"There's been an awakening… Have you felt it?"

Why yes, I have. J.J. Abrams has released the teaser trailer for STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - The Force Awakens and that's exactly what it is, a teaser. Not much in the way of actual plot info, but tons of cool imagery, some intriguing characters, and...the Millenium Falcon!. I'm encouraged!

Littlest Pet Shop: If You're a Guy/International versions

I recently stumbled across this Wikia page featuring international versions of "If You're a Guy," a season one Littlest Pet Shop song written by myself and composer Daniel Ingram. For some reason, I think it's pretty funny to see our song being performed in another language. I particularly enjoyed the Russian version which you can see below.

Click HERE if you want to watch and hear additional versions in Italian, Korean, Slovenian, and more!

Now on Kindle, Undrastormur: A Viking Tale of Troublesome Trolls

My novelette, Undrastormur, has just been published and is available through Kindle for $0.99.

 Here's the description:

"Eirik has a problem. A lot of problems, actually. While he was out gathering mushrooms, his small Norse village was overrun by nasty trolls with a taste for human flesh. Now Eirik, the last surviving descendant of Drengur Darkbeard, a powerful Viking galdrakarl or wizard, must undertake a perilous journey to find the missing half of Drengur's iron staff. Only then can he save his neighbors by calling down the undrastormur, a violent and powerful gift from Thor, the god of thunder."

Originally released as part of the awesome Wonderstorm anthology (see link in the sidebar), I thought my little story of a Norse boy's bravery in the face of a troll attack deserved some love of its own.

I hope you agree!




You can purchase Undrastormur here:
Amazon US (Kindle)

Undrastormur is also available through Amazon's KDP Select in the following countries: UK, India, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. 

Naughty Mario!

Borrowed from Mambo Ba-Bombo...

My "Real" Book is Really Here!

Paperback copies of Giantkiller have arrived and I'm thrilled with how they turned out. I'm aware some folks say we'll all be pleasure reading exclusively on our Kindle or Nook within the next few years (and I know some indie author friends who only publish digital editions of their books), but I really hope it doesn't work out that way. There's nothing more satisfying than leafing through a real, honest to goodness book, imo. Even more so when your name is on the cover. :)

What do you think? Am I a dinosaur in this regard? Have you gone all digital?

Giantkiller (Leonard the Great, Book 2) is Now Available

After years of writing and years of editing, my book Giantkiller (Leonard the Great, Book 2) is finally available! To quote my author pal, Keith Robinson:

"At last! And I really mean that. At. Long. Last!" 

Yup. It's taken far too long to get this Dragonfriend sequel up and running (life and laziness intervened on a consistent basis) but now it's here and I couldn't be more excited.

I hope you'll like it and if you do will consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads (or anywhere else). You wouldn't believe how much this helps.

Here's the back cover desciption:

 Several seasons have passed since Leonard went on his last great adventure and battled a sinister force that had taken over Camelot. Since then he’s settled into a comfortable life as Lord of the Green Valley. But when his beloved Glennys is threatened by a cruel giant from a kingdom in the clouds, Leonard and his best friend Hubert must team up again with Merlin, the half-giant Ham, and a young dragon named Taddy to save her before it’s too late.

Sounds exciting to me!

The Details:

Giantkiller is available as a paperback and a digital download on Amazon.com. Obligatory links:

Kindle Version (US)

Paperback Version

Giantkiller and Dragonfriend are also available, worldwide (UK, IN, DE, FR, ES, IT, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU), through KDP Select so check your "local Amazon store" if you live somewhere outside the US (at this time, both books are English language only).

BONUS: Amazon's offering a cool feature where you can get the Kindle edition for FREE when you purchase the paperback. Not too shabby, I say.

Now, on to Book 3 (which, hopefully, won't take me as long to finish)!

Littlest Pet Shop Episode: Feud for Thought

My latest Littlest Pet Shop episode "Feud for Thought" is streaming for a limited time on the Hub's website.

Check it out HERE if you want to see the Biskit twins and two adorable koalas engage in some professional grade feuding.

Click HERE if you enjoy pictures of soybeans.

I've Got Physical Proof!

Uh, I mean I've got a physical proof. Copy, that is. A physical proof copy, Of my book...Giantkiller. It just arrived the other day and is being given a final check. So far, so good.

(cue mini squee)

Saturday Question: Getting an Illustration Agent

From Herb:

Q: I recently completed illustrating my first children's book which is due out later this month. Should I begin to look for an agent to represent me for more work in this field?

A:  First, it's good that you're pursuing this kind of work as once an illustrator catches on, the gigs pour in. I once heard of a very talented illustrator who had some 5+ years of book assignments awaiting his attention. Nice problem to have. That said, you may want to wait to see if the book is a success before beating the bushes for an agent. If it is, then it'll be much easier to get an agent's attention. In the meantime, I would suggest building up a portfolio specifically designed to get book illustration work (scout around on the web to find out what would be in this kind of collection as opposed to other fields such as animation). One way to add to such a portfolio would be to find an old public domain fairy tale or the like and illustrate your own version of it -- with a humorous twist or not. If you have a good book illustration portfolio then you'll be in a much better place when the time comes to seek out an agent. They'll ask for one anyway. That's my non-illustrator take on it.

Illustrators:  You folks (obviously) have a lot more experience in this field and I would welcome any corrections or advice for Herb. Please share your thoughts in the comments.

**

Got a question for a self/traditionally published author and TV animation writer (who'd be perfect for that show you're staffing)? I thought so. Leave it here in the comments and I'll try to answer it on the following Saturday.

Giantkiller Cover Reveal

My designer Mike Wykowski worked diligently over the weekend and came up with a real winner. The framing of the giant's face makes him look both mysterious and menacing and I love it. Thanks for your great work, Mike, and thanks for the feedback, folks! It really helped!

Here now, the cover for Giantkiller: Leonard the Great, Book Two.

Woo hoo!

Time for the 7D!

The 7D, a fun little show I wrote for last year, premieres this coming Monday (7/7) on Disney XD.

Here's the deal:

"The series takes place in the whimsical world of Jollywood, where Queen Delightful relies on the 7D – Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Grumpy and Doc – to keep the kingdom in order. Standing in their way are two laughably evil villains, Grim and Hildy Gloom, who plot to take over the kingdom by stealing the magical jewels in the 7D’s mine. With seven very distinct personalities, the 7D always manage to save the day and send Grim and Hildy running back to their evil lair to try another day."

Check it out!

Help Me Pick My Cover

My most excellent designer, Mike Wykowski, just sent me the two cover finalists for Giantkiller and now I'd like to get your opinion.  The subtle but significant difference is in the framing of the giant's face, everything else is the same. Here they are:

Cover #1

 Followed by...

Cover #2

What do you think? Have a preference? Let me know which cover you like better in the comments.

Thanks!

Saturday Question: Pimping Your Animation Idea

From Jojo: 

Q: Hallo there I am sorry to bother you but I kinda need a little help and gaudiness. I have an idea for an animation film but I can't really show it to anybody without having a manager or an agent first and I have no idea how to do that. Can you please help me? Thanks very much.

A: Just like the studios and production companies you'd eventually like to reach, most reputable agents or managers are uninterested in "ideas," especially from unknowns (I assume you're an unknown, if not, what the heck are you doing asking a question like this to an unknown like me?). They're much more likely to respond positively to a well-written query in which you very briefly describe your idea and then offer to send YOUR SCRIPT. That's right, I said script. Aside from claiming a recommendation from J.J. Abrams (don't do this unless you really have one), writing a script is the only way I know of that you, currently an unknown, will get a legitimate agent or manager interested in your "idea." 

As far as your needing a little gaudiness (assuming that wasn't an autocorrect error), I'd suggest checking out Mardis Gras or carnivale footage on YouTube and seeing if you can crib some tips from there. ;)

**

Got a question for a self/traditionally published author and TV animation writer (who'd be perfect for that show you're staffing)? I thought so. Leave it here in the comments and I'll try to answer it on the following Saturday.

Littlest Pet Shop Episode: 'War of the Weirds'

My first episode of LPS Season 3 aired this morning. You can check out 'War of the Weirds' on the Hub site for a limited time.

LPS Season Two Finale

Parts one and two of The Expo Factor, the Little Pet Shop season two finale are available HERE. I wrote the teleplay for part one and the talented Adam Beechen wrote part two. Not sure how long they're going to keep the full episodes up on the Hub site so check them out while you still have the chance!