Launch Party at TKE and etc.

The latest:

1. We're just five days away from the release of THE MAZE RUNNER! I'd like to personally invite everyone on Earth to the official launch party, to be held at 5:00 pm at the very excellent indie store, The King's English in Salt Lake City, Utah. The address is 1511 South 1500 East, just north of the Starbucks.

Please come! It'll be the first chance to get a signed copy of the book. Also, since it's kind of early in the day, I'm a little worried about the turnout (that's called neurosis). I'll be doing a talk and Q&A at 5:00, so come on time if you can - but we should be there until 6:30 or 7:00.

2. Then I head for Seattle, then San Francisco/Oakland, then Chicago, then New York City, then Washington DC, then Salt Lake again, then Phoenix, and we wrap up in L.A. For the full tour schedule of events, please CLICK HERE.

I would really love to meet as many of you as possible!

3. I received my schedule for the tour - wow. I'm going to be one busy dude. Lots of interviews, lots of school visits, lots of signings. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited.

4. One event is going to be pretty incredible that I think all of you can experience, no matter where you are. I don't know all the details yet, but on October 15th at the big Barnes and Noble in Manhattan, I'll have the honor of serving on a panel discussing post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction with three other amazing authors: Scott Westerfeld (UGLIES, LEVIATHAN), Michael Grant (GONE, HUNGER) and Carrie Ryan (THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH).

The event will be filmed and streamed on the B&N website. I'll post the details once I know more.

5. In other news, I received my editorial letter and manuscript comments from Krista (Marino) yesterday for THE SCORCH TRIALS, Book 2 of the trilogy. I don't think she really reads my blog, so I can say this without anyone accusing me of brown-nosing: she is freaking brilliant. I can't tell you any specifics because it would just be spoilers, but she nailed so many things that will enhance the book and take it to another level, just like she did with the first one. I am a lucky author to have her as my editor.

6. I can't sleep at nights. I mean, usually I can, but I'm just too excited and antsy this week.

7. Did you watch the series premiere of FLASH FORWARD? As a die-hard fan of LOST, I'm really hoping this can fill that series' shoes once its done for good next spring. I am officially intrigued, especially by that brilliant ending of the first episode. Oh how I loved that!

8. That made me think of something: I'd like to take this opportunity and thank the people responsible for DVRs, TiVos, etc. You are more important than Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Peter Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Mother Teresa all rolled up into one. That is all.

9. Speaking of LOST, I'm going to be so, so, so sad when it's over. Any writer should study that series on so many levels to learn about storytelling, characterization, how to structure chapters (the individual episodes are so brilliant!), etc. Sidenote: people don't realize how important the music is in that series! If FLASH FORWARD had the same music person, it would've been twice as powerful.

10. Well, that was kind of a random end to our list today. I have so many thoughts and feelings churning inside me as we get closer to launch day. I'll share more of those soon. I hope everyone is enjoying the best time of year: fall.