Tony, who runs (owns?) a local bookshop, Pritchards in Formby, had set it up. He works really hard and does an amazing job of getting loads of writers to do talks and signings around Formby and Crosby in Merseyside. Of the several events i've been to not many people have turned up which is a real shame as people are missing a treat. For some reason i don't think he gets much support from the local press which is wierd.
Very few people turned up, maybe around 10, Michael Scott didn’t seem bothered and just thought it was funny. He used to have a book shop in Ireland and said it happened all the time, even with really famous people. He told a story about a time when not one single person turned up for a Kenneth Williams (he of Carry On fame) signing, even after a week of stories in the local papers and tv appearences specifically mentioning the signing. He got members of staff to pretend to be customers in an attempt to keep Mr. Williams happy.
Tony, the organiser, was a bit cheesed off this time I think, it was a shame. He said loads of people had told him they were coming. He was expecting 70 people. It was their loss but i don't think these events can continue with support from the public.
Michael Scott was a top bloke, gave a great talk and read a chapter from the Alchemyst (The first book in the series).
I asked him about the eBook ‘The Death of Joan of Arc’ he said after the 6 Nicholas Flamel books are finished he’s doing a ‘Lost Tales of Nicholas Flamel’ which will be short stories and the death of Joan of Arc will be in that. He seemed a bit embarrassed about the ebook and kept saying it wasn’t worth £2 (I told him it was only 70p). He’s working on a new series called ‘EarthLords’ amongst many other things.
Several people were impressed that I had all the books in hardback, as in Britain they are only being released in softcovers from book 4 onwards.
His publisher was there and everyone (3 people) ripped into her for changing the covers halfway through the series (to quite frankly inferior covers). (The good covers are still available in America so I'll be buying the last two books from Amazon.com) She gave a very half hearted explanation as to why, it satisfied no one.
Changing the covers halfway through a series seems to be a recent trend. I mentioned they’d done it with the excellent Spooks books (by Joseph Delaney) and a woman from Switzerland agreed and had been annoyed enough to write to the publisher about it. (Hardly anyone from Formby turned up but three old ladies came all the way from Switzerland). They've done it with the F.E. Higgins books as well. My theory is that someone in has decided that kids like flashy pictures on their books rather than beautifully designed images.
I gave him a copy of my own Onion Boy poem and he said he’d be in touch, that would be good to get an email from him, even if he thinks its rubbish. Would be great to see what a successful author thinks of my attempts.
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