The fifteenth day of the tour ...

My phone rang at 4.45 -- a mistaken wake-up call!!!! Groaned and tried to get back to sleep, but couldn't drop off properly. Was picked up at 7.30, then drove out to Salem, about an hour outside Milwaukee, for an event in the Community Library, followed by an event in a nearby school (whose name eludes me). It was quite off the beaten track (like the school I went to yesterday), so the kids and parents were VERY enthusiastic!!! I thought a school would be coming in for the first event in the library, but it turned out to be a public event. Some of the kids there had a day off school, but others bunked-off!!!! My kind of fans!!!!!!! I liked kids and parents who don't stick to the rules all the time!! 

:-)

Arrived at the airport a couple of hours ahead of my flight. Had a bite to eat, then proceeded to security. I took off my shoes as I always do over here in the States (an absolutely needless procedure, by the way, but since most airports insist on it, I figure "What the hell -- just go with the flow!"). But the guy at this checkpoint also told me to remove my SWEATSHIRT!!!! That's the first time, in all the airports in the world that I've been to, that I've been asked to do that! When I asked why, he got a very serious look on his face and said that "a few years ago" a couple of women in baggy sweatshirts boarded a plane in Chechnya and blew it up! I just looked at him blankly and said "They blew up a plane with a sweatshirt?!?" He started to babble then, but I just sneered, handed him my sweatshirt and moved on. The world is full of power-crazy idiots in positions of very mild authority. I find it's easiest just to humour them. You can't argue with a moron, so why try? Besides, with people like that, their workmates will always back them up, so I didn't want to argue with him and have him turn it into a "This guy threatened to blow up our plane!!!" story. When you come face-to-face with a loser who has a bit of power, the best thing is to just walk on by and leave them to rule the roost in their ridiculous imaginary tower of power.

Got to Washington D.C. early and met Jennifer, my publicist, at the airport. I have a rare free night, so once I'm through typing up this, I'm going back to my room to have a nice long bath, then maybe watch a film, or perhaps just channel surf. I have a nice lie-in tomorrow too, so I should be fresh and raring-to-go for my Friday and Saturday events!!!!

I'm two-thirds of the way through my American tour, and I received wonderful news tonight, which makes all the hard work worthwhile, and gives me an extra buzz to finish my third week on a high:

my "Cirque Du Freak" series has re-entered the New York Times Top 10 Bestsellers Chart at Number 7!!!!!!!

First, an apology. I was quite worked up yesterday, after my morning snafu, and didn't pay as close attention to my wording as I should have I ended up giving the impression that the staff at Beito Juarez were to blame for the situation, and that was wrong and entirely unfair. They had organised the morning under the impression that I was happy to do 4 events, because nobody had told them otherwise. The problems arose because of communication lapses between the bookstore and my publicist. Andersons is a geat store, and Jennifer is a great publicist, but sometimes these things happen. It wasn't the fault of Benito Juarez, and I didn't mean to blame them -- my frustration just came out that way. So, a big SORRY to all involved at B.J. -- you took flak that wasn't intended for you, and which you didn't deserve.. That's the problem with a blog -- things can be said without the right measure of thought!! In future I'll try to let myself cool down before taking any wild shots!!!!! Now for today... My first event was a school event. I spoke to a group of about 400 kids. I like big groups like that. I haven't done many events on that scale on this tour, so I got a good buzz out of it!!! Had a few hours off after that. Checked e-mails, had lunch, then went for a short walk. Next I did a public event at Schaumberg library. I was very pleased to be able to come here. On my last American tour, I was scheduled to come to Schaumberg, but my flight was delayed and the event had to be cancelled. It all went smoothly this time though. Had a good crowd, including several Japanese fans with Japanese versions of my books. Everyone was highly impressed by them -- the quality and beauty of the Japanese books always surprises fans in other countries!!!!! My final event was at Skokie Library, where I had gone to on my previous visit here. It was nice to see some familiar faces, and I think the questions could have gone on all night if there had been time!!!!!!!

On a dodgy TV web keyboard, so will keep this short! Had lots of fun at Anderson's in Downer's Grove. A large crowd of mostly dedicated Shan fans. Read from "Lord Loss', answered questions, then finished with my song, "Must be Murlough", which I hadn't performed in ages! Everyone joined in, and many were literally swaying in the aisles!!!! Great fun! Signed lots of books afterwards, then drove on to my hotel for a good night's sleep. Happy halloween to freaks, vampires and demons everywhere!!!!!

Day got off to a dodgy start! Had to get up early (6.10) which was bad enough! Got to the school (Benito Juarez High) on time, only to find out that they wanted me to do four events back to back!! My publicist had heard about this last week, and had asked the people involved to re-schedule, since that was WAY too much to ask of me -- but obviously our request was ignored!!! I was furious, especially as I still have a cold. I hate it when people try to take advantage and over-work me. A those who've met me on this tour will, I hope, agree, I always try to give good value, and push myself hard. But for some, that isn't enough and they want even more. In the end I spoke at the first 2 events, then just signed at the second two. The staff at the school were lovely, and had gione to a lot of effort to make me feel welcome. It's just a pity they hadn't realised that they were looking for more than I could give them.. I think I'll have to start issuing guidelines for future events, to prevent situations like this from happening again. Anyway, half the kids got to hear me speak, and they all got their books signed if they had one, so overall it still went pretty well, I think. My head was pounding long before the end (my cold is making a comeback!), but it'll take more than a blocked nose and headache to stop Shan in his tracks!!! Paid a quick, fun visit to Ruiz school next. Answered questions, had lunch, and signed lots of books, all in the space of just over half an hour!! This was a last-minute, add-in event, which I'm glad I was able to squeeze in. I'm just sorrry we didn't have a bit more time, to do a full event, From there it was on to Pickard School. The kids were lively and a bit fidgety, but they gave me a nice welcome and weren't afraid to get involved!! Now I'm having a short rest, before heading out for my Halloween booksigning party in Downers Grove. More on that in my next report!!!!

First, forgot to mention yesterday that one family of fans drove for SIX HOURS from Oklahoma to come to my events!!! I appreciate the efforts that all of my fans go to when coming to an event -- I know it's not always easy getting to a store, or convincing your parents to bring you. But a 12 hours round trip is dedication on a truly top-notch level!!!!! Oh, and they gave me a really cool home-made T-shirt too!!!!!!! Flew out of Texas this morning, to Illinois (the outskirts of Chicago). I'm staying in Northshore. There's not very much around the hotel where I'm based, but since I won't be in my room that much, that's OK!!! I killed the free hours I had today by checking e-mails and watching"The Wedding Crashers" (fun -- much better than I anticipated). Also went for a walk. It was nice to get some fresh air. I haven't really been exercising since I got here. as there isn't much free time. I'll have to do some extra long walks when I get back home!!!! Was picked up by my new escort, Heidi, who also drove me around the last time I was here. We went to an event at Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard Center in Skoki.I thought it might be a small turnout, since Sunday events are often quiet, but there were over 120 people there!!!!! I was delighted that so many fans had turned up. And, lo and behold, one family (like in Austin) had driven 6 hours to be there, and are staying to come to my next event too!!! Others had driven for an hour, two hours or more!!!! I find such enthusiasm truly touching. I don't show it at the events (I don't want to blub in public!!) but I'm honestly blown away by having such dedicated fans!!!! You guys ... *SOB* .... you're the BEST!!!!! I also met some fans who'd come to my events the last time I was here. Sorrry for not recognising all of you, but I've seen literally thousands of faces over the last 18 months, and as those who know me will tell you, I've never been very good with faces and names!!!!!!! All in all, a top-notch event -- hopefully the first of a series of A1 Chicago stops!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 10 of the tour marks almost the mid-point -- it's a 21 day tour, so I suppose officially the middle comes halfway through tomorrow -- but this is close enough to it for me to celebrate!!!

Had another good day in Texas. The panel event that I did at the festival in the morning was fun. I read out some of the "Guyifesto" that I wrote for the book "Guys write for Guys read". It was the first time I'd read the piece out, and I have to say I really enjoyed it -- a lot different to what I normally do at an event!!! There were three other writers on stage with me, and a moderator. We all read a bit, then answered questions. It was slightly embarrassing, since most of the questions were directed at me, and were about my own books, not the "Guys" book!!! It was flattering, of course, to be the focus of attention, but I always feel a bit uneasy when that happens (OK -- it's only happened once or twice, but then I've only done a very few panel events!). I don't like to talk about my own work when I'm sharing a stage with other writers -- it's not fair on them, and I know I wouldn't like it if the positions were reversed. So I tried to open the questions up, to include the others, or else answered very briefly.

Signed for about 40 minutes after the event, then did a solo event in the Capitol building. It's a lovely old building (well, old by American standards!), but quite a maze inside. I'm surprised any of my fans were able to find their way to the room where I was!!!! Had a good crowd, and answered lots of questions. Then signed for another 40 or so minutes. My overall impression of the festival is favourable. Apart from the poor communication in terms of them telling me what they wanted me to do, it was very well set-up, with a huge team working to facilitate score-loads of writers. There were loads of people at it, and plenty of copies of books to buy. I certainly wouldn't say no if I was ever invited again while I was over here on a tour.

Had a couple of hours to relax. Packed my bag (I got some laundry done today -- hurrah!! I'll smell nice and clean for the next half of the tour!), then went to do another event at the Book People shop. A nice event, with a good crowd for a Saturday evening. I read my "Lord Loss" extract again. I've been focusing on that more than any of my other pieces, since it's such a powerful chunk of text, and since that's really the book I'm here to promote. I was a bit worried that some parents might think it was too bloody for younger kids, but I've had no negative feedback so far.

Went for a Mexican meal (probably my last of the tour, since I'm heading north after this) with Jennifer and Sabrina. They're great company -- we had lots of laughs together, and ended up telling each other dirty jokes and talking about dubious sexual practices!!!!! That's the side of Darren Shan the fans don't see on tour. I might look sweet and innocent at my events, but it's all a facade, Shansters -- away from the limelight, I'm a crude, rude, foul-mouthed dude!!!!!!!!!!

:-)

A quieter day, crowds-wise. Went to Stony Point 9th Grade Center in the morning. The event had been arranged by the Texas Book Festival, and they hadn't bothered to liaise throughly with us. I thought I would be doing just one event, but the people at the school had been told I'd be doing two events. I was furious -- not with the folks at the school (who were great, and well organised) but with the organisers at the festival who hadn't bothered to run their plans by me first. I'm looking forward to my events at the festival tomorrow, but I'm VERY unimpressed with the communication levels of the people running it -- in addition to this boo-boo, they've signed me up to do a panel event without asking me about it first! I'm perfectly happy to do the event, and quite looking forward to it -- it just would have been nice to have been asked first!!! Festivals are devilishly difficult to organise, I know, and this is a BIG festival, so I appreciate the effort that's gone into setting it all up, getting so many authors together, and trying to make all the times and venues fit. The organisers seem to have done a top-notch job on that score, so it's a pity they've shot themselves in the foot by not actually communicating better with their visiting authors -- or at least with ME!!! (And for all I know, I'm an exception and every other author has received in-depth briefings on their events!! But I doubt it!!!!!)

Anyway, the events at the school went well. The kids were on the old side, which meant they didn't get as involved as younger teens probably do, but they listened quietly and asked some good questions. I'm getting better at doing events for older teens. On my last tour of the States, I struggled at events like these, since all my talks were geared towards younger readers. Now I have some material prepared which plays well with 16 and 17 year olds too, so I feel more confident and I think they enjoy it more.

Went to the O Henry Middle School later. Had a larger crowd at this one. It was held in a large hall in the school, and I was on stage. The kids were well behaved (I sometimes have to quieten them down at larger events, since I can get kids who don't really have any interest in the books, just in skipping class), and I put on an enjoyable show.

Finished up at Barrington School. This was a very small group, of quite young kids (10/11 year olds). They were very enthusiatic, and even though I don't really like doing such close-encounter events most of the time (for me a tour like this is all about publicising the books, so I like to cram in as many kids as possible), it was kind of nice to have a relaxed, small-scale end to the day.

I don't have any events tonight -- my first night off in what feels like an age!!!! (Of course it isn't, but when you're on the road, your perception of time can warp!) My lovely media escort, Sabrina, is taking me to the cinema, to see the new George Clooney movie. My bullying publicisit, Jennifer, on the other hand, is hitting the town to paint it red with an old friend of hers. It's at times like this that you find out who your true friends are!!!!!    :-(

p.s. only joking about Jennifer -- she's a star!!! But don't ever tell her I said that!!!!!!!!

Whew -- it's the end of another exhausting day!!! Started off by sleeping through my wake-up call (again!) then having to rush to make it to my first event. Luckily I got there on time, and signed LOADS of books at Moorhead/Caney Creek School. Then it was back to the airport and a short flight to San Antonio, where I did another event, in Jackson Middle School. The kids were very lively, full of questions, and VERY excited to meet me!!! The librarians had decorated the library with life-size drawings of Darren, Mr Crepsley, Mr Tall and some other, and had even recreated the Tunnels of Blood inside the library!!!!! I love it when school and libraries go to such great effort to make me feel welcome. It's a pity that I don't always have a lot of time to stay and truly appreciate the work, but I always appreciate it!! Had a few hours off, which allowed me to eat with Jennifer and my new driver, Sabrina. Had Mexican food. I've been eating a lot of that recently, since it's just so good over here in Texas!!!! Then I went to a public event and signing at Barnes & Noble at 12635 IH 10 West, Had a HUGE turn-out, including a bus-load of over 50 kids for a school a two and a half hour drive away!!!!!!!! I did my rarely performed "Ballad of Darren Shan" piece (the first three acts -- basically the story of the first 3 books set to rhyme). I don't perform it too often since it's quite demanding on the kids who volunteer, since they pretty much have to recite a poem without ever having seen it before. But the kids tonight were brilliant and read expertly. I had lots of fun with it, and I think everybody else did too. Answered lots of questions, then went into signing mode. I've just finished up (9.45p.m.) and am typing this up on the PC in the back room of B&N (thanks, Ellen!!!). After this, it's a one hour drive to my next hotel, then an early start in the morning -- I have to be leaving by 7.30 or thereabouts -- OUCH!!!!!!

Flew to Houston this morning. Brought my blog up to date once I'd checked into my hotel, then hit the road and did three events. The first was at Kingwood Middle School, for a small group of hand-picked fans who call themselves Shananigans!!!! A self-contained room in the library had been decorated spookily, and the kids all chipped in to create a ghoulishly delicious feast, with treats such as "icky eyeballs" and "Sam's remains"!!! (A bit different than the treats Rosy and her friends in Irving are used to!) I had great fun -- just a pity I had to dash off before I had time to smaple some more of the delights on offer!!!!

Next up was a large event at Fort Settlement Middle School. It was open to the public and LOTS of fans came. I was on a big stage, where I did my "Cirque Du Freak" scene and answered questions. Then I was signing for about an hour and a half afterwards.

Finally I did another talk and signing at Border at Fountains on the Lake in Houston. We weren't expecting a big crowd, because the Houston Astros were playing a World Series game, but we actually got a decent turnout and I signed quite a lot of books in the end. I also signed plenty of stock copies, so if you live in the area and want a signed Darren Shan book, get to Borders ASAP!!!!!

Overall, I'm very impressed with the Shan-fan level in Houston -- excellent crowds and enthusiastic fans. I'd certainly return here in the future, if the opportunity arose!!!

Oh -- forgot to mention yesterday that I stopped at a Sonic restaurant for the first time!! I had tots, which I'd never had before, and liked them!!!!!!