Belatedly, I am over at SF Novelists again this month, posting about why failure is good for you.

Also belatedly, I am in another Mind Meld at SF Signal, this one on the topic of monarchies in fantasy.

Clockwork Phoenix 4 is a go! Now it’s a matter of hitting the stretch goals. $6500 will allow Mike Allen to pay contributors four cents a word (instead of three); $8000 will allow him to pay five cents a word, which is the baseline for professional rates in science fiction and fantasy. There are still sixteen days in which to make those happen . . . .

Gorgeous sculptural book art by Guy Laramee. I think the first is my favorite — that hidden canyon.

Really clever designs for Avengers-inspired evening gowns. Not just the major heroes, either: it hits Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Coulson, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, though I had to go hunting to find Loki separately. (Full group shot here.)