It’s been pointed out to me that my website is a bit, ahem, behind the times at the moment. Seeing as it still says Darkness will go on sale July 2008 I see your point. It’s going to get a complete overhaul this month.

There is now a map to the world of the Iron Elves. Actually, there always was, but it was only used by me to help keep things straight. Naturally, more than a few readers suggested they could use the same help, so both the mass market edition of A Darkness Forged in Fire and the hardcover of The Light of Burning Shadows will feature a map. I also plan to post it to my website in the next month as ironelves.com will be getting a complete overhaul.

I’ve seen the latest draft of the cover for Light and it’s looking…hot 🙂 I imagine it will pop up on Amazon or the S&S site first, but as soon as it’s final I’ll post it. Same goes for the UK paperback edition of Darkness which is the one that features Konowa on the cover.

In other news, it’s beautiful here in New York City today and I’m heading out for a run in the park.

The place is packed! Moving around the floor is an exercise in, well, exercise. In the span of a hundred feet I dodged two wookies, a naughty nurse, four super heroes, two anti-heroes, a stroller, a wheelchair, and a camera crew. Times that by a thousand and you get an idea of what it’s like. I was able to catch up with some friends including Charles Coleman Finlay and CC Finlay (it occurs to me I’ve never seen them together in the same room at the same time, hmmmmm) and his lovely wife, Rae. I signed a few books, chatted with a few fans, bloggers, and other web and radio oriented sites/shows, and hung out for a bit at the Simon & Schuster booth. Had a chance to chat with my editor, Ed, deputy publisher, Anthony, publicist, Melissa, and Chris from marketing for S&S Canada (who happens to be a New Yorker living in Toronto) which was great.

A fun if exhausting time.

Rather belatedly it occurs to me to mention that I’ll be at New York ComicCon, signing at the Simon & Schuster booth, #1402, this Saturday, February 7, from 12 to 12:45. Sparkling conversation included…well, conversation anyway.

I don’t itch, there doesn’t appear to be a rash, but I do feel a bit odd…more so than usual. I’ve been SIP’d. What’s that you ask? Well, apparently it’s Statistically Improbable Phrases. Amazon have gone through my book and found word pairings that appear rarely, if ever, in other published books. Here are mine: high forest, sapling cub, birthing meadow, ruined ear, frost sparkled, tainted ones You can check it out on the Amazon page for my book at the link although it appears they are doing this for every book, at least those that have been scanned…http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Forged-Fire-Book-Elves/dp/1416570519/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224178259&sr=8-1 For a more detailed explanation of SIPs read this http://www.amazon.com/gp/search-inside/sipshelp.html/ref=sib_sip_help What’s really, um, interesting, is that they then go and match other books with the same phrase, but these books are…different.

So armed with this knowledge I can now…do…what…exactly? I guess my immediate reaction is bemusement followed by befuddlement leading inevitably to a benighted state of benumbness…yeah, I had to reach for that alliteration, but it sounds cool.

You know what this means don’t you? Authors the world over will be looking to create the most statistically improbable phrases ever written. Like chocolate caviar, silk bananas, and President Palin.