Online Interactive Launched, E-book Price Drop
[Subscribers received this post as a newsletter on October 20, 2022.]
Hope you had a great summer. I tend to write more as it gets colder outside, so I’m looking forward to a productive autumn.
Earthpillar Online
Earthpillar Online has officially launched on the website! The first project is a click-through of the rooms of Thorendor Castle, where the Order of Candlestone resides during Lords of Deception. Similar to a hypertext novel or a choose-your-own-adventure, you explore the castle as one of Master Arasemis’s students.
You can examine wall paintings and other objects, read excerpts from in-world books, and search for hidden secrets. This interactive map is best experienced using a laptop, as you will click your way around the map to navigate the rooms.
If you've read the novels and half-tales, you’ll find a wealth of background material on characters, places, and events that will be familiar. This lets you explore the depth of the Earthpillar world by browsing through tons of material that didn’t make it into the novels.
If you haven’t read the books yet, Earthpillar Online can give you a taste of what the stories are like without revealing significant spoilers.
Only the first floor of Thorendor Castle is currently available. I’ll send out updates when new floors are complete. I hope you enjoy wandering around the castle as much as I enjoyed building it.
Price Drop!
In celebration of the 3rd birthday of Lords of Deception, I’ve lowered the price to $0.99 for the e-book version. As a bonus, I did the same for The Depths of Redemption!
Lords of Deception is the best place to start your dive into the Earthpillar world. Each chapter reads from the perspective of one of many characters across multiple kingdoms and groups, from emperors to assassins.
New AI Artwork
In prior newsletters I talked about my efforts earlier this year to improve my drawing and painting. I do my own cartography for the novels, but I’ve also worked with artists for other Earthpillar visuals. But this summer I tried several artificial intelligence programs for digital paintings, eventually settling on Midjourney and refined with Procreate and other tools.
Midjourney is incredible. It has supercharged my Earthpillar work and really brought my ideas to life in ways that would have been impossible before. I now have hundreds of paintings I can pair with my books and Earthpillar Online, as you’ll see when you explore Thorendor.
If you follow me on DeviantArt, Reddit, or Twitter, you’ll see me share more of my art there as well.
