2004 TOUR SCHEDULE

THAILAND
MARCH
Thursday 25 - a.m. - Book launch event for Tunnels Of Blood in the offices of my publishers, NanmeeBooks, in Bangkok. This was a fabulously fun event -- the publishers transformed the ground floor of their building into a "Darren Shan zone", and invited a select group of Shan fans.
Friday 26 - p.m. - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair.
Saturday 27 - 10.30 - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair. The line was massive for this! I signed for eight hours with only a half hour break, and then another hour at a more relaxed pace.
Sunday 28 - 10.15 - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair. Another hugely busy day -- I signed for almost eight hours, although there were some breaks in the line over the course of the day.
Monday 29 - a.m. - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair.
Tuesday 30 - a.m. - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair.
Wednesday 30 - a.m. - Public signing at the Bangkok Book Fair. Later, I attended the official opening of my publisher's new building.

TAIWAN
APRIL
Thursday 1 - 14.00 - Public event in Taipei.
Friday 2 - 19.00 - Public event in Eslite Bookstore, Taipei.
Saturday 3 - 14.00 - Public signing at Kingstone Bookstore in Taipei.
Saturday 3 - 19.00 - Public event at Page One Bookstore.
Sunday 4 - 13.30 - Public signing at Kingstone Bookstore in Taizhuong.
Sunday 4 - 17.30 - Kingstone Bookstore in Kaoxiong.

U.S.A.
Monday 26 - 11.00 - Several school events at La Jolla Country Day School, La Jolla, CA.
18.00 - Public event at Tierrasanta Library, 4985 La Cuenta Dr, San Diego, CA.
Tuesday 27 - 10.00 - School event at Yellow Book Road, 8315 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, CA
14.00 - School event at Marshall Middle School, 11778 Cypress Canyon Road, San Diego, CA.
17.30 - Public event at Mysterious Galaxy Books, San Diego, CA.
Wednesday 28 - 10.30 - School event at Vista Grande Elementary School, Tierrasanta, CA.
15.30 - Public event at San Diego Library, Santee Branch, #17 Santee, CA.
p.m. - School event at Wagenheim School, San Diego. approx 100 people
17.00 - Public event at Barnes & Noble, 10775 Westview Parkway, San Diego, CA.
Thursday 29 - 10.00 - School event at Mrs. Nelson’s, 1030 Bonita Avenue, La Verne, CA.
13.30 - School event at St John’s Episcopal School, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
16.00 - Public event at Whale of a Tale, 4199 Campus Drive Suite A Irvine, CA.
Friday 30 - 09.00 - School event at DePortola Middle School, Tierrasanta, CA.
16.00 - School event at Milligan News & Sunnyvale Middle School, Sunnyvale, CA.

MAY
Saturday 1 - 14.00 - Public event at Oakland Public Library, 125 14th St, Oakland, CA.
Saturday 1 - 19.00 - Public event at Cody’s Books, 1730 4th St, Berkeley, CA.
Sunday 2 - 14.00 - Public event at Borders, 588 Francisco Blvd West, San Rafael, CA. 2 people -- the only small turnout of the entire tour -- a big change to my first trip to the States!!!
Monday 3 - 09.00 - School event at Silverado Middle School, 1133 Coombsville Road, Napa, CA.
12.30 - School event at M is For Mystery, 86 East Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA.
17.30 - Public event at Dark Carnival, 3086 Claremont Avenue, Berkeley, CA.
Tuesday 4 - 10.00 - School event at Linden Tree, 170 State Street, Los Altos, CA.
13.30 - School event at American Canyon Middle School, 300 Benton Way, American Canyon, CA.
15.30 - Public event at Rakestraw Books, 409 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA.
Wednesday 5 - Public event at IRA Convention, Reno, NV
Friday 7 - 11.00 - School event at Tucson Public Library.
Saturday 8 - 14.00 - Public event at Changing Hands, 6428 S McClintock Dr, Tempe, AZ.
16.00 - Public event at Southeast Regional Library, 775 North Greenfield Road, Gilbert, AZ.
Monday 10 - 10.00 - School event at South High School, 3131 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN.
12.30 - School event at The Bookcase, 607 E. Lake St, Wayzata, MN.
Tuesday 11 - 10.30 - School event at Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St., Skokie, IL.
15.30 - Public event at Barbara’s Books, 1100 Lake St, Oak Park, IL.
19.00 - Public event at Des Plaines Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood St., Des Plaines, IL.
Wednesday 12 - 10.00 - School event at Chicago International Charter School - West Belden, Chicago, IL.
17.00 - Public event at Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park, IL.
19.00 - Public event at Anderson’s Bookshop, 5112 Main St, Downer’s Grove, IL. largest crowd of the tour -- was signing for 3 hours
Thursday 13 - 10.00 - School event at Joliet Central High School, 201 East Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL.
19.00 - Public event at Barnes & Noble, NYC, upper east side, 240 East 86th Street, New York, NY.
Friday 14 - 11.30 - School event at Tuxedo Park School, Mountain Farm Road, Tuxedo Park, NY.
14.00 - School event at Hamilton Avenue Magnet School, 184 Hamilton Avenue, Greenwich, CT.
15.30 - Public event at Just Books, 28 Arcadia Road, Old Greenwich, CT.
19.30 - Public event at Elizabeth Public Library, 11 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ.
Saturday 15 - 14.00 - Public event at Book House of Stuyvesant, 1475 Western Avenue, Albany, NY.
19.00 - Public event at North Shire Book Store, 4869 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT.
Sunday 16 - 14.00 - Public event at Bank Street Bookstore, Broadway & 112th Street, New York, NY.
16.00 - Public event at Donnell Library Teen Center, 20 West 53rd Street, New York, NY.

U.K. / IRELAND
JUNE
Tuesday 1 - 11.30 - Public event at Hay-On-Wye Book Festival.

AUGUST
Saturday 21 - 11.30 - Public event at the Edinburgh Book festival.
Sunday 22 - 10.00 - Public event at the Edinburgh Book festival. This was my fifth year in a row coming to the Festival, and the first year when I played to an audience in the Main Tent, which holds 500 people. Success!!!!!

OCTOBER
Saturday 2 - 14.30 - Public event at West Lodge School, West End Avenue, Pinner. approx 200 people. This was the start of my mammoth Destiny Tour -- the first time I did a tour in the UK and Ireland which included a lot of public signings and events. It was to promote the release of Sons of Destiny, the final book of my vampire series.
p.m. - Public signing at The Children's Bookstore, Pinner.
Sunday 3 - 17.30 - Public event at the Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London.
Monday 4 - 10.30 - School events arranged by Ottakar's Bookshop,High St, Putney, London.
18.30 - Public event at Ottakar's Bookshop, High St, Putney, London.
Tuesday 5 - 09.45 - School events arranged by Ottakars, 71 High St, Guildford.
16.30 - Public signing at Lion & Unicorn Bookshop, 19 King Street, Richmond, Surrey.
Wednesday 6 - 10.30 - School event at Black Swan Theatre, Newcastle Arts Centre, Westgate Road, Newcastle.
16.30 - Public signing at Waterstones, 104 Grey Street, Newcastle. 3 hours signing session
Thursday 7 - 10.30 - School event arranged by Borders Books & Music, Stockport Cheshire.
16.30 - Public signing at Waterstones, Deansgate, Manchester.
Friday 8 - 13.30 - School event at The Belgrade Theatre, arranged by Ottakars, Coventry.
Saturday 9 - 13.00 - Public event at Cheltenham Book Festival.
Monday 11 - 10.45 - School event arranged by Ottakar’s, 12 Boscawen Street, Truro, Cornwall.
12.30 - Public (lunch time) signing at Ottakar’s, 12 Boscawen Street, Truro, Cornwall.
19.00 - Public event at Devonport High School for Boys, arranged by In Other Words, Plymouth.
Wednesday 13 - 10.00 - School event at Lode Heath School, Lode Lane, Solihull.
16.30 - Public signing at WHSmiths, 29 Union Street, Birmingham.
Thursday 14 - 10.00 - School event arranged by Ottakars, 72 Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes.
12.30 - Public (lunch time) signing at Ottakars, 72 Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes. signing for three hours -- there were a lot of "sick" kids in Milton Keynes that day!!!
18.30 - Public event in Heffers, Grafton Arcade, Cambridge.
Friday 15 - 10.00 - school event in the Simpson Room, in Waterstones Picadilly, London.
16.00 - Public signing at The Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill, London.
Sunday 17 - 17.00 - Public event in the "Main Guard" courthouse in Clonmel, Tipperary.
Monday 18 - 10.00 - School event in Westport Library, Mayo.
12.00 - School event in Castlebar Library, Mayo.
15.30 - Public event in Ballina Library, Mayo.
Tuesday 19 - 10.00 - School event at Navan library, Meath.
11.30 - School event at Trim library, Meath.
13.30 - School event at Dunboyne library, Meath.
16.00 - Public event at Ashbourne library, Meath.
Wednesday 20 - a.m. - School events at Sutton Park School, and North Bay School.
15.00 - Public signing at Eason's, O'Connell Street, Dublin. Eason's were worried about having this event -- it was my first public signing in Dublin, and they weren't sure they'd get a good crowd. In the end, it was a massive turnout!!
Thursday 21 - 10.00 - School event at Pembroke Library.
12.00 - School event at Finglas Library, Dublin.
14.00 - School event at Cabra Library, Dublin.
16.00 - Public event at Central Library, in the Ilac Centre Library, Dublin.
Friday 22 - 10.30 - School event at Ballyroan Library, Rathfarnam, Dublin.
12.00 - School event at Castletymon Library, Dublin.
14.30 - School event at Tallaght County Library, Dublin.
Tuesday 26 - 11.00 - Public event at St Mary's Road Library, Cork.
14.00 - Public event at Children's Library, Grand Parade, Cork.
16.00 - Public signing at Waterstones, Cork.
Wednesday 27 - 10.00 - Public event in Newcastlewest library, Limerick.
12.30 - Public event in Adare library, Limerick.
14.30 - Public event in Dooradoyle library, Limerick.
Thursday 28 - 16.00 - Public event at Borders Books and Music, 98 Buchanan Street, Glasgow,
Friday 29 - 10.30 - School event in The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh.
16.00 - Public event at Waterstones, 128 Princes St, West End, Edinburgh.
Saturday 30 - 14.00 - Public event at The Whitby Book Shop, 88 Church St, Whitby, North Yorks.

* * * * * * * * * *

After my quiet year of touring in 2003, I hit the road with a vengeance in 2004!!! This was also the year when I noticed a marked difference in my stature when out on tour. My trip to the Far East went very well, far better than expected -- I never thought I'd be that busy in Bangkok!!! And then my American tour was a resounding success! I was very worried going into it, in case it would be like my first trip, but by this time word had spread, my fan base had grown, we had plenty of time to prepare for it, and it went brilliantly!!! I think the internet maybe played a part as well -- although I had my web site up and running since 2000, it hadn't attracted a huge number of users in its early years, but now I was getting a serious number of hits every day, and lots of people were joining the site, registering their details, making them easier to contact. The hardest part of doing a tour with lots of public events is actually informing the public that you're going to be there!! The web site has helped tremendously in spreading the word, and although the success of a public signing still rests largely with the venue hosting the event, I usually get at least a handful of people -- sometimes more -- who found out about it through Shanville. And those handfuls can make a big difference when you're out on tour!!!

The biggest, most noticeable difference in my touring pattern, however, came with the Destiny Tour. This was my first big tour of the UK and Ireland for two years, and I was astonished by how things had grown. School events were mostly bigger than they ever had been, and lots of kids at them were familiar with my books. This was the first time we'd included lots of public events and signings -- we were really worried that people wouldn't turn up, but we got huge crowds almost every time! The Destiny tour provided us with the template for all my successive tours of the UK and Ireland. The only thing to change over the next few years was that we started relying less on libraries and more on book shops to organise school events. This was purely practical -- my tours cost my publishers a lot of money, since they have to pay for travel, hotels, food, etc. To justify the running costs of a large tour like this, my publicists needed to be able to show immediate results, and that meant book sales and chart positioning. That meant involving books stores (and particularly the big chains) more closely than previously, in order to boost sales and help the books up the chart.