With the able help of my friend Dan Dirks, we’ve totally revamped AndrewMayne.com to make things easier to find, plus we’ve added more product details and a streamlined shopping experiment.

For a limited time I’m offering free shipping on every order. So head on over to andrewmayne.com and have a look!

Best,

Andrew

Updating...

The world is out to kill Mitchell Roberts. A strange virus is on the loose sending everyone he comes in contact with into a homicidal rage. From narrowly avoiding getting murdered at his ex-girlfriend’s front door, to a crowded shopping mall turned one-man zombie apocalypse, he’s got to stay a step ahead of everyone around him if he doesn’t want to get ripped apart alive. He’ll need to use every resource he has, from the advice of a paranoid late night radio host, to his Twitter account and find out why he’s become Public Enemy Zero.

Public Enemy Zero is a 90,000 word full-length novel.

Available in the Kindle format for just $.99

A spectator signs a card. They’re given an undeveloped photograph to hold. The card is lost back in the deck. Before their astonished eyes they watch as the photograph develops into an image of a hand holding their signed card.

Photosynthesis is a powerful way to reveal a word, an image or a signed card.

No camera required. Comes complete with the Photosynthesis gimmick and a 24 minute instructional DVD including several routines.

Photosynthesis is a utility prop you can use to make startling revelations. It looks like an ordinary undeveloped instant photograph but will reveal anything you like including words, cards, images and even signatures.

Photosynthesis gives you the magic of instant photography revelations without the need for film or an instant camera. Completely reusable, it’s heat activated and can be held in a spectator’s hands.

Only $24.95

The nice folks over at the My So Called 8-Bit Life podcast had me on to prattle on about all sorts of nonsense.  You can check it out here: http://mysocalled8bitlife.com/podcast/episode22

Or you can find it on their Podcastr.com page: 8bitlife

To get the word out about The Grendel’s Shadow, I thought it would be fun to have a contest for the best book trailer So I’m offering up $100 to the winner and a signed copy of the print version to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. I’ll also give a $25 Amazon credit to the 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Here’s what you need to do; create a short trailer that promoted the book. Here are some helpful story points:

• It takes place on another planet where people live like it’s 1890.
• The protagonist is a Clint Eastwood type hunter.
• There’s a really scary monster.
• It’s more adventure than science fiction.

To get an idea of what book trailers look like, do a search on YouTube for ‘book trailer’ and you’ll get the idea.

To enter the contest, create a trailer under two minutes (ideally) , upload it to YouTube. Put ‘The Grendel’s Shadow book trailer contest’ in the title. Add a link to the Amazon.com page for the book: http://blrb.it/tg and email me a link to the trailer when it’s up at amayne at gmail.

Contest ends April 20th, 2011. Winners will be announced by April 22nd.

In non magic news, I’m happy to announce that my first work of fiction is now available as a book on the Kindle (which you can also read on iPads, iPods, Android and your desktop). It’s my take on a classic-style sci-fi tale.

Here’s the blurb:

When an unknown animal starts killing off settlers on a backwater planet run on coal and steam power, there’s only person who can help stop the slaughter; T.R. Westwood. A distinguished professor of biology and the galaxy’s greatest hunter, he’s the man to go to when the local wildlife needs to be reminded who is the galaxy’s top predator.

In a galaxy filled with millions of worlds, his specialty is evening the odds for the ones with technological restrictions. Rocks and spears or shotguns and canons, he’ll use whatever is allowed to get the job done.

It’s a 35,000 word novella mixing steampunk, western, horror and high adventure.

The ebook is available at Amazon.com for only $.99

Dallas – Question and Answer for Dallas Young Magicians Club

When: Saturday, March 5th, 4 PM

Dallas Lecture
When: Sunday, March 6, 2 PM
Where: 930 West Airport Freeway (Highway 183), Irving, Texas
Between MacArthur and O’Connor.
$20 for members
$25 for non-members

More information: http://thats-impossible.com/lectures.htm

San Antonio Lecture
When: Wednesday, March 9, 7 PM
Where: 4957 Northwest Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78229
Description
$20 until March 1st
AFTER March 1st: $25

http://jcrmagic.com/

Call: 210 767-1599
Email: julio@JCRmagic.com

Austin Lecture
When: Thursday, March 10, 7 PM
Where: River Place Country Club, 4207 River Place Boulevard, Austin, TX 78730
Tickets:
$15 for IBM Ring 60 or SAM Assembly 206 Members
$20 for non-members
http://ibmring60.org/events/47-lectures/85-3102011-andrew-mayne-lecture.html

Houston Lecture
When: Friday, March 11, 7:30 PM
Where: Bayou Manor, 4141 S. Braeswood
FREE!

Please arrive early!

Recently on Revision3 my buddy Brian Brushwood (and co-host of the Weird Things podcast) taught my impromptu origami effect.  He’s added some cool touches.  Check it out here:

Revision3 link 

SOLD OUT!

A modern redesign of a classic illusion by Andrew Mayne. Made from aluminum and Coroplast (a lightweight yet durable plastic used in industrial containers and signs) the Sword Basket is an extremely affordable and portable illusion that folds down flat for easy transport and storage. The Sword Basket only requires one assistant (a 6’2″ male can even fit in the basket) and can be performed completely surrounded. Using the “Ikea” approach, Andrew updated the classic illusion with modern materials and industrial design. Perfect for the magician that wants to add an illusion to their show or the starting illusionist. Price $299 US and Canadian orders International orders

Includes

+ The basket made from Coroplast a durable plastic used in industrial containers and signs.

+ Five full-sized aluminum swords with large plastic handles.

+ Performance instructions.

Instantly turn a slip of paper into the origami shape of the animal a person is visualizing in their mind. Turn a borrowed bill into a butterfly. Tear up a newspaper and produce an animated origami rabbit. Andrew Mayne presents The Origami Effect; powerful, visual magic that lets you give form to thoughts.

• The Origami Effect: A spectator thinks of an animal from a list of over 40 different origami shapes and you change the Post-It-Note into the animal instantly before their eyes.

• The Recycled Rabbit: Tear a sheet of newspaper to pieces and then restore it into an origami rabbit that can’t sit still. Great for kids and grown-ups alike. Takes only minutes to prepare.

• Psychic Origami: Borrow a dollar from a spectator and change it into the animal they’re visualizing in their mind. Includes multiple presentations.

• Wineglass Origami: A devious way to change a borrowed bill into an origami shape right under your spectator’s noses.

The Origami Effect is a one-on-one teach in style DVD. You’ll learn different handling techniques as well as Andrew’s extremely practical and deceptive method for forcing words and images.

Running time 65 minutes

Order now for just $19.95 and get free shipping.

I discuss the different tools to take ideas from you mind to physical form.

Watch live video from MayneTV on Justin.tv

With Halloween approaching, I thought it would be fun to put together some of my favorite spooky digital pranks you can pull on your friends using an iPhone or your computer:

Spirit Photos:

Wolverine X-Ray trick:

iPhone Trick:

iSight ghost image:

To create these images I used a quartz filter called “HoloGit” by elbows as posted on MacRumors, last seen here:http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=376295&highlight=hologit 
It worked fine using iChat in Leopard on my 2.8 GHz iMac 

This is what it looks like to have your soul ripped out.

If you activate the effect and then hold real still when it asks you to step out the frame, you can make your friends think they’re in some twisted Japanese horror movie (minus Sarah Michelle Geller). If you spread some blood around your apartment and leave town for a couple weeks it’ll really complete the gag. Keeping showing up on instant messaging and insist you’re still at home. 

This is what happens when you step out frame and then burst back onto the screen. Great for talking to grandma. 

This is a trailer for my DVD about origami magic effects. Effects included:

+ The Origami Effect – An incredibly visual revelation
+ Recycled Rabbit – A fun torn and restored effect
+ Wineglass origami – a hands free transformation
+ In the hands – A crumpled bill changes to a thought of animal
+ Psychic Origami – An impossibly fast transformation

I talk about how to routine your magic act using examples from movies.

Watch live video from MayneTV on Justin.tv