Cover Time

It feels strange to be talking about the cover of Crossed (now officially called Crossed, A Void City Novel) before the mass market paperback for ReVamped hits the shelves next month, but like a kid with a new favorite t-shirt, I have to show it off.

This is not the final cover. Quotes and such may change, but I think the artwork side of things is going to remain the same. Gene did a great job of capturing Greta's look. I asked if he could be sure and make Greta look like she might actually kill something (given that she's hands down the character most likely to to go on a killing spree) and since I'm not allowed to have Eric (the male protagonist) on the cover, it was cool that they let my evil flesh-eating Mustang be on the cover again. He even worked in the bowling alley and Greta's pet skull!

You can look for this one on the shelves late January 2011, but ReVamped will hit stores in late September 2010 (just in time for Halloween!) and it will have a preview of the first chapter of Crossed. Here's a hint: They let me start it with a sex scene. It's even plot important! :)

Sneak Peek At Concept Art 1

I can't give you all the details yet, but the Top Secret Web Comic Project is coming along nicely. All I can say right now is that I'm writing it and it's set in the universe of a very cool up and coming roleplaying game.

I just got the first concept sketches for one of the main characters. I won't tell you the character's name yet, but she's cool and a very powerful magic user.

The artwork was done by Laura Sloan ( http://bumberparty.blogspot.com/ )and though she will not be doing the artwork in the comic, I just had to share her cool concept art. No sketches of the steam punk robot yet, but when I get them (and get permission to post them) you'll see them. :) The concept she was given was: part Egyptian Mau, part Red-tailed Hawk, and part Wolverine. I think she did a wonderful job.

So what do you think?

Muse-day Tuesday: ConCarolinas 2010

Long time no blog?

What's up with that? Well, I could make excuses and talk about being under the weather (*cough* still am... don't this letter seem a little hoarse to you?), or about three cons in four weeks... or about page proofs (which are on the way back to my editor even as I type), but instead...

A ConCarolinas Report!!!

This is always a fun con for me. Rob, Dan, and Karen from the WTF always ride down with me (or more accurately are nice enough to let me ride down with them) and I get to see some authors I usually don't get to hang out with much at larger cons, because they are so weighed down by fans they can't even walk down the hallway without the police being called in to direct traffic (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration).

A short, but not complete list: Gail Z. Martin, David B. Coe, A.J. Hartley, Misty Massey, Edmund Schubert, James Maxey, Sabrina Luna... and the list goes on... and on... and on, but I have to be up REALLY frick'n early in the morning (Eldest has to have his adenoids out tomorrow), so I won't whip out my guest list and type in everyone's name.... or even spell check this post.

Gah! Look at it in all its incorrectitude!

What else goes in a con report?

I was on some panels, but do to mucho sinus and cold meds, I think I was a little goofy in most of them. I wonder who won the Deep South Con bid for next year?

Not sure if I'll have a new Werewolf VS Vampire up tomorrow, but if not, I promise a funny post about how long my protagonist has been trying to find a pair on pants in my current WIP.

We Interrupt this Blogcast

Dear Blog,

I meant to give you a new Werewolf VS Vampire comic today, but the page proofs for the mass market version of ReVAMPED arrived and I have to get them back to Jen by June 6th, so I'll be doing that first.

Back soon,

Jeremy

Muse-day Tuesday: In Which We Pimp

I want to read UNHOLY GHOSTS by Stacia Kane right frick'n now! Unfortunately, not only has my copy not shown up yet (Why, unnamed book retailer?!? WHY?!?!?), but I really need to stay focused on Project 'Mancer. If you already have your copy then I envy you. I was even a good boy and didn't bug Stacia for an advanced copy of it. Gah!

Want to know why I'm jonesing for the book so bad?

The fastest way to understand is to jump over to Stacia's site and read the first few chapters. Did you go? Did you? If you did, I probably lost you for however long it takes you to read the five chapter preview. Maybe you'll come back... eventually. Of course those of you that already havea copy are still out there. You're probably even giggling madly to yourselves about it and... Wait a minute. Heh.

I just realized a way to torture those of you who already have a copy of UNHOLY GHOSTS. Jackie Kessler. Yup, my weapon of choice. She's funny, charming, talented... and utterly evil. Oh sure, those of you who know Jackie may argue, but I know the truth. Only an evil being intent on reducing all internet denizens into word-starved hordes of rabid fans would post the newest book in her HELL ON EARTH series for free.

"Free?" you may ask, "but isn't that a good thing?"

Oh...You'd think so, but she's doing posting it one chapter a week. See what I mean? E-V-I-L. Check it out, too. I dare you. :)

Oh and more torture: I'll have a new Werewolf VS Vampire post up tomorrow, assuming I can get the stake just the way I want it. Or maybe I'll just hold it hostage until my copy of UNHOLY GHOSTS shows up. Time will tell. ;)

Morbid Monday 3: This Time in Western Haiku

A Haiku or two
I'll provide for all right here
on Morbid Monday

I have to admit
Death by sparkling vampire
would pretty much suck

Moonlit dining plans
are surely not the choice when
with a loup garou

Drowning in the depths
with or without nude mermaids
It is still all wet

Fair weather or foul
Being devoured alive
really truly bites

Imagicon 2010

The Con is over (Well, mostly, I think they're actually watching the Lost Finale over at Old Car Heaven before it *really* ends) and I've been pretty silent. It's strange that I found time to blog while at an out of town convention, but a hometown convention left me too busy to do the daily update stuff. Sorry.

If you weren't there, you missed some cool stuff.

I had tons of fun hanging out with M. B. Weston and her gal Friday (who isn't actually named Friday, but there ya go). Timothy Zahn was there, but I was too intimidated by my enjoyment of his work to actually say much to him. Lou Anders (Editorial and Art Kahuna of Pyr Books - read their stuff - they have Steampunk Vampires coming out soon) was around the con and it was great to be on a panel with him, Van Plexico, and M. B Weston on Sunday to close out the con.

BUT...

The funniest moment of the con...

It was not being turned on to @DRUNKHULK...

It was not the various antics with the Vampire balloon...

I wasn't even the bagpipe guy playing the STAR WARS THEME...

I'll give you a hint. It involves Erin Grey (Wilma Deering), Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), and John Billingsley (Doctor Phlox). I'll set the stage. The celebrity room was on the third floor or McWane. On the left hand side of the back wall sat Erin Grey, Gil Gerard, Bonita Friedericy, and John Billingsley. Erin and Gil were at a panel and John got... bored. So what does a bored John Billingsley do? He takes some of the glossy photos of himself he had for sale and used them to replace all of the photos of Erin Grey and Gil Gerard (even on their posters) with photos of himself to see how long it will take them to notice he's done it upon their return.

Quoth Timothy Zahn "We've replaced your work with Folger's Crystals, let's see if anyone notices."

Then Mr. Billingsley starts a betting pool. IF you're curious, it took Eric Grey and Gil Gerard ten seconds and sixteen seconds respectively to realize what had happened and (thankfully) they thought the joke was just as funny as everyone else.

Perhaps you had to be there, but it was frick'n hilarious.

The blog should be back to normal on Monday. See you then! :)