Two weeks before the files needed to be uploaded for the first printing of FireDrakes in 2007, I found myself lacking artwork for the cover. I had stopped painting in 2002 when I began writing, but I dusted off my old brushes and paints anyway to create a scene from the book.
While I was waiting to receive my books from the printer, I presold a fair number them. As an incentive, I offered the original painting in a draw. As it happened, a co-worker was the winner. He chose to keep the painting by his desk, and there it remained until I left the company in 2009 to eventually start my own book distribution business.
On September 24, 2025, I received a message from another former co-worker who asked me if I wanted the painting back. The company had recently vacated the building and he saved the painting from being taken away with all the left-behind furnishings. I never expected to see it again. I was also surprised by how perfectly preserved it was, no doubt thanks to the sealed plastic it was in. All I need to do now is figure out where and how I want to display it.