Publicity trip to Spain

As the books have become more successful much more time has had to be diverted from writing (including this blog) to promotional activities and I'm shocked to discover that it is the end of April already. And there's still a book to write in the next month or so. Arghh!

Just returned from taking part in Sant Jordi's day in Barcelona. If you ever get the chance to go it's a wonderful event. The centre of the city is given over to book stalls and rose sellers and there's all sorts of street entertainment. Well over a million people throng the streets on the day. Quite astonishing.

My main purpose in visiting Spain was to publicise Sangre Joven (Young Bloods), and I had a week's worth of press interviews to deal with. Tiring, but very exciting and successful. I made all the nationals as well as radio and TV and Daniel Fernandez, of my Spanish publishing house Edhasa, had the brilliant wheeze of hiring several Roman re-enactors to act as a praetorian guard for signing events. The net result of which was that everywhere we went people were taking photographs and the press used them in virtually ever paper the day after Sant Jordi. Edhasa was kind enough to invite my wife as well and she had a great time touring Madrid and Barcelona while I managed to squeeze in a few hours with her to see some of the sights. Including a chance to visit the Prado and see my favourite works by Goya and Velasquez. The room housing the later Goya works is frightening. His experience of the war against France, and his illness, truly darkened his view of life. In Barcelona I managed to get my Gaudi fix as well as having a great afternoon in the magical parc Guell.

So, a huge thanks to Edhasa for looking after us so well and making the visit such great fun. And a big thank you to all those Spanish readers who sought me out.