2014 Schedule and events

Hey all!


I'm gradually moving all my posts to my new website, so this one won't be active for much longer.  If you want to check out my schedule for 2014 and where I'll be visiting, the full list is on my website here.


Thanks!

Julie

Draw a Dragon contest: the dragons

Hey everyone!


So after much time, work, and effort,  I finally finished the dragons for the Draw a Dragon contest. Granted, they're not perfect imitations, but I tried my best to make them very similar to their pen and ink counterparts.  These little dragons will be headed to their new homes very soon, but I wanted to show them off here before I had to give them up.



Winner #1

The cool little headphone wearing dragon.  He was a lot of fun to work on, even though getting his headphones perfect was a challenge.  Still, he had an awesome personality and I love how he turned out.  So, here here is, jamming out to his favorite tunes.

Winner #2

I originally wasn't going to try to sculpt these fabulous dragons, because there is a ton of detail and my sculpting skills are not that good.  But the artist asked very nicely if he could still receive one of my dragons, even if it wasn't the two in the picture, so I decided to give sculpting them a shot.  Again, they're very simplified versions of the picture, but I hope I at least captured the personalities of a little dragon always getting into trouble, and his dad/big bro coming to his rescue.

Winner #3

Ah, the fluffy fairy dragon.  By far, this one was the hardest and most time consuming to make.  Not only was she PINK, which is the second most difficult color to work with (the first being white because it picks up EVERY tiny speck of dust and lint), she had a massive fluffy mane and an insanely long tail that took some serious thought about how to place it.  And that's not even mentioning her wings.  In any case, she was a real challenge, and it took me over a week to finish, but I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Behold, the fluffy fairy dragon...

So there are the winning dragons forever captured in clay.  I want to thank everyone who participated, and I hope you had as much fun drawing a dragon as I had sculpting them.  Which one is your favorite?  Let me know, and maybe I'll do another dragon contest soon.  :)

-Julie

New website, Talon tour

Hey everyone!


I have a new website!  It's very snazzy, with lots of neat features and some gorgeous artwork, and I love it lots.  Go to juliekagawa.com to check it out, and be sure to read the newest blog entry for some awesome news about a contest.

I'll be gradually moving everything over to the new site, including this blog.  Hope you enjoy it, and check out the fabulous artwork on the various pages, especially Talon.  =)

Also, the Talon blog tour began this week.  For some really cool prizes, including a Talon hardcover and 1 of 5 handmade dragons...

...go to Step Into Fiction for your chance to win, and see the rest of the tour stops.



You can also meet Riley, the bad boy rogue dragon of the Talon series.

More exciting things to come very soon!

-Julie

The Draw a Dragon contest: Winners!

Holy lizard balls, you guys.


Do you know how HARD it was to judge this contest?  So many awesome dragon pics.  So many talented artists.  I wanted to pick them all!

Sadly, I could only choose two, and it took me a looooooong time to finally decide.  Basically, the winners were chosen based on which dragons I would like to create out of clay.  But, it was HARD, you guys.  Omg, it was hard.  I finally narrowed it down to these two.

And the WINNING ENTRIES of the Draw a Dragon Contest:


Winner #1:

So. Fluffy.  Fluffy fairy dragon FTW.


Winner #2:

He has headphones on!  How awesome is that?



Winner #3

Yes, I'm naming another winner, because this pic was too fabulous not to mention. This entry will receive a copy of Talon as a prize, since I'm pretty certain my clay sculpting skills will not do this pair justice.  Wow, I say.

So those are the winners of the Draw a Dragon contest.  I will be emailing winners soon for their mailing info.  I will also be posting the winning entry's clay dragons when I  make them.  But there were SO MANY great pics.  This was by far the hardest contest I've ever had to judge.  Here are some honorable mentions and more awesome looking dragons.

And many more!  Over a hundred, in fact.  Thanks to everyone who entered and took the time to draw a dragon.  Getting to see so many wonderful dragons made my night.  =)

Also, Honorable Mention winners, if you email me your mailing address at juliekagawa@juliekagawa(dot)com, I will send you a signed Talon bookplate.  Thanks again, everyone!  And keep checking back for more exciting Talon stuff in the weeks to come.

-Julie  

Free Talon stuff

Hey everyone!





So, check this out.  This is a totally awesome gift pack you can receive if you pre-order your copy of Talon now.  It has a cool poster, a signed bookplate (yes, I hand signed every one of them), and a 22 page, never before seen sample booklet of Talon.

To get your free gift, all you have to do is go here and pre-order Talon.  It's super easy, but there are limited quantities available, so order now.


And, just because it's Tuesday, here is a quick teaser for Talon.  First one ever.  Ready?  Here we go:




***


"Rnesh karr slithis," I hissed back, which was Draconic for "eat your own tail," the dragon version of "go screw yourself."  No extra translation needed."


***




Happy Tuesday!
-Julie

The Draw a Dragon contest

Hey everyone!


Happy September 1st!  We are nearly two months away from the release of TALON, and today kicks off the first of many cool events, contests, and giveaways that will happen between now and then.  I'm pretty excited, if you can't tell.

So, let's begin with a super awesome contest!  And, since TALON is all about dragons, this will be a very dragon-centered contest.  Artists, are you ready?  Here we go:


1. Draw/sketch/doodle/scribble/color/paint the most awesome (or scary, or cute and fluffy) dragon you can think of.  All mediums are accepted.  The drawing can on your computer, an easel, a scrap piece of paper, it doesn't matter.  It doesn't have to be colored.  It doesn't have to be a work of art.

It DOES have to be of a dragon.  And it DOES have to be your own original work.


2.  Post a pic of your awesome dragon, along with an image of the TALON cover, to your blog, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, wherever.  Include a message about the contest and a link to it, as well.



 

   

Dragons.  Slayers.  Destiny.  The flames of war begin October 28th. 

3.  Leave me the link to your post in the comments.  Please include your email.  :)



Two winners will receive a signed arc of TALON, and a handmade clay dragon in the likeness of their entry.


For example, if you drew something like this:

You might get something like this:

So break out those pens, inks, and colored markers, and go draw some dragons!  :D  Contest will run until September 22nd.  It is open to everyone, and it is international.


The dragons are coming!


-Julie

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (Or I get a freezing bucket of icewater dumped on my head).

So, I was challenged by author Michelle Madow (also Leon Regenberg and blogger Elise Carstairs) to do the Ice Bucket challenge.  Nothing more to say, really, except I hope Katie McGarry, Adi Alisaid, and my editor Natashya Wilson have as much fun as I did.  ;-P

Here we go!











-Julie