After several years of hosting my web site on Irishtourism.com, I'm moving web hosts, and setting up with a firm called Clook. I had virtually nil down time with Irishtourism.com over the past few years, so I was reluctant to move, but they had a very poor stats site, and I was very limited with what I could do with my site. Many of my publishers want to know how many hits I'm getting each month, where they're coming from, which pages fans visit, etc. So eventually I had to move to a firm which could let me access those facts quicky and in depth.

There shouldn't be any problems with the move -- users shouldn't even be aware that anything has changed!! but you might want to hit your refresh button the next time you visit the site. And if you can't see anything, so please let me know!!!!

Didn't get much work done today, because of various interruptions.

First, I was awoken early by a delivery man -- I bought some art recently, and it was delivered shortly after 8 this morning. (Not early for most people, I know, but I rarely move much before 9!!!) I decided to pop back to bed for another hour. A few minutes later, there was a ring at the door -- electricians had come to wire up a few of the paintings!!! I had to help them out for a while, which ate up most of my morning work period. Checked my e-mails around noon time, had lunch, then tried to get a bit of editing done.

I'd barely set to work when my phone rang a couple of times and I had to answer. By the time I'd got through with the calls, and answered some more e-mails, most the afternoon was gone, so I wrapped up the chapter I was working on, then let it lie. It means working over the weekend, but that's OK. I enjoy the editing process much more than when I'm writing a first draft. I try not to work more than 5 days a week when I'm on first draft duty, but I can happily go over when I'm editing.

Also, the page proofs for "Demon Thief" arrived from HarperCollins today. I'll get stuck into them once I finish the current edit of Book 6, and that will be the final work I do on the book!!! "Demon Thief" is unusual, in that it's less than a year since I wrote the first draft of it. Usually I'll spend at least 2 years editing a book, but in this case I didn't have the luxury of that much time. I haven't rushed it or taken any short cuts -- I've simply had to work on it twice as hard in half the time as normal!!!

Watched "The Last Minute" today, a film by the director of "Blade" and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". This was an entirely different type of film, exploring the perils of those who chase fame. For the most part it was fairly pretentious twaddle, but it was stylishly directed, and had some curiously interesting and affecting moments. It's overall message - "Don't waste time or time will waste you" - is, of course, perfectly true, but was put across rather bluntly and unimaginatively. But a far more interesting line for me was near the end, when the main character was wondering what makes a work of art (any work of art -- book, song, film, etc) GOOD and WORTHWHILE. He thought it was public acceptance, but another character said, "No -- the public just give you a career."

And it's true!! One of the points I always try to stress, when talking with wannabe writers, is that you have to do it for yourself. You should write because you enjoy it, and judge your work by how happy YOU are with it. Sure, it's great if you can sell something that you like, and even better if you can make lots of money out of it, but the most important thing is that YOU like it. You have to be your own judge. Immediate, widespread acceptance doesn't mean you've written a good book -- just as rejection, disinterest or poor sales doesn't mean you've written a stinker. The public can be fickle. Sometimes they get it right -- sometimes they don't.

Pursue your dreams. Be true to yourself. Write (sing, paint, etc.) from the heart. Don't sell out.

Those ways happiness lies.

A historic day for Ireland -- the IRA have agreed to set aside their arms and reject violence. This has been a long time coming, and is a huge step forward. It's a complex situation up North, and I suspect there's still a long way to go before the area can truly succumb to peace, but this is a vital, positive move. As someone who's lived on this small island for most of his life, this day could possibly, if everything works out, prove to be as important for me and other Irish people as Independence Day is for the Americans!!!!

Started editing book 6 of "The Demonata" -- the third time I've edited it. This is a key book in the series. It's when all the various plot lines of the first 5 books come together, and readers start to realise precisly what's going on with all these stories. It also sets up the main plot thrust of the last 4 books.

Saw the documentary movie about Metallica, "Some kind of monster" today -- quite apt, given the book I was working on! Metallica are one of my fave bands. I used to be very anti-heavy metal in my teens, until I listened to their Black Album and was blown away by it. I experimented with metal a bit after that, but never really developed a great and abiding love for any other metal band. But Metallica still excite me when they're at their best. The movie's OK, but hard to see it appealing to anyone who isn't already a fan. The scenes of them in therapy are quite surreal!!!

Watching it, I was delighted that, as a writer, I don't have any of the crazy work relationships that wrench at the minds and hearts of many bands. But at the same time I almost envied them. Sure, they drove each other mad much of the time, but when everything was clicking, it was great for them to have others to share the euphoria with. As a writer, you tend to write alone, and others only see your work once it's finished. A good day at the office ... or a bad day ... it doesn't really make much difference, since you've nobody to get excited with or mad at!!! It can be a lonely old life sometimes, but then every writer knows that when they sign up for the job, so there's no use complaining!!! Besides, I know that when I'm out on the road in the States in October, I'll be pining for the solitude and peace of home!!!!!!!

Finished my most recent edit of book 5 of "The Demonata" this afternoon. Although the first 4 books are designed to stand alone, books 5 and 6 are a 2 part story -- so I get to end book 5 with a HUGE cliffhanger!!! I love cliffhangers, which is why I wove so many of them into "The Saga of Darren Shan". There aren't so many outright cliffhangers in the new series, but the one in book 5 is a classic -- one of my favourite cliffhangers out of all the ones I've written!!!!! I can't wait to hit readers with it, though I guess I'll have to -- the book won't be published in the UK until May 2007!!!!!

Saw the documentary, "Wisconsin Death Trip" today. It was a fascinating reconstruction of a series of murders, suicides and all-round weird events which happened in Wisconsin between 1890 and 1900. A local newspaper of the time had printed stories about all these events, and the film consisted of actors playing the roles of real-life people, while a narrator explained some of the facts about what happened to them. A genuinely different type of movie -- a refreshing break from normal, story-by-numbers films. Highly recommended.

Tickets are selling out ultra swiftly for my first event in Edinburgh on Friday, August 19, at 5.00p.m.!!! It's in a smaller venue than the Saturday event, which is why they've almost sold out! In fact, you can't order them through the Book Festival web site any more! If there are any left, you need to phone to order them, by ringing the Box Office on 0131 624 5050. (If you're phoning from overseas, drop the first 0 and add 0044 before the number.) If you haven't booked for the Friday event already, and want to come to it, I'd act ASAP if I were you!!

You can still order tickets for the Saturday, August 20 event on the Festival web site, by clicking here: http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/whatson/event_listing.html?event_id=16151  I've no idea how many seats are left for the Saturday event, but I'd advise booking early just to be safe!

Saw "Seed of Chucky" today. It really tickled my funny bone!! I didn't like the original "Child's Play" movie when I saw it in the 1980s, and can't reall bothering with the first couple of sequels. But I checked out "Bride of Chucky" when it was made and was very impressed. I didn't have high expectations for "Seed", but it surprised me big time! I think Jennifer Tilly made it -- she played herself (as well as the female doll) to perfection. I certainly wouldn't recommend it for little kids, but for those who like their horror edgy and smutty, it's great fun!!!!

One of my strongest supporters in the States in recent times has been Crowgrrl. She publishes a web site which is mostly about music, but also includes book reviews (and a lot of other stuff). She read "Cirque Du Freak" earlier their year and has been plugging my books enthusiastically ever since! In the most recent issue she's included details about my Edinburgh appearance next month. You can check it out by clicking here: http://www.crowgrrl.com/reviews/072405perch.htm