How reintroducing wolves into Yosemite Park changed the course of rivers.
I’m filing this under “Extremely interesting” since it implies a lot about the effects of dragon slaying and other putatively heroic behaviors.
beautiful
The Way Into Darkness cover art reveal
StandardThe September Kickstarter update just went out, but you don’t have to click through to see the unveiled cover art by Chris McGrath. Why, just look
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here:
There’s a progress update, too, but you’ll have to click through to read it because I don’t want to type all that out again.
Want to see the Chris McGrath art for book 2?
StandardSure you do!
I just sent this out in a Kickstarter update, so now I can share it with you. Chris McGrath’s art work for The Way Into Magic, book two of The Great Way.
The Way Into Magic, Book 2 of The Great Way
I know, right?
I’ve talked before about searching for a cover artist to portray Cazia (a fifteen-year-old girl and the co-protagonist), and how few galleries feature female characters that weren’t sexualized. As much as I love the cover art for book 1, this image makes me really grateful to work with Chris on this.
Book 3 art is still hidden here in my vest pocket, to be unveiled later.
Randomness for 7/16
Standard1) Weapons confiscated by the TSA.
2) The technology to rip off your card when you use an atm is becoming advanced.
3) Turning Facebook covers and profile pics into art.
4) Casting letter shows alternate actors considered for ST:TNG. Jenny Agutter as Beverly Crusher? Wesley Snipes and Geordi? Kevin Peter Hall as Data? Yaphet Kotto as Picard? Huh.
5) Artist recreates his childhood drawing 20 years later. Wow.
6) Burned, abandoned, flooded mall has become home to koi and catfish.
7) Top 10 Most Effective Editing Moments of All Time, according to Cinefex. Video.
Prince’s Recording of Purple Rain (annotated)
Video[Update: I assume the copyright claim that pulled the video offline is an automated one, since this was clearly fair use. Shit.]
I didn’t realize Purple Rain was actually performed live and edited for inclusion in the album. You can see the full live version here, with notes about what was changed. I’m not a huge Prince fan, but this is interesting.
I’m looking at map art for The Great Way
StandardI can’t share the actual images, because they’re just sketches and that’s not fair, but they are genuinely awesome and amazing. My wife and son have to help me choose between a beautiful traditional map and one done to look like a mosaic, which is very different and very cool.
The map is being created by Priscilla Spencer, who has done maps for Jim Butcher, Myke Cole, and Saladin Ahmed, among others.
I can’t wait for a finished version to share.
Vacation (with pics)
StandardLast week, we hopped a train down to San Jose to visit my wife’s uncle and visit him and his home city, Santa Cruz. It wasn’t long enough, and sleeping in coach on a train may be better than sleeping on a plane, but still: sleeping in a chair. (The train ride from Seattle to SJC was 24 hours, 20 minutes.)
So, it was not long enough. Few vacations ever are. However, my uncle has a beautiful little house with a pretty little garden (filled with drought-resistant plants, because California) and the beach was only literally a ten-minute walk away.
Pics behind the cut: Continue reading
Randomness for Mother’s Day
Standard1) Map of boys names from around the world. I didn’t see one for girls.
2) Huge 3D printer built ten one-story buildings in one day out of construction waste and cement. The video is cool.
3) Sony wages a brutal 35 year war with record producer over their refusal to pay royalties.
4) New Zealand artists create 3D Sand pictures.
5) Movie Scripts Ranked by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Hey, the higher the reading level of the script, the more critically-lauded you’d expect it to be, right?
Walk The Fire 2 Title Page
StandardOne of the perqs of the Walk The Fire 2 Kickstarter is a signed “title page” from each of the authors. It’s just a sheet of paper with the name of the story, my name, and my signature (in a font other than Comic Sans).
Anyway, my design sense is sort of crap, so I turned it over to the closest designer I know: my 12-year-old son. This is what he came up with:
The gray circle prints up lighter than it shows here, but that’s to its advantage.
The kid did a fine job, I think.
New Kickstarter Update posted (with cover art)!
StandardIt’s the beginning of the month, so it’s time for an update on my Kickstarter.
This one includes the cover art for the first novel, The Way Into Chaos, by Chris McGrath!
Check it out.
No, seriously, check out that cover art! It’s gorgeous.