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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«Oldest ‹Older 4601 – 4800 of 4884 Newer› Newest»(That's what I'm talking about. Hunter and Ez are etherdemons.)
(Well..
It could be passed via bodily fluids?)
Ashlea: *quickly running out of air*
*searches frantically*
*panics and spins, kicking up towards the top*
*A jagged hole opens in the fourth wall, through which J enters Blogland*
Hello everyone.
(Maybe if the disease also made you throw up and Hunter and Ez and anyone else got it on their shoe then touched it to see what is was and the germs stayed on after they washed it and then they rub their eye or something, would that work?)
*peeks out to see if Ashlea is still there, then stays underwater*
(Hello J!)
Ashlea: *runs out of air before she reaches the surface*
*slows, then starts floating upwards, bubbles escaping her mouth*
(@Silente: That would probably work quite well, yeah. :) :)
Um, would you have to get the zombies in the brain to kill them?
And would destroying the brain prevent people from being revived easily?
(plotting).
@Velvet: They have to come into contact with it in a way that would ordinarily infect them to get a reaction. Rubbing it on their eye would have less effect than ingesting it.)
Hello Velvet, Silente. Anything overly interesting going on?
Hi J. :)
@J: Probably not?
(If the zombies were particularly lusty..xD)
Hey Star.
(Yes but they aren't just going to eat vomit, are they?! What if... Someone infected coughs on their hand and shakes hand with the other person afterwards? And then they ate something and the germs would be ingested...
Just a new character J!)
*sees Ashlea and instantly helps her back on to dry land before leaving her in the recovery position and running off, hiding in a moist hollow tree*
(Tea now, back in ten!)
(I am back.)
Claire: Good. Now are we going to carry on moving the bed or should I leave it here for you two to use?
Evelyn: *she walks back out of the staff only area, starting to walk towards one of the empty checkouts*
Supermarket Owner: *approaches Evelyn* Actually, you won't be needed here today. We have some boxes of food which need to be placed on the shelves and you need to clean up the drink aisle.
@Sil: XD
@Velvet: Bodily fluids. That includes, like, sneezing and stuff. And coughing, yeah. Also, spit, also, sweat. Also, blood. Etc.
*grins*
Well if yours offering...
*winks*
Ashlea: *coughs and splutters*
Claire: Ew!
Bethany: I think outside may be a little too much...
(That moment when you want to listen to music but you end up going to buy new music and you don't have enough space to download so you go to delete music and you end up adding even MORE music and then you end up going through about three albums to pick songs out and then you realise you'd resigned yourself to sitting there listening to music you don't want to listen to for hours. XD XD)
(How would they get better? or would everyone die? What's the cure? I...don't want any of my characters to die...I want to bring some back but...I might not... I don't know...)
(I was going to suggest making like me and just using author powers but now I remember that Blake didn't really die in the sense that he's dead.)
(@Chi: Well, you'd have to cure the disease, of course. And if the disease was caused by a sentient antagonist, that would involve lcoating them and reasoning with them, I guess.
And, no, we couldn't have everyone die. :/
(Hello all)
(It is a good idea to prevent trapping ourselves in a corner with the roleplay. You do not want a problem which cannot be solved.)
(*is distant but here*
*hugs Jai, sadly*)
(Hello, Edward.)
(*nope, have to go*)
(Hello Soph, how are you?)
(GEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
I've got it everybody, who's seen the Waters of Mars?)
(Bye Tia)
Okay, Tia. :/ Fours.
(Not me, Velvet.)
(I am depressed, Edward. Yourself?)
(I have seen it, a very good episode)
(*shudders* I have. Gave me nightmares.)
(Hey Ed.)
(Not personally, Velvet. I have never been to Mars.)
I was joking. Let's get the bed moved.
(Oh, may I be of any help Soph?
Hello Jai, how are you?)
(@Star I wouldn't mind if Ed was an antagonist, I kind of miss his trying to take over the world days)
(I'm not so bad. You?)
(None whatsoever, Edward, I'm afraid.)
Claire: Phew. *lifts up the bed again with her telekinesis, placing it outside the front door* *unlocks and opens the door without touching it, moving the bed inside*
@Ed: I don't have any objections to that, really. :)
(I also have several characters which could be used as antagonists.)
*rolls eyes*
Let yourself in why don't you
*takes Beth's hand, smiling*
(Oh, ok Soph
Good thanks Jai)
Claire: You said I was living with you. Surely it'd be my house as well? Or is my logic screwed up?
Bethany: *smiles, squeezing Silente's hand* No, it is fine, Claire.
(My characters can be antagonists in some situations, but I don't think they would be antagonists to Blogland, not at this point in time anyway. So, um, I have no antagonists to offer. :P)
(@Star I really enjoyed writing Ed when he was like that. I think he could make a good antagonist)
(Hello, Velvet. I'm watching the walking dead so i'll be distant. Funny how you guys are talking about a zombie RP.)
@Ed: I think he might be able to. :)
@Chi: Yeah, lol. XD
I like The Walking Dead, but I only just started watching Season Four (like, I'm one episode in) so no spoilers please. :)
(*hugs Gem*)
*squeezes her hand back*
You're okay with this right..?
(I have Hecate. Maybe Juvia.)
*totally isn't adding more music to my phone :S*
*tries to find things to delete XD*
(Star, I'm on season 3 so
No spoilers please ;)
*Hugs Jaimie*)
Bethany: I'm honestly fine with it. *walks into her house*
(Hello Chi
@Star if no one has any objections then that would be good, I have the start of a plot in my head as well)
I won't, Chi. :)
@Ed: Well. I don't object, I guess.
*looks at everyone else*
(*hugs Gem*
Love you Sis.)
*walks with her, closing the door*
Okay...put it in a corner and we'll make a room
(Thing is, folks, we can do as many plots as we want, really. We have forever, after all. XD)
Claire: *moves the bed into a corner, her eyes resuming their normal colour*
(I will be back soon.)
(I like planning for rp's... it's fun..we work together.)
(Wise words Star)
(I've seen every 2005- episode. Why?)
(Okay Soph.)
*flexes her fingers and closes her eyes*
*branches stretch up from the floor and down from the roof slowly, twining together, branches growing to make it opaque*
*leaves and thin branches make a curtain like door*
@Silente: I just like discussion. XD
But, yeah. It's like . . . it's like when you listen to actors in interviews and it's liek "Oooh, so THIS is what you're like when you're not being so-and-so". :P
Thanks, Ed. :)
(Okay, well in "The Waters of Mars, this disease thing was spread through the water, so it could be like that for the people who can't catch it? At the beginning of the episode, we see the first guy to become a... Weird person after he washes a carrot or something and that's what starts the spread of the infection. It could be like that, the infected water from the lake gets into the pipes and next time Hunter or someone washes something before they eat it- boom, infected!)
(Still pretty sure I've got the villain to top them all, now that Erebus has taken over Blake.)
(Yup, will you come join in Gemma, please?)
(@Star your welcome. A challenge would be to contain Ed as well due to his magic and to stop him)
(Hello J, how are you?)
(Who's this Erebus guy anyway? He didn't seem so tough last time we fought.
And hello! c:)
(The waters of mars was horrible. I watched it with my family and ended up with nightmares..it happens with most zombie films.)
(Hello Tia, how are you?)
(Hey Kassandra.)
@Velvet: :O Water sounds like a good idea. :)
*nods at Ed* O_O
@Kas: He's a greek god. He's very powerful - when he was conatined in Blake, his powers were diminished.
When was Now That's What I Call Music! 85 made, anyone know?
(I love you too Sil <3
Hello Ed)
(@Star How about Erebus and Ed join forces to release a virus if J is ok with that)
(*smiles*
*feels loved*)
(You fought him at roughly 16% power, Tanya. And he hardly ever tries, he believes it to be beneath him. As for him being a god, he's a bit more than that. He's a primordial.)
@Ed: That doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually. O_O
@J: Oh. Sorry. :/
(@Star brilliant!
@J What do you think to the idea?)
(What do you think then? What we have so far:
Zombies from last apocalypse end up in the rivers and lakes of Blogland.
They infect the water.
Water flows into pipes and all water becomes contaminated. (That way people who can't become zombies through biting or being turned catch it.)
They go and turn other people.
At the same time the water kills vegetation and we slowly run out of food and fresh water.
The remaining survivors go on a quest to find a cure and save Blogland and all of their friends.
We find the cure and everyone is saved and triumphant! (Hopefully...))
(I'm not great for reasons unknown to most of you.
I'm sorry but there's just one thing you need to achieve just about anything, even to defeat Erebus.
Can you guess?)
(@Velvet: i've no objections. :)
*hugs Kas*)
(Jai, that isn't funny... *growls at her* its a pretty picture though...)
(*hugs Hollystar*)
(Of course I will join in.
And the lake...really? I wish that wasn't the only water source... the lake is beautiful...and blake was buried there, we were married there... ;-;)
(Sorry Velv..
*sits in the naughty corner*
Its pwetty at least..)
(*huggles Star* Yay! Shall we do that then? Onviously there's more planning to be done but I think it could work!)
(Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell what you guys buried was a copy of Blake created by Erebus.)
(Wait, what zombies?)
(Okay, not the lake, are there other water sources?
Okay Jai. *hugs*)
(Yup, that's how the disease starts!)
(@J Would Erebus be open to an alliance to take over?)
(*hugs Velvet back*
*eats her neck*)
(@Seirsha A well?)
@Velvet: :P We could plan as we go along by this point maybe, I think. :P
@Kas: Hollystar. XD I kind of like that. :P
(THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IS A TRAP)
(Okay, and of course we have the pipes and sewage and stuff! YAAAY!
*pushes Sil away from her neck*)
(Yep okay Star, when do we start?)
(Aww!
*pouts*
I was only eating..)
(Thanks Xan!
WHAT IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?!)
(*high fives and fistbumps Adam*)
(*sighs* Go on then...)
(If you drink it you will live forever.
Or maybe probably definitely a source of the zombie virus.)
(Hehe!
*bites velvets neck*
Om nom nom.)
(Highly doubtful, Ed. Before his release he would have gladly used you but now that he's free he would see you as just another thing to brush aside. No offence...)
*tacklehugs Sil*
*smiles, showing her sharp teeth*
(None taken J)
@Velvet: . . .
um.
(Yes Tia!
*looks at Sil*)
(/\)
*looks at Tan*
O_O
(Bye)
(What Star?)
(*grins at Velvet*
I think eating Zaf turned me cannibal xD)
(Bye Ed!)
(Bye, Ed!)
*leans in and scratches Sil's nose with her teeth*
°W°
@Velvet: I'm not good at starting things. I don't know what to do. O_O XD
(*nods at Fabi as if she understands*)
(/\)
Oww..
*rubs nose*
(@Jai what are the symbols, uh... symbolising?)
*licks Sil's bloody nose*
*applies some healing magic to ensure it doesn't scar*
(Msd.)
(That it doesn't interrupt the Beth rp.)
(/\)
*frowns*
*o-kaaaaay*
(A copy...of Blake....)
(Oh right, okay Star!
Guys, should we start the thing now? I have an idea how to start...)
(And Adam that's just...why did you put Bonnie your profile picture?)
(I don't know what characters to use... I could ruin things if I use Chione... it's winter and she can produce ice and water...)
@Velvet: Okay. :P How do we start?
*isn't good at starting :O*
(*Hugs Adam*)
(I love Bonnie too)
Bethany: I could have done that...
Claire: That is so cool.
(Ok, I saw that coming. I didn't see the other thing with carol coming. Omg! Daryl and Carol <3)
(Adam I am not taking Bonnie back! she's yours!)
(Heeeeelp. What background do I do?! Baring in mind I only have dark blue, red and yellow..)
*smiles and squeezes her hand*
Its fine Beth..
Thanks, Claire.
Want a leaf carpet?
*purrs* Would you like to role-play, Silente?
(Can we use more than one character?)
(Maybe dark blue and a little bit of red? Inspired by the Union Jack?)
(I wouldn't say more than two, unless you really really thought that more than one could help.
What do you think, should I use Chione? She would ruin the whole no water thing, people would live with her around.)
Bethany: *squeezes her hand back* But with me it would take less energy.
Claire: Do you do a normal fabric one?
Um..not that I know of...
(Maybe Kas..)
(Surely we can use anyone/everyone? :S Large-scale, Blogland-wide. :S)
(I don't know, Gem. Maybe we need many things happening at once and we have to figure out how to stop them AND who's behind it all and stop them.)
(@Jai Maybe?)
(The background suggestion.)
(A multitude of intertwined plots seems to me like the best way for this to work, what way nothing is simple and it will take a long time to solve it all.)
(*sighs*
*has no idea what to do*)
You know when there's these boybands and you kind of like their music but you don't want to say so much because then people'll think you're one of those fangirl-y fangirls? :/
Anyway, on that note, I kind of like The Wanted and The Vamps. :) I've kind of liked The Wanted for years, actually.
It doesn't move past 'kind of like', though. :P
Blogger J said...
(A multitude of intertwined plots seems to me like the best way for this to work, what way nothing is simple and it will take a long time to solve it all.)
January 7, 2015 at 8:18 PM
Yes.
(Gemma, you should be fine using Chi, after all Velvet can do water stuff too but we'll figure something out!)
*the girl finally got away from all the humans and looked at the lake (not the lake where Chi got married, another lake*) the girl walked into the water fully clothed, and started swimming. Everything was fine until she saw the zombie, the girl instantly broke the surface and ran to the town to tell everyone*
(I would just like to say, she is not infected for reasons I can't say yet, it's something to do with the girl)
Claire: Dammit. Fine, a leaf one.
Beth? Wanna make one..?
(*finds craft feathers*
*thinks for a moment*
*grins*)
(@Jai If you're bored, Tanya asked Sil if she wants to rp.)
(So uh, the house. Is that still... um... blown up and all?)
(Ok, i'll use chi... I don't know who else...)
(Yes...it is...I don't know how to bring her back... or the others...)
Bethany: What colour do you want, Claire?
Claire: *she thinks for a moment* Maybe red? A dark red.
Bethany: *raises her hand, her palm glowing white, a red carpet forming underneath Claire's feet*
Claire: Awesome! Wait, can you make anything?
Bethany: *she shrugs slightly* I think so?
Claire: Can you make me ice cream?
Bethany: *moves her hand upwards, and ice cream forming in her palm in a small cone* *hands it to Claire*
Claire: *smiles, taking the ice cream* I'm sure I'm going to love this. *starts to eat the ice cream*
Oooh ice cream! That's cool! Can you make vodka? And chocolate?
*grins innocently*
*the girl looks down at herself and thinks that people are more likely to believe her about the Zombie if she looks more presentable*
*whispers* FluÃr auga , fluÃr de volta a onde veu.
*the water disappears and the girl stands alone, dry, and begins to look for someone who can help her*
(Gemma, does it help that Flo has the powers of resurrection?)
(I've an idea.)
*The shadowy figure from a few days past surveys the wreckage from the explosion*
Well, that went well.
Bethany: I'm not making vodka... But I can make chocolate if you'd like. *her hand glows white and milk chocolate forms in her hand* *hands it to Silente*
Claire: You are honestly one of the coolest people I've ever met.
(Can I just say
Modding Skyrim is just... it's not working.)
(Yes, it does. But you would have needed Tsubacki to stich them all back up. They've been blown to bits.)
Okay..
*takes the chocolate and smiles*
Thanks Beth.
*smiles at Claire's approval*
(Well... Velvet could reverse the affects of the heat (explosion) and that would bring their bodies back together, right?)
(*winces at 'blown to bits' and mentally thanks the Lord Claire hasn't settled yet as that was when she was planning for Sil to find out*)
*Shadows snake among the charred remains of the house, seeking out remains of the victims. As bits of unrecognizable flesh are found by the tendrils of darkness, they are brought before the cloaked man*
Now to put togethher the perfect being to ruel by my side.
Bethany: I don't want you to get drunk.
Claire: Can you fill my room with chocolate? Or gummy bears? Yes, gummy bears. I want gummy bears.
Bethany: They'd be bad for you...
(Yes Xan, that's what I've done pretty much...)
(*sighs*)
*laughs*
Hmm..Maybe you could have a few gummy bears...
(Yeah Adam, go ahead. When Blake is putting me back together I might bring in one too)
(Chloe, what's up? *huggles*)
(*huggles* nothing to concern your pretty little head with)
(So if someone could interrupt Erebus before he manages to influence Chione as he puts her back together that would be great.)
*Within moments, Chiones body is repaired, only missing what was incinerated by the explosions*
And now for the final touch...
*Smoke-like darkness oozes towards her*
*sneaks up on Erebus, if such a thing uis possible*
James: Having fun Blake?
*leaning against a nearby tree*
(Okay... *giggles*'I have a pretty head...
What Blake, like now? Like at Chi's house?)
(Or you could let her become the goddess of darkness?)
Bethany: *sighs, her palm glowing white again, a handful of gummy bears forming*
Claire: *smiles, cupping her hands*
Bethany: *pours the gummy bears into Claire's hands*
Claire: Thank you! *eats one of the gummy bears*
(That's Erebus)
*drops from the sky onto Blake's head* YOOOO, WHERE THE PARTY AT?!
(Guys, does anyone want to start the zombie thing now?)
(Shh they don't know that, he's still using Blake's body.)
*rolls eyes*
Okay. So...Claire is good now yes?
(*listens to the song Mz Hyde*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y2PCvNYeE8)
(Hey, Mill!)
@Erebus Oi, meathead!
(Hello Millllllllllllllnicetomeetyou)
*With barely noticeable effort, his voice changes to Blake's*
Hey guys, fancy meeting you all here.
(Hi Mil!)
(That honestly made me laugh, well played Adam.)
*dissapears* Sorry, just wanted to land on Blake's head!
James: what happened here? Something go boom? Blow up your house by any chance, Neanderthal.
(Okay Xannnnnnnniceroseeyou!)
(HE'S USING BLAKE'S BODY?! NO! DAMIT WHY YOU SO MEAN? CHIONE WILL THINK THAT TOO! GOD YOU'RE CRUEL1!)
Great to see you to, and get out of the shadows will you? That's my thing. For the record I did not blow up my house, I am attempting to piece my wife back together. So if you will excuse me...
*The cloud of darkness draws closer to Chione, almost close enough to seep into her*
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