Brandon Mull

Live Q & A online now

2009-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you missed Friday's Live Q&A, here is the recording.

Fablehaven 5 Cover

2009-10-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

The cover to Fablehaven: Keys To The Demon Prison. The book goes on sale March 23, 2010.

Fablehaven 5 Cover and Live Q&A This Friday

2009-10-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting parts of preparing my books for publication is seeing the new cover. I’ve been getting questions for about a year concerning what color the final book in the Fablehaven series will be, and what image it will depict. For much of the past year, I’ve also been asking those questions myself.

Brandon Dorman has illustrated all of my books so far, including my latest release, our picture book PINGO. I’m always excited to see what images he will create. He’s so talented that he seems to always exceed my expectations, but I think he saved the best for last. I got to help plan the cover for Fablehaven 5, but still the image he created blew me away. I think it visually helps reflect the content of the book, which contains the most action and adventure of any story I have written so far.

I will be conducting a live Q&A online this Friday, October 30th, at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

During the live Q&A I will be revealing the new cover for Fablehaven 5, as well as answering questions about my books, my future plans, and of course the upcoming finale of the Fablehaven series. If you have the evening open, be sure to drop by and shoot me a few questions.

Please join me this Friday. You can watch it at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/fablehaven or at http://www.fablehaven.com/ustream

The broadcast will be through the web site Ustream.com. If you have a Ustream account (totally free to create) you can ask questions live. Otherwise, email me questions at brandon@fablehaven.com and tune in Friday at 6 p.m. MST.

Thanks a lot,
Brandon

PINGO

2009-07-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have five novels in print now: four in the Fablehaven series, and one called The Candy Shop War. As my five-year-old and three-year-old began to show interest in my books, I realized I hadn't written anything for them. Sure, I hope they read and enjoy my books when they get older, but I discovered an itch to create something they could read now. Likewise, at my book signings, I often see families with younger kids in line.

Well, my latest book is for the little guys.

PINGO is about a kid whose imaginary friend becomes his imaginary enemy when he tries to stop believing in him. The premise sounds slightly psychotic, but the story ends up being a funny tale about friendship and imagination.

As with all of my books, I try to amuse myself along with the kids, so hopefully any picture book fans will have a great time. The book works well as a read aloud, and is complemented by fantastic art by Brandon Dorman, the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator who did all of my Fablehaven covers.

I'm proud of PINGO, and eager for readers to discover it. The book just came out. I know it can be found at bn.com and Amazon, and I'm sure it should now start appearing on bookstore shelves nationwide.

I'm not saying if you love Fablehaven, you'll love PINGO, because they are very different books. I am saying, if you're into picture books, and you trust my judgment because of Fablehaven, PINGO should deliver for you.

I'm currently working on chapter 19 of Fablehaven book 5. The book feels really cool so far. I expect the new Fablehaven to launch in March or April of 2010.

VIDEO: Brandon Mull Revealed

2009-06-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

The people at Simon and Schuster created this video called "Brandon Mull Revealed."

Behind the scenes of Fablehaven

2009-03-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

For those who couldn't make it to the Fablehaven launch party, here is a little video that was made for the event.

Updates on Fablehaven, the tour, and much more

2009-03-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey,

Here is a bunch of info all in one place about the release of Fablehaven Book 4. If you’re not interested, just disregard/delete.

FABLEHAVEN Book 4: SECRETS OF THE DRAGON SANCTUARY comes out tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24. At the same time, Book 3: GRIP OF THE SHADOW PLAGUE is now available in paperback. Amazon and bn.com both have good prices listed online, and the books can also be found in most major bookstores nationwide.

If you’re thinking about getting the books, or giving them as presents, now is a great time. For one, with the new release, the books are more in stock at stores than usual. Also, because of the new release, there are better discounts available. And also, if you care about helping the cause, sales on any of the Fablehaven books over these next couple of weeks will help toward the series hitting bestseller lists.

For these same reasons, this is a great time to share the series with friends or family who might be interested. Something like the following paragraph might get the job done (adjust however you want, and please add your personal opinion of the books):

Have you tried the Fablehaven books? Fablehaven is a really fun fantasy series. The books work well for kids, teens, and adults. They work well read alone, or aloud as a group or family. The Fablehaven series is about secret wildlife parks for magical creatures hidden in our world. There will be five books in the series. Book four just came out in hardcover, and book 3 just released in paperback. Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed! Fablehaven.com has more info.

Anyhow, if you’ve already started the series, I think the books get better as they go, and the chances are decent that book 4 might be your favorite so far.

Here is the info on my touring and events:

(check Fablehaven.com for more details)

Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30): LAUNCH PARTY at the Cottonwood High auditorium in Murray, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. This is a big, free show in a 3,000 seat theater. There will be live comedy, music performances, and characters in costumes for photo opportunities. I’ll speak about the series, then we’ll finish with a massive book signing. Books and T-shirts will be on sale. Get more info at Fablehaven.com

Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m. book signing at Mesa, AZ Barnes and Noble sponsored by Radio Disney (1758 South Val Vista Drive)

Friday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. book signing at Thousand Oaks, CA Borders (125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.)

Saturday, March 28 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. book signing at Sandy, UT CostCo (11100 Auto Mall Dr.)

Monday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. book signing at Enfield, CT Barnes and Noble sponsored by radio Disney (25 Hazard Ave.)

Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. book signing at Fenton, MO Barnes and Noble (721 Gravois Rd.)

Friday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. book signing at Plano, TX Barnes and Noble sponsored by Radio Disney (2201 Preston Road Suite E)

Saturday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. special Tempe, Arizona charity event to help a woman with cancer, other authors present will include STEPHENIE MEYER, SHANNON HALE, and eights others. This is the only appearance Stephenie Meyer has planned for the entire year. There is a price to attend the event in order to raise money for the woman with cancer. Get more info or buy tickets at projectbookbabe.com

Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. book signing at Boise, ID Barnes and Noble (1315 N. Milwaukee)

Friday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. signing at Spokane, Washington Barnes and Noble (15310 East Indiana)

Sorry to burned you with lots of info! I’m excited for readers to discover my latest book!

Brandon

Cover of a Magazine

2009-03-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd see my face on a cover of a magazine. You don't really picture that when you dream of becoming an author. But Utah Valley Magazine did just that. You can view it by following this link: http://blog.uvmag.com/marchapril2009/index.html

Humpty Dumpty as Film Noir

2009-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, March is here, and on March 24, Fablehaven Book 4, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, will finally be in stores. I'm excited for readers to discover the latest adventure!

I've kicked into high gear, hopping around the country and meeting people at schools and bookstores. Check Fablehaven.com to see if I'll be in your area. This year Radio Disney is getting involved with my launch signings. They'll broadcast live from my signings in Mesa, Az; Dallas, TX; and Hartford, CT. And I'll be on some Radio Disney programs as well.

I'm hoping this will be the biggest launch yet. It seems like the Fablehaven series continues to gain readers and momentum.

Let me mention my interview with Shannon Hale. It was my funnest interview to date. She is a very talented author, and her questions were fun and creative. As one of her questions, she challenged me to rewrite Humpty Dumpty as film noir. It turned out pretty funny. Go to squeetus.com or follow this link to read it: http://oinks.squeetus.com/2009/02/squeetus-exclusive-brandon-mull.html

Anyhow, I thought I should check in since lately I've been slow to blog. I'll try to get back into the habit!

Brandon

Idaho TV

2009-02-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to Idaho, I was interviewed by the local news.

Fablehaven Launch Party March 24th

2009-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Fablehaven 3 launch party was so fun last year, that we're doing it again this year. It will be Tuesday March 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Cottonwood High School (5715 South 1300 East) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The event is free and we anticipate a good turnout so show up early to ensure that you get a seat.

Here is a highlight video of last years party. This year's launch party will be a similar format.

VIDEO: How I Wrote Dragons for the Fablehaven Series

2009-01-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of me talking how I wrote the Dragon characters for the Fablehaven series. Let me know how you picture Dragons when you're writing about them. Or what are some of your favorite portrayals of Dragons in a book, movie, video game etc...

New Fablehaven Book Trailer

2008-12-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Book 4 is complete

2008-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

For me, there are few feeling that can match the relief and satisfaction of finishing the main draft of a novel. I am so happy to be done with writing Book 4, because now the story exists in a tangible way outside of my mind, and I can focus on polishing. It is especially a vast relief because the story turned out really well. Fans will be pleased and in general, I think the excitement over the series will increase.

I got the book done just in time to stay on track for a March 24 release. I am already getting great reactions from my initial proofreaders, and can't wait to get the story out there for everybody.

Another interesting tidbit is the news that I have received a draft of the Fablehaven screenplay. I barely got it and have been on the road, so I've only read the first bit, but what I have read seems really cool and basically true to the flavor of the book. I will comment more once I have read the screenplay and digested it.

My summer of writing has ended, and now generally I'll be back on the road visiting schools and bookstores a bunch. Keep an eye on Fablehaven.com and BrandonMull.com to see if I'm coming to your area!

Update

2008-08-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

Summer is waning, and I made some goals, so here is the update.

One goal I had involved weekly blogging. That was my biggest failure. I was too absorbed in family, writing, and weight loss to get serious about blogging as regularly as I had hoped. So room for improvement there.

Another goal was writing Fablehaven 4, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. That one has been going well. I'm on chapter 19 and should be done by mid-September. For a good chunk of the summer I've worked ten hour days six days a week. Fortunately, I've mostly enjoyed the work. The book feels really cool. I think readers will be very pleased when it releases in the Spring. I'll feel even better about it once I polish off these last chapters and can get to the editing phase.

I also had a weight loss goal. I've lost almost fifteen pounds over the summer, which is good but not incredible. I'd like to lose at least ten more. I broke the diet routine a few times over the summer, but the good part is I never totally lost the faith, and ended up returning to good eating and moderate exercise before I demolished my progress. Eating moderately has been a good thing overall, and helped me appreciate decadent food much more when I have it.

I spent the last week in Connecticut with my family. We did some fun things—hit a Connecticut beach, visited Mystic Seaport where we could tour old ships and shops, ate some delicious seafood, spent a day at Six Flags New England, and signed books at my dad's company picnic. We had the kids at Six Flags, and it was no Disneyland as far as entertaining little ones, but they had a nice time, and I really enjoyed the Superman roller coaster. Instead of loops or gimmicks like dangling from the track, Superman relied on crazy drops and high speed to generate the fun. The track covered a lot of real estate, so it didn't twist much, letting the riders hit the metal hills head on and really feel the plunges.

There is the latest. I'll keep you posted on my last few weeks writing FH4.

Writing For Charity Event

2008-07-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm involved in a charity event on July 19. The event makes sense for aspiring writers who are within striking distances of Salt Lake City. The proceeds go to a really great cause. Here are the details:

Writing for Charity

This summer have unfettered access to professional children's authors,
all in the name of charity! Saturday, July 19 several local authors
will host a Writing for Charity event in Salt Lake City, with all
profits going to The Wheelchair Project. Come hear writers talk about
their process, how to write for a young audience, storytelling tips,
and the ins and outs of the publishing business. In addition, have
your picture book text or first page of your novel (the most important
page!) workshopped by professionals.

When: Saturday, July 19, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Salt Lake Main Library, 200 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Cost: $45 (should be tax deductible!)
Event breakdown: 9:00 am -- Registration
9:15 - 10:15 am -- Panel discussion in the auditorium
10:30 - 11:15 -- Break out discussions in topic groups
11:30 - 1:00 -- Small group workshops

Authors include Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Mette Ivie Harrison, Ann
Cannon, Kristyn Crow, Becky Hickox, Kimberley Heuston, Anne Bowen,
Aprilynne Pike, Ann Dee Ellis, Mike Knudson, and Wendy Toliver.

Space is limited, first come first serve.

To reserve your spot, mail in the $45 registration fee.
Mailing address: 1176 E 2620th N, Provo, UT 84604-4132
Make checks to: "LDS Philanthropies" (the organization that runs The
Wheelchair Project) and write "Wheelchair" in the memo line.
Also include: Your name, age, phone number, and area of interest--
picture book writing, fantasy novel, or realistic fiction novel.

On the day of the event, bring 15 copies of the first page of your
novel or picture book text (maximum word count: 300 words) for some
hands on workshopping.

100% of the proceeds go to The Wheelchair Project, a wonderful charity that donates new wheelchairs
to people in third world countries, many of whom have never had one. A
wheelchair can completely change the life of a disabled person,
offering mobility, increased independence, and a chance to go to
school or find employment. Because this charity is administered by
volunteers with LDS Philanthropy, there is no overhead and every penny
donated goes directly to purchasing wheelchairs. This is not a
religious charity--the wheelchairs go to the needy regardless of their
faith. Thank you for supporting this extraordinary cause!

Jerky Authors

2008-07-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing rumors that some authors are jerks, although I still haven't personally met a real prizewinner yet. A few have treated me indifferently, but nobody has been rude or openly arrogant. Still, talking to people in the industry, and to bookstore employees, and readers, I hear there are some really impersonal authors out there. Names have been named to me, though I will not repeat them here.

What blows my mind is that of all professions, fiction writers should be the most personable! Why? Because to do what we do, we have to understand what makes somebody likeable or despicable, heroic or cowardly, friendly or abrasive, nice or jerky. We make our living by creating characters, and making those characters relatable to readers. How can writers who thoroughly understand what makes somebody smart, or kind, or likeable proceed to behave another way? By the way, if I'm ever a jerk, feel free to quote this back to me.

The bright side so far is that my personal experiences with other authors have been mostly quite positive. Through book conferences and other opportunities, I've had a chance to meet some pretty successful authors, and most have been very personable, including some big names like Neil Gaiman and Christopher Paolini. I hear that authors for younger audiences have a reputation for being nicer, and those are largely who I meet, so maybe that is part of it, although some of the friendly authors I have encountered write for adults. Guys like Orson Scott Card, who generously gave me some very helpful advice when I was brand new.

Not that you have to be famous to be jerky. I can easily conceive of the semi-famous or non-famous jealous jerk variety. So easily that I may have even glimpsed a couple.

Speaking of personalities, on a lighter note, somebody forwarded me a Fablehaven personality test. I have no idea who created it. I took the test, and apparently I'm Lena. Who knew? If you want to check it out, here is a link: http://www.allthetests.com/quiz25/quizpu.php?testid=1214937487

That's all for now. I'm almost done with chapter 6 of Fablehaven 4. Feels like a lot of fun so far. I'll keep you posted.

Goals

2008-06-20T08:42:00.001-07:00

This is my summer of goals. I'm not usually Mr. Goal Maker Guy, but my time has gotten squeezed lately, forcing me to be more active about the things I want to accomplish. Somebody once said that a goal is just a wish until you write it down. So apparently most of the stuff I've accomplished in my life so far has been wishes coming true. But now here I am, writing down some actual goals.

Of course the main goal at the top of my list this summer is writing an outstanding fourth Fablehaven book. That means about two chapters a week, and I think I should be able to swing it. I'm currently on chapter 4. The story already feels exciting. I can't wait to get deeper into it. Sometimes I wish I had a machine that would automatically translate my thoughts into words that artfully relate the story I have in mind. Then I realize that's a lazy man's wish. The closest I'm likely to get is a machine into which I can type my words. I'll keep you posted as I progress deeper into Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

I also have a weight loss goal. I'm aiming to lose about 20 pounds by the end of the summer. This is actually a momentous occasion—I've lost and gained weight in my life, but never as the result of a strict, focused diet. My wife Mary is organizing what I'll eat and helping me count calories and make good choices. Hopefully as I add my willpower to her organizational and culinary skills I'll be able to shed some of the pounds I've put on as I travel around the country on book tour eating at restaurants. I definitely have the appetite of a very fat man, so the time has come to fight back!

I've lost about five pounds so far. At the outset the hunger made me grouchy. Then I got used to eating reasonable portions of healthy food, and usually I suffer less than I did at the outset. I'm getting on the treadmill a few times a week and messing around with Wii Fit as well. Hopefully if I can hang in there I'll be able to live better for a longer portion of my life. I had to do something before I swelled into that level of obesity from which there is no return!

One thing I have learned is that as I diet, food tastes better. Suddenly fruit actually tastes sweet and almost like dessert. And desserts taste like explosions of taste. Hunger really is the best gravy.

Yet another goal I have made is to blog at least once a week, so here I am fulfilling one goal as I talk about others!

A mini-goal I have is figuring out a fun family vacation. We're currently debating between Sea World and a cabin north of Glacier Park.

So many goals, so little time. At least it is summer, and I'm home writing, so I'm more in control of my time than usual. Hopefully sharing these goals publicly will give me a little extra incentive to stick to them!

Key to the Library

2008-06-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I attended a Fablehaven party at the American Fork library, not far from my home. They had lots of people in costume and set up many fun activities. The Utah dairy counsel brought out their "Got Milk?" banner and were taking milk moustache pictures in harmony with the "drink the milk" theme in Fablehaven. There were witches handing out curses, fairies healing curses, water fights, live chickens, and I signed tons of books. The event was ticketed and sold out, which is why I didn't mention it here beforehand.

As part of the event, the mayor of American Fork presented me with the Key to the Library. I knew the key was ceremonial, but deep down part of me was excited that maybe I could now sneak into the library after hours to do some research or at least use the restroom. The event marked the first time a political official has given me the key to anything. I put the key in my office.

The event reminded me how word about Fablehaven and The Candy Shop War continues to spread. I was pleased and surprised by the mix of kids and adults who have been enjoying the series. I must admit, the event made me feel some extra pressure to make book four the best it can be. If I really nail it, maybe I'll get the key to some more libraries!

BEA

2008-06-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

I was at Book Expo America in Los Angeles this past weekend. It is the big national event where all of the publishers are showcasing their upcoming books to all of the retailers. The convention is also attended by librarians and other book enthusiasts. It was my third time attending the event. The previous one was in New York.

I was there to help more people discover Fablehaven and The Candy Shop War, and I think I had some good success. I was pleased with how many people were already aware of my books. Probably the funnest part was some of the authors I met and hung out with.

Most of the time I was hanging out with other Shadow Mountain guys. This includes Obert Skye, James Dashner, and Jason Wright. Also my editor Chris Schoebinger. They're all cool guys. I knew James the least, but now I know him better, and we all had a nice time together, except when James got carsick and ended up jumping out of the car to dry-heave at a greenbelt in Beverly Hills. Poor guy. He was a trooper. I passionately hate getting nauseated.

I spoke briefly with Brandon Sanderson, who writes the Alcatraz books and lots of great adult fantasy. I think he's a really good writer and I like him a bunch.

I also met Dean Lorey, who writes the Nightmare Academy books. He was a nice guy, and we roamed around and chatted for a while. He has a fascinating background writing for TV and film. I expect we'll cross paths again.

I signed books at the same time as Christopher Paolini, who writes Eragon and Eldest and has Brisingr coming out soon. We were able to have a good chat before the signing started. I wasn't sure what to expect from him. Having had so much success so young, I could picture him being spoiled by that, but happily that did not seem to be the case. He was very nice and friendly, so we had a good talk. We have the same agent, who introduced us.

I was probably most geeked out when I got to meet Neil Gaiman. He has written all sorts of things, including Stardust and Coraline. He spoke at a breakfast I attended, and I wanted to meet him there, but the crowds were too big. But then I went to a party at CAA, the agency that handles my movie rights, and Neil was there. So I tried to put on a brave face and approached him. To my vast relief he was very friendly, and we had a decent chat. He had an aura of cool around him, but maybe that was just because I have huge respect for his imagination.

Overall, the book expo was a chance to mingle with lots of people who are into the same stuff I love: writing and reading books. I had a great time, and am already looking forward to next year when the expo is back in New York.

IF YOU MISSED IT GLENN BECK INTERVIEW

2008-05-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the Glenn Beck interview in full if you missed it.

Radio and TV Appearances

2008-05-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday May 13th, I'll be doing an interview on the Blog Talk Radio show Book Bites For Kids at 2:00 p.m. Central Time. They will be giving away some great Fablehaven Prizes. To listen to the show click this link. Also, during the show you can call 1-646-716-9239 to ask questions, make comments, and win the Fablehaven prizes. They will also save the show as a podcast, so you can't listen live you can tune in later. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids

And on Thursday May 15th I will be interviewed by Glenn Beck on his CNN/Headline News Show. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, but will replay several times that evening.

Busy Weeks

2008-05-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it. My sister Summer and I visited 12 cities in 14 days as part of the Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague launch festivities. That first week we often had to settle for an hour or two of sleep each night. Some of our signings lasted until after midnight (we started them at 7 p.m.) and then we had to catch early morning flights the next day in order to keep appointments in the next city. It felt ludicrous to check into hotels at 2 a.m. only to check out at 3:30 a.m. But a pathetic hour and a half in bed felt better than nothing. By checking into a hotel, at least we had the illusion of normal sleep.

The whole first week was an interesting exercise in sleep deprivation. We should have invited researchers to monitor us. Despite feeling a bit stretched, I managed to keep it together during multiple presentations throughout each day and for long signings in the evening. Summer experienced some moments on the edge of blacking out, but all in all we stayed healthy and made it through.

We didn't catch much sleep the second week either, but three or four hours a night felt pretty good after one or two the previous week.

On some days, libraries became my home away from home. We often booked our hotels near the airport, so it usually didn't make sense to return to the distant hotel between daytime appointments and signings. We killed as much time as we could getting dinner, and otherwise found ourselves without anyplace to go. Libraries made a good haven because I could browse, we could get wi-fi, and I could get on a library computer when needed (we only had one laptop, and Summer needed it to keep booking future engagements).

Summer was awesome for hanging in there with me during such brutal weeks. I can't believe how well she kept us on track despite her fatigue. Now we both get to rest from touring for the coming week. I'll be getting ready to pound out my fourth Fablehaven book, and Summer will be readying our final tour visits before summer hits.

We had the awesome reward of learning that on May 11, Fablehaven will be posted at #3 on the New York Times bestselling children's series list. That is the highest we've ever hit!

I'll be doing a couple of signings in Utah on Saturday, May 10. Check Fablehaven.com for details.

Hope you guys are liking book three.

Brandon

Awesome Launch Party

2008-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been zipping from town to town during the last week. Portland on Monday, San Francisco Tuesday, Los Angeles Wednesday, Phoenix Thursday, Salt Lake Friday, and Boise Saturday. There have been great signings at every stop, but the launch party in Salt Lake City was one of the highlights of my writing career so far.

My publisher rented a big auditorium and we filled all but some of the upper balcony seats. Well over 2,000 people showed up. There was an amazing energy in the room. Several of my friends from my comedy troupe days warmed up the audience, and then I came on stage and had a lot of fun talking about the book 3 launch, the origins of some of my ideas, and where the Fablehaven series is headed.

We had people from all over the state of Utah in attendance. I became aware of people who flew and drove in from Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, California, and Ohio. I played foosball against Noah Powell, who won a contest and was flown to the event from California. He was a really cool kid and we had fun.

At the end, at least a thousand people stood in line and we blazed through hundreds and hundreds of signatures. The illustrator for my books, Brandon Dorman, was in attendance as well, signing books and posters. I normally like to take enough time to get to know every person in line, but that would have made for a 14-hour signing, so I blazed through only signing my name and chatting briefly, while people from my publisher kept cracking the whip to keep me on task. Even so, the signing took over three hours. If you were in that line, sorry I was in a rush, but it was for everybody’s good. The people at the back of the line might have resorted to cannibalism. Catch me on another night and we’ll get a better chance to chat!

Overall, the launch party was one of those nights that I will never forget. It was amazing to have so many people who have been enjoying my books under one roof with a party atmosphere.

Now I’m gearing up for a flurry of Eastern cities: St. Louis, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Washington D.C., and Enfield, Connecticut.

My sister Summer (who tours with me) and I should be running on fumes by the end. Wish us luck!

Fablehaven 3 Launch Week

2008-04-19T18:11:00.001-07:00

Well, Fablehaven 3 launches on Monday (April 21). The novel will be in most major bookstores nationwide, as well as at amazon and bn.com and all that. I'm excited and scared. Excited because I think readers are going to love the book. Scared because I'll be visiting 12 far-flung cities in 14 days. Lots of travel, lots of late nights, lots of early mornings. I'm praying that flights don't get cancelled, that I don't accidentally sleep in, and that I avoid major illnesses.

My little girl Rosalyn is now over a month old and as cute as can be. I'm sad to leave my family, but glad that summer is around the corner. During the summer I'll mostly be at home writing the fourth Fablehaven novel.

Anybody who really wants to help the Fablehaven cause should get their books within the next two weeks. Books within that timeframe will really help our attempt to climb the bestseller lists.

Hopefully I'll see a bunch of you when I'm on the road. You guys make the traveling worth it!

My tour schedule is available at Fablehaven.com.