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I tried to cook yesterday. Bake really. Actually, all I managed to do was turn the stove on. How hard can that be? Note to self: in the future, do not put flammable oven mitts in the lower broiler just inches from an open flame. The pizza I had been planning on cooking stayed in the freezer while the charred and flaming oven mitts were first doused with water then run down the stairs to be dumped on the sidewalk to the amusement and consternation of the mail lady, cable guy, and various passers by. I met a lot of my neighbors in the building as they stuck their heads out to see if the apartment really was on fire or if I was just trying to cook again.

This morning I found six takeout menus in front of my door. Subtle.

I didn’t start out yesterday planning to pour over male model head shots, really, but you know how one thing leads to another…

Actually, my British editor emailed and said they were casting for the model on whom to base my main character for the cover. Why, I yelled, didn’t I choose a super model babe as a protagonist? But noooo, I had to go with a dude, so I wound up flipping through portfolios discussing stubble or no stubble, wide chin or narrow, dark or light hair, long or short hair, tanned or light, a few wrinkles or fresh-faced and more. In the end we settled on a great looking model who we all agreed will convey what we want for Konowa and I gained a whole new respect for casting directors. The artist will shoot the model next week then start on the artwork. This will be the first time I’ll have seen my main character illustrated so I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

FYI, turns out there are a lot of good looking blokes in the UK…just saying.

Damn you karma! Next book is all women, maybe cheerleaders by day, crime fighters by night.

If you’re looking for your big break into the glamorous life of writing you really should see a doctor. If pills and therapy don’t cure you then you’re already too far gone so you might as well check out the Amazon and Penguin sponsored contest here.

Bonne chance!

Just heard from S&S UK about the B format (which is sort of mass market size in North America but a bit bigger). Darkness is going to get a completely different cover when it comes out next summer. This new one will feature a character or characters. At the moment they are looking at different models on which to base the painting. No sketches have been drawn yet, but I’ve seen the artist’s work and all I can say is wow. Should look stunning. I was thrilled with the original cover and can’t wait to see the new one.

The Aussies continue to knock me for six (see how I got a cricket reference in there). I just found out A Darkness Forged in Fire is being featured in their Christmas catalogue. The really cool part, however, is that my book is placed smack dab between one by Terry Pratchett and one by J.K. Rowling (perhaps to better illustrate just how massively successful they are in comparison to a rookie no one has heard of). Still, as I happen to be HUGE fans of both of them I’m tickled.

In other news a whole host of fantasy authors have been nominated for the David Gemmel Award and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was one of them. If you’d care to check this out and see my page and even discuss about why you love me – sorry, I should have let you finish your drink first so you didn’t spritz your keyboard – you can have a look here.