Short Stories

Hello, my Minions.

Can you feel it? Can you? The 1^st of September is approaching. According to that wonderful Countdown Clock on the Skulduggery website, there is- at the time of posting- FIVE days, TEN hours, and FOUR minutes. Of course, by the time you read this, the time to wait will be even shorter- and growing shorter every moment.

(Unless you’re re-reading this at some stage AFTER the 1^st, in which case, yayyy it’s already out! Woot!)

Ahem.

All of you folks who came to the Edinburgh event have been fantastic, I have to say. I wasn’t OVERLY worried that someone would release spoilers, but the chance for someone to say the wrong thing or give the wrong hint (coughSwindlercough) was always there, lurking around the edges of every Blog and Facebook comment. So, my thanks to you, my Minions, for remaining loyal and true, and allowing your fellow readers the same chance you had to experience Death Bringer without ANY spoilers.

I have seven days until my tour begins, so I’m trying to cram as many things into this coming week as possible. I enjoy every tour when I’m out there, and it’s a great chance for me to meet the people from this Blog and the Facebook page and the Forums, so that always makes me smile. The downside of touring is the travelling, the hotels, the airports, the car rides, and the fact that you have to put your life on hold for a few weeks.

It’s like a holiday, without the relaxation or the parties.

But hey, it’s fun nonetheless.

This coming Wednesday is the official Skulduggery launch, in Eason’s Bookshop in Dublin. I have no idea what to expect. Most book launches are relatively quiet affairs, attended by friends and family, with a few other writers turning up to wish you well. When I was told that Dave from Eason was planning a launch, however, I got a chill. Because Dave... Dave doesn’t DO quiet.

The only thing I know about it is that there will be readers there, whom I BELIEVE have already entered a competition (I sincerely don’t know anything about it).  Apparently, he’s also planned a “surprise”. Oh dear God. I’ll keep you informed as best I can.

Now then, when we brought out the new paperback editions, I didn’t want you guys to buy a SECOND copy of a book you already owned just because they had (admittedly awesome) new covers. I knew there were some lunatics out there who would buy the new editions just for Tom’s artwork, so I wrote a few short stories just to give them something extra. Of course, THEN the problem became how to make those stories available to the people who DIDN’T feel the need to have multiple copies of the same book. You know- relatively SANE people.

So now, at last, two of the short stories that have previously appeared in the new paperbacks are now available on the website at skulduggerypleasant.co.uk, as well as being available on iBooks and Kindle, for the very reasonable price of NOTHING AT ALL. I love when things are free, because it means EVERYONE can afford it, and you don’t have to worry about loose change in your pocket. The Lost Art of World Domination takes place after Skulduggery Pleasant, and Gold, Babies and the Brothers Muldoon takes place after Playing With Fire. The other short stories will be released over the next few months.

And I’m going to go now, because I have things to do. Things! To do!

Ahem.