Ahh, Edinburgh...

Wow… yesterday was a long day.

It’s been a long week, actually. Aside from normal things like writing, I’m also busy with other stuff that nobody else is interested in but me- planning out a new kitchen, planning on having the floorboards put down in the living room... God, it’s all so domesticated. Isn’t the moment when you put in a new kitchen the moment you finally grow up and become an adult? It’s all so tediously dull and boring that there really is no other excuse for it.

Still, at least I have people like YOU to keep me young.

Right?

So, yesterday. Monday. I got up at five. It wasn’t that bad, getting up at five. I was brushing my teeth and it was just getting bright outside and I was thinking to myself, “This getting up at five lark, it’s really not so bad as I’d thought.” I was halfway down the stairs when I fell asleep. Not sure how I fed the dogs or the cats, but the next thing I knew I was in my car. Time sure flies when you’re sleeping.

My flight was at 6:50, and I got into Glasgow at a little before 8, where I was whisked off to the Harper Collins building and told to sign 2300 brand new copies of Death Bringer. I took a moment to look at the book- it was the first time I’d seen it- and make sure the dedication and the blurb was right. Oh it’s a nice book. Oh it’s a BIG book. 603 hardback pages, compared to Mortal Coil’s 572. AND the print is slightly smaller, so we’ve crammed more words onto each page, so in reality Death Bringer is... er... well, a lot more than 31 pages longer.

So I signed the books in record-breaking time- thanks to the six or seven people around me who unpacked the books, opened the books, slid them to me to sign, slid them away, stacked them, packed them up again, and hauled them back to the warehouse- all in one continuous motion. It’s quite something, seeing something like that. And they always ask me if I’m doing okay, if my arm is sore, if I need a break- but the fact is, I’m the only one sitting down, so I’m quite rested while they’re all running around frantically. Oh it’s good to be the writer.

Once that was done, Sam and I (Sam being my publicist extraordinaire) got in a car for the hour-long drive to Edinburgh. We got there at twelve, had lunch, strolled over to the Festival.

I love the Edinburgh Book Festival. It’s so PACKED full of things and events and writers and all these people, all of these people of different ages and backgrounds and styles who come here just because they love books. The staff are so cool, real chatty and approachable, and the whole thing has a wonderful air of friendliness to it.

We went into the Author’s Tent- which is a fabulous marquee of hidden delights and forbidden pleasures- where I met Skulduggery artist Mister Tom Percival, who was over to do his own event. Tom is, as you know, the writer/illustrator behind Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book and the upcoming A Home for Mr Tipps (both amazing picture books for a little brother or sister, if you have them. Or, you know, even if you don't. They're still AWESOME).

I also met up with Charlie Fletcher, author of the Stoneheart trilogy. I’d been on stage with Charlie a few years ago, when the first Skulduggery books was released, so it was nice to catch up. We know some of the same people, and we were talking movie rights and options until we were pushed onstage, where Charlie introduced me to the five hundred or so people packed into the tent.

It was a good event. Every event at a festival tends to be a good event, but this was especially good. The hour passed before I knew it, and then I was signing. Most writers for young people are taken to the Children’s Signing Tent, apparently, but because of the massive amount of people that turned up, I was taken to the MAIN Signing Tent, and signed for three and a quarter hours. In that time, I was given pictures (thank you all!), a story (thank you Zoe!), and seven- yes, SEVEN- hugs. I also met a few people who either read or comment on (or both) this Blog- Mhairi, NJ Maverick, Sarthacus and... and... argh... Doggy Bone Girl Person... (fine, that is not her ACTUAL name, but it’s close... kind of...)

By the end, I had to seriously speed up, because I had a flight to catch, but I managed to see everyone, chat to everyone, and sign all their books. Some of these people were waiting for over three hours, for God’s sake- I couldn’t just LEAVE them there. (Besides, they looked dangerous.)

When I got to the airport, though, I was told my flight had been delayed for an hour and half, which meant I could have stayed and had a long chat with EVERYONE. Curses!

Ahem.

I got home at eleven. My dogs were still alive (the cats hadn’t eaten them). I was tired. Oh boy was I tired. But I glanced at this Blog, and the Facebook page, and at our friends over at Skulduggery Forums, just to make sure that no one was posting spoilers. And of course, no one was.

But reading over the Facebook comments, it made me grin when I saw the gradual change in people who weren’t able to make it to Edinburgh. Before the Festival, everyone was saying “Don’t post spoilers! If you post spoilers I will kill you!”

But once there were actually people out there who were reading the book, some of the comments changed slightly... “Ok, ok, could you post ONE spoiler? Just one little spoiler, that’s all I ask... Nothing big, nothing major, just one teensy weensy spoiler, just to satisfy me until I can get the book myself...”

Thankfully, all that appears to be happening is that people are showing the back cover, and the blurb on the back. They’re not even giving away the dedication, or the Author Biography thing.

So, to the people who have the book, thank you very much for not posting spoilers. Now, it’s not going to be easy over the next two weeks, because curiosity is a powerful thing, and some people on this Blog, and Facebook, and the Forums, and all over, will be begging you for JUST ONE LITTLE SPOILER- but you must resist. Giving one person a spoiler could spoil it for EVERYONE- so I’m asking you once again to stay strong, no matter how much they plead or cajole or threaten...