where I give a talk, it's important to mix things up on tour, not least in order to make sure I don't lose my voice, so signings are good too! The best thing about a simple signing is that fans don't usually have to wait TOO long -- the events can stretch out over 2 or 3 hours in total.

Just got through doing the May issue of the Shanville Monthly. And now I'm off to grab an early night -- I foolishly stayed up late last night, to watch The Apprentice and check my emails, and I've been tired all day because of it!! It sometimes seems that no matter how old I get, I never learn -- in many ways I'm still just a great big kid who doesn't want to go to bed at a sensible time!!!!!!!

I'm back on the road again in the UK, and it was a very bright start. Did a couple of school events in London, both of which went very well, although my throat gave me a few problems when I did my Lord Loss voice -- I think I'm just a bit rusty, not having done it in a while!!! Later I did a public event in Bexleyheath, and there was a great turnout. It was in a library, where they could only seat 100 people -- but almost another 100 turned up and waited just to have their books signed!!! I was signing for two hours, an hour longer than scheduled, so I got home a lot later than planned, but I don't mind -- when I'm on tour, I'm always delighted when I get a good turnout, and I'll happily sign for as long as I can. That's worth bearing in mind if you're ever coming to any of my events -- they often run much longer than advertised, depending on the size of the crowd, so please be prepared to wait if necessary. Also, as I've said before, unless I have to rush to another event, I will sign as many books as you care to bring. The way it usually works is that I'll put a message in one, dedicating it to your name, then sign the rest. So don't be worried about bringing your whole collection along -- if you can bear the weight of so many books!!!!

I've met lots of great fans, even though I'm just on the first day of my tour -- I often say here that you guys are incredible, and although I know that sounds like corny baloney, it's true!!! You sometimes travel for hours, line up patiently, come to see me numerous times, buy lots of my books ... who could ask for more?!? But one fan has gone a bit further than most -- a lady called Laysha recently got a tattoo of the logo on my UK covers. She's not the first fan to get a Shan tattoo, but this one's extremely noticeable!! Please note, I'm not advocating the application of tattoos! I think a tattoo is something you should think about long and carefully, and probably shouldn't get too early in life. But if you're absolutely set on getting one, like Laysha was, then you might as well do it like she did -- with style!!! If you want to check it out, click on this link:  Laysha's Tattoo

Just got back a few hours ago from my shot visit to Hungary. I had a brilliant time there!!! I first went to Hungary 3 years ago, and was taken completely by surprise by the turnout of fans -- I was expecting, at best, a halfway decent crowd, and instead I got my biggest crowds ever!!!! I was worried that I'd be disappointed second time round, that the first visit was a freak and that interest in me would have dipped. My worries increased when I learnt that Saturday was a "swap" or "switch" day -- next Thursday is a bank holiday, and in Hungary, when that happens, they make everyone treat the Saturday before as a regular working day, so people with jobs go to work, and children go to school!!!! I felt disaster might be on the cards!!

But it wasn't!! I did my first event in a town called Kecskemet on Friday and signed without a pause for two and a half hours! I stayed in a lovely hotel, the Kempinski, and rose bright and early on Saturday. The day started with a Q&A session at the Book Festival. The room wasn't full when we started, which I took as a bad omen, but more fans came as the session progressed and we had a very good crowd by the end. I enjoyed the Q&A, especially when the fans started chipping in with their own questions. I moved straight from the event to the signing table, and didn't draw breath for the next two and a half hours, signing loads of books, scowling or smiling for loads of photos, answering questions whenever possible, and basically having a whale of a time!!

I had a brief break after the first session, and my bodyguards Csilla and Gabor treated me to a short car tour of Budapest. Then we went to a new, massive mall, where I did two signing sessions back-to-back in different stores. Between the pair, I was signing for almost five hours straight!! The only break I had was when I moved from one store to another -- trailed by a group of fans who had been waiting in line at the first store!!! I was very impressed with how smoothly and efficiently it all went -- it could have been a recipe for disaster in other hands, but everything proceeded without even a blip. At the end of the day I was very tired but very happy, and retired to my hotel to watch a film and chow down on some yummy room service!

I rose early again on Sunday morning and reported to the Book Festival for another signing session. Because I had more time today, I was able to take things at a more relaxed pace, and put messages in more than one book per person. As those who've been to my events in the past know, I'm always happy to sign for fans, and try to give as much value for money as I can. When pushed, I work swiftly and mechanically, but when time's on my side, I like to use it and give fans as much of it as I can -- I don't think "Yippee -- this is my chance to finish early!!" So I ended up signing for 3 hours, and after a nice lunch, I flew back to London, delighted with how everything went. I especially liked the fact that lots of fans came to more than one of my signing sessions -- you know you're doing something right when you get repeat customers!!!!!

Hungary is definitely high on my list of places I love to visit on a book tour, and hopefully I'll get to return again in the near future. I also hope to come on a holiday soon, or maybe combine work with pleasure -- I love what I've seen of the place, and would like to see more. But for the time being I'll gladly settle for having enjoyed another fabulous signing trip. Many thanks to everyone who turned up to make it such a great couple of days. Thanks also to everyone at Mora who worked so hard to make my job so easy. And extra special thanks to Csilla and Gabor -- bodyguards, guides and friends par excellence!!!!

I hope you like it as much as I do!!! It's one of the few Demonata titles that came to me quickly and easily, and while it might sound a bit pulpish and throwaway, I like that about it, and it suits the rough, grisly story of the book!! This title is like Ronseal -- it does exactly what it says on the tin!!!! Wolf Island hits stores in the UK and Ireland in October 2008, and the USA in April 2009. But first there's Book 7, Death's Shadow, to contend with. I know this is on sale in at least one Waterstones shop in the UK, because I got an email from a fan who had bought it today!!! Although the official release date isn't until May, I suspect it will turn up in a lot of stores from this weekend onwards -- so look out for it in your local!!! In the States, meanwhile, Demon Apocalypse hasn't started appearing as early as some of the other demon books, but I've heard from a few fans who've found copies, and Barnes & Noble are now selling it from their online store. Go hunt it down!!!!!

Flew over to London yesterday and went to see a revival of a play called Major Barbara. It was good, but the second half dragged -- it could maybe have done with a bit of tinkering, as it started to feel dated by the end, which was a shame. Today I did a recorded interview with a sci-fi festival, which I think is going to be put online soon -- I'll provide a link once it goes live. Did various bits and pieces over the rest of the day, visited some relatives, and now I'm heading out for a late dinner with Bas and a friend of hers. Tomorrow I rise early (6.30 -- shudder!!!) and head to Hungary for my whirlwind tour. I had an amazing time on my previous visit -- the biggest crowds that I've ever had at a signing!! So I'm really looking forward to this one!! I doubt if I'll get a chance to blog over the next few days, but I'm back on Sunday, so we can all catch up with each other then!

Finished my latest edit of Book 8 of The Demonata. I also think this will be my last major edit of the book. My editor pointed out lots of little things that could be improved, and I suspect we've almost got it to publication point now. We'll do a bit more work on it over the coming months, but hopefully it should just be fine-tuning, minor tweaks which will probably be of more interest to us than most fans -- we're a finicky pair, me and Stella -- we like to get even the tiny details exactly right!! I imagine I'll be revealing the title of the eighth book soon -- watch this space!!!

Got ready for my upcoming tours of Hungary and the UK. I didn't have to do too much for Hungary, since I'm mostly just signing there, but I'll doing readings in the UK, so I had to check my extracts were in order, and choose and edit down a piece of book 7. I always like to carry a mix of extracts with me when I tour, a few old favourites (I almost always have the wolfman scene from Cirque Du Freak, and chapter two of Lord Loss), something from the latest book, and often a "surprise" scene from a book that won't be released in the immediate future -- just to keep fans drooling with anticipation!!!!! I don't read out every scene at every event -- I like to juggle them around, to keep things interesting for myself. The scenes are almost always cropped -- I like to squeeze in as much as I can when I read out loud, so I tend to trim the extracts, eliminating references which aren't essential in an isolated instance. The edited versions are usually faster and more action-packed than the longer, published versions, so they tend to go down well even with people who are familiar with them -- you're getting something new, not just listening to me read out words which you can read for yourself!

Watched Saw IV tonight. It was OK, not as strong as the others -- I think this was a sequel too far, and for the first time in the series an entry felt completely unoriginal and lacking in imagination and impact. It wasn't a complete dud, but I'm hoping they stop there and don't push it any further. You've always got to know when to stop with a series. When you don't have anything new to say, it's time to shut up and say nothing!!! A lesson I hope I never lose sight of with my own work ...

Right, I'm off to double-check that I have everything I need for my tours. I hope to see lots of you soon -- and if you do plan on coming to any of my public signings, especially weekend signings, my advice is to turn up early, as you'll probably wait less than you will if you come along later! And don't forget, except in rare situations where time is against me, I'm always happy to sign as many books as fans care to bring along. There are almost no limits in the signing universe of Darren Shan!!!

After a nice Irish breakfast in local restaurant, the Cherrywood Inn, Bas and I took our Taiwanese guests to meet my Dad and grandparents. We then went for a short walk (the walk Bas and I do most days) -- our neighbour's dog, Goldie, came along to keep us company, which added to the fun!! Then we went to Limerick to do the Angela's Ashes walking tour, in which a guide takes you to some of the places mentioned in the famous book, and talks about Frank McCourt, Limerick, etc. I was very impressed by it, even though I haven't yet read the book -- highly recommended to anyone who visits Limerick. After that we had a bite to eat, then took the ladies to the airport and waved them off. Back to normal life now!!!

I received an email from a fan a while ago complaining that I only printed emails from converts, i.e. people who didn't like reading before they read my books!! So, for those of you who are natural lovers of reading, here's one from a fan in the States, called Angela, who wasn't a reluctant reader before encountering my novels!!!

I read your blog entry from a mother who was ecstatic because you got her child hooked on reading, and I'm in the same boat...except I'm the child. In my eighth grade literature class, we had to pick out a book for "free reading" or whatever they called it back then. I have always had a love for vampires and demons, so when I found "Cirque Du Freak," I had to get it. I then found myself reading book after book, due to the fact that they are so hard to put down. Unfortunately I only got up to about book 4 when school got out, and my life got somewhat preoccupied over summer. I've always had that "special" place in my heart for "Cirque Du Freak", but for some reason I never went back and finished the series. That was when I was about 13, I'm now 16 and this year I went to the library and found "Lord Loss" from The Demonata series. When I realized it was yet another book written by none other than you, I had to get it. I fell in love by the tenth page. Once I finished that book, I had to wait to get "Demon Thief", and the wait was killing me. And when I finally got it, I finished it in a day. The next day I got "Bec" because my school library only has one copy of "Slawter", which was already checked out. I figured that I'd be able to read "Bec" and then go back and read "Slawter" because they're all... connected, but not in any specific order. I just finished "Bec" last night, and now I'm sad. That's how I always am when I finish one of your books. I have the tendency to get caught up in the story, pretending I'm actually a part of it. And because I'm so in love with your books, I want to keep reading them all day long. Then when I'm done I get that kind of... "Awwwww, it's over already" feeling. And now I'm anxious to read "Slawter" and "Blood Beast", especially because the next book comes out so soon.

I guess I'm basically just emailing you to express how amazing your works are. Not only are your books so good simply because of your writing ability, but there are other, more specific reasons I'm in love with them. I think one of the reasons I love The Demonata is, of course due to the demon-packed action, but also because if you read "Lord Loss", the uncle is this mysterious man named Dervish. You don't learn much about who he is, or what his past was like. But then you read "Demon Thief" and you meet Dervish as a teenager. I love that, I didn't expect him to show up at all. When I started the book, I thought they'd all be completely different. And to a certain degree, they are. Yet you find a way to tie them all together.

It's kind of strange for me to be so into books aimed towards young-adults more or less. I'm the type of person who is usually interested in non-fiction (usually about serial killers and such... I want to be a criminal psychologist), or books that are fictional, but based on something real in history. The Hobbit was actually my favorite book-until I read The Demonata! Your stories are just so well written and interesting that I can't help but fall entirely in love with them. As I'm reading I wish I was in that world, where demons, vampires and all other sorts of imaginary creatures exist.

Well, enough about me. I'm sorry this is so lengthy. I just thought I should tell you that you are such an amazing author, and I plan on reading every book you've ever made available to the public.

Awww ... that's lovely!! But just to prove that I'm still reaching the reluctant readers too, here's another email from a fan who wasn't a big reader until she found her way into my dark, twisted world!! Let's hear from Katie, in the UK:

I started reading in year 6/7, and it really helped me with my literature and it also helped with getting good grades, as before your series I wasn't interested in english and books, but when I read them, I got in to english literature straight away! Now I am in year 7 it really helps, and your books left me in amazement, awe, excitement and on several events tears! Thank you for writing these books -- they are the best books ever! I look at the world differently, in a good way!, and I am on to your demonota series now (Lord Loss etc.) My parents can see an improvement with my english too, so I'm really happy!

That last line from Katie also explains why I print more emails from fans in her situation than I do from long-term fans of reading. I don't feel the need to preach to the converts -- those of you who have always had the reading bug don't need to be told how exciting reading can be. I get lots of emails from fans every day, saying how much they like my books -- if I printed them all, I'd just be acting like the most egotistical man on the face of the planet -- "Look!! Here's another letter to prove how brilliant I am!!!!!" The reason I print letters by people like Katie is to hopefully help other reluctant readers find their way into my world -- and, no, it's not just so that I can make money from them!!!! Like most people involved in the world of books, I love reading, and I love to see other people reading. I think there's a book for everyone, that even the most reluctant of readers can be converted if you give them the right book -- the book that's right for them. I know a lot of teachers and parents mistrust my books, and dismiss them as horrible horror tales, devoid of depth and meaning. By printing emails like Katie's, I hope to reach some of those, that they'll come across this blog, or have it pointed out to them by their students. And if they read testimonials from kids who had reading problems, or from parents or teachers or librarians of kids like that... kids who overcame those problems when someone took the time to introduce them to a book that would excite them and fire their imagination... then maybe they'll take a chance on my work and give a copy of Cirque Du Freak or one of my other books to the "problem" child. I'm not saying I'm the answer to every reluctant reader out there -- of course I'm not!!! But there ARE lots of kids who will be more willing to gamble on a blood-and-guts type story than on other, more traditional tales. My books have a kind of dangerous, forbidden feel -- and that's exactly what appeals to a lot of children and teenagers who think that reading's only for geeks!!