I've had a very busy few days, editing more of what might or might not be my next book for older readers (see the blog before this for a bit more on that topic). It's a long book. The first draft was over 156,000 words, and though I'm trimming it down quite a bit, it will still be my longest book to date. To give you an idea, The Thin Executioner was just under 90,000 words and clocked in at just over 400 pages in the UK edition, so if this one gets published in a similar format, it will probably run to about 650 pages, give or take. It's a very dark book abdout very sinister people, no fantastical edges to it at all, a straight-up thriller. Not a nice world to inhabit mentally -- I'll be glad when I can escape its wretched, tortured realm!!

I received the following email from a fan called Alison in the Uk a while back:

Until I picked up one of your books almost a decade ago I had absolutely no interest in reading, but the Saga of Darren Shan had a profound effect on me and ever since I have had book in my hand at every spare moment; and for this I thank you :) But that isn't the main reason for my email, at the grand old age of 21 I have just finished reading 'The thin executioner' and I enjoyed it so much that I felt the need to email you and applaud you on your latest accomplishment. I will admit that at first I wondered where the gore and gratuitious violence that I have come to know and love had disappeared to! But as I came to understand the characters and their personal agendas I was enthralled. And I'm not too proud to confess that by the time the book had reach it's conclusion I was so swept up in it that when xxxxxxxxx died I was in tears! Much to my boyfriend's surprise, whose disgusted response was "you're crying at a book!? God Ally It's not like it's a movie!" Not that I cared, I was too wrapped up in your fantastic story! So! as one of your longest standing fans I just wanted to say that I think you were incredibly brave for taking a risk and doing something different. I for one would love to read more books like this from you in the future.

Awwww... isn't that sweet?!? And there's nothing wrong with crying at a book!! I think books play a very important role in helping us prepare for tragedy in real life. If we can get close to fictional characters, we can grieve for them when they die, and I think that helps up cope with grief when it strikes for real and a friend or family member dies. It's why there's so much death and bloodshed in my books. I don't think I'm morbid -- I just want to help readers prepare for the worst in life, as I think it's something good that books can do, but too many don't do it.

As for whether or not I'll write more fantasy books like Thin... Well, I don't have any planned in teh near future, but never say never!! As I've stated widely since its publication, The Thin Executioner is my personal favourite out of all the books I've written, so I certainly wouldn't be averse to writing another full-on fantasy book at some point. But I won't be chasing such a book. In truth, I never really chase after ideas. I wait for them to find me, then go with whatever intrigues me most. Horror, fantasy, thriller... they're all the same in my eyes. I just yearn to tell good stories, no matter what the genre.