Some Servant of the Underworld mentions (sorry for the long list, I kind of haven’t updated in a long while on this):
-Windrose Meanderings (loved it)
-You Fight Like Anne Rice (didn’t care so much for the style or the main character)
-Solar Bridge (thought the milieu tended to overwhelm the novel)
-Jonathan McCalmont at the Zone (to say that he didn’t like it is an understatement. It’s the review with claws I was referring to earlier. I’ve skimmed through it but not really read it–I can deal with this kind of deconstruction, but only after book 3 is completed).
-Violin in the Void (thought the setting was great, but was worried some people might think the pace was laggy, and that Neutemoc was a pain)
-Miranda Suri (in a more general post about other mindsets, why we should write them and what are the pitfalls. In which I get mentioned next to Lord of Light, one of my all-time fave SF books. Wow).
-starlady38 (really liked it, thought Mihmatini was awesome)
-trollsmyth (thinks it would make an awesome tabletop RPG. I’d tend to agree–it would be extra fun to dump PC into Tenochtitlan. I’d GM that kind of thing myself, if GMing didn’t interfere with my creative processes).

Those posts have been in the queue for a while, but I’ve never had the leisure to properly edit them before putting them online.

Basically, I thought I’d share my experience in making book trailers. It’s limited: I made my first book trailer in 2009 in the leadup to the release of Servant of the Underworld, and reiterated the process a year later when I made the trailer for Harbinger of the Storm. To my surprise, the HoU trailer was highlighted on a number of websites as being attractive, which proves that at least I got something right.

As usual, I’m not saying this is the way to go: just pointing out what worked for me, and what I learnt in the process. I’d be delighted to hear other people’s experience on the subject.

Read More »

%%% The snowpocalypse has struck.
Have I mentioned my workplace is up a series of two hills? Buses are failing to run that particular route (and about 80% of Parisian routes, in fact).
Luckily, I got some work documents and will peruse them at home.

Feeling down and gloomy in this month of December? Fear not. Steph Burgis and Patrick Samphire have put up the December Lights Project, a collection of light-hearted and feelgood stories for the holiday season. I’ve only read one so far, Steph’s “Undead Philosophy 101″, which was a hilarious tale about vampires teaching at East Lansing University. There’s other offerings from Sherwood Smith, Sarah Prineas and Patrick Samphire, with more familiar names coming up.

(they did ask me to contribute, but unfortunately I tend to go dark, or to put my characters through the wringer before they’re allowed to feel good…)

Meanwhile, I’ll go see if I can get to work, or if the black ice wins.