Happy Pi Day!

Did you know that today - 14 March - is Pi Day, an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi)?

"Why's that?" I hear you ask.

Well, it's because 14 March is 3/14 (in the confusing, American-favoured month/day date format), and 3, 1 and 4 are the three most significant digits of π in the decimal form. That's why.

To find out more about Pi Day, follow this link. And to mark Pi Day, why not buy yourself a T-shirt? :-)

Larry Shaw - a.k.a. the Prince of Pi - the organiser of the very first Pi Day. What a guy!

(At least now we know the answer to the question, "Who ate all the Pi?")

 

Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath

Today - 13th March 2013 - marks the beginning of the Big Push for the Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath Kickstarter.

Artist Tom Brown, publisher Ian Whates, and myself, want to bring you the tale of Miss Clemency Slaughter, her ill-fated family, and the legacy of Lord Daedalus Drummond D'Eath that awaits whoever is lucky (or unlucky) enough to inherit in the end. But we can only accomplish this task with your support, via Kickstarter.

We have a host of wonderful rewards on offer, including original artwork, invitations to a launch party, signed books, and bespoke jewellery. Bids start at only £2 and there's even going to be a digital version of this macabre picture book, as long as we achieve our funding goal of £7,500.

So now it's up to you. Please 'Like' our Facebook page, pledge your support via the Kickstarter page, and then tell all your friends via the medium of social media - and not just today, but every day! That's how we'll draw in the new backers we'll need to make this project happen.

We have until 1.00pm (1300 hours) on the 13th April to achieve our goal, or Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath may never see the light of day at all...

Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath

It's alive!



You can pledge your support for this project today by following this handy link.

The Wife of Pi

The Genius of Invention

"What does the name Thomas Newcomen mean to you? Not much, I’ll bet," claims the Radio Times website.

Now if you've read Match With With the Kids, then you will already know that Newcomen’s Engine was the first practical steam engine, devised to pump water out of Cornish tin mines.

Newcomen was a Devon ironmonger in the early 18th century who designed the first reliable steam engine but because James Watt improved the design half a century later, Watt is the name that most people remember.

How their ideas evolved and what they led to (i.e. the Industrial Revolution) is the subject of a wonderfully educational programme, The Genius of Invention, and it starts tonight on BBC2 at 9.00pm.

YOU ARE THE HERO - 24 hours to go!

That's right, we're down to the last day of the YOU ARE THE HERO Kickstarter, which means there's not long left in which to make sure you're a part of history. The History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks!

Tell all your friends, blog about it, post on Facebook and Twitter, and make sure you've pledged to receive one of the unique rewards on offer. Oh, and don't forget to add the correct amount of postage. ;-)

See you again at 3.00pm GMT tomorrow!

YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - UPDATE!

YOU ARE THE HERO is now past the two-thirds mark and with ten days left to run is heading towards fully funding on 6 January.

Progress is going well, but we still need to raise on average £500 a day to make our £15,000 target.

So if you've not backed the project yet, but you've been meaning to, click this link and pledge your support today.

If you have already pledged, thank you - but please check that you've added the correct amount of postage. And then blog about it, post on Facebook and Tweet all your friends.

With YOUR support a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO could be in your hands by this time next year!

Thank you.