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Posted by Meg

It all started when Peat made an offhanded comment on his Twitter about how there were quite a few big name authors going to ConFusion 2012 and how playing D&D game would result in epic amounts of fun. The fan and author response to this idea was overwhelming.

So Peat and Myke Cole decided to make it happen, which took some scrambling at the last minute to procure a space for the event, equipment and authors excited to participate. They also needed to decide who would DM and what edition they would use. All in a matter of days!

They decided on the 1st edition classic module Keep on The Borderlands by Gary Gygax. Myke Cole and Saladin Ahmed would share the role of DM, and a space was procured at the convention.

The game included nine authors: Myke Cole, Jim C. Hines, Pat Rothfuss, Saladin Ahmed, Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear, Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie and, of course, Peat. Scott and Elizabeth were a bit late arriving, so for the first half of the game, Scott’s Gnome Illusionist was played by Jay Lake, and Elizabeth’s Elven Ranger by Yanni Kuznia.

Rolling for characters (Joe Abercrombie cheating)

Rothfuss and Abercrombie

Rolling

The beaten up blue dice pictured above are the same dice Peat’s been using since he was 10 years-old. The worn edges are a testament to how loved they are. Peat said it felt like seeing old friends.

The game begins!

Myke Cole as DM

The game continues

You can also check out Brent Weeks’ write-up of the game as his guest post on A Dribble of Ink or Myke Cole’s write-up.

A more official video of the event is currently in the works, but for now, here is a preview of what is to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq-x6lswO-4&sns=fb

Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:00 am by megelizabeth
Filed under Appearances, Author D&D, Events, Fans, Myke
3 Comments »

Posted by Meg

Back in January, Peat made the long trek out to Detroit, Michigan to Epic ConFusion 2012. Run by the good folks at Subterranean Press, the con was quickly booked with some of the best and the brightest in fantasy writing today. This illustrious list includes Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, Patrick Rothfuss and our very own Peter V. Brett. This made the con a haven for epic fantasy writers and their fans. It was also exciting because this group of authors had never all hung out in the same place before.

For another excellent perspective on the weekend, check out Patrick’s post on the blog Yetistomper about the weekend. A lot of the excellent pictures in this post are taken by him (credited where appropriate).

Before the weekend officially started, everyone toured the Subterranean Press offices and warehouse. A healthy dose of Nerf guns, swords, hilarity and roughhousing ensued.

Are they the Three Musketeers or the Three Amigos?

Battling (note: Peat’s sword is in his left hand, the arm where he had his surgery!)

Myke makes weird hand gestures to illustrate gun safety

Myke Cole at the shooting range

Brent Weeks ready to fire

Shooting

Zombie Osama Bin Laden, shot by Brent Weeks. I wouldn’t mess with that guy.

Prepared for the noise: Yani Kuznia and Josh Parker from Subterranean Press, David Kletcha, the head of programming at the con, with Joe Abercrombie

Opening Ceremonies: Patrick Rothfuss, Science Chair Harley Thronson (NASA scientist), Brent Weeks, Peter V. Brett, Joe Abercrombie and the Con Chair Bryan Decker

An interesting fact about Harley Thronson is that Gary Gygax hit him up for money for a little project known as D&D, but Harley thought it sounded stupid. But, you know, he works for NASA, so don’t feel too sorry for him.

Stormtrooper! (Credit: Patrick)

THIS is the droid we’re looking for!

Brent got pissed off at Joe for cheating when rolling for characters for the Author D&D Game.

John Scalzi: a bit late for the battle for independence.

Book Signing with Jim Hines, toastmaster of the convention.

Joe Abercrombie – Reading with Robin Hobb (Patrick)

Justin from Staffer’s Musing, Myke and Douglas Hullick Credit: (Patrick)

Peat talking to fans. That’s Brent Week’s eyeball next to him. (Credit: Patrick)

Panel: Patrick Rothfuss, Bradley P. Beaulieu (not a single person at the convention was able to pronounce his name), Myke Cole, Peter V. Brett and Joe Abercrombie (Credit: Patrick)

Another notable event that occurred was The Legendary Licked Book of Epic Confusion, in which 15 distinguished fantasy and science-fiction authors actually licked a copy of John Scalzi’s book The Sagan Diary, quickly making it a book with the most fantastical DNA you can find anywhere. It’s one of a kind. You can check out what Scalzi had to say about the previous book on his blog Whatever.

Posted on April 5, 2012 at 2:33 pm by megelizabeth
Filed under Appearances, Daylight War, Desert Spear, Fans, Great Bazaar, Meg, The Daylight War, Warded Man
3 Comments »

Posted by Meg

A review of The Desert Spear popped up on the blog Strange Telemetry. I am going to go ahead and review this review by saying the summary is spot on, the content is well-written and the topics the author raises are ones, I think, writers and readers alike will want to ponder and discuss. Namely, the treatment of character development in The Desert Spear. So what are you waiting for? Check it out.

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:00 am by megelizabeth
Filed under Desert Spear, Fans, Meg, Reviews
Comments Off on Desert Spear Review: The Art of Character Development

Posted by Meg

Both of these recent reviews of The Warded Man feature two similar qualities. The first: the authors of both blogs were skeptical when they cracked open the first book in the Demon Cycle. The second: both authors ended up giving The Warded Man more than 4 stars.

The first review comes from AQ’s Reviews, a blogger who reviews comics, science-fiction and fantasy books as well as television series. A lot of fantasy authors these days have a tough job trying to both ground their imagined worlds in more traditional fantasy worlds while, at the same time, striving to bring something entirely new and original to the genre. Readers are hungry for freshly imagined cultures and new twists on old tropes. In this review, the author delves into this discussion and talks about patterns that fantasy authors tend to often repeat in terms of character, plot and world. These can range from the superficial: how the characters look and present themselves to the major story arc of the book or series.

The second review is pulled from An Infinite Number of Monkeys, a blog dedicated to books, writing and photography. This reviewer first heard about The Warded Man because of all the press Peat got for writing on his cellphone on the F train (a fact that I am still impressed with). Noting that writing a book on a cellphone is definitely cool, the author wondered: was the book any good?

After expecting a boy fulfilling prophecy book during the first chapters, the reviewer quickly changes his tune upon meeting the rest of the beloved cast: Leesha and Rojer. The review notes how Peat uses some traditional fantasy tropes, but twists them into something more inventive.

Posted on April 2, 2012 at 8:00 am by megelizabeth
Filed under Craft, Fans, Meg, Reviews, Warded Man
1 Comment »

Posted by Meg

If you are paying attention to Peat’s Twitter, you may have noticed the creation of a new “bot” this past month. The douchebot.

In a tweet, Peat called the spam-bot that incorrectly corrected his use of the word “you’re” a douchebot. That’s when Howard Taylor, author of Schlock of Mercenary and co-author of Writing Excuses, volunteered to draw a picture of the douchebot. The chance arose a couple weeks ago at Lunacon.

Click here for the original Tweet!

Peat got a great video of the drawing process, which will be posted here soon. So check back!

Posted on March 28, 2012 at 1:48 pm by megelizabeth
Filed under Appearances, Fans, Life, Meg, Writing
Comments Off on Douchebot