As for those who cursed me for drawing it out so long, all I can say is... "heh." It amuses me to torture you, have you not learned this yet?
Over the coming weeks and months you'll be finding out a lot more about Demon Road, but I figured I'd answer a few questions now.
For starters, this is NOT the cover.
This is just a nifty holding image we give out so that people can pre-order if they want to. Hence the following link: http://www.pages01.net/harpercollinspublishersltd/DerekLandy-DemonRoad/
The ACTUAL cover, and the new cover artist, will be revealed in due time.
The release date is, as you can see, the 27th of August. Yesterday we said the 28th, but we figured out a way to get it to you a day earlier, and we took it.
Demon Road is both the name of the first book AND the name of the overall trilogy.
It WILL be a trilogy.
The books will be released 6 months apart. This is the way the publishing industry is going, to be honest — especially for children's books/YA. It's a hectic, bruising schedule, which will mean I'm gonna be overworked for the rest of the year, but hey... I'm quite looking forward to it, actually. I always felt bizarrely guilty for making you wait a year between Skulduggery books, so I'm going to see if this way is better.
Ah yes, and it will be Young Adult as well. There's nothing in it (yet) that is amazingly inappropriate for younger readers — maybe a word or two, slipping into older territory — but it's just the overall feel of the thing.
I'm TRYING to write shorter books. I was aiming for a Dark Days length, roughly 80,000 words. I have to write three of these books this year, and I can't have them spiralling out of control like Skulduggery did. I'm currently at 91,000 words. Hopefully I won't go above 100,000, which is roughly where Mortal Coil was. Hopefully.
Right now, I've only signed a contract with Harper Collins UK, which will publish the books in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and Canada. Over the next while, I'll be signing with foreign language publishers also — but for most of them, I'll need to show them the finished book. Harper UK trust me enough to sign a contract with what they've already seen of the book as I'm writing it.
There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be published in America as well.
Oh, and yes, I will be touring with Demon Road, but it's far too early to say where.
Posts
4,785 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 2401 – 2600 of 4785 Newer› Newest»((I have no memory whatsoever of changing my picture to this cute ghost friend, but wth, I like it. :P))
Hey, Silente!! C:
Liliana: *she grins, running her fangs over her throat*
Bethany: *she yelps a little as they set off, cuddling into her seat* No... I'm beautiful now.
(Hello, Taia.)
Hey, Gem and Taia.
Ghost is cool.
Onwa: *gasps the tiniest bit, leaning onto her fangs, trying to get them to pierce*
You were more beautiful before.
*sets off driving home*
Is there any particular thing we'll need from the house?
Liliana: *she jabs her fangs into Onwa's neck, starting to drink blood*
Claire: Coats?
Onwa: *moans happily, leaning into her, head held high*
*nods*
Okay. Coats, maybe serum for me..
Liliana: *she continues to drink, running her tongue over the puncture marks*
Bethany: You will also need to drink from me... You haven't in a while.
@Sophia I'm having a good day. I think I managed to mostly get over an illness/flu in a day. That's a record for me.
May I ask why your day wasn't that good?
*hugs everyone but Sophia* How is everybody today?
Hi, Sophia! :)
*hugs Tia, who is, incidentally, important and significant and quite definitely somebody* Hey! :)
Onwa: *whimpers, moaning quietly, none-stop*
*nods*
Yeah.. I may have been ignoring that slightly..
(*hugs kas back*
Meh. My day was okay.)
.-- .... -.-- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / - -.-- .--. .. -. --. / .. -. / -- --- .-. ... . ..--..
(It was just an average day, Tia.)
Liliana: *she grins, withdrawing her fangs*
Bethany: Why?
Onwa: *sighs slightly*
Mmm..
*shrugs*
Busy? Sometimes I like to pretend I'm not a leach.
(Perhaps it is an attempt to keep what she is saying a secret, Skulduggery.)
Liliana: Do you want to go a few rounds?
Bethany: You're not... You're perfect. I like you biting me.
@Keiron I don't code.
-__________-
...
Okay :)
...
@Taia You're wrong. I'm not important or significant to anyone or anything.
Nobody: 1. An insignificant person.
2. A person of no importance, influence, or power.
Onwa: *chuckles*
Of course.
*focuses on driving*
Mm.. I know, but sometimes I just.. want to be vaguely normal, you know?
(It says "why are you typing in morse?")
(There is an astonishing lack of people who do not know morse code.)
Liliana: *she kisses her hungrily*
Bethany: But you're not normal... I'm not normal... I love you for who you are... And who you are should be celebrated, not hidden.
(I will be back soon.)
@Soph Which female Mass Effect character- it's in the link, click.
http://www.bloxi.com/block/SnJDaDsB/view/which-female-character-from-mass-effect-fits-you-the-most
Onwa: *kisses her hungrily back, arms tight around her waist*
*smiles slightly*
Yeah..
Commander Sophia Keating (N7 Operative and Council Spectre) said...
(There is an astonishing lack of people who do not know morse code.)
Double negatives are cruel creatures.
@Tia:
adjective: Important
1. Of great significance or value.
adjective: Significant
1. Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.
To me, Tia, you are significant, and so by definition, are also important.
But you're just saying that to cheer me up, Taia.
How is your day? Are you feeling okay?
(Maths! Check!
Chemistry.. ugh.)
Jaimie, anyone else who read my fanfic, i'll have a few going up today. I'm hoping to catch up on the 10 I missed before sunday, when you will get another new one. So 11 new chapters this week.
*Hugs anyone who said hi*
*is very busy*
(11 in one week?!
=DDDDDDDDDD
*celebrates good times*)
@Tia: Would that make it any less true?
If you were insignificant and unimportant to me, why would I want to cheer you up?
I'm saying it because I care.
(verb: Care
1.
feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.)
*hugs*
My day's going OK. Tiring?
I'm a little under the weather, but the weather's not bad, so... :P
Thanks for asking. :)
(@Tia: Postscript that I think I accidentally backspaced a smile when I pasted the definition.
There's supposed to be a :) in there. :P)
Can't wait :P *jumps with glee*
*hugs Taia*
*hugs back* :)
wbd
Just remembered that homework is a thing :P
His head rises, disrupting the thin layer of dust on his armor. Keeping his position in the crater, it is difficult to tell if he is waiting, listening, or sleeping.
(PTFE..
F*ck F*ck
C*ap C*ap
F*ck F*ck
SCIENCE!!!)
(Since nobody else seems willing, I'll bite.)
*Approaches the crater and looks the armored man up and down*
Never seen you around here before, shiny. Though with all the newcomers of late, I can hardly say you surprise me.
(Ok, first chapter done. It wasn't actually that long...it just seemed really daunting in my book...It was 7/8 pages long so I really couldn't be bothered, but there it is, Chapter 24 up and ready to go.)
His head swivels towards the man in black. Something seems to click in him, and so quick that it looks like two separate frames of a recording he tears through the sound barrier directly towards Soul.
Dark
Tainted
Threat
Eliminate.
(Actually I just remembered a bunch of important stuff I need to get done, sorry Protector.)
((Huh, I thought Blake WAS The Protector. Odd.))
He returns to his spot in the crater.
(Wow. Protector is scary man..)
(@Kessy same..)
( O_O
my brain just READS that as pOlytetrafluoroethylene
it took me a moment to realise you hadn't written it out
I hate (viz. moderately dislike) chemistry :P)
@Gemma: Kind of on temporary Skulduggery hiatus on account of being a while behind. I'd take a look, otherwise. Sorry. :(
Still- 24 chapters is impressive O_O
(I know it wasn't. John is more of a "I'm going to destroy everything" kind of guy.)
(@Taia O_o
Your brain is scary..)
((@Gemma: Yeah, I guess, but the showing off incredible amounts of power thing is very much him.))
(Also HI KESSY!!!)
Why am I in parentheses.
No more parentheses.
How is everyone?
(Meh. Not so bad. You?)
HI STORM
I'm good, except I'm stressed as hell, so I'm procrastinating. But I see my best friend tonight(it's been a week ew) so wooooo.
Hi/Bye, Blake!
Hello, Protector :)
@Sil: XD
It IS. :P ^^
KESTREL! HELLO! :) :)
TAIA! HELLO YOURSELF!
(@Kessy YEY! Wanna continue..?)
Storm, I'd love too but I'm on my phone and I've only got like. Twenty minutes before I have to go again. And soon I'm gonna be writing for at least three characters, which I really don't feel like doing on my phone.
(Thats fine :)
NEUROBIOLOGY IS SO COOL
(Neurobiology IS cool.)
(My butt is numb.
Typing up chapter 25, this will be quick. Then i'll need to stop and type up my drama script. I'll have 11 up by Sunday. I will.
Tomorrow I'm going to stay at school till 7:45 though so I won't be able to do it then.)
(Aww crud. Biology mock on Friday..)
Gemma, stand up! Move around! Sit up straight!
Storm, good luck!
(I have too many up coming tests..
Chem mock tomorrow.
Geography population & demographic transition model Thursday
Biology Friday
French writing next Thursday (eek!)
At least we get our lesson off third period Tuesday..
Today was Hell. I swear I nearly had my face mushed in SO MANY TIMES by those year 5's.
And the ball hit me too many times..
I swear they were aiming..)
(My estimations;
A in chem.
A in geography..
B in biology..
D in French cause ugh memorization.)
(I am back.
Time skip, Jaimie?)
Bethany: I love who you are... So please love yourself, also, and have a drink?
*hugs Sil*
Test/mock weeks suck. :/
Good luck with them ^^
Um. Throw the ball back at THEM? :P
Or just don't give it it back?
I am so intelligent.
So I just went swimming, and went I got there I realised I'd forgotten my bra (like, I came wearing my swimming costume, so I'd forgotten to put it in my bag), and then I left my pound in the locker and someone used had used the locker and therefore presumably taken the pound by the time I got out the changing rooms . . . and when I was getting changed back into my clothes (minus my bra), I realised I'd somehow lost my shoes, and they weren't in my previous changing room and someone had taken my previous locker by then, and I couldn't go out the chqnging rooms without my shoes so I had to send my sister to get my mum to get them from lost property for me . . .
. . .
I know. I'm smart. *headdesks*
I HATE CHEM
Oh. Good luck in French, then :/
(Hey Soph!!!
Indeed, time skip)
When we get home. You shouldn't drink and drive.
Ayyy Stararar! *applauds*
Also.
Dedicate the page.
Thanks for remindimg me; I have to memorise my German for Thursday and I've barely stqrted yet . . .
Wbd/msd - I'm having tea soonand I'll probs resume being Kaladin soon too.
(xD *hugs star* aww..
@Kes thanks..
Nah, I'll probably get a low B in writing, if I get this memorizing done I could get an A MAYBE..)
But I can't be bothered to dedicate the page.
*hises*
Also, my phone screen has cracked a little more. :o I probably did it when it fell out my bag in form and I wouldn't have noticed that if I hadn't had it pointed out to me so I'd've lost my phone and idek I'm failing at today.
*hisses back*
Give it to me then I haven't dedded in ages.
*vanishes into the night*
(@Star its okay..)
*hisses back*
Give it to me then I haven't dedded in ages.
*vanishes into the night*
*hugs Jai*
*also hugs Holly*
Hises? What was I actually trying to write there? :P
Okay. German. German.
JAI, WELL DONE ON NOT TAKING TWO LANGUAGES. SMART MOVE. :P
Wait a second... NEW cover artist?!?!
I wasn't trying to hiss. Idk what I was trying to do. :P
Kas, would it be okay if you could not call me Holly? I prefer Star.
Also -
importance is entirely subjective. In my persoective, much like Taia's, you have importance, and therefore are not nobody. :)
(*hugs Kas back*
@Star xDDD
I didn't want to take ANY languages!!!)
Yeah . . . :( No offense to the new cover artist, but O don't see how Tom Percival will be beaten.
@Jai: THEN WHY DID YOU. :P
I wanted to take two languages. I took two. I will probably get two Bs. I am not happy with that.
Y'all should try Latin tbh
(I wasn't given the choice!!! "Guided options" aka your child will be taking; French. Circle the one your child wishes to take.
@Kes Latin.. I wish..)
(Forgetting your bra... Admittedly, I have never done that before. I am rather impressed.)
Liliana: *she presses against Onwa, smiling*
Bethany: It's only blood...
(Hey Ellie!)
Onwa: Mmm.
*smiles, holding her close*
Tired already?
I can't see the road if I'm biting your neck though..
Latin isn't offered. When I was in year seven, you did Frwnch, and German if you were good at French and wanted to take German, so by year nine options you could only take French and possibly German. Nowadays at my school year sevens do Spanish, French and German and then they pick one in year eight and are stuck for life.
*shrugs*
*hugs Star* Sounds unfortunate. :S
@Star: *laughs* I think that sounds scarier to me because here, taking German and French = three languages because WELSH. :P
@Storm, no you don't it's hell. I think Adra's actually fluent.
@Elleni: Seconded.
Thank you, Elleni. :) :)
@Sophia: XD Ikr.
@Jai: -_- Our school doesn't do that . . .
(@Kes but Latin!!!)
@Taia: :P Three sounds hellish, yeah. XD
...
Okay, Bubble. :/
Okay.
:/ Sorry, Kas.
If I were in your position and I didn't want to take French e my mum'd've probably complained to the school tbh. :P
(Why are you saying sorry, Star? It is your decision what you wish to be called.)
Liliana: Of course not. Now it's time for round two.
Bethany: I'll see if I can do something about that...
Storm: But it's IMPOSSIBLE
Onwa: *grins*
Ding ding?
*kisses her hungrily, pinning her*
*raises an eyebrow*
Okay..?
I'm saying sorry because I feel bad, Sophia. However, I agree, which is why I'm not going back on what I said.
@Star not hissing: XD
Hm. Tom Percival's ace. His work is fantastic, y'know. I love the SP cover art. O_O
But I'm interested to see what they'll come out with for this project.
I think a lot of the time with artwork, it's not a this-is-better/worse thing so much as a this-is-different thing. I'm excited for the different thing. :)
I love Tom Percival, but I feel like his style isn't exactly right for a horror book.
I'm also excited for the dofferemt-thing . . . but some covers ARE worse than others, so I just hope the new cover artist is good. :/
(My cat thinks it's a kitten.. its suckling on my thumb while clawing my...
Chest..)
*is still trying to work pur what I was attempting to write when I wrote 'hises' :S*
Hai!
@Jai: XD
Hi Jubi! :)
(Hey Jubi!)
@Starararar: Yep yep yep. Like, hopefully we don't get someone like whoever did the original SP American covers.
Ah gtg, may brb
JUBI! *hugs tightly*
@Star: O_O
Our school, you come in at year seven and stick you in a house, and depending on your house you do either French or German.
And then Year 9 you can pick to do the other as well, if you might want to do it at GCSE.
I think Latin sounds COOL, by means of language features, kind of.
But it also sounds HARD and possibly not very useful in comparison.
But I think compulsory languages tend to be less popular, so, idk.
(Bye Kessy!!!)
(Oh. She's decided that lying on me and pinning my arm is good enough for now.)
*huggles Jubi* Ayyyyyyy!
@Taia: I disagree with assigning kids languages by houses. -_-
Fours, Kes. :(
(You are sorry for asking to be called by your profile name?)
Liliana: *she kisses her hungrily back, pulling her close*
(Time skip, Jaimie?)
Bethany: *her hands glow white and a glass forms in her hands*
*and they stick you in a house,
JUBI! *hugs* !!! :) :)
@Tia: I like your picture, btw. xD
. . .
Today I decided to chew the skin around the fingernail belonging to my middle right finger, which I lean on when I write.
It now hurts when I write.
That was clever of me . . .
STAR!!!! SIL!!!!! CHI (ithink?)!!!!! KESSIIIE!!!! TAIA!!! SOPH!!!
HAI!!! *supermegatacklehugsofdoom*
(Yup. Time Skip. Again. :)
*glances at her*
What's with the glass..?
@Sophia: No, I'm sorry because I think I hurt Kas slightly.
(*saves Soph from the supermegatacklehugsofdoom, taking the hug* *supermegatacklehugsofdooms Jubi twice back!*)
Oh
right
*doesn't give Soph a supermegatacklehugofdoom*
:) *hugs Jubi*
(Hello, Jubilance.)
Liliana: *she grins, pushing Onwa down, kissing her neck*
Bethany: One second... *a knife forms in her hand and she gently, and carefully cuts her finger* *blood starts to drip into the glass*
. . .
You know
I love German
it just sounds so great. :O
Ein amderes Umweltproblem is der Mangel von Recyclingbehälter.
Just
it sounds so fabulous. :O
(Star - by asking to be called Star?)
Onwa: *moans, trying to press her lips to Liliana's*
*tenses up slightly, pupils dilating*
*focuses on the road, not the smell of blood, hands tightening slightly on the wheel*
*is supermegatacklehugofdoom-ed/hugs back* !!! :)
How're you doing, Jubi? It's good to see you. :)
(Oh. Apparently I put 33 songs on this playlist. I thought it was, like, eight, and have been waiting for around half an hour wondering why it's not ENDING. :P)
To me, German isn't the prettiest language, but it still sounds really cool :3
Well there have been times when I thought it sounded pretty but other times it's weird...
yeah
I am GOOD!
How are YOU, Taiaceratops?
@Star: I KNOW! :) :) :)
A lot of people say it's a very ugly/aggressive language
BUt like
How ugly is a language where the closest word they have to 'Goodbye' means to 'Until we meet again'?
It's lovely. :)
BRB
I just think it sounds glrious. Could be something to do with the fact I was surrounded by it when it was very small. Or not. :P
I don't think it sounds PRETTY, I just think it sounds AWESOME. :p
@Sophia: If I felt I was being unreasonable, I wouldn't have asked. It was only due to the reasonability of my request that I put up with the guilt and asked anyway.
@Taia: Yay, you agree!! :)
(@Star dedicate BOTH your pages!!!)
Liliana: *she kisses Onwa passionately, smiling*
Bethany: *she moves her hand over her skin, more blood flowing into the glass* *she fills it about half-way, before stopping the flow of blood and healing the wound* *she holds the glass out for her*
Elleni?
DAMMIT. TWO PAGES. -_-
(There should be no guilt, Star. Not only was your request reasonable - it was perfectly reasonable. You should not feel guilty, whether he is upset or not.)
(@El huh?)
Onwa: *kisses her passionately back, sighing happily*
*raises an eyebrow*
*takes the glass*
Um.. how do I..?
@Sophia: Whether I should feel guilty or not is irrelevant. I do. But not enough rescind my decision.
@Elleni: -_- I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
@Elleni: Cool stuff.
(@El draw the dog monster thing!)
(Jaimie, 2nd chapter up. I'm going for a shower then I'm going to type up my drama script. Or do my Biology project...idk...Biology...but that includes actually thinking about stuff...Ugh...I'll type out drama script then maybe another chapter...
Yes Jubi I'm chi ^.^ *Cuddles*)
(@Gem already commented =D thanks sis!
@El fiiiiiiiine.
*grins*
Draw a penguin.)
Liliana: Better?
Bethany: How do you...?
@Jubi: Good to hear! I'm fine, thanks. C: Just busy. :P
@Elleni: Draw a penguin with a Roman war helmet steering a wheelbarrow full of office supplies.
*nods seriously*
Ahhhhhhh meine Freundinnen.
C: Wuu2
B: Nout to do
C: Have you done the ICT homework?
B: Oh shit
Onwa: *grins*
Much.
Get the.. uh.. blood out?
Liliana: Good.
Bethany: Drink?
B: Wait were r we
Me: Somewhere.
B: What just happened
Me: Something.
C: Idek x
D: Don't look at me
B: Well that helps
-
I'll check.
C: Okay so Sam was just shooting al the wall, Alex told Kaladin and Dean to get go of him and they've been silent since.
Me: Kaladin was wathcing Sam, who was watching Lucifer. I think Dean was also watching Sam?
C: I think.
B: Right Sam just shot the wall they got the gun off him now everyone's just stood there awkwardly
D: So basically everyone was wacthing Sam
Me: Yeah.
-
@D: Yeah. :P
B: Basically.
-
He's a crazy mother fucker
XD
Onwa: *smiles*
Mm.. fun.
*raises an eyebrow*
(How do you drink... from gla-
OHHH YOU MEAN A CUP TYOE GLASS XD)
@Jai: XD XD XD
Oh my gosh.
Kaladin is so prejudiced and discriminative. -_-
(*feels stupid now xD*
I was just imagining her somehow filling up a shard of glass with blood like, what?!)
@Jai: XD *laughs*
Oh, bye, Elleni!
@Star: xD
'Make up a use for any of the smart materials named above. Describe the use in as much detail as possible.'
jfc. Exams are in nine weeks and this is the work my chemistry teacher sets in her absence
if making up colour changing socks gets people through a-levels
I don't-
what even ?
???
@Star: :P
@Sil: XD
@Taia: Idk. Exams are stupid. :)
Thanks, Taia. I like your ghost pic too ^.^
(Yes, I meant a glass cup.)
Liliana: Indeed.
Bethany: You can take one hand off the disk... surely?
I'm just like, "Oh my gosh, Kaladin, stop wanting to kill people for something they can't control hsainidsadsiandkan."
Onwa: *grins*
Round three?
Mm..
*sips from the glass while driving, sighing happily, keeping her focus as best she can on the road*
@Star:
No, I mean
it's not IN the exam
Smart materials aren't on this specification - they put it on the GCSE spec. It's COMPLETELy irrelevant
and they ask why our class aren't reaching our target grades -_-
@Taia: -_- Oh my gosh. That's stupid. -_-
@Tia: :) :) :)
@Star: *laughs* :P
Liliana: Can you last another round?
Bethany: ... Better?
Onwa: *raises an eyebrow*
Can you?
Much. Thank you..
*keeps driving while drinking, chugging slightly*
(Jaimie, I will make you a character at some point. Just not in this fanfic, it's a bit too late because it's almost at it's end...
I will make a new fanfic soon, I already have one about Skully and Val meeting Satan and Satan's nephew (Struan) I've got one chapter of that written, I'm talking slight details over with him then i'll continue. I also have other stories i'll be writing, I'm going to write and write another book...)
@Star: Yeah.
I mean, she usually sets homework ABOVE the standard we need for the exam, so I'm not ungrateful for the change in that respect
But
Y'know. :/
I think I'm going to Not Answer this question. ^^
(*cuddles Gemmy, smiling* s'fine sis. You know I'll read it either way xD)
@Taia: :) Good decision.
Liliana: Indeed.
Bethany: Do you feel alright?
Onwa: Then lets go another round.
Mmm.
*nods, smiling, downing the rest and licking her lips clean*
Thanks..
Yay name change!
*poofs*
*totally not ghosting*
*nope*
*hugs Star* :)
@Tia: :) :) :)
Profile pic is too dark. :/ the original full sized pic is so good though...
Methinks it looks fine :)
Yeah. The contrast gets downgraded when you upload them.
Double comment
whoooops
Hey, Jubisaurus!
(Yoyosushi)
Are they going to play a GAMEtogether? :P
Liliana: Hmm... *she kisses Onwa's neck passionately*
Bethany: You're welcome. *she smiles*
Onwa: *moans quietly, grinning*
*nods*
C's hip just popped out and now she's sprawled across the floor unable to get up.
O_O
I swear that cannot be healthy.
@Tia: It looks good anyway :0
@Star: O_O
Is she okay? o0
@Taia: Apparently she just fixed it, but still . . . that sounds dangerous. O_O
(My friend D just said "((Tough luck if you need the loo))" XD.)
He stands suddenly and begins to walk away from the crater, much to the dismay of the birds that had been resting on his shoulders. His armor makes no more sound than regular cloth clothing despite his brisk pace, and he seems oblivious to all but the path ahead of him as he continues along the treeline of the Blogland woods
Omg Keiron...
I didn't even realise that...holy shit...I wrote this before I went out with you, omg...
*Hugs tightly*
*Walks up to protector cautiously*
Hello?
(Hello to you all too! :P)
HAI SAOIRSE!!! *Supermegatacklehugsofdoom*
sorry
i just refreshed.. :P
(THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THANKS JUBI! *supermegataclehugsofdooms back*)
*also supermegatacklehugsofdooms Kas*
HAIII
His visor barely turns towards her before he leaps forward faster than the eye can follow, gauntlet reaching for her throat.
No analysis is needed past the surface. Wings, tail and fangs.
Obvious corruption.
An obvious threat.
Eliminate.
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