As you probably know, people in creative fields tend not to be morning people. The muses sing with stronger voices at night, I guess ... or maybe it's just that the demons do the bulk of their caterwauling well before noon. Trouble is, these ephemeral characters tend to operate locally. When your neighborhood muses have bedded down at daybreak, others are just hitting their stride somewhere else in the world. Likewise, it's fair to say that there's always some demon of discontent howling in some corner of the globe.

All this is a very flowery way of saying ... I ain't getting much sleep right now! :) While I'd prefer to make my decisions in the wee small hours of the midnight, I'm trying to coordinate these decisions with New York, Los Angeles, England and, yes, New Zealand -- which, seems to exist in a timezone that's approximately a week and a half ahead of Chicago.

I'm having the time of my life, and am working with a crew at the absolute top of their disciplines. It's just physically wearing, and I apologize that I haven't been faster to respond to Message Board posts, emails, Facebook notes, Twitter direct messages, etc. I'll try to get back to everyone, I promise. And if I miss you, please send me a gentle reminder. I promise I'm not ignoring anyone on purpose!

Don't worry too much about my health, though. We're awfully close to a bit of respite. In fact, we should be off to the printers in the not-too-distant future. After that, responsibilities should start to slowly shift back toward press. An interview here, a speaking engagement there. And that will feel especially welcome because, for the first time in the history of this project, I'll be talking about a product that actually exists! No more interviews where I talk about what we're planning--now I'll talk about what we did! FYI, I believe my next appearance will be in Krakow in May. Don't think I'll be anywhere other than my office before then.

For right now, however, it's back to proofing/reviewing for me. We're talking external designs today--covers, disc art, etc. But before I crawl back to the muses and demons, a quick 'thank you' to the crew. I still can't believe that I'm in the midst of such a brilliant group. And believe me, if you think I'm sleep-deprived, I can guarantee the rest of the group has it worse. There have to be some seriously dented alarm clocks out in world right now! But we're almost there, and there isn't a morning where I'm not giving thanks for my incredible co-workers ... as I'm gulping a pot of coffee and prying my eyes open with toothpicks! :) So a huge thank you to:

Joe Augustine
Elizabeth Cotnoir
Alan Frey
John Howe
Alan Lee
Howard Shore
Sue Sinclair
Sue Viccars

...and, of course, the man who endures literally hundreds of emails from me on a daily basis, Gary Day-Ellison!

I'll try to establish a somewhat more regular update pattern this month. I've missed the regular back-and-forth with the bloggees! Exciting times around here, so I'll do my best to share what I can in the near future.

Doug