Vague Tour Dates, Carano and Rousey

For those of you wanting to know tour dates and locations, I should have them soon.

I mean, I have them NOW, like, but I'm not going to tell you what they are until they're finalised. I simply can't. What if, for example, I mentioned that my publishers are thinking of sending me to a town near you, and you organise your mates to go along, and start making plans, and then a week later I announce that, actually, we're going to be missing out on your town because we simply don't have time to visit?

That would suck, would it not?

So, I'm keeping them to myself for the moment. I've just sent an email off, checking on when I can announce, and hopefully it'll only be a few days.

As it stands, though, and without getting into too much detail, I think I'm spending 4 or 5 days in New Zealand, and then about 10 days in Australia. I'll be visiting a lot of cities I've been to in the last tour, while also adding some new ones. Right now, my main focus is making sure I get to spend enough time at each particular location, but this timetable is TIGHT... I just don't want to get into a situation where I have to rush to the airport when there's still 50 people waiting to get something signed...

And then the Ireland/UK tour kicks off. Unlike previous tours, where I was gone for 10 days, we're only going to take the first three weekends in September, in order to fit in as many big signings as we can.

The kind of tours you go on tend to change DRASTICALLY depending on how your books sell. When you're starting out, or when your audience is smaller, writers get sent to a load of schools in order to get the word out. Then, if they're lucky enough for their books to catch on, the schools come to THEM, in theatres or community halls or whatever. And then, if they're REALLY lucky and their books have an established audience, the best use of their time is these huge public signings, where they get to meet as many readers as possible. It's frantic, it's hectic, sometimes only one book can be signed per person, but the whole point of it is to send everyone away with a smile on their face.

Except me, of course. By the end of these signings, I can no longer smile. My face-muscles tend to melt.

This year is going to feel weird because I'm not going to Germany, like I've done every year since 2008 or so. The reason for this is because my German publishers want me over early NEXT year for one of their festivals, so all you German readers will have to wait just a little longer...

Speaking of festivals, I've got a few coming up. I'll be at the Dalkey Book Festival on the 17th of June in Dublin, I'll be in Cheltenham in October, and... okay, I have a few others that are apparently unconfirmed, so I'll wait until I know for sure before announcing them.


Hmmm... I'm thirsty...


Do I have anything of interest to say to you? I'm trying to think...

I've been watching a few movies, ever since I finished the book. Watching some TV. The Avengers kicked all kinds of ass. Words cannot express how much I loved that movie.

The Grey surprised the hell out of me. Wow.

Dexter is its usual brilliant self.

I'm loving how much Game of Thrones is being loved by the general public.

Umm... is that it? Is that sincerely all I've watched?

Actually, the only other show I've been watching is the only reality show I'd EVER watch, The Ultimate Fighter, where all these fighters train and fight in order to be awarded a contract with the UFC. Mixed Martial Arts is just terrifying to watch because your favourite fighter might be winning round after round after round, and then he makes one tiny mistake and the fight is over. Not even boxing is as nerve-wracking as MMA.

But to my mind there is one thing cooler than MMA- and that is Women's MMA. I've mentioned Gina Carano before- she was in Haywire, some of which was filmed in Dublin, and she's going to be in the next Fast and Furious movie- and she began her career as an MMA fighter. As you can probably tell by my books, I have a healthy respect for women who can fight, and Gina Carano is probably one of my favouritest women in the world right now.

And my other favouritest person is Ronda Rousey, the current Strikeforce Women's MMA champion. From what I've seen, Rousey is wonderfully upfront and honest, and if you have a few minutes, go on You Tube and take a look at her fights. I say a few minutes because most of them end within the first 60 seconds or so. Her armbars are AMAZING.

Do yourself a favour, though, and look at the Miesha Tate fight LAST. And only if you have a strong stomach. Honestly. The way that arm bends back on itself is just stomach-turning.

In one of the books, I can't remember which, Val looks at Tanith and wishes she had shoulders like hers. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you those shoulders.