March Update

The rights to the entire nine-book ‘Dark Heavens’ have been reverted to me, which means that Harper-Collins can no longer sell them.

I don’t own the cover art that they created for the series, and I’d like to create new covers for every single book. (I will also re-format the interiors and maybe take out some of the edits that I wasn’t happy about all that time ago? And add back in stuff that was deleted that should be there?)

This means I can’t release them myself until this is done.

In the meantime, I need to arrange for new covers! Wish me luck, I’ll be applying for a grant from the Gold Coast. I’ll try to feature emerging or mid-career artists in a ‘showcase’ where each artist can do a ‘cultivation’-style illustration, that I can pass to Ashton, my graphic designer, in the US to finalise for cover design. Each artist will receive both payment and a feature on the cover that they illustrate.

Wish me luck, I’m currently gathering support letters and preparing the grant documentation. It will probably be turned down, and then I’ll have to pivot to Plan B.

If you know anyone who can do quality ‘cultivation’-style illustrations, let them know this opportunity may be up for grabs!

Oz Comic-Con

As I can’t obtain printed copies of the original series until I re-release them, I’ve had to hold off on Comic-Cons for the first half of this year. I won’t be attending Perth or Adelaide, I’m afraid. Hopefully I’ll have some really special editions of Dark Heavens – all of them – for cons later in the year. Ashton loves doing foils and sprayed edges.

Of course Patrons will be receiving complimentary copies of everything as part of their subscriptions. I may even do special art prints for them. They’re now reading a new fan-requested novella about how Jade fought all cultural norms to marry two gods.

Watch this space as I work though the process.

TAFE is Back!

The semester, many of the students who produced ‘Dark Heavens’ based projects are back for ‘Professional Practice 2’. Here’s the projects that are happening:

• The 3D Pixelart ‘learn martial arts on the Mountain’ game will be expanded beyond the tutorial so you’ll have a chance to play as Emma and fight some real demons! They’re planning a cool combo system and some great demon designs.

  

• The Jade sidescroller is getting WAY more pixels and detail, and moving up to having a series of boss battles. The students will also include some combos in this one as well.

  

• The animation team, who produced some exciting concept designs, will be moving to actual motion-capture and animation creation. Cannot wait to see what happens there.
• One student who wasn’t in Professional Practice 1 last semester is doing a project that’s a mass fighting game similar to Diablo. (The Archivist would approve.) In it, the main character is a tame demon who will have to balance their celestial and demonic natures so that they don’t go too much either way.

I will keep you updated!