GREETINGS!

***UPDATE, OCTOBER 10th*** Please note, I'll be away from home until November 10th, so I won't be posting the November issue of the Shanville Monthly until then. For udates before that, check out my message board or Blog.

It's October again, which means one of my favourite days of the year -- Halloween!!!! I stayed at home last year, for the first time in five years, to go trick or treating with my cousins and other neighbourhood kids! But this year I'm back on the road and will be celebrating the grisly night in Downer's Grove, Illinois!!! But if you can't make it to that event, don't worry -- with the books of Darren Shan, every night can be Halloween!!!! I've been busy writing for the last few weeks (you can read all about it in my Blog -- links provided below), and also keeping track of all the various Shananigans and goings-on in the world of Darren Shan. Lots to report this month -- chart success in the States, a spate of new books and new editions of old books, an interview, "Lord Loss" reviews, details of my upcoming UK tour, and breaking news of my intended short Ireland tour in December!!!! Read on quick to find out more ...

BOOK 10 CHARTS IN AMERICA

Book 10 of the "Cirque Du Freak" series, "The Lake of Souls" was released last month in America, and on the back of strong sales, the series re-entered the New York Times Top 10 bestseller chart!!! The series spent two weeks on the chart, climbing to the Number 7 position. I think that means 3 of my last 4 books have made the NYT Top 10!!!

If you live in the States and haven't bought "The Lake of Souls" yet, you should be able to find it in most book stores. Or you can order over the internet, from Amazon or Barnes & Noble by clicking on one of the links below.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316156272/ref=pd_sim_b_3/102-2116902-1183369?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?userid=l73LUBKBqx&pwb=1&ean=9780316156271

LORD LOSS GOES ON SALE IN AMERICA

"Lord Loss", the first book of my new series called "The Demonata" goes on sale in the States this month. In fact, it began appearing in shops in September!! It should be hitting a book shop near YOU any time soon, if it isn't there already!!! If you prefer, you can order it online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble via the links below.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316114995/ref=pd_sim_6/102-4403401-4596156?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?userid=yJ3JizsBut&pwb=1&ean=9780316114998

AMERICAN BOX SET & MORE!

It's going to be a busy month for my American publishers!! As well as releasing "Lord Loss", they're also bringing out a boxed set of books 1, 2, 3 and 4 of "Cirque Du Freak"!!! The boxed set features the paperback editions of my first 4 books (whose covers are, in some cases, superior to the hardback editions, in my view!), bound in a cool cardboard case. The cover price is $23.99, which is a sheer bargain for 4 books!!! The perfect, most economical way to start your Darren Shan collection if you don't already own the books -- or the perfect present for a would-be Shanster!!!!!

On top of all that, you can now also buy the Mass Market Paperback (i.e. small paperback) edition of Book 7, "Hunters of the Dusk", as well as the trade Paperback (i.e. large paperback) edition of Book 8, "Allies of the Night". If you can't find any of the above books in your local shop, or prefer buying on the web, check out my online Shop which has links for every edition of every book to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can find it by clicking here: http://www.darrenshan.com/vampires/shop/usshop.html


"NEW" BOOKS FOR THE UK & IRELAND TOO!!

My American publishers aren't the only ones facing a busy October!!! In the UK & Ireland, Shansters can look forward to all these "almost new" books and audio CDs!!!! They should be available in most bookshops through the land (except for the CDs, which are more of a specialist item) but you can also order them through the internet by checking out the Shanville shop here, which links to Amazon UK: http://www.darrenshan.com/vampires/shop/index.html

"Vampire Destiny" - the final trilogy collection, collecting books 10, 11 and 12 for the first time ever!! The striking cover is one of my all-time favourites out of all my UK covers!!!

"Cirque Du Freak" Hardback Edition - the first ever UK hardback edition of "Cirque Du Freak"!! The cover might not look like anything special from a scan, but the real thing is much more impressive, with a lot of details which don't show on a computer screen! It's beautifully laid out inside, with cool little drawings at the start of each chapter. There's also an exclusive interview with me at the back! And the page ends are tinted red, so from the front side it looks like it's been doused with blood!!! A beautifully packaged book. Even if you own a paperback copy of the book already, you're going to want this little baby!!!!

"Cirque Du Freak" audio book CD - the complete text (the audio tapes released years ago were abridged, i.e. trimmed down for a shorter running time), read by the freakishly fabulous Rupert Degas. This should be on sale in late October or November in some book shops, but you might have to ask your bookseller to order it for you. Or else get it through my shop.

"The Vampire's Assistant" audio book CD - again, check with your local book shops, or else order it in November from my online Shop.

"Tunnels of Blood" audio book CD - info as above.

Please note, although Amazon list the audio books as also being available on audio cassette, this is a mistake -- they are ONLY being released on CD!!!!

Fans in the UK/Ireland can also order the American boxed set of books 1, 2, 3 and 4 from Amazon UK. If you don't mind the little changes which have been made to make them "more American", for under £12, it's a sheer bargain!!! You can find it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316153788/shanville

LORD LOSS AUDIO EXCERPT

In the UK, my publishers, HarperCollins, have released an audio book CD of "Lord Loss", brilliantly read by Rupert Degas. I think it's a superb reading -- he reads at just the right pace, and handles the voices absolutely perfectly -- his Lord Loss is ace, exactly the way I imagined it should be, not overdone; Dervish's accent isn't quite what I thought it would be, but it works very well; but my favourite is Bill-E -- he makes him sound like a wannabe rap star -- hilarious!!!!! (The only flaw is that he mispronounces the name, "Grubitsch"!!! It should be "Grew-bitch" not "Grub-itch" -- but that's an easy mistake to make!!!) The packaging is great too, and there are some spooky musical effects to round it all off. I'd definitely recommend the CD if you're into audio books. If you can't find it in your local shop, ask them to order it for you, or else you can buy it through my SHOP at http://www.darrenshan.com/vampires/shop/index.html.

If you want to check it out beforehand, you can find a short excerpt from the beginning of the CD by clicking on this link:

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Resources/audio/Lord_Loss.mp3

It might take a few minutes for the piece to download, especially if you don't have broadband, but it's worth being patient!!

BLOG

http://darrenshan.blogdrive.com/

I've been going great guns on the Blog front!! I added entries on 23 of the 30 days in September, covering all sorts of topics, such as starting the first draft of book 8 of "The Demonata" ...
I commenced my preparatory work on Book 8 of "The Demonata" today. I started, as I always do when plotting a book, by jotting down a rough outline of the book on a couple of sheets of A4 paper. I always write directly to a PC, except when I'm planning a book -- at this early stage, I prefer to write by hand. I'm not sure why -- it's just a habit. click here for full entry

the fifth Harry Potter book ...
J K Rowling often gets accused by her critics of not paying attention to the editing process, but from my reading of the books, I think this is rot -- the books are long, but not flabby. Everything in them serves a purpose, and though she is a leisurely story-teller by nature, she doesn't pad things out just to make the books thick. The fifth wasn't as much fun as the earlier books, because of the darker elements, but I liked that, the same way I liked the darkness in the third "Star Wars" movie. click here for full entry

my secret identity ...
I was in Ottakar's on George St, signing some stock, and the lady there told me that a friend of hers had been told in strictest confidence by her hairdresser a year or two ago that Darren Shan was, in fact, J K Rowling writing under a different name!!!!! click here for full entry

a "wild" night out with my message board moderator, Pablo ...
Popped in to a night club, but neither of us has ever had much time for discos (except for indie discos when we were younger, where we happily thrashes around to music we actually liked!), so we left after a short sojourn. click here for full entry

writing ...
Wrote 10 pages, which is my target every working day of the week (usually Monday to Friday, though I occasionally work at weekends too). It's always nice to hit the 10 mark at the end of the day -- that's when I know I've put in a good day's work and can down tools! click here for full entry

silent movies ...
Saw a 1914 silent Italian film called "Cabiria" a few days ago. The best scene was where 100 children were sacrificed in a statue of fire to the god Moloch -- coolio!!!! click here for full entry

live music ...
Went to see a band called The Editors. They're a newish band, doing very well at the moment -- they've even had a Top 20 hit in the UK!!! It's rare that big (or even on-the-way-to-being-big) bands come to Limerick, so it was great to see The Editors bucking the trend! click here for full entry

naughty nuns ...
Bas's aunt is a Carmelite nun, and lives in an enclosed order. She's in her 70s, and despite living within a convent for the last 50 years, is as wild as they come! She dated Richard Burton's brother in her earlier years ... she loves to smoke and drink ... and is the biggest Terry Pratchett fan I've ever met!!!! click here for full entry

BBQing ...
I had two barbeques going at once, and I was the only chef, so I was darting from one to the other, turning pieces of meat like mad, trying to stop everything from burning. click here for full entry

a rare hangover ...
this morning I was a mess! My head was pounding, I was sick, my legs were trembling. I had to rest on the couch in my TV room for a few hours, and though I improved over the course of the day, I still don't feel 100 per cent. click here for full entry

"Les Miserables" ...

It's the 4th time I've seen it, and it never ceases to amaze me. It's easily the best play in London, as far as I'm concerned -- great story, brilliant songs, perfectly paced, and wonderfully staged. click here for full entry

a foiled attempt to give blood ...
It was the first time I'd ever gone to give blood, so I was interested to experience it. Unfortunately, when we got there, I found out that in Ireland, if you lived for more than a cumulative year in England between 1980 and 1996, they won't let you give blood, because of fears you might pass on CJD!!!! click here for full entry

... and a whole lot more!!! It's not always the most fascinating of reading material -- diaries rarely are -- but if you want to know as much about me as my closest family, friends and colleagues, click on http://darrenshan.blogdrive.com/ and either bookmark it, or register on the site to be sent an e-mail every time I update it. It's your gateway to the world and mind of the REAL Darren Shan!!!!

NEW INTERVIEW

There's a pretty good interview with me in the current edition of Crowgrrrl's Perch, which you can access by clicking here: http://www.crowgrrl.com/reviews/091805perch.htm

REVIEWS OF "LORD LOSS"

I've finally managed to find some time to add all of the reviews of "Lord Loss" (so far!) which I've been able to track down, either in print or on the web. I hope to go through my old "Saga" reviews too, clean them up and add lots more, in the future -- but for now, let's be content with managing to get the first crop of "Lord Loss" reviews into shape and up online!!! You can check them out here: http://www.darrenshan.com/demons/reviews/lordloss/index.html

THE 2005 GLOBAL TOUR!

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER -- AMERICA
Public events are open to anyone who wants to come. School events are for classes from selected, pre-arranged schools. Where the name of a library or book shop is listed for a school event, it MIGHT be possible for you to arrange a visit. If you are a teacher, you MIGHT be able to arrange for one of YOUR classes to come to the event. Or if you're an individual, you MIGHT be allowed to come yourself or with some friends. You will need to make direct contact with the store or library in question -- I have no control over who can or can't come to school events!!

OCTOBER
Thursday, 20th -- Seattle, WA.

10.00am-11.15am -- School event at Salmon Bay School, 1810 NW 65th St, Seattle, arranged by SECRET GARDEN.
12.15pm-1.10pm -- School event at Whitman Middle School, 9201 15th Ave, NW Seattle, arranged by SECRET GARDEN.
7.00pm-8.30pm -- Public event and signing at SECRET GARDEN, 2214 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107.
Friday, 21st -- Seattle, WA.
9.00-11.00am -- School event at YOUTH SERVICE CENTER, E. Alder St, SEATTLE.
1.00-2:30pm -- School event at Auburn High School, WA.
4.30-5:30pm -- Public signing at All For Kids, 2900 N.E. Blakely St, Seattle, WA 98105. -- phone: 206 526 2768
6:30-8.00pm -- Public event and signing at Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA. -- phone: 206 366 3333
Saturday, 22nd -- Seattle, WA.
2.00-3.30pm -- Public event and signing at B&N #2573, 2700 NE University Village, Seattle, Wa, 98105. -- phone 206 517 4107
Sunday, 23rd -- Las Vegas, NV. 11.00am - 12.00pm - Public event and signing at HENDERSON DISTRICT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, 280 S. Green Valley Pkwy., Henderson, NV 89012 -- phone: 702 492 6593.
1.30-3.00pm -- Public event and signing at Sahara West Library, 9600 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89117 -- phone: 702 507-3644.
4.00-5.30pm -- Public event and signing at GREEN VALLEY LIBRARY, 2797 NORTH GREEN VALLEY, PARKWAY, LAS VEGAS, NV 89014 -- phone: 702 507 3791
7.00-8.30pm -- Public event and signing at BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC #183, 2190 North Rainbow Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89108 -- phone: 702 638 7866
Monday, 24th -- Las Vegas, NV.
***Cancellation!!!*** The event at the SUMMERLIN LIBRARY has been CANCELLED!
Tuesday, 25th -- Dallas, TX. 9.00am-11.00am -- School event at LAMAR MIDDLE SCHOOL, Crandall Rd., Irving.
11.30am-1.30pm - School event at THE ACADEMY OF IRVING ISD, N Macarthur Blvd.
3.30-5.30pm - School/Public (check with store) event at FORT WORTH PUBLIC LIBRARY, Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76137 -- phone: 817 232 0478.
7.30-9.00pm -- Public event and signing at Barnes & Noble #2060, 2601 Preston Road ~1204, Frisco, TX 75034 -- phone: 972 668 2820
Wednesday, 26th -- Houston, TX. 2.00-3.30pm -- School event at Kingwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX.
5.00–6:30 pm -- School event at Fort Settlement Middle School, Elkins Road, Sugar Land, TX.
7.30-9.00pm -- Public event and signing at BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC #140, Fountains on the Lake, 12788 Fountain Lake Circle, Houston, TX 77477 -- phone: 281240 6666
Thursday, 27th -- Houston, TX. 8:30–10.00am -- School event at Moorhead/Caney Creek School, Conroe, TX.
2.00-3.30pm -- School event at Jackson Middle School, San Antonio, TX.
7.00-8.30pm -- Public event and signing at B&N #2684, 12635 IH 10 West, San Antonio, TX 78230 -- phone: 210 561 0205
Friday, 28th -- Austin, TX. 8.30am-1.30pm -- Event (with Stony Point 9th grade center) and signing at Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas. http://www.texasbookfestival.org/
2.00-3.00pm -- School event at O Henry Middle School, West 19th Street, Austin, TX.
4.30-6.00pm -- School event at Barrington School, Cooper Drive, Austin, TX.
Saturday, 29th -- Austin, TX. 11.00am-12.00pm -- Public event and signing on the Guys Read panel at Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas. http://www.texasbookfestival.org/
1.00pm-1.45pm -- Public event and signing (by myself) at Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas. http://www.texasbookfestival.org/
5.00pm-6.30pm -- Public event and signing at Book People, 603 N Lamar, Austin, Tx 78703.
Sunday, 30th -- Chicago, IL.

6.00–7.30pm -- Public event and signing at B&N #2622, 55 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, IL 60077 -- phone: 847 676 2230
Monday, 31st -- Chicago, IL.

7.45am-12.30pm -- School event at BENITO JUAREZ HIGH SCHOOL, S. Laflin St., Chicago, IL.
1.30-2.15pm -- School event at Pickard School, West 21st Pl, Chicago, IL.
7.00-9.00pm -- Public Halloween Party (hurrah!!!) and signing at ANDERSON'S BOOKSHOP, 5112 Main St, DOWNER'S GROVE, IL 60515 -- phone: 630 832 6566

NOVEMBER
Tuesday, 1st -- Chicago, IL. 9.00am-12.00pm -- School event arranged by Anderson's Bookstores, 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL 60540. -- phone: 630 355 2665
3.30-5.00pm -- Public/School (check with store) event and signing at SCHAUMBURG TOWNSHIP DISTRICT LIBRARY, 130 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193. -- phone: 847 985 4000
7.00–8:30pm -- Public event and signing at Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton, Skokie, IL 60077.
Wednesday, 2nd -- Chicago, IL. 9.00-10.30am -- School event at CICS-West Belden Campus, N McVicker Ave, Chicago.
2.00-3.00pm -- School event at Dakota Jr-Sr High School, Campus Drive, Dakota, IL.
Wednesday, 2nd -- Milwaukee, WI.

7.00–8:30 pm -- Public event and signing at Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, 4093 N Oakland Ave, Shorewood, WI 53211. -- phone: 414 963 3111.
Thursday, 3rd -- Milwaukee, WI.

9.00-11.00am -- School event at COMMUNITY LIBRARY, 24625 89th Street, Salem, WI 53168.
Friday, 4th -- Washington D.C. 10.30am-12.00pm -- School event at D.C. Public Library, 901 G ST NW, Washington, DC 20001.
4.00-6.00pm -- School event at East Middle School, Carroll County Arts Council, West Main Street, Westminster, MD.
7.30-9.00pm -- Public event and signing at BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC #29, 8027 Leesburg Pike, suite 100, Vienna, VA 22182. -- phone: 703 556 7766
Saturday, 5th -- Washington D.C.

11.00am-12.30pm -- Public event and signing at Howard County Library/Miller Branch, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD 21042. -- phone: 410 599 7248.
Sunday, 6th A day off!!!!
Monday,7th - Boston/New England 9.00-11.00am -- School event at Kickemut Middle School, Child St., Warren, RI.
3.00-6.00pm -- School event at FRIEND'S ACADEMY, 1088 Tucker Rd, North Dartmouth, MA .
8.00-9.00pm -- Public event and signing at BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC #445, 101 Independence Mall Way, C113, Kingston, MA 02364. -- phone: 781 582 8100
Tuesday,8th - Boston/New England

3.00-5.00pm -- Public signing at BUTTONWOOD BOOKS, Rt 3A, Shaw's Plaza, Cohasset, MA 02025. phone: 781 383 2665
7.00-8.30pm -- Public event and signing at B&N #2966, 98 Middlesex Pkwy, Burlington, MA 01803. -- phone: 781 273 3871
Wednesday,9th - New England. 8.00-10.15am -- School event in Portsmouth High School, Alumni Circle,Portsmouth NH
10.45am-12.30pm -- School event in Hampton Academt, Academy Ave, Hampton NH.
2.00-3.00pm -- School event at MANCHESTER CITY LIBRARY, 405 Pine St., MANCHESTER, NH 03104.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER -- UK

Here are the details as they currently stand for my tour of the UK in November/December to promote Demon Thief.

NOVEMBER

Friday 25th -- morning -- signing stock in Central London book shops, probably including Hatchards, Waterstone’s Piccadilly, Foyles, Borders, Books etc Charing Cross Rd, Waterstone’s Oxford St, Selfridges, Goldsboro Books, Daunt Bookshop.

Friday 25th -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Muswell Hill Bookshop, London.

Saturday 26th -- 11.00–12.00 -- Public signing at WHSmith in Croydon, London.

Saturday 26th -- 4:00pm officially (but I'll be there earlier, and will probably start signing about 3.30pm) -- Public signing at Ottakar’s, Bromley, Kent.

Monday 28th -- 4:00pm -- Public signing at Borders, Birmingham.

Monday 28th -- 7.00pm -- Public event & signing in Birmingham (details TBC).

Tuesday 29th -- 4:00pm -- Public signing at Borders, Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Wednesday 30th -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Dulwich Books, Croxted Rd, London.

DECEMBER

Friday 2nd -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Ottakar's, 72 Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 3GA.

Monday 5th -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Waterstone’s, Princes Street, West End, Edinburgh.

Tuesday 6th -- 10:30am -- School event at St Aloysius College, Hill St, Glasgow.

Tuesday 6th -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Ottakar’s, Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow.

DECEMBER -- IRELAND

***UPDATED 0CTOBER 10th*** I'm doing a few events and signings in Ireland after my UK tour. Here's where I'll be going, and when. Please note, Thursday 8th is a holy holiday in Ireland, so most schools will be closed that day, which is why I'm doing an earlier-than-usual signing!

Wednesday 7th -- Dublin -- 11.00am -- Public signing at Easons Dundrum.

Wednesday 7th -- Dublin -- 4.00pm -- Public signing at Easons O'Connell Street.

Thursday 8th -- Galway -- 11.00am -- Public event at City Library.

Thursday 8th -- Galway -- 1.00pm -- Public signing at Easons.

Friday 9th -- Cork -- 10:30am -- Library event at Torytop Library.

Friday 9th -- Cork -- 12:45pm -- Library event at Douglas Library.

Friday 9th -- Cork -- 3:00pm -- Public library event at Mayfield Library, Cork. Booking is required for this event -- please ring 021 4924935 if you are interested in attending.

Friday 9th -- Cork -- 5:00pm -- Public signing at Waterstones, Cork.

Saturday 10th -- Limerick -- 1.00pm -- Public signing at Easons O'Connell Street.

NEW COVERS

I added LOTS of new covers to my site in September, from all around the globe. On the Vampires side of the site, I added covers from the following countries: Italy, Norway, UK, USA. You can access them all by clicking here: http://www.darrenshan.com/vampires/covers/index.html

On the Demons site, I added the "Lord Loss" cover from the Netherlands: http://www.darrenshan.com/demons/covers/covers/netherlands/netherlandslordloss.html

Finally, I've also added the final cover for the UK World Book Day edition of "Koyasan" to my site at: http://www.darrenshan.com/extras/covers.html Thanks for alerting me to its existence, Charlie!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE

To round things off, this isn't quite a Darren Shan item, but this is my monthly news letter, so I'll include whatever I feel like!!!

The wonderful children's charity, War Child have released a brand new, unique CD album, called "Help: A Day in the Life". You can either buy it in your local CD store if you live in the UK, or download it (or specific tracks from it) from anywhere in the world by clicking here:

http://www.7digital.com/stores/default.aspx?shop=15

The album was recorded in a single day, in various recording studios, and features brand new songs by the likes of Radiohead, Keane, Coldplay, The Magic Numbers, Damien Rice, The Manic Street Preachers, Bloc Party, the Zutons, Gorillaz and a whole lot more!!!! It's a brilliant album, and supports a fabulous cause, helping children in war zones throughout the world. Buy it IMMEDIATELY!!!!! And tell all your friends to buy it too!!!!!!!!!

IT'S A WRAP

And that's it for October!!! I'll be heading off for the States midway through the month, and won't be back home until November 10th, which means the November issue of the Shanville Monthly will be a bit late!!! What I might do, if a lot happens within the next couple of weeks, is split it into two parts, and post part one before I head for America. But if that doesn't happen, don't panic -- I'll be back here on November 10th or 11th (depending on jet lag!) to update you on everything that's been going on. Also, make sure you check out my Blog while I'm away -- I'll update it as often as possible, to cover as much of the American tour as I can!!!! Until whenever, all the bloody best, Darren Shan x x x