Twitter is down. Where do I go to flail about this in 140 characters or fewer? Oh yeah, I have a blog!

So. My Epic Comic Con Post of Epicness has taken a back seat to a far more pressing deadline. Rather than merely plotting out the skeleton of the map to be printed in First Lord’s Fury, book 6 of the Codex Alera, I’m now illustrating the finished product! My artwork is going to be published in tens of thousands of copies of the landmark final novel in an internationally bestselling series. And I’m being paid considerably more than the figure I originally ballparked when pitching the map idea to Jim and the Penguin folks.

No pressure. :D

Needless to say, I’m thrilled beyond belief. Thrilled and intimidated. Thrilled, intimidated, and flattered, and filled with almost fanatical devotion to the Pope. Not only is it a huge responsibility, but it’s a staggering vote of confidence in my abilities as an artist. Someone whose opinion I respect had such faith in my skills that he felt I was the best choice for such an important job. Wow.

Jim and I were tossing ideas back and forth last night, and I felt positively giddy at what we were coming up with. It’s an inspiration, collaborating with such a creative mind. There’s so much I want to include! Jim essentially told me to pull out all the stops, and that’s what I’m going to do. I can’t wait to prove myself worthy of this honor.