LAUNCH PARTY PICTURESSSS!!!!

Hey everyone!

I figured it was time for a #tbt that highlights the inspiration for Welcome to Deadland!

In honor of the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hollywood, here’s an image from the morning of the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Orlando (or the OG Wizarding World) in which I teach Al Roker about Screaming Yo-Yos

I tried to find the actual clip, but apparently the internet doesn’t last forever. The years I spent working here ignited the spark in my mind that evolved into Deadland, and goes to show the power that one (or seven) books can have in the world. 

In Welcome to Deadland news, I have submitted my approval of the copy edits back to Girl Friday Productions and received a preview of the "pour," or what the pages of the book will look like in print. Not too much longer before the manuscript is sent to the printer!

There’s a new contest taking place right now! I encourage everyone to go check it out by entering or supporting authors currently campaigning for an amazing opportunity. And feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!

Thank you all for your support!

-Zac

You can find me on Twitter or Welcome to Deadland’s Facebook page

He and I game a lot together, but in the past we have only been able to watch previous Internationals on Twitch so we are stoked to be able to go in person this year! I’m already hard at work on my cosplay, too! I dropped a huge hint in my last update (OK, not a hint, I totally gave it away) but over on my blog I’m going to be doing a complete costume construction run down as the date approaches, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, feel free to hit me up for a game of DOTA! Friend me on Steam, my Friend ID is 65253934 and here is a direct link to my Steam profile. For those wondering my MMR is 3.5k and I have 3,050 hrs on record. Yeah, I’m addicted...

For those of you who do not know how amazingly awesome DOTA, the International, or Major League Gaming is, last year there was a CROWDFUNDED Prize Pool of $18,429,613. Just let that sink in for a second... Yeah, pretty wild. I will end this update with the below picture to put professional DOTA into perspective for non-gamer folks! 

Happy reading, gaming, and doing all the other awesome stuff that inspires you! Also, for those new followers who have not checked out my book (gasp!) take a look at the Prologue (it’s pretty amazing) and then snag a pre-order. For only $8.99 You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!

Dear readers,

I was pawing through my blog archives for an old April Fool’s bit  - and I actually stumbled onto something I don’t remember writing. (All too common.) It’s from 3 years ago, after I finished my first book. It’s strange and sort of wonderful to look back and feel like maybe I’ve gotten a little closer to the things I talk about here -- and it’s all because of you.

I Want - 4/25-2013

Like Heinlein said, I want the Roc’s Egg.

I want the leather of my sword-grip to creak as my knuckles go white. I want the lightning to crackle between my fingertips like Egg Shen. I want the Flux Capacitor to ignite as I travel through time.

I want the power, I want the fairy tale.

I want to run down the secret hallway, and slam my rainbow colored key into the console of the Black Lion.  I want to save the universe with Rock and Roll, my electric guitar made of steel and griffon-talon. I want to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of Holmes and Watson clattering by in a horse-drawn carriage.

I want the legend, I want the world of doors.

I want the Master Sword dreaming in the glade, and Excalibur in the Lady’s hand, and Cloud picking up Zach’s sword — his mind all wind and shadow.

I want all the promises that the world is not as it seems. I want Mulder and Scully in a Ford Taurus arguing with the night. I want all the possibilities, the promise of wonder. I want Seven Dragonballs, even if I never get to make a wish.

I want the doors. The endless, endless doors.

I want this world to be not as it is. Or, at the very least, I want the walls of this world to get a little thinner. Thin enough to hear the music from the Universe One Over.

I want to tell my story and I want my mom to get better and I want there to be enough money and I want Emerson back. I want my Beloved to never know pain or doubt, and I want my friends to never know want or despair.

I want to break the rules. I want to undo and shine and defeat and cheat death, cheat life, mashing in the codes on my controller and rolling back the cruel grip of time.

I want to snatch the lost from death’s grip.

I want to not be afraid. Of the Unmaker and its thousand, thousand shadows.

I want there to be more magic in this world, because there is so little — just a tiny, tiny drop.

Such a little thing to shine in the darkness. The secret flame we clutch in weary hands through the wind and rain.

I want the thousand heroes, I want the doors open wide.

Most of all, I want you to help me pry them open.

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No reminders or promo-flogging today. Just wanted to share this and say thank you again - for helping a stranger tip-toe down an uncertain path. And I use ’stranger’ here in the way you would ’baker’ or ’potter’ - something I make, not that you don’t know my social media profile.