It’s been a couple of very busy weeks since I last wrote this blog and I’ll take the time to fill you in on what’s been happening in the world of DarkIsle recently.
I’ll start where I left off…
The Oban launch on October 3 went really well despite the reading taking place in
the gym hall where my voice (normally loud enough to be heard over a cacophony of sound….I was the only person who could be heard over the Crush Hall when I was a pupil at Eastwood High School!) had to compete with the echoing sounds of children’s screeching chairs and the lovely dinner ladies getting half the hall ready for lunchtime. It was noisy, but the children were lovely and I’d like to thank Park Primary for inviting me to read there. Hopefully, I’ll be back at some time in the future.
Oban itself was looking great as usual, despite the horrendous downpours of cold rain that happened sporadically throughout the day. I popped in to say hello to journalists on the Oban Times and Oban FM before nipping into Waterstone’s in Oban’s Main Street to sign some copies of the book. Staff there were fantastic and really put on a lovely display for me (as you can see from the photo). 
Thanks to all of you at Waterstone’s for making me so welcome!
My only gripe on that day was that I couldn’t get any pictures of me in Oban for the website because the weather was that bad. I fully intend to go back some time in the near future. So, if you see a blond woman having her pic taken in the streets of Oban, come up and say hello, it’s probably me.
Waterstone’s has featured quite heavily in my life over the past couple of weeks. To date, I’ve managed to visit quite a few branches across the country and sign copies of the book. Branches on my mini-tour included:
- Waterstone’s Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street, Glasgow
- Braehead
- All the Edinburgh ones….that’s one in George Street, two in Princes Street, Ocean Terminal and Cameron Toll
- Newton Mearns…Mearns Shopping Centre
- And East Kilbride
You can see some pictures of DarkIsle in the front windows and on the shelves (with the Scottish Children’s Book of the Month sign) to the left. It was really exciting seeing the book in the shops.
I also popped into Forrester High School in Edinburgh for a meeting with two young ladies from First Year who interviewed me for Teen Titles (a magazine for young people on the east coast)…am looking forward to seeing that article when the magazine comes out after Christmas. I also gave a reading to a group of First Years and answered questions on the book and writing. Thanks to Julie Sutherland, the school’s librarian for arranging that.
Finally, I’d like to say thanks to my poor husband Ian who gallantly took a massive pile of signed books round the Waterstone’s stores in St Andrew’s, Dundee, Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness last week. Being eight months pregnant, I couldn’t go myself, so he volunteered. It took him two days to get round everyone, but he enjoyed meeting all the booksellers. He returned home on the Saturday via Inverness, Fort William and Loch Ness, taking in all the fantastic scenery as he went. Regarding signed copies of the book, if you live in those areas and would like one, get yourself to your local branch soon…They’re also doing a special offer - £3 off and two for the price of one. According to the booksellers in a lot of the Waterstone’s stores, DarkIsle is selling fast. In fact, the Ayr branch, which I hope to visit this Saturday (Oct 27), has sold out. Fantastic news!
Apart from visiting Ayr (that is, if the baby doesn’t decide to come early), I don’t have any plans for any more book signings or readings in the very near future. However, I am planning to do more events early next year…watch this space!