What a year that was...
2014 saw the final part of my EPIC nine-book series reaching the shelves, and there was much rejoicing. It was a bit of a scramble to get it written in time, as it generally is, but this book achieved everything I wanted it to achieve, and so I remain immensely proud of it. The ninth book, and the events that transpire within it, had been a secret I'd been keeping for seven years, and it was such a relief to get it out there. Sure, I didn't tie up every last plot thread — in some cases I just ran out of time, in others I decided to be mean and simply not resolve stuff — but it was a fitting send-off, I think.
The publication saw another astonishing Tom Percival cover, plus a very limited black edition which, as it turned out, was an extraordinarily clever bit of marketing by yours truly. It meant that the excitement that first morning was ELECTRIC as everyone rushed to search through each shop. That wasn't my original intent — I just wanted a cool black book — but to follow the tweets that morning as each copy got snapped up... that was awesome.
The reaction to the book was exactly what I wanted, also. True, there was some confusion over the chapters that ended mid-sentence, but all in all, readers understood what I was doing. And then to catch you all out right at the end....
... glorious...
The Dying of the Light got me back touring, of course, and we fit in the Requiem Ball and the Theatre of Shadows, and I once again visited New Zealand and Australia and met loads of enthusiastic readers. If ever my ego was in need of a boost...
And then I got home, and got to work on the NEW book.
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@Velvet: *has never had a boyfriend* *shrugs helplessly :P*
@Velvet: *points to her sentence* *points to my, Trip and Annika's sentences*
Our point.
Well. Clara's point. I just kind of borrowed a bit of it. :P
I don't really swear either. I always just end up saying something else. It's most peculiar.
I find I'm just echoing what you say because I just agree and have little else to say on the matter.
Oh well.
Eh my break didn't last... This place is too addictive *nods* )
(I can't be though for 3 reasons
1: I'm not religious
2: I'm not like eighty+ plus years old
3: I live in wales not Italy
Yeah go with "And don't you forget it" or something.
Well, I certainly have no qualms about swearing if I am directly quoting someone.
And I love your profile picture, Velvet. Is that Holo?
Also, I may disappear at any moment. I will endeavor not to, but it might happen.
Looking closer at the picture, I can see that it is not Holo. No wolf ears.
(New Pope is only seventy something isn't he? And actually, he lives in Vatican City, smallest nation on earth.)
(No Clara but I see the similarity! Trying to change it but my iPad's being a meanie...)
@Clara: I don't normally, but when it's in my English book it makes me nervous. There is a time and a place for swearing, and English books aren't one of them. :P
I don't mind swearing in general, though. Shit shit fuck fuck shit shit fuck?
@Trip: :P
Apparently, three men once declared themselves Pope all at the same time, and they all ended up excommunicating each other.
I do not know this animu. SURRENDER YOUR SECRETS!
(I will be back soon.)
(Well rhos
1. You may be religious but you won't say
2. Dermatologists hate you
3. You could be an Italian that puts on a welsh accent)
(Holo is awesome!)
Do you ever think you've misspelled anything when you've written in caps? It just looks... off.
Holo is, in fact, one half of my OTP. I named my kitten after the other half.
Damn those dermatologists. Is there no one they don't hate?
No AnniKKa, they even hate themselves. It's so sad...
(I love spice and wolf ...*fangirls*)
Most people hate themselves to some extent.
(I'm not religious It just doesn't work with me!
I'm not old! You know how old i am! You know what I look like!
And I've lived in wales all my life!
I'm a born and bred Welshman!
I am STILL DOING THIS ENGLISH HOMEWORK. :P
I actually haev history to do as well. O_O Oops. XD
Spice and Wolf is a golden puddle of fangirl happiness and romantic banter all wrapped up in an economical bow.
(Alright
Don't get your knickers in a twist)
I pity those dermatologists. I imagine they spend their days at home, rubbing their hands together and hissing "I HATE her." late into the night.
(Alright
Don't get your knickers in a twist)
My knickers haven't been in a twist since 2011. Don't patronize me.
*sighs* I'll have to email her. Well I know Loki has a bit to say but I may let him be.-Zaf
(I was talking to rhos XD)
I'm not getting my knickers in a twist! *frowns*
Christ on a riveta... )
I live nextdoor to one. He keeps me up at night.
Also U can't get to sleep because I can hear him through the walls!
*@Clara: I HATE him/her/them. :P
*I can't get to sleep
(*hangs upside down in a tree*)
(*Inspects the tree for Alistree alerts*)
(*hangs next to Vel*)
I'm afraid I must step away from Blogland for a moment, and by moment I mean precisely 90 minutes. Ciao.
*departs*
Did someone say Spice and Wolf?
(Bye Clara!
*waves at Chloe, then stares down at Trip*)
(SPICE AND WOLF IS AMAZEBALLS)
(Hello J, have we met? *tries to shake hands while hanging upside down*)
You've met Blake, I'm his author. Solus's too, but people didn't know that till a few hours ago.
Until we meet again!
And we'll meet again,
Don't know where, don't know when, some sunny day,
Keep smiling through,
Like you always do,
Etcetera...
Adra once told me soul was ancient for parodying an ABBA song. She had no idea.
(HeWwo J!)
(Oh okay, hi! *waves*)
And yes Inky, Spice and Wolf is pretty amazing.
Sloth powers activate!
*sits down and does nothing* )
*Joins Rhos*
(Rhos, join me and Chloe in the Hanging Tree!)
(I am not so grand, not as a god. I am holo and holo is all that I am)
I must look into this Spice and Wolf...
*high fives J* )
No thank you Vel *continues doing nothing*
Hey J, sorry I was preoccupied with Veira Lynne, hi!
Quite alright, my friend. How are you?
(Okay Rhos! *stands up, still upside down, and runs along the tree branch*)
I FINISHED MY ENGLISH!!!
ONLY TOOK ME AROUND ELEVEN OR TWELVE PROCRASTINATION-FILLED HOURS!!! XD
*looks at my history essay question*
meh.
Are you are you coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three
Strange things did happen there no stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight by the hanging tree
Are you are you coming to the tree
Where a man called out for his love to flee
Strange things did happen there no stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight by the hanging tree
Are you are you coming to the tree
Where a necklace of rope side by side with me
Strange things did happen there no stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight by the hanging tree
Huzzah Stah!
CONSIDERING IT WAS MEANT TO TAKE ME AROUND AN HOUR . . . XD
@Silente: *nodsnods*
Have you seen Mockingjay Part 1?
@Trip: :P Thanks. XD
Well done Star, pro skills.
I haven't even seen catching fire Star. I memorized that from the book.
Problematically, I appear to need paper to do my history on.
I have no lined paper.
Um.
:O
I know, I know, Trippy. :)
@Silente: :o They're damn awesome films - you should see them. :)
And, okay. :)
I liked the song better in the book, I believe.
(*watches Russell howard*
*yawns^
*decides to go to bed*
Nos da)
Trippy . . . ? XD
What is it with your name and me today, Trip? XD
(nos da Chlo )
Bye Chloe.
@Star I might. I want to see Into the woods.
Nos da, Inky. :)
@Silente: My friend does, too.
. . .
Maybe when it's on I'll ask my friend to see it with me. :)
Yeah, that's a plan. :)
But yeah. The Hunger Games Films = good films, imo.
(What was Blogland first like?)
Your friend is wise.
@Velvet: Firstfirst? Idk, I wa'n't 'ere. I only arrived a few years ago.
@Sil: :) Yeah, I have cool friends. Like you. :)
(What was it like then?)
There, that picture looks a tad bit more like me. No more of that dreary Solus stuff.
*frowns*
How would you know if I had cool friends?
*trying to remember who Louis Pasteur is so I can write an essay question on him and go to bed*
*um um um*
*he invented pasteurisation but that's irrelevant to the question*
*he something*
*vaccines*
*something*
*no*
*something*
*um*
*alcohol kills bacterio?*
*something*
*gives up and goes to find my rubbish excuse for a revision guide*
(I am back.)
Derek came on a lot, and talked to us. I remember those days...-Zaf
(Was I wrong to come here? Perhaps I will also take a break? I don't know... *falls out of the tree and slowly buries myself in the snow, not caring if I live or die*)
(*digs Velvet out*
*cuddles*
*whispers*
Please don't leave...)
(Welcome back Soph.)
Yes she can be trusted. Although you might want to..clean yourself up a bit.
(Why doesn't he still do that Zaf? Why is Blogland not the place it used to be? When I was younger I always used to read his blog and occaisionally the comments, I remember you and a few others, everyone seemed so happy, I promised myself I would join once I was 13, but since then Blogland has changed, and people are less happy and people leave and I don't get why a place as happy as this could change so quickly...)
(*hugs Silente tightly* Thank you.)
Claire: Is she squeamish?
How do you feel about using toys? They asked.
Great I said, but how are we going to fit the Scalextric in the shed?
(*hugs her tightly back*)
Not especially but she isn't a fan of all that type of stuff.
(*hugs Sil* First it was Star, now Gemma, sooner or later it will be someone else, I'm so selfish I don't want to have to deal with the pain if you or Chloe or any other of my friends leave so I might just take the easy route and leave first... *shrugs* It's mean but that's me for you...)
@Velvet: Well, it was pretty similar in that a bunch of friends popped up on the comments section and interacted. However, you didn't have a roleplaying/chatting split as much. You did have roleplay, and people did have characters. There were stricter rules for roleplay, as well. However, most of that roleplaying was just blogfighting. Most actual writing went on off-blog, I think - I know Lynxia had stories about her characters, and I started one about mine, and Mist and Nix had stories about their characters. In roleplay, it was just really fighting. Also, you had instantaneous roleplay, which was different from the fighting. Like, we'd do random things like eat live chickens or splash about on the Blogland lake, but we wouldn't be characters, we'd just be us, as authors, imagining ourselves there and having a good time.
Then after a few months everyone got depressed and left and everyone just chatted instead of doing blogfights and having characters, which drove quite a few people out because they fought it was boring. It was fun, though. Still some instantaneous roleplay, though probably slightly less of it, and idk, we just hung out and had a good time. :) That was the era with Ieni and Luci and Mara. I really liked that era. Good times. :)
Then after a while people began bringing characters back. I think that happened with the MC (a writing collaboration blog, actually) and all these new people appeared and lots of roleplaying happened, but the people chatting weren't happy with all the roleplay and everyone started arguing and there was conflict and upset for quite a few months. So people inevtned the use of parenthesis for off-roleplay talking, so chatting and roleplaying could happen simultaneously. And that's how parenthesis came into Blogland. :P
Yeah, then most of the chatters left, either because of roleplay or for other reasons, and then we had the roleplay era, with a lot of roleplaying, but ahhh, it was great. :) That's the era with Fabi and Adra and Aretha and Trip. I liked that era.
Then Zaf decided to bully Adra and we all fell apart a bit. A lot. And somewhere in the middle of that a load of new people popped up, and that was what caused most of the previous era to disappear - not that that was the new people's fault. We still had roleplay adn the same kind of rules and stuff - it was really only a people-change. These new people were Silente and Elleni and Dugglyn and folks. :P
And that's still the era we're in, imo, and it's a cool one so far? :P
Eh, we go through phases, Velvet.
*hugs*
I'm sorry we're causing you distress. But trust me, you will get used to losing people. :)
Claire: Okay! I'll meet you in the clearing in a few minutes?
Actually, Derek rarely came on. Then suddenly for a couple of months he decided to come on loads. Then he stopped again. He hasn't come on in AGES now, though, I have to admit. Twitter is stealing him. :P
(*hugs Star* Thanks, I remember you from when I was younger and I'd sit in my bed reading the comments and role playing, thinking to myself, "Just wait till I'm thirteen and I can join them..." But this isn't how I remembered Blogland...)
(Reality can never live up to expectations.)
Sounds like an accurate Blogland history if I've ever heard one.
(Stupid Twitter.
@S if..you want to go I can't stop you..)
Okay. See you in a few!
*hangs up and smiles at Beth*
You are meeting a friend of mine.
Hello...?
(hey fire fly.)
Bethany: A friend? Who is it?
HELLO THERE FIRE! I don't believe we've met, at least not with me as me.
Her names Claire. She's a ten year old. I helped her out a bit before. She's alright. I grew quite attached to her as a 'sister.'
Thanks, J. :)
:/
I'm sorry, Velvet.
*hugs*
Like Sophia said, reality can never live up to expectations. The fact is, every light we witness has a shadow and every shadow we witness has a light (I fixed the phrase, Sophia - if we witness a light, we're standing near it so it can cast a shadow from us ;)). Blogland is such a free place with so little policing that there is likely to be unpleasantness here - always has been, always will be. *shrugs*
Don't bring up July to me....*curls up* -Zaf
(Hey Jai :) )
*Looks at the man in front of her and waves* Hi, I'm Fire Fly... I'm sorry if I don't remember you... I don't tend to remember anything after one day.
Bethany: A ten year old? Here? What about her mother?
(The phrase sounds somewhat more accurate, Star.
Blogland policing is an idea I fully support, but I believe I am a little too extreme to participate in it.)
(How are you Fly?)
(Hello Fire Fly,
We've never met, *offers handshake* I'm Rhos, a very proud Welshman *nods* )
Her mother..
*sighs*
Dead. I tried looking after her but..I left before I got too attached. For safety purposes. Anyway, clearing?
(I love you all to bits, that's the problem, I get closer to you all the more time I spend here and I connect with you because we all love Skulduggery Pleasant, but because of how much I care about you all, every goodbye really hurts and I just don't know if I can survive another one...)
(@Velvet its never goodbye, just see y'all real soon.)
(I'm alright Jai, a little tired from a new crying puppy at our house, but otherwise okay. How about yourself?)
Hi Rhos. I'm, yeah, I'm Fire Fly. It's nice to meet you. *Shakes his hand and daintly curtseys*
Bethany: ... And now I feel sorry for her. How about her father or a guardian?
(Actually, I am no fan of Skulduggery Pleasant. I dislike fiction books as a genre. I am here to cure boredom.)
Oh, hello Fire Fly.-Zaf
(Really? Because looking back on Gemma's last post where she blew up her characters, it seems more like, "I intend never to come back here, this is the end, goodbye," Not, "See you tomorrow...")
(I'be a been better. I've also been worse.)
Also dead..
(Actually, it has occurred to me that we have never met either, Fire Fly. I am Sophia.)
(*stares at Soph* Have you never read Skulduggery?!)
Bethany: ... And she's only ten? So she's all alone? Yes... I'd like to go to the clearing.
(Hi Zaf :)
That is a good thing, right Jai?)
(Nice to meet you, Sophia :) )
(...Gemma was upset...I'll get her to come back...
I've decided what to do if I ever got enough money.
1) Get money
2) Buy beautiful island
3) Have many houses built, maybe some schools hospital, fire station etc.
4) Invite bloglandians.
Welcome to blogland island.)
@Velvet: Yeah, but . . . around 80% of people come back, if not more. :/ *shrugs* Blake came back, did he not? And his goodbye was final, was it not?
*hugs* It's good you care, though. :) It reminds you you're human and a good person. :)
(It is firefly.)
Okay.
*smiles and opens a portal*
*pauses, looking at the ball gowns*
Maybe we should change..
(That sounds great Jai...
Wait Star, Blake left? When? *hugs* And actually, I'm not human...)
Sorry, but I gtg now. School calls. Sleep calls. Stuff. :P
*hugs everyone :)*
(cool idea Jai, *nods* )
(ELLENI I REMEMBER YOU... I THINK!)
@Velvet: A few days ago. BlakeTC committed suicide. We had a funeral for him. ChiTC went a bit mad. :P
(Night Star!
*hugs El*
Thanks Jazz. I hope I get the money one day..)
(Okay Star! *hugs*)
:O
THE GREAT ELLENI IS NOT KNOWN???
BUT THE GREAT ELLENI IS GREAT AND AN ELLENI!!!
Ah, dammit.
I NEED TO GO TO SLEEP! SORRY! :P
(And... Most people on... I think...)
(I myself have never read Skulduggery. I find the books unappealing. My author, however, has read and enjoys the books. I simply cannot understand why he would.)
Bethany: Maybe... *waves her hand, reverting their clothes to normal*
(I remember someone with Mycroft in their name and they typed umbrellas for some reason...)
(Oh, okay Soph, not as bad then!)
*smiles and takes her hand*
*leads her through the portal, to the clearing*
(*wonders how much money that would actually take*)
(And someone who gave out a lot of tea, and someone who had TARDIS in their name and someone who changed their name every month to something September, etc.)
(Want to continue, Seirsha?
And hello, everybody. I've been ghosting.)
(Yes please Tia, after you!)
I remember all these people.-Zaf
˙ʇno sbuıɥʇ ʇɹos oʇ pǝıɹʇ ʎןןɐɹǝuǝb ʇsnظ puɐ ǝןdoǝd pǝןıɐɯǝ puɐ 'ɥbnoɥʇ sʇuǝɯɯoɔ ǝɥʇ ɟo ʇsoɯ pɐǝɹ ןןıʇs ı ˙ʇsɐǝן ʇɐ 'buıʇuǝɯɯoɔ ʇou ɟo 'ǝɔuo sɥʇuoɯ ǝןdnoɔ ɐ pǝbɐuɐɯ ı
˙ı op ɹǝɥʇıǝu
¿ǝʌɐǝן oʇ pǝıɹʇ ǝʌ,ı sǝɯıʇ ʎuɐɯ ʍoɥ ʍouʞ noʎ op
˙ɥqʇ 'ǝɹǝɥ ןɐuıɟ ɹǝʌǝu ǝɹɐ sǝʎqpoob
nɥɐɯ ʇɟoɹɔʎɯ ɐןןǝɹqɯn ɹǝqɯǝ
ɹɹɹɹǝqɯǝ
I'm disappearing for the night.
Potentially see you peoples tomorrow!
Nos da!
Bethany: *squeezes her hand, smiling*
Claire: *pulls up on her motorbike, switching off the engine* *removes her helmet and places it on the seat*
Bethany: *nods at the motorbike before whispering to Silente* What is that?
(What happened to them Zaf?)
(A lot money is the correct answer!)
*whispers back*
Motorbike.
*grins at Claire, stepping forwards to hug her*
Good to see you again.
(Just realised we need Felix to continue as Tanya was talking to him.
So... maybe you go first and Tanya will see what is what.)
Oh, they just sort of had life happen, you know? Things happened, timezones, friends, school...they just had to leave.-Zaf
(Thank you Fabi, what happened to Ember? I remember you too btw!)
˙buıɥʇʎuɐ ɹo pɐǝp ʇou s,ǝɥs ˙ǝןdoǝd ǝɯos oʇ pǝɹɐdɯoɔ ʇsɐǝן ʇɐ ˙ʎןʇuǝɔǝɹ ʎʇʇǝɹd ɹǝɥ oʇ uǝʞods ǝʌ,ı ˙ǝɹoɯʎuɐ ɥɔnɯ uo ǝɯoɔ ʇ,usǝop ʇsnظ ǝɥs 'ɹǝɥ oʇ ,,pǝuǝddɐɥ,, ʎןןɐǝɹ buıɥʇʎuɐ ʞuıɥʇ ʇ,uop ı
(Oh okay Zaf...
Okay Tia... Where were we?)
Kayleigh: *walks over to Velvet* Which finger do you use the most?
Velvet: *mutters* Right now I'm thinking the middle one...
Kayleigh: *sighs* Rude... *to Tanya* Can I please have your favourite... Torturing device or whatever...
(Okay Fabi, how do you type like that?)
Oh my, it seems I disappeared briefly.
*looks at the time*
Or not so briefly...
(*nods* it decided. Some way, some how, I will buy an island, get it set up and invite you all to live there. I might be 68 before it happens, but I will find a way.)
(I feel good having decided this.)
Claire: *she hugs Silente* You too. I missed you. *looks up at Bethany* And is this your guest?
Bethany: I'm Bethany. What is your name?
Claire: My name is Claire. Why do you have wings?
(Freedom Of speech says yes El.)
El- Go for it. -Zaf
I missed you too.
*smiles, turning to face Beth*
Bethy is an angel, hence the wings
(@El Shoot...)
*Skives off to play croquet*
Claire: An angel? Like the heavenly-halo-angels?
Bethany: I don't have a halo...
Claire: Why are you two holding hands?
I have returned. In a great deal of physical pain, and somewhat distant, but I have indeed returned.
Hey Elleni, don't know if you say but Fabi has updated the A Random Comment Of Kindness blog.
You have a page :)
(*nods in acknowledgment to els wise words*)
*smiles, brushing shoulders with Beth*
Because we've formed a very close bond and like to physically express said bond.
I really ought to leave some comments on the Random Comment blog. I have quite a few things to say, and so many people have left lovely things on my page . . .
CA-LA-AIR-A!
:D
Yo dude!
Dugglyn, it has been far too long! You are a masterpiece, have I ever told you that?
(Hello everybody! Hey, El!)
*hesitates, and looks at Kay*
Uh, I have a whip and a flesh grater, if you still want to, you know... *looks at Velv*
(Hey Dug, her Clara.)
Claire: You're together? Like kissing together?
Bethany: Yes... We are. *kisses Silente*
Claire: Silente... With an angel? What the hell?
(*huggy Duggy*
Heya Clara!)
Greetings, Tia. Or Tanya, as you seem to be now called.
*kisses her back, smiling*
*looks at Claire*
What's wrong with an angel?
[uıɐbɐ dn ʎɐʍ ʇɥbıɹ ǝɥʇ buıʞןɐʇ ǝןqɐʇɹoɟɯoɔ ןǝǝɟ ı ןıʇun ʇıɐʍ oʇ sǝpıɔǝp]
[snoɯʎuouɐ ʎןןɐǝɹ ʇ,usı ʇı 'sıɥʇ ǝʞıן uʍop ǝpısdn ʇı ǝʌɐǝן ı ɟı ʇɐɥʇ sǝzıןɐǝɹ]
[ʞɔɹɐ uo ʇuǝɯɯoɔ ɐ ǝʌɐǝן oʇ sʇɹɐʇs]
It has been far to long!
(Wow, brain cart, forgot how to spell far! XD)
A masterpiece?
As in a painting? I'm a painting?
:0
I'm a painting!
That explains the unusual patterns and colors on my skin!
But no, you haven't said that and thank you :)) :3
(Hey, Clara!
Oh no, the phone is at 12%, I must go!
Good bye, Clara!)
...
(Just kidding! :3)
So, I read back on some of the comments.
I've been a Bloglander for two years now. Two whole years. It's dizzying, isn't it?
I do miss those old Bloglanders. Doing the Blogland Archive makes me miss them more.
But it is unhealthy to dwell in the past.
Kay: I'm sorry Tanya, we don't ave to do this if you don't want...
*clutches heart*
Don't do that to me, Tanya!
And you're very welcome, Dugglyn.
'Ello Sil!
*hugs Tia*
Hello Sophia.
Greetings Fabi.
How be's yous?! How be's yous eyes?!
Claire: Hello? You're a vampire? You're like the furthest you can possibly be from becoming an angel?
Bethany: That would be a demon. And Silente is no demon.
(What's the kindness blog?)
Well, Velvet, it is a blog where anyone is free to come and leave anonymous comments praising the good features of various Bloglanders and ignoring the bad features.
Each Bloglander has their own unique post, available for comment.
(That's really sweet!)
They say opposites attract.
*shrugs*
And you shouldn't let what you are define who you are.
(Should probs go...)
*sighs* No, I need you if we are to finally bring peace to Blogland. I will uphold my end of the deal. Do what you must, and find me when you're done.
*leaves the room and goes to an observation room to look at Kayleigh before lowering her head to her hands, unable to watch what is surely about to happen*
Sorry for poofing there were people and dinner and TV and gah.
Anyways I'm back.
Welcome back, J. How have you been in recent times?
(Hello, J.)
Claire: I never said you should. But it's a part of you. Just like being a human is part of me. Oh, and Silente? *slaps her hard in the face* That's for leaving me without any warning whatsoever.
Bethany: Don't hurt Silente. I don't want to hurt a ten year old but I will if you keep harming her.
(Hey J.)
(Hahaha I am so messed up and I'm not even talking about the rp with Seirsha.)
Oh decent.
By decent I mean not that great.
But hey, what fun is life if you dwell on the bad things?
A wise attitude to take, I'm sure. If I can be of any assistance at all, as either a sounding board or a punching bag, please don't hesitate to ask.
*head snaps to the side*
OWW!
*rubs her cheek*
Sorry.
*squeezes Beth's hand*
Don't worry, I deserved that..
Oh you don't need to be a punching bag, I have actual punching bags for that up in the attic.
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