Bas and I decided on Friday evening, during a walk to Curraghchase (our nearest park here in Limerick), that we would go to Inis Mor on the Aran Islands for the weekend. I've been meaning to go there for a long time, and though Bas had been there a couple of years ago, it had been raining heavily and she hadn't seen that much of the island. So, having checked the weather forecast (sun all weekend!!) we set off early on Saturday, drove to Galway and caught the ferry over. We hired bikes where we arrived and cycled to our hotel. It's been a few years since I was last up on a bike, so I was worried I'd have a sore bum by the end of the day -- and I did!!!! In fact it's still throbbing now!!!!!!!!

But that was the only downside -- otherwise it was an amazing little holiday. The Aran Island are spectacular -- rock virtually everywhere you look, with little tufts of grass and wild flowers jutting out sporadically; wind sweeps in all the time, and the waves of the Atlantic batter the coast 24-7. Once we'd checked into our B&B (Ard Einne -- recommended for anyone who's thinking of going), we cycled down to the end of the island closest to us, and went for a long walk along the cliff. We were the only people there, and I was in seventh heaven as we clambered over rocks, caught the spray from the sea, and stretched out in a rare grassy patch beneath a beautiful blue sky. We saw a couple of fields FULL of rabbits -- more than I've ever seen anywhere else!! Lots of birds and insects. Weird rock formations. It was wonderful.

After a brief stop back at our room, we went to one of the island's famous forts -- this one was called The Black Fort. It was a real trek to get to it -- we had to walk up a long dirt track, then cross a vast rocky expanse, before carefully edging in. I say carefully, because the fort is set right at the edge of a high cliff, and the entrance is at a point where the exterior wall meets the cliff edge -- we had about 4 or 5 feet of land -- one stumble and we were history!!! There wasn't much to see inside, except for the huge, tiered wall of the fort, but I could lie down and look over the edge of the cliff, and we could clamber up the wall and study the scenery from on high. We were the only people there, and it was like stepping back through time. The wind was blowing my hair every which way (it's like Medusa's hair at the moment!), but I didn't care. It was fantastic!!! I hated having to leave, but it was getting late, and eventually we re-traced our steps, went for a bite to eat and a drink at a local pub (where, bizarrely, a group who must have been part of a church choir were singing choir-type songs in one corner!!!), then got an early night.

We were both stiff when we woke on Sunday, but we soon worked the creaks out of our bones and set off for an eight hour cycle round the island. We went along the coast first, saw some seals (well, their heads -- they were out at sea), and visited Dun Aengus, the island's most famous fort. It was incredible, though it didn't stirke me as much as The Black Fort, partly because I'd seen the other fort the day before, but also because it was much more accessible. I love getting off the beaten path, away from the crowds, but Dun Aengus is fairly well developed for tourists -- there's a visitor's centre, a path all the way up to the fort, and busloads of tourists visit it every day. It's a vital feature of the island, and brings in thousands of tourists every year (it's the main reason I wanted to visit the island), but for me the Black Fort was more of a treat, because of its isolation. Still, Dun Aengus was great too. After that we explored some more of the island, then cycled back home (pausing en route for another drink). We had a rest, then got a cab into Kilronan to have dinner. Then we had another early night.

We got up this morning, went for an hour's walk, then cycled back to the ferry and made the long trek home. I was sad to leave the island behind, and I definitely hope to visit again in the not too distant future. Hard to believe it's been on my doorstep all these years and I only got around to visiting now!!! Still, that's often the way -- the places easiest and quickest to get to are often the places we visit last, if at all!!! I sometimes think we only really see the wonders of the world when we set forth as tourists, but it's hard to act like a tourist in your own backyard!!!

Anyway, I loved my little escape to Aran, and though I'm physically very tired now, I feel refreshed at the same time. I'm heading back to the UK on Tuesday for a few days, to do events in Birmingham and Hay, then I finish up on Death's Shadow tour in Listowel, back here in Ireland, on Sunday. If anybody in the UK or Ireland hasn't caught me in action yet, this will be your last chance until the Edinburgh Festival, and then a short October tour when book 8 comes out ...

I've spent the last couple of days adding loads of new fan art to my site. This is something I always mean to do on a more regular basis, but inevitably I end up putting it on the long finger and only get round to it once a year or less. But when I DO finally knuckle down, at least that means I have lots of new images to add!!! I've put all the demon pics online, and I'm about halfway through the vampire lot. You can find the demon drawings here: DEMON PICS and the vampire ones here: VAMPIRE PICS

I went in to Limerick to watch the European Champions League final (the most prestigious cup in European soccer) on TV with my friend Kenny on Wednesday. He's a Manchester United fan, and I was cheering on Utd as well, not just because of Kenny, but because they were playing Chelsea, and as a Tottenham Hotspur supporter I always love to see Chelsea and Arsenal get beat!!!! Childish, I know, but that's what football does to the minds of grown men!!!!! It was a tight game, that ended in a draw after extra time, meaning a penalty shoot-out -- which Man Utd won!!!!!!!! I cheered almost as much as I would have if Spurs had won the cup!!! It's been a pretty sweet season all around, really -- Spurs won the Carling Cup (beating Chelsea in a glorious final), Chelsea and Arsenal won nothing, and even Celtic came from far behind to claim the league in Scotland (like most people in Ireland, I have a passing interest in the fortunes of Celtic). Apart from the failure of Ireland every time they played, it couldn't have worked out much more enjoyable!!!!!!!!



http://www.darrenshan.com/vampires/fanart/index.html

Death's Shadow held onto the 1 spot on the UK Children's Best Sellers Chart for an incredible third week in a row!!! I'm over the moon about this! It was great to get to the top, brilliant to hold that position for a second week, but absolutely amazing to still be there!!! As I've said before, charts don't always tell the true story -- Demon Apocalypse actually sold better than Blood Beast, but because lots of other popular books were released at the same time, it didn't get to the top, while BB did. A book with poor sale might top the chart in a weak week, whereas a book with strong sales might not place very highly in a strong week. But in this instance I'm delighted that the new book is doing well in the chart AND selling very strongly -- the best of both worlds!!!!! I'll always takes sales over chart positions -- but it's delicious to have both!! HarperCollins very kindly sent me a bottle of top-notch champagne to celebrate, and I'll be cracking it open VERY soon to toast Death's Shadow's very fine health!!!!

I finally finished archiving my tour dates!! It was a much bigger job that I thought, and I've been working on it non-stop since the weekend, even doing some night shifts! But now it's finally up in place, every date, every event, every signing. I'm sure there are one or two errors in there, events that were cancelled, or last-minute additions which I forgot to add to my site at the time. But for the very most part it's accurate -- and exhausting!!! You can find the tour archive page in Secret Shanville (you'll have to join if you haven't already) by clicking here:


Hard to believe I've covered that much ground, given that many talks and signed that many books!! It was interesting to see how much I'd forgotten -- for instance, I took most of 2003 off from touring!! That goes to answer the questions I posed here a few days ago -- my sales rocketed in the UK during the two years when I wasn't doing much touring here, which I guess proves that at a certain point you DON'T have to tour to boost sales!!! I think it's a bit like a landslide -- if you can get it started, it takes on a life of its own. I certainly think touring definitely helps during an author's first few years, but as word spreads, and sales snowball, it probably becomes less vital. Then again, who can say for certain -- maybe sales would have been even stronger if I'd toured for those 2 years!!!!!! Anyway, it's all academic, because I'm going to continue touring regardless, partly because I like it -- as I often say in interviews, meeting fans is the fun part of the job! -- and also because I think I owe it to you guys, and I like to give as many of you as possible the chance to come and meet me, have a little chat, and have your books signed.

I've continued compiling my tour dates online -- it's taking longer than I thought!! I managed to complete the lists for 2001 and 2002 today, and you can check them out by clicking on the following links:

http://www.darrenshan.com/monthly/archive/Tours2001/2001index.html

http://www.darrenshan.com/monthly/archive/Tours2002/2002index.html

I also added a comment to the 2000 list, so you might want to check that one out again. I've found this a fascinating exercise (even if it might look like navel-gazing to other people!!!). This is the first time I've ever been able to siut down and actually analyze my touring career. When you're out on the road, things blur over time, and you just have a vague sense of how you're doing. In my mind it feels like I've always been on the road, and the tours have blended into one another for the most part. I know they've got bigger and busier in recent years, but I didn't think there was any real shape to them overall.

Boy, was I wrong!!! By studying the dates for 2000, 2001 and 2002, there's a definite pattern. In the first couple of years I was accepting just about every offer to go and do my thing to an audience, a few days here, a single event there. Virtually no public events, and the few I dared attempt were catastrophes for the most part! A structure - where I did a few weeks of hardcore, intensive touring - began to emerge in the second year, and became more apparent in the third, but I was still out on the road in dribs and drabs for most months of the year. By the end of 2002, I could sense the tide turning - I'd built up a good-sized fan base - but I still didn't do many public events or signings. We concentrated on schools, taking the books into places where I was unknown, aiming to find new readers. I was still a long way from being able to do a "glamour" tour, where I'd go into schools where I was largely known and liked. It was a relentless, dogged campaign -- I marched tirelessly from one event to another, never complaining, never letting the dud events (where I got only a handful of people turning up) depress me, clinging to the belief that this would work in the long term, that I'd see the benefits of ceaseless touring one day...

What stunned me most, going through the lists, was just how bad my first tour of the States really was!!! Whenever I thought about it over the years, I always knew it was poor compared to my later tours, but it wasn't until I went back and looked through my diary entries that I realised it was an almost total wash-out!! Terrible attendances at the public events, small groups in most of the schools, not many books sold. Looking back, it's plain to see that it was too early for a tour. The books had been selling quite well, but I hadn't yet established a firm fan base, and it was hard to let fans know that I was there on tour. I guess it served some sort of purpose, in that it introduced me to the hardships of life on the road in the massive States -- when I returned much later for my second tour, I was prepared for just what I had to do. But it wasn't a fun time of my life!!!!

Then again, who said touring in the early days should be fun?!? Bands all had to go through this -- and worse! U2 had to play to tiny crowds in crap venues, as did The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., etc, etc, etc. That's the way I've always looked at it -- in my head, I'm a musician, and when I go on the road, it's like I'm touring with a band. It's hard for writers to develop an audience the way bands do, but not impossible -- as I've proved. If you work hard, stick with it, put every bad experience down to a lesson learnt, and keep believing that the hard work will pay off further down the line ... then yes, you CAN make a go of it!! You need good books to tour with, of course, the way bands need good songs, but touring does pay off eventually.

Of course, the interesting question is, do children's writers actually NEED to tour? If I'd never gone out on the road, would the books have done well anyway? Would sales have flourished regardless of whether I toured or not? It's impossible to say. Maybe they would have -- maybe they wouldn't. All I know is, touring has been an important part of my job, and I think it's definitely helped me get to where I am today, and ... well, to use an old cliche ... if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!! It would be easy to stop touring, to cut back and have more time for myself. But I've got a niggling suspicion at the back of my mind that sales might dip if I did -- and it's not a theory I wish to put to the test!!!!

For a long time now I've been meaning to catalogue my tour dates in one spot on my web site, to put together as complete a list as possible of all the event's I've done since I first started touring to promote my books in early 2000. Today I finally got round to making a start!!! It's not as straightforward as it might seem -- although my more recent tours are neatly laid out on my Shanville Monthly, I've changed styles and formats quite often so copying them over is quite a lengthy process! And with my earlier dates, I have to go back to my old diaries!! But I've made a good start and already complete 3 of the years -- I hope to add the other 5 over the next couple of days. If you want to see what the list was like for my very first year, you can click on the following link:

http://www.darrenshan.com/monthly/archive/Tours2000/2000index.html

I've added some notes (such as when I did my first public event, when I first used a microphone, etc), as well as approximate audience numbers where possible -- the figures aren't accurate, but they're pretty close -- where I don't have any real idea, I've left it blank. I hadn't realized I spent so much of my first year just touring in Ireland -- in my memory, I thought I'd toured lots in the UK as well in 2000, but as you can see, I just did a few events there later in the year. It was nice going back and putting this together -- I remembered places and events which I haven't thought about in years, both the good (signing for more than an hour for the first time) and the bad (my first no-show at a signing session). I recalled my first ever panel event, where the "host" spent more time talking than he allowed any of those of us on the panel!!!! My first trip to Edinburgh -- I was really nervous, but my nerves were settled when I bumped into Anthony Horowitz for the first time and he exclaimed, "Darren Shan?!? My son thinks you're a writing god!!!"

The most amusing thing I came across though was an entry from the middle of the year, when I complained about being a bit tired of performing the Cirque Du Freak scene where the woman gets her hand bitten off by the wolf man!!! I'd done it at virtually every event and was getting a bit bored of it. Little did I know that 8 years later I'd still be performing it regularly!!!! But these days I get a real kick out of it. It's not something I need to do -- I have plenty of other books to read out from -- but it always works the best in a live situation and I have fun seeing different actors put their own spin on it. It's sort of my signature piece -- I could no more not do the CDF scene when I'm touring than The Rolling Stones couldn't do Satisfaction live, or The Who couldn't do My Generation!!! I don't perform it at every event, but it's never far away, and neither is the plastic hand which I use in it!! Actually, thinking of that, I just recalled that I didn't use a fake hand in the early days -- it was something I added later. I'll have to try to pin down the date when I started to incorporate it, though I'm not sure if it's something I'll have noted in my diary. Guess there's only one way to find out ... Watch this space!!!!

When I was in Hungary recently, doing a Q&A session, a fan raised his hand and said rabbits hadn't been introduced to the UK and Ireland until the 12th century by Normans, so how could I explain their presence in Bec, which was set in 6th century Ireland?!? I said I'd investigate, and I have, and to my chagrin he was right -- curse his historically accurate eyes!!!! It's not a biggie in terms of the story (and none of our own fine British and Irish scholars have noted it since the book came out a year and a half ago!), but I do always like to get my facts straight (except when it suits the story better -- e.g. in Cirque Du Freak I describe Madam Octa as breathing in and out; in fact, spiders don't do that, but it was a nice creepy image, so I left it in!!), so I've instructed my editor to slightly alter the book the next time it's reprinted, to remove all references to rabbits!!!! My own fault for not double-checking my research, I know, but I just assumed the little blighters had always been hopping around the place!!!! But, as Bas always says, "To assume makes an ASS of U and ME!!!!!" This reminds me of why I prefer not to set my stories in a specific time or place -- if you keep things vague, facts can't come back to bite you on the ass!!!!

It's been a week for chart extravaganzas in Shan country!!! First, I was delighted to learn that Death's Shadow had held onto the 1 position in the UK in its second week of release -- in fact, it sold even more strongly, and out-sold the second placed book by more than 40%!!! Then, tonight, I was thrilled to find out that The Demonata has entered the New York Times Top 10 Children's Series Best Sellers chart at Number 9!!! Although my Cirque Du Freak series charted regularly in the NYT list, this is the first time The Demonata has made the chart, with the release there of Demon Apocalypse, book 6 of the series. Making the NYT chart is incredibly difficult, especially the series chart, as series tend to stay in the chart much longer than one-off books on the other chart -- of the top 10 best sellers this week, only two other series have spent less than 14 weeks on the chart! It's like an exclusive club that's almost impossible to break into -- but The Demonata has done it!!!! Many thanks to all my American fans for their continued support, and for helping to turn some of their friends onto the demonic delights of the series too!! I was already looking forward to my October tour of the States, but now doubly so -- there's nothing like a little taste of success to spur me on!!!!!!!

I spent a peaceful couple of days in the Norfolk countryside recently when Bas and I went to stay with her Aunt Mary, a Carmelite nun who has lived in an enclosed order for almost 50 years. We had lengthy, enjoyable chats with Mary and a few of the other nuns, and went for nice long walks in the countryside when we weren't with her -- the weather was glorious, rabbits were bouncing about everywhere, we also saw pheasants, herons, and even a small deer. It was the perfect relaxation tonic after my busy tour!!

Got back home last night and watched the latest episode of The Apprentice -- cracking good entertainment, as always. Today I caught up on all my post, and got my office in order (well, some of it!!). Went for a walk down by the river in the afternoon -- it's nice to be back -- and then watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. I hadn't seen it in a LONG time, and was pleased to note that it's just as pacy and effective as ever. I used to watch it over and over as a kid -- I taped it off the TV one day, and although the quality was patchy, and I had to rewind to watch the last several minutes (having run out of tape near the end of the movie!), I still loved it. It stands out in my memories as one of the seminal films of my childooh and early teens, and unlike some other films and books from that time which suffer when viewed twenty years on, Indy Mk I looks like it's always going to be high up on my favourite movies list. I like the fact that we change in life, that our tastes change, that we discard old favourites and find new ways to interest ourselves as we progress and become new people -- that's what life should be all about, experiencing different facets of the world. But it's comforting to have a few old loves that you can still cherish no matter how much time passes, no matter how much you change.

Right, I'm off to celebrating being a hit on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time!! Shall I celebrate by quaffing champagne or going out and dancing the night away? Hell no -- I'm going to celebrate in an even better way than that, with some of the people who helped put me there -- I'm going to answer some fan mail!!!!!

Had lots of fun at the Derren Brown show on Saturday night -- he's a really good performer, much more personable in the flesh than on TV, and some of his tricks are jaw-droppingly amazing! Then went to footie on Sunday -- it was the last game of the season, and Spurs were playing Liverpool. Normally that would be a big match, but the result didn't really mean much to either team, so the atmosphere was much more muted than I expected. We lost 2-0, but nobody was really that bothered, and almost everyone stayed to cheer the team as they did a lap of honour after the game. Later, back in the pub, I had an interesting debate with a couple of my friends. They contended that we had enjoyed a "great" season, while I was far less happy with it. Their argument rested on the fact that we'd had a few incredible results -- we drew a match 4-4 with Aston Villa after being 4-1 down; beat our time-honoured enemies Arsenal 5-1 in a cup semi-final; then beat one of our other big foes, Chelsea, 2-1 in the final; had a good UEFA Cup run; and drew 4-4 with Chelsea in the league, in one of the most exciting games of the entire season. I couldn't argue that they weren't great moments, some of the best I've ever experienced at the club -- but I did argue that moments of greatness didn't make it a "great" season. I wanted consistency, a high finish in the league, evidence that we have what it takes to challenge for honours again next year. As far as they were concerned, none of that mattered -- the glorious moments are what we remember in life, and therefore all that count at the end of the day.

It was an interesting argument, and one I'm still thinking about. I certainly see their point, and in some ways I agree with it, but on the other hand ... well, which would you rather? A novelist who writes one great book, and then a load of very average, forgettable books? Or one who maybe never hits the very top, but who always puts out a book that you can enjoy? A few days of amazing captivity in that author's world -- or year of milder enjoyment? Of course, ideally we all want both, and in certain areas we get what we want (Manchester United fans have had both over the last 15 or 16 years; Stephen King fans have had both over the last 30-plus years; Martin Scorses fans have had both; U2 fans have had both). But if you HAD to choose, which does it for you? What is YOUR definition of "greatness"???

Drank a bit more than I should have after the match, so I was fairly subdued for much of Monday!! Finally recovered in the afternoon, and Bas and I went for a lovely walk in St James' Park, where we also had dinner at the Inn The Park restaurant. After that we went to see Never So Good at the National Theatre, a play about an old UK Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. The cast was strong (Jeremy Irons was the lead, and he was excellent), and it was an ineresting look at how Britain changed over the course of the 20th century, but it wasn't a spectacular play in any aspect. A good night at the theatre, but not a memorable one. Now we're off to visit Bas's aunt, a Carmelite nun, for a couple of peaceful days. I'll check back with you all a bit later in the week.

Had another pair of fantastic schools on Friday, with very long lines of students wanting their books signed. School events normally don't result in large sales, so the last few days have been a very welcome reversal of usual trends -- but because of the unexpected surge, I came close to running out ot sharpies, and had to make a quick dash to Woolworths between events to re-stock!!! I also did another long signing session in a shop in the afternoon, and was there for two hours. Fabulous!!!

I expected to wrap up the tour (or at least the main part of it -- I still have a few events scattered throughout the rest of the month) with a sold-out event at the Polka Theatre this Saturday. I've been there a couple of times before, and each time it's been a sell-out. And it's been a few years since I was last there, and the books have grown far more popular in the meantime. So I felt fairly confident that I'd be playing my last event to a packed house. But we heard on Friday that sales had been poor and the theatre wasn't even half full when I turned up today!! It just goes to show, there's always the potential for a weak turnout, no matter how popular your books are or how splendidly a tour is going. It was a pity to end the tour with a relative disappointment, but I never let small number interfere with my routine, and I went to to treat those who had turned up to 3 readings (including an extract from my four book series), answered more questions than I normally would, and spent longer signing than usual. I always appreciate it when you guys turn up to see me, but I appreciate it all the more when you come to a sparsely attended event! So rather than mope about those who don't come, I try to give extra value to those who DO!! Although it wasn't quite the rowdy finale I was hoping for, I definitely enjoyed it, and I think those who came enjoyed it too.

Apart from today's event, it's been my busiest tour ever. I've gone on longer tours in the past, with more events and signings packed in, but this has featured the biggest crowds, the longest lines, the most books sold and signed. Every day has been jam-packed, and I've rolled back to the flat exhausted but delighted, late every night. It's amazing to receive such incredible support, and the tour has flown by in a hectic, happy blur. I'm lucky to have such dedicated fans, and as long as you guys keep turning up to show your support, I'll do all I can over the coming years to carry on touring and meet as many of you as is feasible, sign as many of your books as I can -- and strangle as many of you for photos as possible!!!! But for now I'm off to relax for a bit (going to see Derren Brown tonight -- he always puts on a good show!), before hitting Athlone next weekend, then Birmingham, Hay and Listowel a bit later in the month!!! Thanks for the memories, Shansters!!!!!!!

Had my two busiest school events of the tour -- indeed, two of the busiest of ANY of my tours!!! At the first, I spoke to an audience of just over 120, and it seemed like just about everyone there came up afterward to get a book signed -- I was signing for a solid hour! There were at least double that at the next school, and once again almost everyone seemed to have a book to sign -- I was going like the clappers for an hour and a half, far quicker than I'd normally sign, conscious that school was finishing and many of the students needed to leave to catch buses!!! I felt like I'd run a long race by the end -- but I only just had time to draw my breath, and then it was off to a shop for another two hour signing session!!!! This tour has definitely been my busiest yet in terms of numbers of people turning up to get their books signed. I thought, after my last few tours, that the crowds couldn't get any bigger -- but they can, and they have!!!!! Shan-mania looks like it might just be gearing up -- who knows how manic it will get from here?!?!?

Onto other matters! For those of you who think you can out-gross the Shan man, check out the following competition from Waterstones -- it's a beaut!! Of all the Darren Shan competitions that have been run over the years, this ranks up there with the very best of them!!! Waterstones are offering you the chance to create a demon of your own, by describing it in 50 words of less -- and the winning contestant will see their demon featured in Book 9 of The Demonata in May 2009!!! This is the first time I've ever let a fan design a creature for one of my books -- and it will very probably be the last!! You'll also get an OBE, and free signed copy of the book, and a chance to come and meet me in person to collect it!!!!! The comp is open to readers in the UK and Ireland, of any age (but you'll need a parent's permission if you're under 18). For more details and the full rules, click here: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=1314 The closing date is June 2nd -- so act swiftly before the chance passes you by!!!!