2020 – Page 8 – Jim Butcher

Microfiction #4, Costume Contest Reminder, Dresden Card Game on Switch, and Trailer Milestone

The big draw this week is our fourth Microfiction, but there’s plenty more to get excited about! We’ve got the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game’s debut on switch, an upcoming Trailer Rewatch event, a $1.99 ebook deal on Death Masks, and more. It’s also the last week to submit your costumes for our contest. Read on!

Microfiction #4: Job Placement

Given how fraught the outside world is (murder hornets? MURDER HORNETS?!?!), we thought it was perfect timing for some domestic cuteness with everyone’s favorite Scion of Sasquatch, Irwin Pounder. This microfiction contains spoilers for the short story “Bigfoot on Campus” which appears in the Brief Cases anthology. It’s set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either.

Read Job Placement!

Also, Jim feels like writing more short Dresdenverse stories, and he wants to know who you want to read about. Vote in our poll! You can pick as many characters as you like, including suggesting Dresden characters not in the poll using the “Other” box. Or you can vote for Jim to create all new characters!

Costume Contest Entries Due Next Tuesday

We’ve seen some fabulous entries for the Dresden Files Costume Contest so far, but we know they barely scratch the surface of all the awesome cosplay passion the fanbase has produced.

To inspire you to enter, we offer a bribe of some photos of Jim cosplaying with his wife Kitty Krell and friends. Photos by WeNeals and Andrea Gonzales.

Read all the rules, then submit your cosplay, cosplay photography, and cosplay image manipulations to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th.

DFCO Now on Switch

Need more stay-at-home fun/distraction? The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game was released yesterday for the Switch! Snag your copy now.

What is the DFCO? It’s a surprisingly challenging strategy game, where you play Harry Dresden and his friends as they take on the cases from the bestselling Dresden Files novels in the ultimate what-if scenario: what if Harry was on the scene with allies who weren’t there in the original story? Fans will appreciate the characters and references, but knowledge of the series is not required.

This digital version of the game was created by Hidden Achievement based on the tabletop version by Evil Hat Productions, featuring art by Tyler Walpole. In addition to the Switch, you can download it from the App Store for iOS, Google Play, or Steam! The game supports single player mode and both cross-plaform multi-player gaming and local pass-and-play, for all your quarantine and post-lockdown needs.

Milestone Approaching for Trailer

We had so much fun celebrating 150k views on the trailer that we thought we’d host another rewatch leading up to 175k. Daily view counts have been a little unpredictable as states begin to reopen and people’s schedules change, but we expect to hit this milestone on Thursday. Follow JimButcherNews on Twitter and the #DresdenTrailerRewatch hashtag for fun facts about the making of trailer, resuming Thursday morning!

Great Fantasy Debate Coming Soon

Penguin’s new online game show The Great Fantasy Debate premieres today, and Jim’s guest appearances are scheduled for May 12th and June 23rd! Tune in next week as Jim, Pierce Brown, and comedians Sean Donnelly and Jay Jurden debate “Which is the best fantasy world to go to for vacation?”

Watch new episodes as they air on Penguin’s Facebook Page.

Reminders

We’ve expanded out social media presence! You should already know about the JimButcherNews Twitter feed, but we’ve also added accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well. Give us a follow and enjoy all the content that doesn’t make it into our Drops, like the Trailer Rewatch thread, the Quarantine House Game, and more!

The electronic edition of Death Masks is discounted at $1.99 through May 10th! Support independent bookstores by ordering through Bookshop.org, Books-A-Million, or Kobo (here’s how to support your favorite local shop!), or from the following vendors: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Google Play.

Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops. We’ll see you on Twitter this Thursday, then back here next week!

Duology Wallpaper and DFCO Coming to Switch

This week, you can download desktops featuring the new cover art and stills from the trailer, then get a discount on the Steam edition of the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game in anticipation of its launch on the Switch! Ready? LET’S DO THIS THING.

Living Social

We’re expanding out social media presence! You should already know about the JimButcherNews Twitter feed, but we’ve also added accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well. Give us a follow and enjoy all the content that doesn’t make it into our Drops, like the Trailer Rewatch thread, the Quarantine House Game, and more!

Screen Swag

Count down the days to Peace Talks (July 14th) and Battle Ground (Sept 29th) in style with “Dresden Duology” wallpapers! Stills from the book trailer feature Jason Bernardo as Harry Dresden, Liz Fenning as Mab, Chris Showerman as Marcone, and Birgit Ludemann as Lara.

Check our aspect ratio guide to see which version is right for your setup:

1.77 (Widescreen) — 1920×1080, 1600×900, 1536×864, 1366×768, 1280×720
1.6 — 1440×900, 1280×800
1.33 (Most Tablets) — 1024×768

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

If you haven’t seen the book trailer yet, check it out now!

Switching It Up

Need more stay-at-home fun/distraction? The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game is being released for Nintendo Switch this Monday! (No, we don’t know what Harry’s turnip prices will be.)

This digital version of the game was created by Hidden Achievement based on the tabletop version by Evil Hat Productions, featuring art by Tyler Walpole. You can also snag it on the App Store for iOS, Google Play, or for 25% off on Steam! The game supports both online and local pass-and-play, for all your quarantine and post-lockdown needs.

And Finally…

Denarians and Donuts and Mobsters, oh my! The Goodreads Read-Along continues with Small Favor.

Battle Ground Cover Revealed!

We try to stick to our “no more than once a week” posting pattern out of respect for your overstuffed inboxes, but I think you’ll see why we had to deviate. Jim’s publisher has revealed Chris McGrath’s gorgeous cover art for the second of the two Dresden novels coming out this year, Battle Ground!

Battle Ground (Dresden #17) hits stores September 29th, just 2 1/2 months after Peace Talks (Dresden #16) on July 14th! You can preorder both installments in this year’s “Dresden Duology” and support independent bookstores at our storefront at Bookshop.org, or choose from a wider array of vendors at the Jim-Butcher.com Store!

Winter Lady Style, A Virtual Con, and More!

We have a lot of great stuff happening this week, including a gorgeous new jewelry piece and a virtual convention appearance this Friday! And don’t forget: We also have a cosplay contest running, a series read-along on Goodreads, discounts going on the first three Dresden novels, and a mini-giveaway of coloring pages in exchange for support of your community (see below). And if you haven’t seen the Peace Talks trailer yet, check it out now and send your reaction video to yearofdresden@gmail.com.

Now let’s get into the news!

SILVER LININGS

The Bad News: Badali Jewelry’s stone supplier sent them the wrong color for the Limited Edition Demonreach Pentacle.

The Good News: The stone they sent is GORGEOUS, and its wintry blue and pink opalescence is a perfect fit for Molly!

The Badali team conjectured, “Maybe Molly heard we were in need, and she sent some mischievous sprite to change a digit in the supplier’s color code and make a stone just for her. We hear you loud and clear, Molls! Badali Jewelry is thrilled to offer a second limited edition piece for 2020: The Winter Lady’s Ice Opal Pentacle.” Order yours today!

Here’s how the color compares to Mab’s Ice Opal in the Winter Knight Earrings.

As for the Demonreach Pentacle fans voted on back in February, the stone supplier is already working to rectify their mistake, and Badali anticipates it will be available for sale early this summer.

PRH VIRTUAL CON

Jim joins a bevy of fabulous Penguin Random House authors this Friday at the PRH Virtual Con! Jim’s events:

Geek Geek Revolution, 5pm ET: In this twist on the popular trivia game show, authors ask the questions and fans provide the answers for the chance to win a prize pack of books! Participate at the Unbound Worlds FB group. (Note: Admission to the group is moderated. Join early to avoid bottlenecks!)

The Great Fantasy Debate Preview, 7pm ET: A preview of a brand new webseries! The creative team will discuss what’s in store and present the first mini-debate between Jim, Pierce Brown, and Naomi Novik. Free registration on Eventbrite.

SHOP BOOKS, SHOP BOOKSHOP!

We’re making it even easier to support indie bookstores with your purchases through the Jim-Butcher.com store! We’ve added Bookshop.org to our list of affiliate partners. Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.

We’re in the process of updating our official store to include these new links, but in the meantime, you can buy Jim’s books at our storefront on their website! A portion of each sale goes to support independent bookstores, and another portion goes to our website to help cover our hosting fees. Everybody wins!

IN BRIEF…

Good News for Blaze! She’s back home and in recovery. She offers her thanks for the outpouring of love and healing vibes.

Don’t forget: submissions are open for the Dresden Cosplay Contest! Enter by May 12th.

Haven’t seen the Peace Talks Trailer yet? If not, we’re still collecting reaction videos for an upcoming compilation! Film yourself watching it and send the video via WeTransfer to yearofdresden@gmail.com.

Last week, we gave away three Dresden coloring pages and offered two more in exchange for a donation to your local food bank or a purchase from our artistic partners: Badali Jewelry, Adam Mathison-Sward, Tyler Walpole, Evil Hat Productions, and Priscilla Spencer. That offer is still good! Forward your receipt to yearofdresden@gmail.com, and we’ll hook you up!

The Dresden Files Read-Along on Goodreads continues this week with White Night.

And that’s it for today!

Cosplay Contest Announced, Plus Dresden Coloring Pages!

The headline says it all! Let’s dive right in.

Costume Contest

We had such fun with our Fanart Contest that we want to honor another section of the Dresden fandom’s creatives: cosplayers and cosplay photographers! Read all the rules, then submit your Cosplay Contest entries to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th.

Coloring Pages

Running low on things to binge on Netflix? Fresh out of animals to cross? Feeling more schooled by your kids than the reverse? We’ve got you covered. Adam Mathison-Sward can’t operate his tattoo parlor during the lockdown, so he’s used some of his downtime to produce a quintet of Dresden images ready for coloring! We’re sharing these three pages for free, and if you like what you see, we’re offering two additional coloring pages in exchange for donations in support of your community.

Make a donation in any amount to your local food bank, or give back to the Dresdenverse small business community by buying a piece from Adam’s shop or Badali Jewelry or pledging to Adam’s Patreon. Forward your receipt to yearofdresden@gmail.com, and we’ll send you two more coloring pages to show our gratitude! Click to embiggen.

If you’d be interested in seeing a full Dresden Files coloring book, let us know! And if you’re looking for more goodies to help pass the time in quarantine, Penguin is still offering ebooks Storm Front, Fool Moon, and Grave Peril at reduced rates. Get the links in last week’s post.

Support Badali Jewelry!

Our friends at Badali Jewelry are facing a rough patch due to the cancelation of much of the 2020 con season. If you’ve been eyeing a piece, they’d greatly appreciate your support! They’re also selling gift cards and accepting direct donations via GoFundMe. Please help us ensure high quality, officially licensed, handcrafted-in-the-USA fandom merch stays in business. And hey, Mother’s Day is coming up, and Margaret LeFay’s ruby pentacle would be a fabulous gift for any mama geek…

Healing Vibes for Blaze

And finally, in the moments before this story was posted, we learned our beloved Blaze (here cosplaying as Queen Mab) has COVID-19 and has been hospitalized due to complications with pneumonia. Those who frequented the Jim-Butcher.com forums will undoubtedly recall her boundless generosity, her kindness, and her uproarious sense of humor. Please join us in sending her and her family your love, your healing energies, and your best wishes for a speedy recovery, as we send our love to all those in our community impacted by the virus.

And that’s it for this today!