I published my author notes for Zom-B Goddess shortly after the book went on sale. In them, I mostly talk about the ending of the book, which was VERY different in the first draft, and explain why I changed it. If you want the full background story, you can find it by CLICKING HERE

The response from fans to the book has been mostly hugely positive. I particularly enjoyed this lengthy response by Laura-Elizabeth Howes, who poste it to me on my Facebook page: "So I've literally just this second finished Zom-B Goddess, and as per usual with the final books in your series', it was everything I dreamed it would be and so much more. In true, sadistic Darren Shan fashion you took everything we thought we'd known for nearly an entire series and revealed it to be an elaborate yet simple lie that none of us will have ever seen coming, not even if we had a zom-b's lifespan to think about it. Also in true Darren Shan fashion, your Zom-B series isn't about what we'd immediately assume it is... Zom-B is not a series about zombies; it's about racism, sexism, religion, politics, corruption, humanity and our future as a species. This series is so truly important and is one that I wholeheartedly believe that every young person should read so that every one of us with a conscience can see that we need to "stand up and shout out, not just at occasional rallies, not just by casting our votes in elections, but all the time." It might have been too late for B's world, but it's not too late for ours. Thank you, Darren. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart, and the heart of every Shanster, for once again creating something so beautiful and powerful and heartbreaking and horrific and heartwarming all at the same time. Zom-B was truly a work of unequivocal genius. I live for your words, and they never ever let me down."

You can check out more reviews on Amazon UK, Amazon USA and Goodreads. If you're of a similar mindest, having read the book, it would be lovely if you too could post a review on one of those sites or elsewhere.

Zom-B Goddess should be on sale in all good book stores across the UK & Ireland, USA, Australia & New Zealand, as well as an ebook in Canada -- if you can't see it on the shelves, please ask a member of staff if they can order in a copy for you, or else you can order it through one of the Amazon sites above. (Or, if you live in the UK, you can use this online PriceCheck site to find the best available price through a variety of sellers: 123PriceCheck.)

SIGNED BOOKS

If you missed me on my recent UK and Ireland tour and are weeping into your pillow every night, weep no more!! You might still be able to get a signed copy of one of my books if you hurry to a shop where I visited while on the road, as I signed stock in all of them. Mostly I signed copies of Zom-B Goddess, but in many of the shops I signed lots of other books too. If you don't live near any of the shops, you might be able to order a signed copy over the phone and have it posted to you, if you do a bit of research and get in touch with them. You can find out where I went on the tour in the April issue of the Shanville Monthly.

AUDIO BOOKS

There was distressing news for fans of the Zom-B audio books a few months ago, when my publishers declared their intention to stop making them after Zom-B Bride, meaning the last two books would never be released in that format. To be honest, I was distressed too! I immediately got in touch with my publishers and asked them if they would reconsider. If not, I asked if it would be OK if I recorded audio versions myself and released them on YouTube -- they'd be nowhere near as polished as the official adaptations, of course, but at least it would mean fans who had come all that way with B would be able to listen to the big finale. (People who hear me talk at events sometimes compliment me on my reading voice, and suggest I record the books myself, but I know that I lack the necessary vocal skills that such a full-on job requires. I'm OK in a vocal sprint, but I'd come up well short in a marathon!) Thankfully, in a show of proof that big publishing houses are ultimately run by real human beings who are open to dialogue, the powers that be at LittleBrown changed their minds and have decided to record and release the final two books in the series -- HURRAY!!!!! As far as I know, Emma Galvin will be recruited to conclude B's tale, with the audio book of Zom-B Fugitive due to go on sale on May 10th, and Zom-B Goddess on June 7th.

SCI-FI NOW

Anton Savage Show, Today FM, 10 minutes: CLICK HERE.

Limerick Today, Live 95FM, 18 minutes: CLICK HERE.

MOUTHY!

What the hell is wrong with my mouth?!? Adventures in YA Publishing have started a new feature, where they ask authors to read out a few lines from one of their favourite books. I was happy to take part, and you can see my short video in their first YouTube post, where you'll find out which book I chose (hint: it was written by Neil Gaiman). But watching it back, I was struck by the weird way that my mouth appears to move in the clip. It's almost as if I'm not really talking, but just lip-syncing to someone else's words! Is it a trick of the shadows, or do my lips really move like that?!? Answers on an e-postcard please... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Bhjw94RKA&feature=youtu.be

FREAKY PACKING!

There's a real art to packing a bag for a journey, and a fan called Joel drew my attention to this drawing by a "master artist" which he found online. The attention to detail is incredible! I don't know who created it originally, but they certainly know their (pickled) onions!!!

A rather cool librarian at Bingley Grammar School in West Yorkshire got in touch with me a while back to ask if I would help her out with a writing competition for her students, to promote literacy. The competition was rolled out to over 1,700 students, aged from 11 to 18. They were asked to write about a fictional character that had had the most impact on their life, and I agreed to feature the winning piece on my Facebook page and in the Shanville Monthly, as an incentive to get more of them to participate. (Those who didn't take part were threatened with a visit by Lord Loss and a pack of zombies!) The winning three entries were by Cameron Parker, Maryam Mahmood and Cameron Tarpy, and here's the complete text of Cameron's first-placed piece, which is all about a certain Master Pleasant...

My favourite character out of all books is Skulduggery Pleasant, from the series by the same name, written by Derek Landy. The main reason is because of his incredible deductive skills (he’s a detective) and knack for solving the unsolvable. He is incredible at looking at clues and using them to save lives and defeat evil.

As well as his deduction skills, Skulduggery is an expert at all the martial arts you can name, and then a few more. He is also a mage who practices Elemental Magic, the manipulation of earth, air, fire and water. As well as that, he is a skeleton, resurrected by magic in a war between magical forces.
Despite being a hard-core fighter, Skulduggery is also compassionate and loyal to his allies and friends. Even though he is fairly disliked in the magical community, he takes this into his stride and is not swayed into being bitter and spiteful.
One of Skulduggery’s best characteristics is his dry sense of humour. He is constantly making witty remarks and lightening the mood of all around him. When the situation is dark and all looks lost, you can trust Skulduggery to say something that will either make everyone chuckle or grimace.

Another great trait about Skulduggery is his resilience and determination. Paired with his deduction skills, he is a brilliant asset for the magical community, and has saved lives on numerous occasions (which has improved his popularity somewhat). Many times the world has been in dire need of someone to step up and save it, and with the help of some friends and allies, Skulduggery has managed to be the saviour.
If I had to choose the best trait of Skulduggery, it would be his loyalty. He is loyal to a fault. He would even go so far as to offer his life to save others. He would never turn his back on a friend, and would travel to the ends of the earth to save someone he cared about.

One of the only faults about Skulduggery is that he won’t let anyone or anything stand in his way when trying to reach a goal, especially if that goal is one close to his heart (or where it used to be). This can lead to harm to those who stand in his way, even if they have good intentions. However, sometimes he can see reason.

All in all, Skulduggery is a caring individual with a sharp mind and instincts. He is loyal to a fault, one of the best detectives in the business. He is resilient and resourceful, and has used his skills to save the lives of many people. He can find something funny to say even in the darkest situations (and even when people don’t want to hear it). All in all, he is a brilliant character.

IT'S A WRAP