Hello.
It’s been a while.
I’m well, how are you?
That’s good/I’m very sorry to hear that.
(But seriously, I hope you are all well and getting by.)
As we all go through this oddness of what some medical professionals are calling “a baby virus” (some baby!), I wanted to drop a quick note with the following orders of business:
#1. Book reviews!
Have you seen them? The most recent ones are of Andrew Einspruch’s excellent and funny The Purple Haze (fantasy + humor) and Helena Rookwood’s The Prince and the Poisoner (fantasy + just a little romance). These are two books I loved. I know I could use a trip to the Carnival of Stars right about now.
#2. New comics!
I’ve been lagging on Princess Disasterface, but managed to complete an episode in April (Episode 2.4). It somehow takes me hours just to do one page. Maybe because I can’t stop putting details into areas behind walls that will just get half-covered anyway (see image at left!). I’m working on ways to be more efficient, but not much luck so far!
#3. NEW new comics!
Social Isolation and Growin’ Pup are my latest (much faster to draw) series…es (just updated today with Social Isolation #4 and #5, and pupdated with Growin’ Pup #3). Social Isolation will of course be a temporary comic, which I may or may not turn into something else later using the same character.
Growin’ Pup is based on my own life with my puppy, who is a big sweetie that barks at birds for not playing with her and tries to eat EVERYTHING outside.
#4. Writing!
A second edition of A Shadow in Sundown, in which I correct the formatting mistakes of the first edition, spiff it up a little with a new cover and some little graphics, and include a preview of book 2 in the series, will be coming soon. It’s also looking like I may need more than 4 novellas, so I might have to drop the whole “Quartet” idea. How DO authors predict these things? (Though I guess extending a series is pretty common.)
I’m also preparing a pair of free short stories, one set in a version of our world split between magic users and not, and the other about a rather resourceful witch. More on that later!
#5. What I’m reading:
Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce (Book One of the Numair Chronicles). Alas, I haven’t read her work in a long time. I’m on a library wait list for Alanna: The First Adventure and Wild Magic, both of which I want to re-read. It’s been wonderful to try something newer (I say newer because I’m behind the times and it’s likely only new to this Tamora Pierce fan). So far so good 3 chapters in! (Of course. It’s Tamora Pierce.)
That’s all for now. Take care everyone!
-CKB
