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Here’re the pictures from E&A’s second reception. Enjoy!

Vault of Midnight release party pix, as promised!

There was a third one, and it was a really nice picture, but I had this smirk on my face that made me look like a snide jerk. So I’m not posting it.

Enjoy!

Photo one, courtesy of Steve at Vault:

Photo two, courtesy of Anne Murphy, is of me and Gwen and Jordan Marion (Jordan’s the wee tiny one):

I’m finally recuperated enough to write my SPX con-report, so here ’tis.

SPX has always been my favorite show, and this year was no exception. Paul and I and Jim Ottaviani all flew down early Friday morning and arrived just in time to set up for the show. Sales were brisk and the floor was crowded. I rather like the new hotel, as we have the benefit of all being in one big ballroom, and there’s also this really nice patio where I was able to sit and have lunch with Rich Watson on Saturday.

There’re some great restaurants nearby — we sampled two, the Vegetable Garden and a nearby Chinese Buffet. Both were outstanding, and the buffet was so good that we went back a second time.

Carla Speed McNeil quite kindly put us up at her house, ferried us back and forth, and fed us breakfast every morning while we played with her kids. It was a real treat to get to just hang out together for a while, without a table between us, or having to shout across a roomful of people. Thanks again, Carla. You rock.

Denise Sudell was also kind enough to run us to the airport at the end of the show, so we didn’t have to Metro it back for an hour and a half. Yay! Thanks to you too, Denise — and if you’re reading this, I have some great pix of you and Henry to share, but your email bounced. So write me!

The rest of the show would take a really long time to write out, so I’ll just let the pictures do the talkin’. Yay, SPX!

More big news!

The Old Ghosts Hardcovers are now in the Online Store, as are the last few of the Clockwork Faerie hardcovers.

Also, the softcover trade paperback of Old Ghosts is available there as well. I had copies sooner, yes, but I didn’t want to risk undercutting the local comics stores who’ve been so darn kind to me.

If I have any key necklaces left when I get back from SPX, I will put them online, too — but I don’t know how long it’ll be between batches, so I don’t want to sit on people’s money for longer than I have to.

Woo!

Hey you guys — check out this really sweet interview that Tim O’Shea did with me over at Silver Bullet Comicbooks. Tim was one of the very first people to ever interview me, lo these many years ago. He’s also one of the best people who’ve interviewed me — his questions are really thorough and inventive, and show that he not only reads my books but likes ’em. What better could you ask from an interviewer?

Go. Read. It’s good.

So guess what?

Jeremy Schorr, of Titan Comics, one of my very earliest supporters (he emailed me after seeing the preview in Thieves and Kings and offered to order books before they were even printed.), is flying me down to Dallas for an in-store signing. On November 3rd, I’ll be there for the whole day, signing books, hanging out, visiting with folks and enjoying Texas. There’s also this really sweet-looking art performance thingy that same evening, called ArtLoveMagic, so if you come around 7pm, you’ll get a twofer!

It’s my first time visiting anywhere further south than St. Louis, so I’m eager to see everything Dallas-Fort Worth has to offer. Continuing the string of awesomeness, I will be ferried around and put up by two very kind fans, who have also been on board since the very beginning of the series. You guys know who you are, and you totally, completely rock. 😉

So here’s the poster — feel free to print and distribute, or just yoink it for your own website or blog — and if you’re anywhere near the DFW area, come on down!

Hey, I know Texas is a huge place, but if you’re in the mood for a roadtrip, I’d sure love to see you!

Hooray for Green Brain! Check out these great pictures of the signing last Saturday, sent to me by store co-owner Dan Merritt:

Both Vögelein books should be in comics stores today! Go! Buy! Hooray!

(Yes, it’s a shameless plug. I’m allowed. Shut up.)

If you’re not the comic-store type, it can also be ordered from:

Powell’s, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Since I’m already tootin’ my own horn, it’s safe to say it’s gotten some nice reviews already:

“The warm, comforting story, which feels like a folktale, spins out at a leisurely pace, allowing readers time to experience the lush softness of the black-and-white art and really appreciate the characters, the place, and the mood of the telling.” — Tina Coleman, Booklist

“… a beautiful, bittersweet, life-affirming story … readers new to Vögelein will discover a fantastic treat. ”

— Kat Kan, graphic novel consultant, Brodart and HW Wilson and Voice Of Youth Advocates columnist

“Irwin’s black-and-white painted artwork has a naturalistic feel and some beautiful designs, and her handling of emotions is nuanced and affecting. Recommended for all collections, for teens and adults.”

— Stephen Raiteri, The Library Journal

I’m back from my fourth release party! It was a whirlwind tour, and I had an absolutely great time. It was so wonderful to see so many friends and fans turn out. Books were signed, sketches were drawn, cupcakes were eaten, and a good time was had by all.

Here are photos from the first two parties — I was a total bonehead and didn’t get photos from the second two, so I’ll have to wait and post a proper review after I get some pictures from other people. (If you took pictures of me at either Vault or Green Brain, could you forward them to me? That’d be super awesome.)

Fanfare

My first release party on Wednesday was at Fanfare Comics in Kalamazoo. As a special added bonus surprise, I got visited by Chicago’s own Dirk Tiede! He drove three hours in the middle of the day just to come and hang out with me! How blessed I am to have such good friends.

Rocket Star

As soon as Dirk and Paul and I tore down from Fanfare, we were setting back up at Rocket Star, across town. Loads of Kzoo locals showed up, and I had a great time seeing neighbors and friends and fellow comics people. Members of Whiskey showed up, and when there came a lull in the signings, I was able to sit in on a couple of sets, which was really fun.

Paul’s Mom and Dad dropped in, and to celebrate the release, and Paul’s and my third Wedding Anniversary, they brought us the dozen gorgeous pink roses you see me holding below. How cool is that?

I wish there were more photos, but I was mostly too busy handing out cupcakes and free comics and drawing little sketches of Vogelein to snap more. Still, I had a really wonderful time, and I hope everyone else did, too. Yay!

Hey, everybody! Great news — I got the first batch of new hardcovers on Wednesday night — unfortunately too late for the Kalamazoo shows. However, I’ll have a couple of each with me at the Ann Arbor and Dearborn shows, so if you’re interested, come on down! The new book was more expensive to produce, so it will be $80, while book one is still $75.

I also have a limited number of key necklaces… five to be exact. First come, first served! Yay!

I’ll have photos, and a full review of the Kzoo parties soon… but tonight I must bake another 8 dozen cupcakes. Zoom!