Valour is out today in the UK. Woo-hoo! It is still a very surreal experience for me, seeing a book that I’ve imagined for so long in my mind turned into paper and pages and artwork, sitting on a real bookshelf amongst authors that I love.
Yesterday I travelled up to London to sign some books in Forbidden Planet and Goldsboro Books. Forbidden Planet is a great place to be – Geek Heaven – and Ed and I lost a fair bit of time wandering amongst its bookshelves.
Then it was on to Goldsboro Books – a fabulous bookshop, specialising in signed first editions, it’s like a shop of gold in the middle of Covent Garden. Had a nice chat with its owner, David Headley, about axes, medieval festivals, dogs and how author signatures change over time! He also has a very cool border terrier called Mia.
And then we were taken to lunch at Jamie Oliver’s by part of Team Tor – my editor Julie Crisp, publicist Lucie Cuthbertson-Twiggs and marketing guru Rob Cox. It was a wonderful meal with lovely company. Lots of laughter all round.
After that Ed and I were drawn back to Forbidden Planet – not sure how that happened! Geekery was undertaken and presents purchased.
And one last stop at the Salisbury, St Martin’s Lane, for a pint and a catch up with a friend – Rob Sharpe.
Then it was back on the train and home. A fabulous day.
I must say a huge thank-you to all that have helped in bringing this dream to life – my wife Caroline and my children, for putting up with me when my head is off in the Banished Lands, to John Jarrold, my agent extraordinaire, Julie Crisp, editor and all-round deity, the fabulous bunch of people at Team Tor, and all of those people that have read and enjoyed Malice. Thank-you also to those that have taken the time to drop me a line and share their thoughts on Malice.
