Of course, I kid.

The illustration (above) is actually not from the first book (the one on, ahem, fifth avenue), but is from the second in the non-fiction series, Horris' SCARY History of Ancient Egypt, which is done, but without a publisher at the moment. FOr once, Horris says do not fear! This will happen. I have a possible connection on that front; it is a different situation than I mentioned last post. But don't want to say anything here until I have good news for sure. Meanwhile enjoy yourself. Don't let the bedbugs bite. Or if they do, scoop 'em up and chew hard. That'll teach 'em.

"Barnes & Noble College Booksellers also operates the self-proclaimed "world's largest bookstore" located on 5th Avenue and 18th Street in New York City."

—Wikipedia

UPDATE:
Whoops. I'll let this email clear this up:

So watch this space for news of the release of the much-anticipated next installment of Horrible Horris' adventures. Horris and I both hope that you don't have to wait tooooooo long for the book. But we sure are happy that you are looking forward to it so much!

It's a tricky thing. I really embrace the quote from the Wachowski Brothers' new film, V for Vendetta about the relationship between Truth and Art. "Artists use lies to tell the truth; politicians use them to obscure it." Of course, I may be biased, but I have to agree. As any generalization goes, it promises to be false some of the time, but true most of the time.

I won't show you 99% of the illustrations here, because I don't want to spoil it for all the lovely dollar-spending people who feed me while I draw. After all, you (and I assume you are one of these magnificent patrons) spend your money on my work, and that is directly responsible for my having time to make it at all. So thank you! And I hope you get a huge kick out of Horris' latest exploits in December of 2006, when I believe it is that Horris' first triple-set will be published, and possibly even as a boxed set. We begin with (of course), the already published and rather celebrated SCARY: A Book of Horrible Things for Kids, and in December of this year, both Horris' SCARY History of Ancient Egypt and Horris' SCARY History of Dinosaurs will be published by Hylas Publishing, just as the first Horris book was. Of course, as publishing goes, it must be understood that sometimes, certain details are not fixed for a time. And so it is that I may update that release date. Watch this blog for any BREAKING HORRIS NEWS.

(Horris insisted I capitalize that, and I am not about to get into an argument on design with him. He is rather determined when he makes up his mind on the look or feel of something. I apologize for the exclamatory nature, the rather blaring nature of his text. It's only that he gets excited about everything.)

Anyway, I thought I'd take a break between a spider, and a pig as big as a pyramid at Giza to tell you what I'm up to. I'm sorry it's been so quiet around here, but that's just sort of how it works. I write in a lot of other places, and aside from that, I am usually drawing or getting my hands into something. I only keep so busy because if I stop, I'll start banging on tables and snapping and drumming with my fingers and people will get really angry and tell me I'm making them nervous and to leave the room.

zoom,

J

So I definitely look forward to the winners, and sure, I hope I'm one. But I was happy with the slew of good reviews the book received. I didn't even think past that. This is just great news.

I have to put the backmatter together (acknowledgments, biblio, etc), and then I'm on to the art! I love to get lost in making the art. I really look forward to letting Horris run free in Egypt. The art and statuary of Ancient Egypt is really amazing. I feel honored to be rendering any work that in any way references it. Word. And I've been immersed in it for a while, since I started researching this book. I've gathered a ton of photos, and it will be fun to play with the look.

Meanwhile, I've been writing a bit in other places, places I won't link to right here. I don't want you to read too much and accidentally be recruited. Carry on with your carefree gardening, Emil! The army is large enough right now, and by dawn we have to pour our magical battalions down the Five Peaks like sunshine become fire. Send letters. They're always appreciated....

Dinnertime. Tomorrow I'll do an edit. Tighten it up. Monday, I'll give it to Gail.

I worked about 12 or 13 hours yesterday, and I got a lot done. Some days I do mostly reading. I'll think I'm set to write another chapter/section, and I'll bump into a fact I want (need) to know more about. So I'll open one or more of the 14 books I have open and spread around me, or I'll start checking my notes. Sometimes that fact-searching will lead to hours of reading and cross-checking books and notes! And with Ancient Egypt you have to be prepared for the constant flow of uncertainty that comes from the fact that the Egyptians weren't particularly concerned with History, or leaving texts anyone could learn from! They were primarily concerned with staving off the dark uncertainty of the Void; of the West side of the Nile, where the Dead lived and watched the sunlit homes of the living every night, from their tombs. The art and text we have from them is, for the most part, inscriptions and scrolls to guard against what might go wrong in the Spirit world, or on the way! So there is so much—even common matters for them—of which they have left no trace. And sometimes I wonder if they would even appear as magical and mythical and mighty as they do without that constant mystery that dogs so much of the records they have left behind.

Given how often they find these, plus the simple fact that we really have no idea what we'll find in these tombs, I still find it very exciting. And somewhat of a relief. I think I'll be a bit sad once we find the very last of those tombs. Because as long as we haven't found them all, there is a hope, a wonder, a mystery.

halls of the king filled with men working in the deep
in the shadows of limestone, where the years retreat
in the great empty tunnels where the robbers later crept
haunted echoes all that's left of the promises never kept

priest and the pharaoh's gold
cat with the ring of gold
world with the soul untold
lion with the head of man
magic runes carved in the stone-hard sand
age of strong, enduring vision
of the magic in the heavens
and the power of the land

Lately I am walking the sands surrounding Thebes, staying close to the riverbanks. Or moving my outstretched hands over the course, but moist surface of a limestone block—reading it like Braille.

Today I am jogging up the long, splintered and well-worn surface of a ramp riding along the side of the pharaoh's tomb. Today, helping to lower the pointed cap onto the last 10 square feet of space atop the pyramid.

Sun sparkles. A bird wheels and cries in the sky. I never told you. You can get to Ancient Egypt through my living room!

Lately, I'm reading a lot. Taking notes. Setting up the structure of the book, the Egypt book. Getting ideas, adjusting ideas. Horris is sifting topics and angles he wants to use in the book. There's truly no lack of content. I will probably start the actual writing very soon. I can feel it approaching like the fingers of Spring. Or some other inexorable thing. (I love rhyming. It's like words dancing!)

The Egyptians were amazing. It's a world that comes alive in my mind, even when reading the driest book about any of the related topics, or details, therein. Well, that's not completely true. The other day I fell asleep while reading over these schematics that show you the layout of the pyramids, and such, in blueprint form. All the layers, the way they laid the blocks to distribute the force away from the tunnels, the vastness and ambition of the layout. I think what is really impressing me is the will, and artistic ambition of these people. They invested so much energy into crafting these pyramids that they guaranteed the structures would resonate with an energy that would hush and awe anyone who approached.

Horris is running wild.

More later.

There are many horrific, lonely, moments in this road, and they can stretch out like a chasm that swallows up every bit of light in the sky. These chasms rip across lives and souls; they swallow hope, years, love, and belief, and claim many, many casualties, even entire families and generations—gutting the very essence of a person, haunting them and stealing away their center. This is an old story, and an enemy that never grows stronger when confronted with truth. This beast that the book A Million Little Pieces is supposed to be about, only grows stronger in the dark; in the lack; in a lie. But I thought you'd know that, Mister Frey.

Don't get me wrong. The research is not a whole lot of fun, but the book will be. I'm looking forward to writing it, once I've compiled all the facts I want to use, and sources to reference.

It doesn't leave too much to talk about. So you may not read me here for a few days or so. But I'll see you when I get back.