The Spoiler Zone is still the only place you can discuss KOTW, but while you're doing that, this is a book review that Amazing Phil did on Blue Peter. I used to watch Blue Peter all the time when I was growing up, so it's pretty cool to be featured on it, and I reckon Phil did a fantastic job of grabbing the attention of non-Skulduggery readers.
It's also really nice to catch a few glimpses of Skulduggery himself... I think the exploding pillar thing is EXCELLENT... and it really makes me want a Skulduggery movie even more...
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Spoiler Zone
Publication day! OFFICIAL release day! And the usual rules apply...
The comments section for THIS blog entry are reserved for MILD SPOILERS. There is to be NO casual conversation here- that's what the previous entry is for. THIS entry is for discussions about the book. Even so, try to exercise SOME caution, because you just KNOW that someone is going to stumble onto it by accident, or they're going to pop in before they've FINISHED and then they're going to be horrified that the ending is now ruined for them...
So. If you haven't read Kingdom of the Wicked, continue using the previous comments section. But once you have read it... discuss it here.
The comments section for THIS blog entry are reserved for MILD SPOILERS. There is to be NO casual conversation here- that's what the previous entry is for. THIS entry is for discussions about the book. Even so, try to exercise SOME caution, because you just KNOW that someone is going to stumble onto it by accident, or they're going to pop in before they've FINISHED and then they're going to be horrified that the ending is now ruined for them...
So. If you haven't read Kingdom of the Wicked, continue using the previous comments section. But once you have read it... discuss it here.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Inis
Ever so slowly dragging myself back into realms of communication...
Answered emails today. Avoided them all weekend. Made some phone calls. Paid some bills. Life after a tour always seems to stilted. It takes a while to process everything and figure out the best way to tackle a few weeks' worth of stuff piling up outside my door...
While I'm getting back into the swing of things, here's something for you Irish Minions...
http://www.inismagazine.ie/blog/entry/help-wanted-interview-derek-landy
And here are a few things that the Minions-With-Funny-Accents gave to me while I was Down-Under...
Answered emails today. Avoided them all weekend. Made some phone calls. Paid some bills. Life after a tour always seems to stilted. It takes a while to process everything and figure out the best way to tackle a few weeks' worth of stuff piling up outside my door...
While I'm getting back into the swing of things, here's something for you Irish Minions...
http://www.inismagazine.ie/blog/entry/help-wanted-interview-derek-landy
And here are a few things that the Minions-With-Funny-Accents gave to me while I was Down-Under...
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
No Place Like Home
Sitting in my hotel room, waiting for a radio interview... and then I'm going home.
I've enjoyed this tour. Yes, I hate leaving my life for weeks at a time, and staying in hotel after hotel and getting flight after flight is not exactly fun, but every reader I've met and book I've signed (no matter how hurriedly) just seems to replenish my energy.
I've met so many people from this Blog, from the Forums, from the Facebook page, and then thousands more, and each and every one of you have been good-humoured and cool. I'm not even going to MENTION the hyperventilating teenage girls.
I've been given loads of pictures, loads of letters (that I'll read on the flight home), loads of odd little toys and, er, marmite... which was nice of them...
The weather was almost bearable, even if the heat did seem to just magnify in certain places, and no event was anything less than fun. So thank you, Minions-with-funny-accents, for making this tour a great success.
In other news, some of you will have heard of the BBC shooting something Skulduggery-related. It's to do with the books- not a movie or a Skulduggery TV show (I'd have told you if it was)- but it is something cool and quirky and a lot of fun, and I'm dying to see their stylistic interpretation. It's going to be pretty short, I think, and I'm just sitting back and letting them do their own thing.
The next bit of the KOTW tour will focus on Ireland. For those of you who want to attend the launch in Eason bookshop in Dublin, either go to the Eason website or visit the Skulduggery Pleasant homepage and click on "Latest News". There's a whole host of signings in Cork and Swords and Drogheda and Kilkenny and Kildare, plus a rather unique event in the Mountains to the Sea Festival in Dun Laoighaire on September 5th. Here's what it says on the website:
I've enjoyed this tour. Yes, I hate leaving my life for weeks at a time, and staying in hotel after hotel and getting flight after flight is not exactly fun, but every reader I've met and book I've signed (no matter how hurriedly) just seems to replenish my energy.
I've met so many people from this Blog, from the Forums, from the Facebook page, and then thousands more, and each and every one of you have been good-humoured and cool. I'm not even going to MENTION the hyperventilating teenage girls.
I've been given loads of pictures, loads of letters (that I'll read on the flight home), loads of odd little toys and, er, marmite... which was nice of them...
The weather was almost bearable, even if the heat did seem to just magnify in certain places, and no event was anything less than fun. So thank you, Minions-with-funny-accents, for making this tour a great success.
In other news, some of you will have heard of the BBC shooting something Skulduggery-related. It's to do with the books- not a movie or a Skulduggery TV show (I'd have told you if it was)- but it is something cool and quirky and a lot of fun, and I'm dying to see their stylistic interpretation. It's going to be pretty short, I think, and I'm just sitting back and letting them do their own thing.
The next bit of the KOTW tour will focus on Ireland. For those of you who want to attend the launch in Eason bookshop in Dublin, either go to the Eason website or visit the Skulduggery Pleasant homepage and click on "Latest News". There's a whole host of signings in Cork and Swords and Drogheda and Kilkenny and Kildare, plus a rather unique event in the Mountains to the Sea Festival in Dun Laoighaire on September 5th. Here's what it says on the website:
Did you know that Derek Landy started his career writing screenplays? Did you know he is one of Ireland’s biggest cinema buffs, with a collection of memorabilia that makes movie nerds go weak at the knees? Joined by Eason’s Children’s Books Buyer (and wannabe Hobbit) David O’Callaghan, Derek Landy will share his favourite cinema moments in this exclusive festival event, where he’ll highlight some of the films that have inspired his phenomenal Skulduggery Pleasant series.
If we ask very nicely, he may even show us some of his original props and costume pieces from the likes of Superman and Alien. If we don’t ask nicely, he might just demonstrate some of his black-belt karate moves on poor Bilbo O’Callaghan! Either way, a fantastic evening’s entertainment lies in store, so make sure you’re there to witness the silver-screen shenanigans! Of course, Derek will also be talking about his new book, Kingdom of the Wicked, as well as signing after the event.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Ronda Rousey and the Atomic Armbar
Sitting in my hotel room in Perth, on the only day off I have on this tour, two days of events left and then I go home, and I'm smiling like a loon because I've just watched the Rousey vs Kaufman fight.
For those of you who have read KOTW, you may remember the mention of a certain Ronda Rousey and her now-legendary armbars.
THIS is the type of woman I want my nieces to be like when they grow up.
And now I must go. I have a lot of work to do on my day off...
For those of you who have read KOTW, you may remember the mention of a certain Ronda Rousey and her now-legendary armbars.
THIS is the type of woman I want my nieces to be like when they grow up.
And now I must go. I have a lot of work to do on my day off...
Friday, August 17, 2012
Oz
Australia, eh? Lovely country, full of weirdoes...
I'm sitting in my hotel room in... where am I? Melbourne? Adelaide? Wherever. Anyway, here I sit, tapping away at my laptop, about to go to bed and I figured I'd drop by and say hi.
So, y'know... hi.
The tour continues to go well. In fact, it's going great. Brilliantly. The response has been incredible, with so much energy and enthusiasm at each event. Signing queues have been massive, which is slightly less cool, because I just don't have the time to chat to each person as much as I'd like to, or even sign all of their books in some cases. Next time I'm over I'm going to INSIST that more time is left for signing. Some of these Minions-with-funny-accents go through an awful lot to get to me- some have been driving for 7 hours, some have even FLOWN in... The least I can do is have a chat and sign whatever they have. Sometimes that's just not possible, but I try my best.
I've met so many people from this Blog and the Forums and the Facebook pages (and the old Bebo page! Which I must reactivate... maybe... The Bebo page was DAUNTING because of the amount of comments and emails I'd have to answer every time I logged in... Every time I opened the Bebo page I'd spend HOURS there... no such thing as a quick dip in and out...)
Where was I? Oh yes, meeting a load of people I've only seen online. That's pretty cool, to be honest. I had no idea, for example, that Nixion or Calamity were Australian (well, maybe I did have an idea once, but I'd totally forgotten it). It's always so weird when I meet people and realise I know them from somewhere online- it's like we're old friends, and yet we've never met...
Another nice thing about being on tour is the amount of hyperventilating teenage girls who arrive in front of me. I swear, if Teenage Me ever found out what Adult Me is confronted with every day on tour, he'd be so insanely jealous... You're all hysterically funny and quite, quite odd.
When I get home I'll post pictures of some of the cool stuff I've been given (really, you'll have to see them to understand the coolness of some of your fellow Minions), but suffice it to say that I'm really glad I only packed half a suitcase worth of stuff- because I'll be going home with a LOT more than I came with.
Right then, just a few things before I go... According to the Facebook page, some stores in the UK and Ireland have already released KOTW. Naughty, naughty stores. On its OFFICIAL release date I'll put up a special Spoiler blog where you can discuss it here openly, but until then, please keep doing what you're doing and don't spoil it for the others. I'm very grateful to you all for the restraint you've shown so far.
Because of the fact that some schools are back early, some of the Irish times have been changed.
And one last thing- the competition winners from, ahem, last year. Yes yes, it's taken me ages to send you your books, but now you're also going to get a signed KOTW too, so, like, yay...! But I need you to send your names and addresses to us again, because SOME of you, hilariously, decided not to include your real name the last time, and instead insisted that the books be sent to your online taken name... which would have confused the nice people who deliver the parcels. Also, I know that at least one of you have changed addresses since winning, so we're gonna need an update.
So, send your real name, and your real address (and also your online name so I'll know who you are) to this email:
kids.marketing@harpercollins.co.uk.
It's the only email address they could find that wasn't being used for anything else... Sorry...
EDIT:
Here's the list of winners, in case you've forgotten.
Miss Arianna Dark
Skulduggeryaddict
Octaboona
Asteria Wing
The BookNommer
Necros
Andrew
Silke Gronau
Lauren Longbottom
Mar-Chu
Valkyrie V
Kallista
Thalia
I'm sitting in my hotel room in... where am I? Melbourne? Adelaide? Wherever. Anyway, here I sit, tapping away at my laptop, about to go to bed and I figured I'd drop by and say hi.
So, y'know... hi.
The tour continues to go well. In fact, it's going great. Brilliantly. The response has been incredible, with so much energy and enthusiasm at each event. Signing queues have been massive, which is slightly less cool, because I just don't have the time to chat to each person as much as I'd like to, or even sign all of their books in some cases. Next time I'm over I'm going to INSIST that more time is left for signing. Some of these Minions-with-funny-accents go through an awful lot to get to me- some have been driving for 7 hours, some have even FLOWN in... The least I can do is have a chat and sign whatever they have. Sometimes that's just not possible, but I try my best.
I've met so many people from this Blog and the Forums and the Facebook pages (and the old Bebo page! Which I must reactivate... maybe... The Bebo page was DAUNTING because of the amount of comments and emails I'd have to answer every time I logged in... Every time I opened the Bebo page I'd spend HOURS there... no such thing as a quick dip in and out...)
Where was I? Oh yes, meeting a load of people I've only seen online. That's pretty cool, to be honest. I had no idea, for example, that Nixion or Calamity were Australian (well, maybe I did have an idea once, but I'd totally forgotten it). It's always so weird when I meet people and realise I know them from somewhere online- it's like we're old friends, and yet we've never met...
Another nice thing about being on tour is the amount of hyperventilating teenage girls who arrive in front of me. I swear, if Teenage Me ever found out what Adult Me is confronted with every day on tour, he'd be so insanely jealous... You're all hysterically funny and quite, quite odd.
When I get home I'll post pictures of some of the cool stuff I've been given (really, you'll have to see them to understand the coolness of some of your fellow Minions), but suffice it to say that I'm really glad I only packed half a suitcase worth of stuff- because I'll be going home with a LOT more than I came with.
Right then, just a few things before I go... According to the Facebook page, some stores in the UK and Ireland have already released KOTW. Naughty, naughty stores. On its OFFICIAL release date I'll put up a special Spoiler blog where you can discuss it here openly, but until then, please keep doing what you're doing and don't spoil it for the others. I'm very grateful to you all for the restraint you've shown so far.
Because of the fact that some schools are back early, some of the Irish times have been changed.
Thursday 30th August
Public Signing: Easons, Whitewater Shopping Centre, Newbridge, TIME CHANGE FROM 12 noon to 2PM start.
Friday 31st August
Public Signing: Dubray Books, Market Cross Shopping Centre, Kilkenny, TIME CHANGE FROM 2PM TO 4PM start.
And one last thing- the competition winners from, ahem, last year. Yes yes, it's taken me ages to send you your books, but now you're also going to get a signed KOTW too, so, like, yay...! But I need you to send your names and addresses to us again, because SOME of you, hilariously, decided not to include your real name the last time, and instead insisted that the books be sent to your online taken name... which would have confused the nice people who deliver the parcels. Also, I know that at least one of you have changed addresses since winning, so we're gonna need an update.
So, send your real name, and your real address (and also your online name so I'll know who you are) to this email:
kids.marketing@harpercollins.co.uk.
It's the only email address they could find that wasn't being used for anything else... Sorry...
EDIT:
Here's the list of winners, in case you've forgotten.
Miss Arianna Dark
Skulduggeryaddict
Octaboona
Asteria Wing
The BookNommer
Necros
Andrew
Silke Gronau
Lauren Longbottom
Mar-Chu
Valkyrie V
Kallista
Thalia
Friday, August 10, 2012
NZ
New Zealand, eh? Lovely country, full of lunatics...
I arrived on Tuesday, checked into my hotel and met up with a friend who's living over here. By nine that night, every time my eyes closed I was in serious danger of falling asleep right there and then. Only the fact that my luggage had been misplaced somewhere between Dublin and Auckland kept me from turning in early. It's not exactly a nice feeling, wondering if you're ever going to see your luggage again. You start thinking about all the clothes you packed, about the toothbrush, about the phone charger you might never see again...
I went to bed, then was woken at 2 AM by reception- my luggage had arrived. They delivered it to my room and I wept manly tears of joy. Or, y'know, I shrugged and mumbled a thank you and went back to bed. Whichever.
It's now Friday night, and tomorrow is my last day in New Zealand. It's been astonishingly good so far. Every school I've been to has been great- really enthusiastic people, ready to have a laugh. Two schools even did a welcoming Haka-type thing, which was awesomely cool.
The public signings have been great too. This afternoon I did one in the Children's Bookshop in Christchurch, where I met a load of readers, including Jordan, a girl who had kept me updated about her status after the recent earthquakes. It's always nice to meet people I only know online, and she had many, MANY questions to ask.
Tomorrow is my last day in NZ, and so the first chunk of my tour will be over. I've really enjoyed my few days here- this was a great way to kick off the tour.
EDIT:
I've just read over what I've just written, and it's all so sickeningly POSITIVE and nice. Bah humbug! There needs to be some grouchy stuff in here in order to be genuine- so I'll just say that I STILL haven't been able to see Katie Taylor winning the gold in boxing, and I am NOT happy about that. I can't even find it on YouTube.
Bah YouTube! Bah!
Every single Irish Minion knows who Katie Taylor is, and they're as proud of her as I am. What a girl.
I arrived on Tuesday, checked into my hotel and met up with a friend who's living over here. By nine that night, every time my eyes closed I was in serious danger of falling asleep right there and then. Only the fact that my luggage had been misplaced somewhere between Dublin and Auckland kept me from turning in early. It's not exactly a nice feeling, wondering if you're ever going to see your luggage again. You start thinking about all the clothes you packed, about the toothbrush, about the phone charger you might never see again...
I went to bed, then was woken at 2 AM by reception- my luggage had arrived. They delivered it to my room and I wept manly tears of joy. Or, y'know, I shrugged and mumbled a thank you and went back to bed. Whichever.
It's now Friday night, and tomorrow is my last day in New Zealand. It's been astonishingly good so far. Every school I've been to has been great- really enthusiastic people, ready to have a laugh. Two schools even did a welcoming Haka-type thing, which was awesomely cool.
The public signings have been great too. This afternoon I did one in the Children's Bookshop in Christchurch, where I met a load of readers, including Jordan, a girl who had kept me updated about her status after the recent earthquakes. It's always nice to meet people I only know online, and she had many, MANY questions to ask.
Tomorrow is my last day in NZ, and so the first chunk of my tour will be over. I've really enjoyed my few days here- this was a great way to kick off the tour.
EDIT:
I've just read over what I've just written, and it's all so sickeningly POSITIVE and nice. Bah humbug! There needs to be some grouchy stuff in here in order to be genuine- so I'll just say that I STILL haven't been able to see Katie Taylor winning the gold in boxing, and I am NOT happy about that. I can't even find it on YouTube.
Bah YouTube! Bah!
Every single Irish Minion knows who Katie Taylor is, and they're as proud of her as I am. What a girl.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
A Post Before I Go
I have a few random pictures cluttering up my desktop, so I shall intersperse them as I go...
I'm catching my plane tomorrow. An hour to London, then 13 hours to Singapore, then 7.5 hours to Sydney, then 3 hours to Auckland... I'll arrive in New Zealand a little before midday on Tuesday, mildly confused about whether or not I'm sleepy after spending a day in the air zipping across time zones.
Oh boy oh boy.
I'm not packed, either. I know what I'm bringing- roughly- but I'll leave the packing until tomorrow. I'm bringing A Dance of Dragons to read, and I've already looked up what movies will be playing on the plane. Movies that I haven't seen but want to include Battleship, Dark Shadows, Lockout, Get the Gringo, The Five-Year Engagement, and The Woman in Black, and I'll also get a chance to watch The Avengers again. That's roughly 16 hours of movies... I think I should be okay...
Today, I am cleaning the house. Laura will be staying here when I'm gone so I need to have everything nice and tidy, or else she'll throw a mug at me.
I fully intend to blog while I'm on tour. I know my publishers would like me to keep a Tour Blog, detailing how the events went and who I met and what the various cities were like- basically documenting the entire experience. Annnnnnnnd that's not gonna happen. When I get back to my hotel- usually at around 9 o'clock at night- I'm pretty much exhausted. But I'll do my best to keep my Minions appraised of developments.
I'll be gone for 17 days, during which time I'll be staying at 9 hotels and visiting 12 airports.
The temperature in New Zealand is ranging from 1 degree (celsius) at night to 14 during the day. This, my Minions, is a temperature I can deal with.
The temperature in Australia is ranging from 7 to 23. 23 is a tad high. Please Australia, cool down a bit before I get there. Just a few degrees. Say, five. Thank you.
I've got my Sky box ready to record my shows when I'm away. Right now I'm recording Criminal Minds, Newsroom, The Mentalist, and Supernatural. I was delighted beyond measure to realise that I'll be able to watch the Ronda Rousey fight live in my hotel room on my only day off- Sunday the 19th. Thanks to the time difference, I'll just be sitting down to room service lunch when she fights...
And that's it. That's all. I have a house to clean and time is running out. I also need to write up instructions for Laura on how to use the TV (it's more complicated than it sounds) when I'm gone. All you Minions-with-funny-accents, prepare yourselves. I am coming.
