I'll be hosting a Google Hangout on Saturday May 25 at 6pm Eastern.  I'll be discussing Razorblade Angel (that's the novel), Claude & Monet (that's the webcomic), and, of course, AAG.  I'm sure you'll have lots of questions, and who knows?  I might have some answers.

So if you're coming, check in and swing on by!

Enjoy!

Chapter Ten rewrite!

“Normally, I would slap that insolent tongue of yours back into its mouth, but right now I could care less, as it does little to spoil my joy.”  He took another drink before continuing.  “For the record, I happen to be celebrating my aunt’s most critical of failures.  Did you know, at this moment, Cloudsdale is under attack?  As to who did the deed?  It really doesn’t matter – the only thing that does is that so soon after the death of Fillydelphia, ponies will be clamoring for leadership…strong leadership, the kind of bedrock firmament that Aunt Celestia is absolutely incapable of.”

“And you think you are?”

“Of course.  Why else have we survived for so long?  Because we are canny and await our return to the throne.”  He got off his couch, wobbling towards his son before putting a foreleg around his withers.  “Think of it: when I am king, you will be the crown prince – and you will learn what it means to wield true power.”

“But Aunt Celestia will not be displaced so easily, Father.  She is an ancient and powerful mare, not one of your flighty conquests.”

“Which is why we have to strike when the time is right – and that time is soon coming.  Did I not teach you that an iron fist must have a velvet glove in order to rule properly?  I have my brutality, and I have your mother for finesse.  So too, one day will you have a wife to counter your own…proclivities, shall we say, hmm?”  The look in Blueblood’s eyes was questing, curious, as if he expected his son to admit to something.  But then moment passed, and it left the younger prince wary of his father.

Fortunately for Silver Platter, relief came at hand.  “Your highness,” a guard said, nodding briefly to acknowledge Silver Platter, “We have recovered her highness and escorted her back to her chambers as per your request.”

Chapter Nine is now live, folks!  Enjoy!

Chapter 9 rewrite!

Unaware that they were now being the ones watched, DJ and Elusive both grinned as they noted their respective spouses’ conversation.  “It looks like they’re getting along great – Mike’s enjoying himself, I can tell,” DJ replied.

Elusive nodded.  “I’m glad.  When she was younger, Butter’s sister used to tease her often about stories involving humans – the mythological monsters, not the actual species.”

“I’m pretty sure that a few people’s kids were threatened that the ‘Alien Demon Horse’ – namely, me – would take them away from their Mommies and Daddies if they didn’t behave.  Heck, half of them did it at the school I went to when I was a kid – and this was a Catholic school!”  The humanized pony took another drink of her wine.  “But hey, that’s just what it was like, being the Alien Girl.”

“Well, at the risk of being honest, DJ, you’re a wonderful mare – excuse me, woman – and I can’t see how anypony in their right mind would ever think otherwise.”

She blushed slightly at the stallion’s correction in words; it was a clear sign that though he saw her as his sister, he also saw her as what she was.  “You didn’t have to correct yourself.  I know I’m technically an earth pony instead of a human.”

He shook his head.  “But that’s where you’re incorrect.”  He sighed, knowing this was going to be the hardest part to say, because in some ways, the admission would be tantamount to admitting his mother’s failure.  “Sandalwood…she’s dead.  She died thirty-five years ago, before I was born, when she was hit by a magical lightning bolt that spirited her away.  She crossed the dimensional barrier and ended up growing into the person you are, DJ.

“You are my sister.  I have hoped that since that day I saw you two decades back that we would someday meet again.  And I have seen how much Mother and Father have longed for the return of Sandalwood and that all the expectations of that life were foisted onto Minty.  But you said it yourself: you are not Sandalwood.  And from what I see, that’s correct: I don’t have a sister named Sandalwood.  I have a sister named DJ.”  He paused before asking, “Um, that is a nickname, I’m assuming?”

“Yes,” she said, her eyes misting, a precious emotion coming into them: you’re accepting me – me, not the Sandalwood everyone expects me to be.  “It’s actually short for Daisy Jo.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” he said.  “But I would be honored to have a sister named Daisy Jo just as much as I would have had one named Sandalwood.”

Tears of joy ran from violet eyes.  “Look,” she said, her voice quavering as a smile came to her face.  “I’m crying again.  I guess I’ve been hanging around Cinnamon too much.”

“And that should be the last of it,” Shining said as he burned the document, sending it magically transporting away back to the main Guard garrison at Canterlot.  “All in all, things went much better than they could have.  We defeated the enemy with a minimal loss of our forces, though if you ask me the price was still too high.”

Stroking his short beard, Glittering Prize nodded.  “We lost a promising mage.  I know Tiny Dynamine’s father, Gulf Fritillary.  He’ll be devastated at her loss, but proud as a peacock that she was there to help those in need.  And I knew Wisdom Seeker personally…I’m at a complete loss as to why he turned, and I suppose without him alive we’ll never truly know.  But I intend to interrogate a few of the prisoners and get some answers.  We’ll get to the bottom of this, Lieutenant, I assure you.”

Shining nodded.  “Thank you, Archmagus.  I appreciate the assistance.”

The older unicorn chuckled.  “All in a day’s work, Lieutenant.  Besides, if I may be so bold, this bit of travel has given me a bit of a respite; her majesty’s personal protégé has been asking me questions about magic theory and thaumaturgical protocols as of late that would vex ponies three times her age and decades more experience.  I’m not sure where the Princess found this little teenage dynamo, but I fear that if I’m not careful, by the time it’s time for me to retire, she’ll be trying on the Archmagus’ hat next.”

Shining suppressed a grin; it was clear that the Archmagus had no idea of the relation between Shining and Twily.  “Sounds like you’re in much need for a vacation, sir.”

“Not if I want to keep my job,” he said with a soft smile.  “I’ll be returning to Canterlot tomorrow; I can only hope that Miss Sparkle hasn’t commandeered my personal library by the time I arrive.”

Many of you have been curious about the information regarding my recently completed novel.  Well, here we go.

For those of you who follow my webcomic, this takes place in the same universe and a few of the characters interact or know each other.  For those of you who don't...why aren't you?

It's in editing right now (my super-capable team of editors, including coandco, bluebastard and cody fett) are all doing what editors do, and I can't thank them enough for that.  More information will be coming along about this, and if you've got any questions, please feel free to ask below.

Now, what does this mean for the AAG saga?  Nothing.  I still intend to keep chugging along, though because the editors are tied up with a 240K word novel, chapters of AAG and Polarity and new story arcs of BH will be slightly slower in coming; everyone's a bit double-duty right now and I hope you'll stick around for that - I apologize for the delay, but these guys are being rock stars at getting this stuff done and it'd be unfair to push them harder.

So, with that said...ask away!

Folks, I apologize for the delay on everything, but finishing the novel took a huge amount out of me; I haven't been able to focus on a single project this past week - like my synapses have fried temporarily.  So I'm going to take a week off to recharge, try to clear some of the non-AAG projects off the table and get back to bearings.  When I get back on the 8th, I should be able to have some new stuff for you all and can talk about the novel as well.  

Again, I apologize about the delay - I really hate letting you guys down but as my wife will attest, I have not been able to concentrate on a single thing at all since I put that final word on the screen last Wednesday.

Start: Saturday, February 16, 2008 7:13:50PM

Complete: Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 9:54:02PM

241,359 words, 252 pgs.

245540 minutes total edit time.

What is it, you ask?  Stay tuned.

Fillies and gentlecolts, Pike Varash has created a radio play based on The Ballad of Bob.  You may go here and let the ear wax in your eustacian tubes enjoy!  For those of you without ear wax, the eustachian tubes may filter his velvety, Dean Martinesque vocal range down into your cortex.  For those of you without eustachian tubes, you are likely dead and not reading this.