Avalon Chronicles volume one ^_^

I am very excited to announce that part one of the Avalon Chronicles will be released this very month from Oni Press! Together with writers Nunzio Defilippis and Christina Weir, and lovely editor Jill Beaton, I am very chuffed that the book will soon be out in the world, in pretty hard cover format, no less! Already available for pre-order from bookshops and online.

Once Upon a Time...^_^

Doki Doki, Travelling Man & Avalon ^_^

This weekend I'll be heading up to Manchester!
On the Saturday evening I shall be heading along to the fabulous Travelling Man comic shop for signing shennanigans from 7pm onward, so do head along and say hi if you're in the area! ^_^
Then on the Sunday it's off to the Doki Doki festival, where Sonia Leong and I will be there with tables, selling books, offering sketches and representing Sweatdrop. Hope to see people there!

In other exciting book news, it seems that my Oni press title, Avalon Chronicles, has now been solicited! It liiiiives! It's been a little while since I finished up work on the book and can't wait for you guys to be able to share it. Writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir are just amazing story weavers and I'm proud to be heling them weave this one ^_^
The banner will take you to Avalon as it appeared this morning on my goodreads list! weeee :)
Talking of Goodreads, don't forget to vote in the choice awards! Vampire Academy and Richell Mead are making a show in the nominations, with Richelle's work getting three categories - including my own contribution in the graphic novel category for mine and Leigh's adaptation of book one ^_^

Events updates ^_^

Finally an update from me! I completed the inks on Frostbite last week and it's a good feeling! The book is going to look amazing, I can't wait ^_^ It seems like Vampire Academy #1 was only just out and rocking the NYT best sellers list and already we're looking ahead to the third book in the series. Time is flying by!
A big thank you again to the wonderful readers who've been sending messages, reviews and comments for the first book. You're all amazing ^_^ Frostbite will be released in April 2012 and you can already pre-order it on Amazon!
So, where am I now? Well, as well as Frostbite's release, next year will also see the release of the first book in the Avalon Chronicles from Oni Press!
That's in March, so what a busy couple of months that will be! (I have recently received a script draft from Nunzio and Christina for book two and it's very exciting!)
In just a week's time HatTrick and channel 4 are finally revealing the very exciting enhanced comic project,The Thrill Electric, written by Leah Moore and John Reppion and drawn by Windflower Studio. I was the designer for the project and it's been amazing watching it all come together! So that's a project to look out for in the very near future.
I'll also be embarking on a few adventures in the next couple of months and hope to see people at some of the following events:
London MCM Expo - 28/30 October, London
Signing at Travelling Man, Manchester - 12th November
Doki Doki Japanese Festival - 13th November, Manchester
Thought Bubble - 19/20 November, Leeds
Malta Comic Con - 26/27 November, Malta
Signing Party at Komix! - 10th December, Wiltshire (With Paul Duffield & Kate Brown)

Phew! So, hope to see you soon, guys. Don't be shy. If you're at one of these events, do come and say hi!

San Diego Comic Con this weekend!

Hello, all...I'm alliiiiiive! *crawls from the studio and blinks in the light* haha.
So, I thought I should pop in for a bit of an update, since it's been forever...and since it's the one and only SDCC this weekend. Sadly, I'm not there in person as I'm furiously inking away on Frostbite, the second graphic novel in the Vampire Academy series. However, I'm certainly going to be at the show in spirit, or at least comic, form.
Vampire Academy the graphic novel will be at the event in my stead, and I'm sure it's far more exciting than I am in person, haha. The chaps at PenguinTeen have informed me that Penguin will be running giveaways of the book! So, to be in with a chance of nabbing a copy a month before its release, head to booth 2913R between 11-12 on Friday and 4-5 on Saturday. I got a copy of the book through last week and, boy, is it SHINY! The colourists have done a fab job on it! Much love and respect as always to Richelle Mead for overseeing the whole thing, and to Leigh Dragoon for her work on the adaptation!

Avalon Chronicles - Book two is now very much underway on this series, and rumour has it that Oni Press will have some promo for the first book (due out early next year) at their booth this weekend! I got to see the lettered pages just recently and, oh my word, it's so much fun. Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir are just fantastic! As I finished my work on the book a little while ago, I got to read it almost as fresh, and it's so enjoyable!
So, if you're going to be at the show, have a wonderful time! Me? I'll carry on drawing ^_^

My life in fantasy ^_^

Okay, so two fantasy-related bigs things finished yesterday. One was the first book in the Avalon Chronicles series I'm doing for Oni Press! WOOOOOT. All pages submitted and I await the script for the second book eagerly, as Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir are bloody amazing. ^_^ Sadly, the book won't be out for a little while, so rather than post an image for that just now (we'll have to all sit on our anticipation, haha), I'll post an image of the other fantasy related adventure I finished last night:

That there is my digital boyfriend, Anders, from Dragon Age 2, haha XD He's a...bit of a handful.
I adore bioware games. Dragon Age 1 is still tearing at my heart strings (Oh, Alistair). Much as those of you who follow me on twitter will know I joke about the love stories in these games, I don't want to do an injustice to the actual stories - which are just superb. Bioware write amazing, epic characters and worlds and I love them for it. Roll on the next Dragon Age game!
(EDIT hehe, couldn't help myself...Anders fanart!)

Updating on stuffage ^_^

Soooooo....what's been going on in Emma-land? LOTS! I swear I'm getting worse at updating, sorry! '^_^I'm going to break this down into sections I think, far easier:

1. Vampire Academy: As you all know, book one is in the bag from my end. And I've now seen the colours too  - so amazing!! I cannot wait for you to see it. The colourists have done a lovely job :) I now excitedly await the script for Frostbite! Release for book 1 is still looking to be August this year.

2. Avalon Chronicles: Book 1 is going to be done in the next week from my end, and the script for book 2 is imminent. I can't tell you how awesome Nunzio and Christina are, so I can't wait to read what they've done with our crazy brainstorming sessions! Release of the first book is looking to be a little later than planned due to marketing; we want to make sure the readers don't have to wait too long for the next book after #1 is out...so we're looking at March 2012. ^_^

3. Thrill Electric: I've been seeing some of windflower studio's work and, boy, this project is going to look beautiful, you guys!

4. The PHOENIX!!! Some of you will recall the amazing DFC weekly comic that was sadly cut short when the recession hit the UK. Well, a couple of days ago I went along to a DFC alumni party where it was announced to much celebration that next year will see the launch of the Phoenix comic. It's got a plan, it's got funding, and it's going to be amazing. Run by the DFC's Ben Sharpe and Will Fickling; this is going to be very exciting. No creators are contracted yet as it's still very early days, but you can bet you'll see some DFC favourites in there. I hope I get a chance to do something ^_^

5. Dragon Heir: Reborn in review: I've been overjoyed at the responses to Dragon Heir so far. And, since the first Diamond shipment hit shops, I'm getting reports of sightings all over the place, not to mention a couple of wonderful reviews from the lovely Forbidden Planet International and Nottingham's fantastic Page45 shop! Thanks, you guys! *hugs* If you've read the book, do let me know your thoughts!! x

6. Events: Upcoming events I'll be attending include - Bristol Comic Expo, London MCM Expo and the all-new and exciting Comic Launchpad event (a great looking new event with a really creative focus)

Vampire Academy and Avalon in the galleries

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Despite plans falling through, we had a great time with friends. A few days of bliss. But now, it's back to work! I'm back on ink duty for Vampire Academy, having finished up the pencils. I'm nearly half way through on inks and have even seen some of  the colours back from our colourist now. This book's a real team effort! I'm so unused to seeing my work coloured by someone else still, haha, so it's an exciting experience all round. I can't wait for you guys to see it ^_^

I've added the cover design that Penguin put together to the character gallery, so you can at least see that, woot!

I've also put in the promo artwork I created for Avalon Chronicles: Once in a Blue Moon. I don't have much at all to do now on book one of my Oni series, written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, but we're still planning relelase schedules, so it's on a slight backburner until Vampire Academy is wound up. I can't wait to see Avalon out there though; it'll be worth the wait!

Dragons, vampires, Leeds and haircare

hey, all! this weekend coming is the fabulous Thought Bubble comic convention, always a show I look forward to! I'll be there with a table, pimping my shiny Dragon Heir books and also sitting in on a couple of panels. I hope to see you there ^_^

I can taste the end on Avalon book one, woot! Loving the story SO much. And Vampire Academy continues to be a delight to draw. I had no idea I'd love drawing Christian so much, he's really fun to draw because his expressions are just wonderful. ^_^

In random, other art-related news: A few months ago I did a commission for Lee Stafford's hairdressing company, where I got to draw comic-styled artwork for a line of special boxsets. Well, these boxsets are now available in Boots everywhere, and they're SHINY! If you're in a Boots and see the Christmas gifts section, why not take a look? And I can vouch for the product too. OMG I never thought I'd get addicted to shampoo! haha ;) You can see all three sets by following the link.