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Hey, everyone! I am headed to Sydney in a matter of days. DAYS!

But it’s almost Friday, so instead of packing I’ve spend the morning on this Hallowe’en FAF, starring you guys in wonderful steampunk and Uglies costumes. (Sorry if I’m missing a few names. I had a lot of these pics around.)

Let’s start with this awesome Stormwalker contraption:

That is one cool cosutme, though I fear it would be less than optimal for dancing. (Note that the kid on the right is wearing a Whoopie Cushion costume. Hmm.)

And here’s an awesome Mr. Sharp pumpkin:

I have a theory that the internets have improved pumpkin carving, because the potential audience for pumpkins is so much larger. Instead of mere dozens of people seeing your carving work, thousands will!

Here’s Dr. Barlow by Jett, complete with dog-with-streaked-fur-as-Tazza!

And now for a plethora of Deryns!

Sarah:

Lauren:

Sabrina:

Dixie:

And Lizzy:

And, because I am disorganized, another anonymous!

Julia sent me this goggle-gif:

And here’s a Deryn and

It’s Friday and time for another FAF. This is the second of three FAFs dedicated to fan art given to me during the Goliath tour.

But the concluding tour-FAF will not be next week, because next week is CosPlay FAF! This is Halloween weekend, after all, so many of you will be dressing up. If your costumes are based on any of my books, please send them here! (Click the Contact button in the right panel, way down.)

And NOW . . . some fan art. My apologies that I don’t know/remember the names of the folks who handed these to me. Tour is a memory-melting experience.

These first three pieces were given to me in Kansas City, I think.

Yes, that appears to be a Twilight reference, plus there’s a bit of Full Metal Alchemist in there too.

Half Deryn, half Dylan! I’ve seen a few of these around the interwebs. Is it that you all want to see Deryn in a dress?

This was handed to me right before I went to the airport. THE AIRPORT, WHERE THEY LOVE IT WHEN YOU BRING IN STEAMPUNK GUNS. But it was made of plastic, so I’m not blogging from Gitmo.

This next one was done by the staff of the Wild Rumpus in St. Louis.

Wild Rumpus actually has a ferret named Ferdinand. And given Leviathan‘s hero’s father’s name, I demanded a bonding session with the beastie.

It turns out if you hold ferrets this way, they think you’re their mother and go to sleep. So Ferdinand is not dead, okay? Just resting. (Pining for the moors, maybe.)

This piece is from that very visit, and was one of those artsy kids who drew it while I talked, then gave it to me.

It’s very light here, but in person the lines were very beautiful and aerodynamic.

And finally, a bit of fanfic. Well, not fiction at all, really. More in the persuasive writing category. But you can see that this young wordsmith knows the value of repetition.

Okay, that’s it for this week. early next week I’ll give you guys a more formal tour report, with lots of numbers. It might be interesting. Or maybe not.

Don’t forget to send me your costume photos! And if you’

    Scott Westerfeld is going to have to start writing another gargantuan book series pretty soon.  I just finished Goliath, the third book in the Leviathan series, and I am going to go into Westerfeld withdrawal by November. Also, between this series and Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series, I've become a tad crazy for the steampunk stuff. Someone pointed out to me that the Leviathan books are not technically steampunk, as the engines described in the book don't run on steam. I don't care. So, don't tell me again that I'm mislabeling the series. At Powell's Books, they put Behemoth on the shelf in their steampunk display, so hah!

    Goliath begins right where Behemoth left off: World War I rages on across Europe and Asia. It's Clankers vs. Darwinists in this revisionist version of the Great War. Aleksander, the heir to the Austrian throne, has just helped lead a revolution in Turkey and is back on the British airship Leviathan with his best pal, Dylan Sharp. By now, Dylan's secret- that he is, in fact, Deryn Sharp, a girl in disguise- is no longer quite so secret. People seem to be finding out or figuring it out left and right.  But as long as the crew of the Leviathan doesn't know, Deryn is fairly certain she can stay on and continue to fly, which has always been her dream. It's when Alek finds out she's not who she says she is and worse, that she's in love with him, that things get a bit wonky.

    In the meantime, the Leviathan is on a mission to Siberia to rescue the brilliant scientist Nicolas Tesla, who claims to have built a weapon so powerful that merely showing it to the world will stop the war. Anxious for peace, Alek falls in beside Mr. Tesla, against the better judgement of his advisors and friends. Alek feels that ending this war is his destiny, his great legacy, and no one can talk him out of going along with Tesla's plans.  What Alek refuses to acknowledge is that Tesla is a bit of a madman, and his motives may not be as peaceful as Alek thinks.

    As the Leviathan crisscrosses the world from Tokyo to Mexico to New York, Alek and Deryn meet a host of historical figures: Tesla, William Randolph Hearst, even Pancho Villa. How far will Tesla go with his weapon Goliath? Is he, and in turn, is Alek, willing to raze an entire city to show the weapon's power? And how can Alek, a royal heir fall for Deryn, a commoner?

    Goliath is a fit ending to Westerfeld's action-packed series.The plot zooms along, as was the case with the first two books, though the characters take more time for quie

YIPPEE and YAHOO!! Or, I should say, Barking Spiders!! Am I ever excited!! The final book in the Leviathan trilogy has just arrived. It's Goliath by Scott Westerfeld and I've been waiting a long time for this. If you haven't read Leviathan or Behemoth, stop wasting time and go get them now. Macht Snell!! as the Clankers would say. Boy, oh, boy, I know what I'll be doing this weekend!!


PS--if you want to say my review of Leviathan, click here; click here for the review of Behemoth. (BTW, I'm writing this on Friday and setting it to post on Saturday so I don't step on Friday's post about Michael and his book. Go look at it!)

Hey, all. It’s time for FAF(cake), the cosmic all-kissing edition of Fan Art Friday. I think this needs no explanation, because we all love cake.

Let’s start with Alek and Deryn, shall we?

First a tiny wee gif from UniYuki:

Awwww.

And here’s an eerily similar in style, but way bigger and non-moving, image from Ridgetail95:

She looks like the surprised one here, which tells a story. (Like, he’s figured out her secret and is like, ba-BOOM, and she’s all, “Wha??”)

That’s something I’ve noticed while trawling the interweebz for Dalek lip-on-lip action: every picture tells a story. Sometimes they’ve obviously been together for a while, and are just chillin’; sometimes she’s surprising him, and sometimes it’s the other way around, like the above.

Here’s a case of them having obviously known each other’s secrets for a while, from stkidd (who seems to specialize in kissing fan art!):

Go check out all of stkidd’s art. She has a great one of Deryn snoozing with a sketch of Alek. Heh.

From DanyDiSalvo, here’s one with the ever popular title, “Engine Grease.”

Pretty intense. (And seriously, I do see the title “Engine Grease” a lot. Is THAT what the kids are calling it these days?)

Here, from Miyu999, comes a more comical approach. Clearly it’s right before a battle (“Will we ever see each other again?”), and it also proves what I learned while writing this series: all scenes that feature Bovril are fundamentally awesome.

Note that we’ve made the all-important jump to Alek being on the left side of the frame! Is it just me, or do the vast majority of Dalek kisses have Alek on the right? Is this a geographical thing, like Austria is kissing Britain?

Seriously, HAS ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THIS?

And now an even more comical, in the sense of sequential comics, take on kissing from britata348. (Note that Alek is back where he belongs, on the right!)

And here’s a fanciful image from Art-BandGeek (who we’ve seen here before, but CAKE demanded a revisit) that actually is a bit like a scene from Goliath. (only in that Deryn’s wearing wings. But this was drawn BEFORE yesterday’s art reveal. Hmm.)

Yes, this is the last one. So I thought I would make it a really good one, even though this image is maybe just a BIT spoiler-y.

So if you hate to experience even the slightest bespoilment, I suggest you turn your computer off now and set it on fire. Then go live in the forest until September 20.

Have you done that? Good. Now I can reveal the September Goliath art sneak preview!

Would you like to see it zoomable? I think that you would. Click here to do so.

That’s it. I have no comments about this image (or its alarming caption). You may interpret it as you will.

See you tomorrow for Fan Art Friday, which will include CAKE!*
_______________________

*CAKE is an acronym. Real cake not included.

Let’s start with some non-Leviathan stuff, as this site will be ALL Leviathan for the next two months or so.

First from the world of Midnighters, is Jessica Edge’s wonderful flame-bringer tattoo:

As you can see, it’s very faithful to the book. (And perhaps a bit fresh and ouchy-looking as well. Aloe vera!) That’s the second Midnighter tattoo I know of out there in the world. I wonder if there are any more . . .

And now a rare piece of The Last Days fan art. It’s Minerva, as interpreted by Spearare:

Appropriately seductive and mysterious, IS IT NOT?

And now from the Uglies world, we have a character from Extras. Nana Love as drawn by DolceCircee:

Very manga-liscious, which is entirely apt.

And another from the Uglies series, but from the absolute other end of the character spectrum, we have Dr. Cable.

WARNING: SCARY FACE!
WARNING: SCARY FACE!
WARNING: SCARY FACE!
WARNING: SCARY FACE!
WARNING: SCARY FACE!

Yes, rather intense. But great use of shading.

And finally, to recover from the scary, here’s some Alek and Deryn hanging out from Julia D (jurodo):

Heh. I’ve always suspected there’s a trunk full of dresses waiting for Deryn back in Scotland. But maybe she burned them all!

Okay, enjoy your weekend. Twenty-five days till Goliath. And only a week till the next (and final) art reveal!

Here at last are the dates for my upcoming tour for Goliath, which comes out September 20.

As always: I’m very sorry if I’m not coming to your city/town/iceberg, but rest assured that this is NOT because I don’t love you all; it’s because you outnumber me.

Here we go.

Even before Goliath comes out, my tour begins in SEATTLE.

Saturday, September 17
8:00AM
KIDLITCON (Keynote speaker)
Hotel Monaco
1101 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101

This is the keynote address for a convention of book bloggers. Alas, you can’t wander in if you’re not a con attendee. But here’s all the data about the con. Or you can await my triumphant return to Seattle in October. (See below.)

In related news, there’s apparently an 8:00 in the morning now. (Yes, that’s not a typo, I’m speaking at 8AM. For those of you who find that a bit early, I recommend flying to the east coast and living here for several months, then flying back to Seattle the day before. And 8AM will seem like 11AM! That’s what I’m doing, anyway.)

Next we head to MISSOURI.

Tuesday, September 20
7:00PM
WEBSTER GROVES LIBRARY (with Pudd’nhead Bookstore)
3232 South Brentwood Blvd.
Webster Groves, MO 63119

It’ll be my first time at the famous Pudd’nhead Bookstore. For those of you who can’t make it, you can order an autographhed book through the store. I’ll sign and inscribe it to you personally while I’m there. Click here for details. (Note that MANY of the indie stores on my tour will do this if you ask them.)

Thursday, September 22
4:00PM
RAINY DAY BOOKS
Unity Temple on the Plaza
707 West 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

This will be a fun appearance, because they’ve hired a big room for me to do my presentation in. (Note that the time on this one may change. Check closer to the date. Ignore the 7PM headline. That’s not correct.)

This is a “ticketed” event, but the tickets are more or less free. You just have to pre-order a copy of Goliath from Rainy Day, and you get two tickets along with the book.

Click here for details and here to get tickets.

Next, I shall proceed to MINNESOTA, where I’ll be at the Midwest Bookseller’s Association meeting, and then at these fine bookstores:

Friday, September 23
7:00PM
RED BALLOON BOOKSHOP
891 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105

Saturday, September 24
1:00PM
WILD RUMPUS BOOKSTORE
2720 West 43rd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55410

Sunday, September 25
1:00PM
MALL OF AMERICA (The Patio)
8100 24th Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55425

So, I’ve never been to the Mall of America, and I think it is a big place, so I googled me and it together. And it turns out I’ll be in “The Patio,” which is inside the Nickelodean Universe, which looks large enough to be an actual universe. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do my usual presentation in this space, but I hope to see you there!

Click

Welcome to FAFNLF, which of course stands for “Fan Art Friday—No Longer Fortnightly!” Given that Goliath comes out imminently, I’m going to do a FAF every Friday until I go on tour.

Now, I promised you tour dates in my next post, and you shall have them in great detail tomorrow, August 20. That’s exactly one month before the book comes out.

And now some arts. The theme of today’s FAFNLF is “Not the Usual Suspects.” That’s right, there will be no Deryn, Alek, or Tally! So let us begin with a bit of Newkirk fan art.

It’s called “Like a Boss,” from fellie220:

Heh. It’s good to see Newkirk mixing some attitude with his altitude. (Bada-boom.) And yes, after that Huxley crash at the beginning of Behemoth, he has some bragging rights.

Next is some cosplay from theonlybandgeek99 and her photogenic friend Renee:

So who is this contemplative figure, exactly? Onlybandgeek suggest that it might be Alek and Deryn’s daughter, who “steals her late father’s sword and her mother’s middie uniform.” (But when I first saw it, I figured it was Alek borrowing one of Deryn’s outfits for a little cosplay session of his own. Heh.)

From Braeden, here’s a cool Cyklops Stormwalker created in the game Spore.

Pretty slick, huh?

And waving goodbye from Not the Usual Suspects FAFNLF is Special Shay, from Serena:

Okay, that’s it until next Friday.

You: But I thought you said you were posting the Goliath tour dates tomorrow.

Me: Oh, right. I’ll definitely do that.

You: Are you sure.

Me: Um yes. Or Sunday.

You: Why can we not TRUST you to blog things when you say you’ll blog them?

Me: Because of my busy life! What with all the . . . tweeting and stuff. Look, it’ll be sometime this weekend, unless you’re in an Australian time zone, in which case it could be, like, really early Monday.

You: Pfff.

Yes, well. I’ve made it before the weekend ended. Fan Art Friday Fortnightly!

ComickerGirl has graced these pages before, but this is too funny to pass up. It shows Deryn and Alek doing some Full Metal Alchemist cosplay! Because you know Deryn would cosplay if she could, and would totally drag Alek along for laughs!

So I give you “Full Metal Darwinist”:

If you don’t know FMA, click here to see the relevant costumes. And then go read the manga and watch the anime (both of them!).

From Bridget, here are Alek and Deryn in a more clay-like form:

This is what we need, Leviathan stop-motion animation! Like Gumby, they could walk into other books and mess up the plots. Someone get on that! (And don’t forget to check out Bovril in the upper right corner.)

And now for you Uglies, from Seth, we have this painstaking rendering of New Pretty Town:

Hot-air balloons! Hovercars! Fireworks!

And from Star of Dusk, here’s a cool shot of Lilit:

I think Lilit is beloved of fan artists because she has such cool clothes. (Plus she’s awesome.) Her sleeve ties are the best. One day I’ll ask Keith where he sourced them from.

I’m pretty sure that IsabelStar has appeared on FAFF before, but this is so moody and lovely:

Click here for the bigness!

By the way, that one’s called “Austrian Princes Turning Gay.” Heh. But princes? Hmm.

Thanks to all our artists for your many efforts. If you want something included in FAFF, please send it to me, even if you’ve already sent it! (I get lots of mail and I lose track of some of it. It’s a thing I do. DON’T HATE ME.)

The next post on this blog will be ALL THE TOUR DATES. I’m very excited about seeing you guys soon (some of you *sniffs*), and about Goliath finally coming out. And I’m also excited about taking some time off after that.

What will I be doing next? Well, that’s an interesting question. There is, of course, the Uglies manga (aka the Croy Project) and the Manual of Aeronautics (aka the Leviathan Full-Color All Singing and Dancing Art Book). But there are also various secret projects which will be revealed here once they have taken some sort of publishable form.

Watch this space for revelations.

The day after tomorrow, Tuesday August 9, is the release date of Behemoth in paperback! So Keith and I made this poster for you all.

Click here for a wallpaper-size version.

And now for some more exciting news: The Ugies manga!

For those of you who haven’t seen this elsewhere on the interwebs, my OTHER big announcement at Comic Con was the upcoming manga based on the Uglies series. I say “based on” but rest assured, this isn’t simply the same story in graphic form. Instead, we’re telling much the same story as in the novels, but it’s all from Shay’s point of view. (So who’s we, you ask? More on that later.)

Now as you Uglies scholars know, Shay taught Tally everything she knew. Shay was involved in subversive activities long before the novels open, and was part of the Crims back then they were an ugly clique headed by . . . Zane. (Ugly Zane!)

And remember how Shay and Zane almost ran away to the Smoke together, but they both chickened out? Well, that’s the story they told Tally. But what really happened back then?

In these manga—three of them, about 180 pages each–we will tell all!

Okay, we includes me, Devin Grayson, Steven Cummings, and Yishan Li. That’s right, there are four of us. Here’s what we all do:

Devin is writing the scripts. She’s written lots of superhero comics, including a ton of Batman titles, but I was won over by a miniseries she created for Vertigo called User, which is about the fantasy lives of gamers in the real world.

Now you may be thinking, “Why didn’t you write it, Scott? Arne’t you, like, a writer and stuff?”

Rest assured, I outlined every book in detail, rewrote some bits, and approved every word. But, seriously, I don’t know how to write comics scripts! And part of wisdom is knowing what you can’t do. It’s been amazing to see Devin adapt this story to another medium, and get into the mind of Shay. (A great learning experience that I may put to use one day . . . )

Steven is the artist for the series. He’s drawn many western titles for DC and Marvel, and manga books for Tokypop and Udon. He lives in Japan, and has worked bravely through earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear meltdowns. Again, I’ve paid close attention to everything, approving all the characters, costumes, technology, and the architecture of the Smoke, New Pretty Town, and other locales. Of course, Steven brings his own flair to the characters’ expressions and movements, and to the look and feel of the future. For me, it’s kind of like directing actors who have their own style.

Yishan is doing the toning and lettering for the series. In other words, she shades Steven’s art and adds the word balloons. Key steps, and ones I never really thought about much before this project. But you’ll see below how Yishan’s shading “lights” the scene.

Let me show you how this all works, starting with page 12 of the first manga.

We start with the script:

PAGE 12, panel one
ECU on Shay’s interface ring as she gently puts it down on a bedside table.

1 SHAY:

Page 12, panel two
Pull back for our first establishing shot of Shay’s dorm room. It’s very small and very basic, the only truly decorative elements (IMPORTANT!) being huge software-

Hey, I’m back from Hawaii. Which looks like this:

In addition to hanging by the pool, I saw a whale while kayaking (dangerous scale discrepancy!), inspected a volcano by helicopter, and braved a tiger shark alert several times. Plus, ate lots of pineapples.

Pics will be provided soon.

As you know may have noticed, the August art reveal was hosted by my pals at io9.com. For any of you who missed it, or wanted to comment on it here, check it out:

Linky-link.

There’s lots more to discuss, given the exciting news at Comic Con, so I will be posting again soon.

I’m on vacation, but I’ve put together a quick FAFF for you! (Because of the love.)

It’s always funny to me how fan art and fic is often a response to a very short, throwaway scene. Like the one in Leviathan, when Deryn is faking a bit of shaving. It’s cool how these little slices of the character’s normal, non-dramatic life are so compelling.

So here’s “Shave Like a Man” by Mcl-Jessie:

And here’s a slightly more intense scene from KuroPhillyDip, featuring the Leviathan series’ second-favorite couple:

And another picture for you lady boffin lovers, from Marielleaster:

And here in a comical vein, “Lessons” by Awesometastic:

Okay, I’m on vacation, so I’m outta here. Thanks to all you fan artists, everywhere!

Don’t forget, the next art reveal will be hosted by io9.com. So check in with them throughout the day next Monday, August 1.

Okay, it’s time for FAN ART FRIDAY.

Technically it is a bit past time for FAF, because it’s Saturday and everything. Apologies, but Leaky-Con was rather exhausting. There were many panels and signings and such, and then a trip to Disney World with Maureen Johnson.

I haz proof:

Ah, the fun we had in the hat shop.

Leaky-Con was really great. The Harry Potter fans, especially those at Lit Day, were just incredible. A nicer bunch of people you will never meet.

Here’s proof of that fact, in the form of a pressie that Potter-fan Maya gave me:

See? Even when they’re expressing scary sentiments, it’s all beautifully cross-stitched!

Anyway, thanks to all the volunteers and staff and organizers of Leaky-Con and Lit Day. You were all awesome. Too much fun was had.

Oh, and thanks to Cassie-la for letting me borrow her hipster wizard sign:

It’s the tree that makes it funny.

And now it’s time for Fan Art Friday! Long awaited, but never abated!

We begin with “I Wish I Were a Man,” from Awesome O’clock:

What makes this particularly cool is that it’s based on a real US propaganda poster from 1917:

Nice work, Awesome O’clock. (Or may I just call you Awesome?)

And for some more of Deryn looking soldierly, check out this piece from Delinquent Unicorn:

This picture has what you call directionality!

And now for some Deryn and Alek action, starting with this delightful sketch from Shenli, called “Wandering Hands”:

Awkward moment is awkward. It’s amazing how many people have done fan art based on that one short fencing scene.

Perhaps you would like some kissing? If so, here’s “Airmanship” by teaspoon00:

And for more kissing, how about “Engine Grease” by theprinceofparties?

Some of

I’m headed to Leaky-Con tomorrow, and will be on panels all of YA Lit Day, also known as Wednesday. That schedule is right here. (It’s been sold out for ages.)

Next week, July 20-25, I’ll be at Comic Con in San Diego! (Also sold out.) For those of you coming, here’s what I’m doing:

Thursday, July 21
4:30-5:30 Comics for Teens— Comics creators Cecil Castelluci (Plain Janes), Hope Larson (Mercury), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Gene Luen Yang (Level Up) come together for a discussion of what makes a comic fit a teen audience. Do books for teens have something special that books for kids and adults don’t have? Moderated by Scott Westerfeld (New York Times bestselling teen author). Room 26AB
Tags: Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comics | Writers & Writing

Sunday, July 24
11:15-12:15 Building the World of Leviathan, an Illustrated Steampunk Series— Bestselling YA author and Comic-Con special guest Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Midnighters) discusses how illustrated adventure novels disappeared in the early 20th century and how he worked with artist Keith Thompson to create one for the 21st, Leviathan, a steampunk reimagining of WWI. Lots of visuals (and some secret news about Uglies). Room 6DE
Tags: Art and Illustration | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Comics | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

2:45-3:45 High School Bites— Let’s face it: High school sucks enough without having to add a constant thirst for blood, going all furry under a full moon, or being hunted by all of the above. But for these YA authors, going back to high school was the best decision they ever made. Scott Westerfeld (The Uglies series), Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone), Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness), Debbie Viguie (Once Upon a Time series), Anna Carey (Eve), and Heather Brewer (The Vlad Tod series) discuss their characters’ formative years with moderator Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 5AB
Tags: Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

Also you might want to check this out:

Thursday, July 21
7:00-8:00 The Scoop at Simon & Schuster!— Get the inside word on Simon & Schuster’s upcoming books and the chance to win exclusive prizes! Lucille Rettino (marketing director), Elke Villa (senior marketing manager), Carolyn Swerdloff (associate marketing manager), and Anna McKean (publicity manager) give you the scoop on upcoming books from exciting authors, including Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, Orson Scott Card, and Becca Fitzpatrick. Hear what is going on with S&S’s hot properties — Star Trek and The Smurfs — and get a chance to win exclusive giveaways. All attendees will receive a limited edition T-shirt for Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince. Room 9

That’s it. I hope I get to see some of you while I’m on the road the next two weeks!

(I will be getting Fan Art Friday up this week, though, even if I’m not at home.)

It’s almost July 1, and time for another art reveal! As usual, YOU get to decide which piece of Goliath art shall be unveiled.

This time we have no less than four pieces of art to vote on. Three are the former defeated contestants, just in case you’ve changed your minds about them, but the last is all new.

So will it be the high angle shot from the June reveal, Number 1?

Or the threatening weather vista, also from June, Number 2?

Or the also-ran from way back in March, Number 3?

Or finally, there’s this new one that you MIGHT find intriguing . . . Number 4.

Leave your votes in the comment thread below. And use this space to wheedle, coax, and inveigle your fellow fans to your cause. Because democracy is good.

I shall stop close the polls after 250 votes.

Yesterday at 2PM, me and a hundred-ish fans from the WesterForum hung out for about an hour and a half, and I answered many questions. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, I’ have compiled them into this blog post, typos and all! (So. Many. Typos.)

Enjoy:

“What kind of juice do you like?”

There are many juices I love. Mango! Pear! (Especially pear cider.) Apple!

“So Scott there’s been a rivalry going on (on the forum obviously) , based on the question : If the crew of the Leviathan got in a fight with Special Circumstances who would win? What’s your opinion?”

I think in a close-quarters fight the Specials would win, because they’re too quick. But in a proper battle, the Leviathan could mess them up with strafing hawks or bat-poo without ever being in danger.

“WHATS GOING ON WITH CROY?! CAN YOU GIVE US ANY INFO ON HIM?! ”

That info will be released at Leaky Con and Comic Con. THAT’S ONLY A FEW WEEKS. But I can’t tell you anything now, except maybe . . . you will SEE HIM.

“Did you use the same models on the cover of Goliath that you used on Leviathan and Behemoth?”

Yes. Same models, same photo shoot on the same day. Sometime I’ll show you guys the unaltered photos.

“At any point in Behemoth, does Dr. Barlow know that Deyrn is a girl? It has been a topic of great debate.”

Hah! Not saying now, but you WILL learn the answer to that in Goliath.

“Have you ever met someone in real life who reminds you of your characters?
Or vice versa.”

Hmm, not really. Although sometimes I see someone and say, ‘Whoa, he/she’s a total pretty!’

“Nice to meet you, btw. (and tell hi to Justine (Mrs. Larbaleister (sp?)) for me, please!)”

It’s Dr. Larbalestier, in fact.

“Can Justine cook?”

She’s a great cook of Thai food, and she wants me to add that she’s a good boxer too. (She’s been taking lessons.)

“What TV shows do you watch?”

Game of Thrones, Treme, just finished Vampire Diaries,

“This isn’t really a question, just a comment. I thought you’d like to know that I used to like history, and Leviathan made me love it again. I might even try writing something historical-ish myself. ”

Yay!

“Is Lilit lesbian/bi? (Please say yes.)”

They didn’t really have those categories for women back then, but she would be if she was alive today. (Strange but true fact: Male homosexuality was illegal in England back then, but female homosexuality wasn’t because lawmakers REFUSED TO BELIEVE IT EXISTED.)

“In Uglies, there are many messages, some obvious, some not so much. What messages/lessons do you want readers to take away from Leviathan?”

Hmm. I think that the big theme is about how different sides of a conflict (war or just ideological/technological) see each other, and how that can change when people are forced to work together.

“What kind of music do you like? (Do you like Florence+and the machine?)”

I like minimalism and trip-hop, and I don’t know of this Florence person.

“What is your opinion on the Hunger Games? (Will you see the movie?)”

Want to see the movie. Liked the first book, but didn’t read the others.

“When will you go on tour?”

September 17. DON’T KNOW WHERE YET! NOT MY CHOICE WHERE.

“Would you like to join my band of Ninjas?”

I have already infiltrated your band of ninjas!

“Do you like writing about diseases? Peeps was about parasites, Innoculata had to do with a virus and in So Yesterday the main characters dad is a Epidimiologist (I think).”

I love all kinds of biology, like beasties too. Studied philosophy o