I’ve reached the time of transition! I’m moving this blog/mailing list over to Substack. Besides this email, you can expect subscription notifications and confirmations from Substack.
Before I go any farther, I want to emphasize that the stuff you’ve been getting from me for free will remain free. I may set up paid subscribers at some point, if it makes sense, but I will always provide an update to all who subscribe for free.
You’ve been partners with me along this journey and I appreciate you. If I do come up with something for paid subscribers, it will be content worthy of you wanting to pay for. I’m not sure I can deliver that right now, so I won’t even try until I can provide fair value. You guys deserve that respect.
Again, I’m importing my mailing list contacts from MailOctopus to Substack. I *think* this will be essentially the same as if I moved from MailOctopus to MailChimp or some other service, so it should be fairly painless. At least I hope so. Please let me know if there’s an issue.
Why make this change?
Basically, I think we can do a lot more together on Substack. It’s a more interactive platform, allowing us to hang out.
I think over the last year or so, I haven’t provided enough to you all. I’ve asked you to read the same sort of content and now it’s time to up my game.
I want to create a place where I can talk about all sorts of cool stuff that interests me and give you a chance to geek out on the things I’m geeking out about.
How am I going to improve?
I’m going to up my game by adding more media. In particular, I’m going to do a podcast each week following a schedule something like this:
Week One of the Month: Writing and Creative Process
Week Two: Something in history that interests me
Week Three: A book or magazine review, usually of a magazine from the golden age of SF or old Dragon mags. That sort of thing.
Week Four: Sports!
Week Five: And whenever there’s a week five, it’ll be a grab bag.
I’m going to start this with my first real podcast next Tuesday at 6pm Central. I’ll be interviewing the amazing Kacey Ezell, who’ll talk about her new project to help creators.
Again, this is 6pm Central on Tuesday the 3rd. In general, I will set podcasts up as a live event, assuming I figure out Substack. I want your snarky comments.
That Tuesday 6pm Central slot, by the way, is my first guess at the best time to do it. As I get feedback from you guys, that time may change. Maybe it’ll be 7pm Central. Maybe 8. I don’t know where we end up because I don’t yet know what works best for you guys. Please drop me a line and tell me what you want. In fact, I’ll probably set up a poll for that.
Of course, if you can’t be there live, you can watch it later and send in questions and comments.
While the schedule I listed above will be my general pattern, I’ll mix it up as appropriate. For example, week 2 of February will probably talk about the Super Bowl and the previous NFL season. Week 3 will focus on FenCon. That sort of thing.
Moving from the podcast, I plan to post more pictures and tidbits. Snippets. Random poems I like. Whatever seems fun. These will come out whenever the mood strikes.
As a side note, I’ve already copied all the posts I’ve made here over to Substack. You can still search my blog going back to somewhere around 2004. I’ll probably highlight some old ones sometimes, like talking about my trip in Wales, which is a fun sequence from the summer of 2012.
I will have a pinned post where I have sort of the business side of things. This will include where I’m going, what I’m working on, and my tracking metrics. I will just update this page regularly.
I’ve set up a chat room there, so if you want to chat about stuff, we can do it! You tell me what you want.
Side note: I’m still exploring Substack, so I may yet be adding stuff. In any case, I hope you’ll like it.
Finally, I’ll have a written update for your email. I know I don’t always want to watch a video because I can read faster than I can watch, so this will go over what’s going on in my world. Basically, it’ll be the opening section of my previous emails without all the other sections. The fun stuff, like what I’m listening to and quotes will be subsumed into the podcast.
What does you need to do?
Nothing really, though I expect you’ll get some confirmation emails from Substack to make sure this is content you want.
I will shift to two emails a week, one for the podcast and one for the written update. I will *not* send out emails on the random stuff (unless of course I screw up and forget to tick that box, which I’m sure will happen on occasion).
Two emails is probably one too many, but I’m trying to match what I would want in your place. I would want to know about podcasts and I would want to have the opportunity to just skim the update some weeks.
To emphasize, this will not require you to be a paid Substack subscriber. Again, if I do something paid down the road, it’ll be for something where I think I’m providing content that’s worth you paying for. At this point, I don’t think that’s true.
Some of you will choose to leave because you don’t want to get two emails or have anything to do with Substack. I get that. And again, all you have to do is decline the invite when Substack sends it, so hopefully that’s easy.
But I’m doing this to have more fun sharing my interests with you guys and if that’s not interesting to you, you should absolutely opt out. I appreciate all of you who’ve stayed with me and you have my best wishes should you move on. Thanks for being a part of the journey.
Obviously, I hope you’ll all stay. I hope this will be a really cool next step in the journey. I’m excited what this will bring.
I’m sure there’s lots of stuff I should be adding, but here’s the TL:DR.
I’m moving to Substack. I want to provide you with something more by upping my game. I hope you’ll enjoy it and keep riding along with me.
Finally…
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You’ve been great partners and I couldn’t have gotten to do this cool job without you.
Happy New Year everyone! May it be a wonderful one for you.
I’ve had a good past couple of weeks. Of course there was Christmas, which is of course all the more fun with a granddaughter. I made some delicious briskets for Christmas dinner, though I’m sadly to the point of only one more serving of leftovers.
Oh, and I sent off a new novel to the publisher! I’ll be talking about that one when we have details, but it’s title is Shattered Spear. That should give you some hints…
That’s a nice capstone on kind of a wonky year. It was probably my least productive year since 2016. I only finished one novel, though of course The Feasting of Vengeance came out early in the year. I also added only 1 short story, but I did finish more.
I also did a bunch of editing, mostly in Okkorim. That is still going strong, and in fact is my primary focus right now.
Still, I didn’t do as much as previous years. The big thing, I think was the conclusion of two different and important parts of my writing career in January. One, of course, was stepping away from New Mythology Press. I’m proud of the quality of stuff we put out, but obviously I spent a lot of time working on it all and it was suddenly… gone.
The same was true of The Feasting of Vengeance, which finished the Foresters trilogy. I’m even more proud of what I did in the 4HU and not thinking/working on a 4HU novel or short story was a shock. First time that’s true in 6-7 years.
It took time for me to figure out exactly what would fit into those gaps. The big step there was P-Con, and I’m still ramping up with what’s came out of that. One thing, by the way, was Shattered Spear.
What was the change? Well, it came from asking Raconteur Press for more opportunities, which they have given me. Lots of things are happening in the background and I’m looking forward to build on that.
Those, I think, are both reason and excuse. It’s a fair reason to say that those changes should affect my production. It’s a fair excuse to say I should have pivoted quicker.
It’s both reason and excuse when I add how much I put into the store. We made great progress in making the store profitable this year, and I know I helped. I also know I probably did that instead of writing, especially in the spring.
So my grade for myself this year is a C+. More good than bad, but not great.
I’m excited about what 2026 will bring, though. Very excited. I’ll talk more about that next week. I have some changes in mind here plus in other parts of my writing/editing life. Expect me to add a regular podcast type show soon, for one thing.
But for now, it’s time to enjoy a bunch more college football over then next few days. Have a Happy New Year!
What I’m Listening To
TCU v. USC in the Alamo Bowl. Bowl season is still a bunch of fun, despite the Playoffs and NIL and what not. Speaking of fun, the Pop Tart Bowl was amazing! That is now a must see for 2026.
Quote of the Week
Today is Rudyard Kipling’s birthday. As he’s probably my favorite poet, or right up there if not, I’m not about to miss the chance to quote him. This one is from Young British Soldier, which is full of good advice, even for those of us who thankfully haven’t seen the elephant. It’s always ruin to run from a fight, though we often need support, even today.
If your officer’s dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it’s ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier…
– Rudyard Kipling, Young British Soldier
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a great couple of weeks here. We had so much for Thanksgiving. Plus, I got to babysit the grandbaby a few extra things.
This whole grandpa thing rocks, I have to say.
I was also really productive these past couple of weeks despite all the family stuff. Major progress on my current Okkorim project and something like 12,000 words on my current WIP novel. All told, I put together about 40,000 words of stuff on the page, though the Okkorim stuff is correlating existing stuff to a great extent instead of new writing.
Still, lots of great work.
This upcoming week promises to be awesome too. Saturday, we get to go to the grandbaby’s first dance recital. This may be old hat to all you parents out there, but for me it’s new and awesome.
We’re also prepping for Christmas cookie baking on Sunday.
If you want cookies, you have to come help us clean up, just saying.
We’re also getting ready for our second birthday party for the shop the week afterward, on the 20th. If you’re in the area, I hope you can come by. We’ll have some cool specials, pizza from Kristy’s Kafe, and some whimsy.
It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this two years. The time has flashed by and it’s awesome to see how it’s grown. Thanks to all of you’ve who’ve been with us on the ride.
My plan this week is to finish the first draft of the novel WIP. I’m about to enter the final chase and battle scene, and that tends to go fast.
LIfe sure gets exciting around this time of year these days. I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season. For now, I’m going to relax for an evening.
Have a great week, everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Midsomer, the episode with horse racing and RPG gaming. One of my favorites!
Quote of the Week
What a great day for birthdays! Gustavus Adolphus. John Milton. Grace Hopper, Douglas Fairbanks, Kirk Douglass, Redd Foxx, Judi Dench, Deacon Jones, Dick Butkus, John Malkovich, and more!
Wow! Happy birthday to them all, or at least their memory in some cases.
I’ll go with Grace Hopper, someone who I think my parents admired. At the very least, she helped them have careers.
“The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.'”
– Grace Hopper
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I have lots to be thankful for. I have a great family, especially in the grandbaby department. I all these writing and editing opportunities. And I have you all who make those possible.
Thanks very much everyone!
It was a very productive week here. I wrote over 10,000 new words, which is the best in a while. Most of those were in the current novel work in progress, which is flowing along nicely now.
The other is the next supplement in Okkorim. That too is making good progress. I’m aiming to have both of them complete by the end of the year, which might seem ambitious, but I seem to work well on the pair of them in tandem.
Also, at the end of the year, I’ll have a special announcement about something coming later in 2026! I might as well start teasing that.
This weekend is, of course, Thanksgiving. The Saturday after is Market Faire here in Anthony. If you’re in the area, come join us! The Saturday after that is the grandbaby’s first dance recital. Then the Saturday after that one is the store’s 2nd birthday party! Oh, and there’s Christmas, New Years, and a few other things.
It’s going to be a great December! And I’m thankful for that too.
Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
Midsomer Murders. It’s such a comfortable bit of grisly murder after a long day of work.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to the amazing Poul Anderson, one of the greats. Here’s one of the reasons why, a philosophy I ascribe to myself.
“I think the first duty of all art, including fiction of any kind, is to entertain. That is to say, to hold interest. No matter how worthy the message of something, if it’s dull, you’re just not communicating.”
– Poul Anderson
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a good past couple of weeks. Sorry about last week, but if something comes up, I tend to get distracted with grandbaby time on Wednesday, so the update slips.
Ah, well, grandbaby time trumps everything right now.
A couple of weekends ago, we went to Calontir’s Crown Tournament. Congrats to our new heirs Xerxes and Andromir. Closer to home, my wife was able to step down from her position as the regional president. It’s a challenging job, and I’m so glad that bit of stress is out of her life.
I got a some done, maybe not as much as I’d hoped, but it was one of those weeks where things kept cropping up to slow me down. On the Okkorim side, I finalized a module that had been an absolute bear for me to work on. I also made progress on another project due at the end of the year.
I also got word back that my Kaj Ludek story didn’t make the cut. Ah, well, I’m still that much closer to a collection of stories from him. On to the next anthology.
What I mostly focused on, though, was my new novel. I’ll talk about details more, but I got about 15,000 written in it at this point, which is nice progress given that the publisher wants this to be more in the 50,000 range instead of 100k. I’m aiming to have that done by the end of the year too.
We’re also starting to ramp up for our 2nd birthday party, which will be held on the 20th of December. These last two years seem to have flown by.
In any case, if you’re near Anthony, come join us! We’ll have pizza, specials, and whatever else seems fun.
With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening To
More Midsomer this week. The murder rate there per 100k is fascinating.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Johnny Mercer, who has this great quote about writing. My mom had a similar quote over her computer: Write lots of bad pages.
You must write for the waste basket.
– Johnny Mercer
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This past week saw me sending out another anthology submission. This is the second in the Files of Kaj Ludek. The first was in Vice Noir, and it debuted him as a PI in 1980s Kansas City.
It wasn’t intended to be a debut, but I liked the character and the writing business involves creating characters that then want to see the light of day over and over.
Anyway, Kaj is the grandson of a Czech man who fled to England before the war and fought at D-Day and across France to Germany. That gives me the cool Czech name and a neat family background.
It also allowed me to give him a gun with a neat backstory in its own right. He carries a Browning Hi-Power, or rather, an FN Hi-Power made and used by the Germans during the war. His grandfather killed an SS officer and took the gun, and now it’s a family heirloom.
Kaj himself served in Vietnam. Nothing extraordinary, no Green Beret thing, just an infantry grunt who saw more than he wanted.
The best part of writing these stories is setting them in KC. The worst part of writing these stories is setting them in 1980s KC. I’ve done a bunch of research about what was there at that time, and so far, I’m confident I got it right.
The one in Vice Noir involved the Civellas, the local mob. There’s some interesting stories there in their own right, some of which continue to this day.
This one involves the Steamboat Arabia, which was dug up in 1988. I submitted it to Raconteur Press’s anthology High Class Muscle, and here’s hoping it gets accepted.
I also spent this week working on other projects. I’d gotten to the part of my current novel where I needed to really do the basic Save the Cat Beatsheet so I’m writing in the basic general direction. I’m excited about this one, but I’m just going to tease it for now.
We also did a bunch more work around this building. Certain parts of it are finally taking shape.
So, all in all, a great week! Here’s hoping you have a great one yourself.
What I’m Listening To
Back to Inspector Morse.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Will Rogers. I like today’s quote, and wish I could live up to its message.
Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.
– Will Rogers
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry about no post last week, I had impromptu grandbaby duty that lasted longer than anticipated. Oh, darn, more grandbaby time!
It’s been a productive couple of weeks. I’ll send off a short story later this week. I made progress on the bigger projects too, plus did a bunch of cool stuff around the building.
Last weekend was the annual cleanup weekend where the Community Empowerment group gets dumpsters and encourages us to take advantage. Well, take advantage I did, getting six truckloads of junk out of the basement.
Yes! The basement. It’s not totally clean yet, but it’s close. It’s a big, open space of about 100 feet by 30 feet. My plan is to turn it into the wood shop. The existing shop is nice, but it’s cramped. This won’t be cramped.
Later this week, I’ll be recording a Blasters and Blades podcast show. I’ll get to talk about some of the gods I created for Okkorim and I’m excited. I’ll let you all know when that gets released.
Of course, it’s Halloween this weekend, which means trick-or-treating. That’s so much more fun with a grandbaby, just saying.
I’ll be pushing along on the various projects during the days, all of which are coming along. It’s a good time to get things done around here.
Happy Halloween everyone!
What I’m Listening To
We’re watching the Addams Family, the original TV show with John Astin and Carolyn Jones. This particular one is the Halloween episode with Don Rickles. Brilliant stuff. Here’s wishing you some happy gloominess!
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Charlie Daniels. I bet you can get this week’s quote, because it’s perfect for Halloween.
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
‘Cause Hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose the devil gets your soul
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This has been the Rushiest of weeks that I’ve ever had, at least since the release of an album. First, as I mentioned last week, they’re going back on tour in 2026. I scored my ticket on Friday, and never have I been happier to have a Citi card since it got me in a couple days early.
I’ll see some of you in Fort Worth on June 30th, which will be a fun detour on my drive home from LibertyCon.
Geddy Lee Collection
Then, on top of that, Geddy Lee just released a new baseball book. If you didn’t know, he already had a great connection to the Negro Leagues Museum in KC. Some years ago, he donated over 400 baseballs signed by Negro League players and there is literally a Geddy Lee exhibit there.
So, the NLBM was the obvious place to have a signing, and surprisingly it was the only signing he’s doing for his book 72 Stories. I was one of the people there, of course.
Geddy Lee
In the presentation portion of the event, Geddy talked about scoring baseball games. When it was my turn, I mentioned that I kept score and that one of my prize possessions is the scoresheet from my slow-pitch softball perfect game.
He said, “A fellow geek!” and gave me a fist bump.
I’ve decided, after some consideration, not to bronze my hand. I’ve even washed it a few times since then.
Still, it was a neat experience for me to top off a fantastic week for this Rush fan.
I finished another Okkorim project this week. That makes something like 25 different projects over the last couple of years, over 1 per month and some of those are hefty pieces. The process is accelerating, too, so that’s exciting.
I also made progress in all three of the projects I’m working on. I’m especially excited about the noir PI project, which I expect to finish this next week.
I’ll keep hammering on the three this week. With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening To
Death in Paradise. A light, fluffy murder show. It’s one of our favorites.
Quote of the Week
“Ow, my eye!”
– Harold Godwinson, presumably
Okay, I made that up, but Happy Hastings Day to those who celebrate.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 353.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We’re on fire! Well, not really, though we’ve had a far more interesting evening than expected. A motor to an HVAC unit decided it was time to quit, and it sent a little smoke and icky smell through the ventilation.
No big deal, in the end, though we did get to meet the fire department.
This past week the wife and I went to Houston for Quilt Market. This will shock you, but it’s a big market for those who sell quilts and quilting supplies. Amazing, huh?
It was like most trade shows, and if you’ve been to one, you’ve generally been to all of them. We saw a lot of cool things, of course, including some amazing new dragon fabrics which we’ll have in 2026.
Plus, I got to see my first drone show, sponsored by Moda Fabrics, who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. It was really cool.
Moda Drone Show
Along the way, the wife and I had a bit of a vacation, something we really haven’t done. We stopped at a variety of interesting places along the way and tried out a bunch of new restaurants. We’ve had little time for such things, so spending time with each other was really the best part.
Even with the trip, I had a reasonably productive week. I’m working on three projects and made some progress on each, including major progress on a new short story. We also finalized next month’s Okkorim module.
Of course, the big news this week is Rush related, and I have two cool things to talk about.
First, Geddy Lee will be doing a book signing at the Negro Leagues Museum for his new baseball book on Saturday. I’ll be there. Gonna be really cool as it’s been a while since I’ve been there.
Second and jaw-droppingly wow, Rush is going on tour next summer!!!!!!!
That’s actually like a 1000 exclamation point statement for me, but you only get 7 for now. Anyway, I’m going, and I think this time I might splurge on VIP tickets. I’ve never done that before, and I thought I’d never have the chance. I’d be an idiot not to at least investigate doing so this one last time.
I’m incredibly excited. I haven’t missed a tour since Signals and I’m not missing this one.
So it was a great week, especially the part where the building didn’t burn down!
What I’m Listening To
More Lewis, which is nice comfort food after tonight’s excitement.
Quote of the Week
Happy 86th birthday to Bill Snyder. If you’re a college football fan, you know he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, turning Kansas State into a perennial bowl team.
To put that in perspective, one year K-State was the single worse team in the NCAA, even ranked below Wichita State. To put that in ever more perspective, that particular ranking was the year after Wichita State ended their football program, so K-State was so bad, it was worse than a football team that didn’t even exist.
Sadly, he was not a quote machine, so I don’t really have a quote, I just wanted to gloat about that one year the Shockers didn’t even have a team and we were better than the Wildcats.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 355.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This past weekend, we hosted Dragon Day here in Anthony. We sponsored Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater and got to take the grandbaby to her first movie. She couldn’t quite make it through the whole thing, but going for an hour at 2 is pretty good, I think.
Also, we got several local joints to make dragon-themed food or drink. All the stuff was tasty, with a spicier burger from Petunia’s, a spicier pizza from Kristy’s Kafe, and a dragonfruit version of a mule from the Idle Hour.
It was an exhausting day, but a lot of fun. We’ll be doing a Dragon Day every year. I would guess we’re sponsoring the original How to Train Your Dragon, which is what we wanted to sponsor this year but the studio wouldn’t let us because of the new version. Ah, well.
I spent time writing on a new project this week as well. I didn’t, quite, get to my goal of 7000 words in it, but I came close at about 6700, so that’s a good start. I’m aiming to finish by the end of November, which is more than doable since the publisher wants me to end up around 50,000 words instead of my customary 100,000.
We’ll see. Brevity is the soul of wit, and there are times I’m witless.
I also finished another Okkorim module. Chunking out at least one a month every month and let me tell you, these are lots of fun.
Tomorrow, we start our drive to Houston to go to Quilt Market, one of the big quilting trade shows. I’m pretty excited, actually, though I suspect I’ll be toting a bunch of stuff for the wife.
By the way, this means the shop will be closed Thursday through Monday so if you were planning to visit, I suggest a different weekend. Feel free to make online orders, though. Our crack staff will be fulfilling those as normal.
I’ll also be taking my computer to see if I can’t get some time just writing. It’ll be nice to be away from the shop for a few days.
I guess I better go pack. Catch you all next week!
What I’m Listening To
It’s baseball playoffs, so right now I’m watching the Dodgers hammer the Reds, having hit 3 home runs off Hunter Greene. That Shohei Ohtani dude might be pretty good, though.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of the Persian poet Rumi. Sadly, I can’t read any of the languages he wrote in (usually Persian), so I can’t truly enjoy all his poetic glory, but even so, we can see he was a master wordsmith.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi
Rob’s Works in Progress
Shattered Spear (6,743)
Upcoming Events
I have a number of things in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 356.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I had a great time at P-Con! Thanks to Crystal and the crew for all their hard work.
I went with a variety of plans. First, I needed to recharge a bit with my crew. I saw a bunch of great people, including a huge contingent of Raconteur Press folks. More on them in a bit.
I was on 4 panels. One was a discussion of what fans are increasingly asking for, and that’s more action and adventure. Then, I moderated a panel about putting the science in science fiction. This was especially fun because I got to chat with Taylor Anderson, whose Destroyermen series is excellent. After that was a panel advising new writers on how best to submit to publishers. Finally, I was on a fun panel about sidekicks. All in all, a great list of panels.
But really, I went to socialize, as I said. I spent a ton of time doing just that in the P-Con bar. I had great conversations with a bunch of awesome folks, including Taylor Anderson, who I’d not me before, David Weber, Robb Hampson, as many Raconteur folks as I could find, and a bunch more.
In particular, I also went with the hope to do more with Raconteur. They’re doing a bunch of cool stuff these days and I wanted to join their ship. I succeeded, with four or five different things going on I’ll be talking about as time goes by.
All in all, a great success.
I spent a goodly amount of time today working on one of the new projects. I’ll talk about it more in the coming weeks, but it’s something I’m really proud to be working on.
Speaking of projects, I had more Okkorim work this week, as we ramp up for the next G20 issue. Good stuff happening there.
Finally, this is the week we’re hosting Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater! In addition, there are food and drink specials at a number of places downtown, so get your Dragon Burger at Petunia’s, Your Dragon Pizza at Kristy’s Kafe, and your Dragon Concoction at the Idle Hour (which is also hosting Oktoberfest Saturday). It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Hope to see some of you there!
What I’m Listening To
Miss Marple, which is of course another great BBC cozy mystery show. This one was the Body in the Library.
Quote of the Week
In Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pleasure dome decree
Happy birthday to Kublai Khan, born on this day in 1215, and who gives me an excuse to quote Coleridge.
Upcoming Events
I have a number of things in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 358.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big thing this week is P-Con in Dallas! I hope to see a goodly number of you there. It’s a great crew down there, and I haven’t seen any of them since LibertyCon.
I’ll be running an Okkorim game there, so if you’re interested in seeing the universe, please join us.
I made progress on a number of projects this week. The most enjoyable was finishing the cleaning and reorganization of my office. It’s been 6 months, but we’re there now. I wish I could put in more bookcases, but until I turn it into a Tardis, I have it about as full of books as I can.
I’ve been reasonably productive on the writing side. I made progress on a short story, which I’ll have done in after I get back from P-Con.
I’ve also been editing a bunch this week, both in Okkorim and in some stuff I’m writing that I’ll talk about when the time comes.
I’ve also been talking up our movie night! We’re hosting Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater on September 27th. We’ll have specials here in the store, plus special dragon stuff from Petunia’s, Kristy’s Kafe, and the Idle Hour.
I’d talk more, but I’ve got packing to do. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Lewis, the sequel to Morse. This whole series is really good.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Henry of Monmouth, who reigned as Henry V. If you think I’m going to miss a chance to quote the St. Crispin’s Day speech, well, let me disabuse you of that notion.
“From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
– Henry V
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Much of my distraction is because I’m trying to figure out where to take my career next. I’m continuing with the Firehall Sagas, of course, and have been working on various things in that. I’m also doing more and more in Okkorim, so that’s all good.
But I still need to get to a new place. Hither to thither, if you’ll let me use archaic English that I really want to bring back into usage.
However, I really need to figure out more what my strategy will be with social media and this mailing list. More and more, I’m looking at switching to Substack for this list. Part of that is because I want to do more interviews, podcasts, and so on. I can do more multimedia in Substack than I can here, at least, it feels more seamless.
Also, I’m trying to figure out what I’ll write in the channel where I was writing the Foresters. I have a number of ideas, including the Mil SF I’ve talked about, an alternate history I’ve wanted to do for a while, a historical drama set in Anglo-Saxon England, and a western/noir/PI mashup set in 1860s Wichita. And more!
Ideas are never the problem, but once I commit to one of these, I’ll need to hammer at it for a while before I release because of this new market.
So, I’ve been thinking and researching, plus organizing my office and doing a bunch of the behind the scenes stuff that needs to be done periodically. Also, I started the process of cleaning out the basement. Yes, the basement. I’m starting to figure out the elevator. Go me!
In the meantime, I’m hammering at a couple of short stories. Raconteur Press has lots of opportunities.
Plus, I was at ICT Comicon over Labor Day. This went very well. It’s nice to finally start getting plugged into the Wichita writing scene.
We’ve got a bunch coming up too. First, I’ll be at P-Con in Dallas next week. If you’re there, come say Hi!
Then, the week after that, we’re sponsoring Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater, along with having some cool stuff with local restaurants.
Then, after that, I’m going to my first quilt show! That will be a different AAR.
Oh, and we got two new trees planted today. American Lindenwood for those scoring at home. They’re in the grassy area running along Washington Street to the south of us. I’m excited to have them.
So, even if I haven’t been doing this properly, I’ve been doing stuff. With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening To
We started Joan and Darby, another BBCish (actually Australian) mystery. We can give up BBC style mysteries any time.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Col. Sanders! I like KFC, a fact that will of course shock you all.
One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.
– Colonel Sanders
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m writing this from booth at Pennsic! As usual, my days here are spent from about 10-6 writing and selling and my evenings from about 8 onward are out at bardic circles.
Pennsic 2025
Last night, I told a new story about a friend who had recently passed. She was one of the best storytellers I’ve ever seen and a great mentor to me. I’ll miss her. I think she would have disapproved of my story because it made her into the hero, yet that’s exactly what she was.
Pennsic 2025
One of these days I’ll collect my various SCA stories and poetry and publish it, but it is not this year. Nor next year, I think, as I’ve got another project I’ll publish at Pennsic next year. Two years, though? Maybe.
Pennsic 2025
This week I’ve been editing some old stuff for republishing and nibbling away at some other projects, plus of course talking up my books.
Since I’ve got customers coming in and out, I’ll cut this short, but I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening To
The noise of a vibrant merchant area. Quite fun, actually.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to David Baldacci!
“But if I worried too much about publishers’ expectations, I’d probably paralyze myself and not be able to write anything.”
– David Baldacci
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s almost time for Pennsic! If you see me there and mention you saw this message, I’ll give you a special discount.
I’ve spent much of the past two weeks packing and prepping. At Gulf Wars, I tried out a new layout. It wasn’t perfect on the trial run, of course, but I enjoyed it anyway and I think this will be better. Let’s hope my measurements work.
I also edited another module in Okkorim. We put one out each month, and I like the steadiness of the work.
Most of what I did these past two weeks is worldbuilding, or rather, galaxy building. I’ve had an idea for a mil SF in the style of Red Storm Rising, one of my favorite books, and I’ve written a bunch of snippets here and there over the past few years. I’m finally getting serious about it.
I focused on the astrography and political structure. This involved picking out a nearby set of stars that might have planets, setting up governments, fleets, and so on. I’m not done with that, but I’ve made huge progress. It’s exciting.
Over Pennsic, I aim to do a bunch of editing on some existing projects, expanding the worldbuilding, and perhaps even writing another short story for Raconteur Press.
With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening To
We’re watching Burn Notice tonight. What a fun show.
Quote of the Week
I saw Ozzy a few times over the years, though sadly not the farewell show. No More Tears remains one of my favorite albums, though my favorite of his non-Sabbath songs is Diary of a Madman.
Today’s quote, however, is from Flying High Again.
I can see through mountains, watch me disappear
I can even touch the sky
Swallowing colours of the sound I hear
Am I just a crazy guy (you bet)
– Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wooofff. It’s been a while, hasn’t it. I’ve definitely gotten out of the habit, but there’s no better time to get back on the horse than now, or so they say.
Anyway, thanks all for your patience.
I’ve been contemplating how better to serve you all with this newsletter, both to help you help me and also get value out of it. I’ve been dabbling with Substack and I think I might migrate over there. It’ll be free for you, but you might need to get a Substack account to access some of the better stuff. Anyway, it’s time for me to update this particular process, not simply get back to riding regularly.
Vice Noir
The big news this week is the upcoming release of Vice Noir, including as you can see from the cover, myself! My story is a riff off some happenings in Kansas City in the mid 80s. It also mentions Lawrence, KS, where I was theoretically attending the University of Kansas at the time of this story. So my character could’ve met me if, of course, I’d actually gone to class.
I’ve also been traveling quite a bit of late. There was the trip to Lilies, where the wife spent the whole week at our merchant booth and I covered the store.
Then there was LibertyCon a couple of weeks ago. I’d give you an AAR, but it’ll match every other one. Those people are awesome, I got to do a bunch of cool stuff with them, and I got to talk about writing and my work. Great times as always.
Also in June, I did a bunch of work on Okkorim stuff. I’m excited to see us expanding to the Shadowdark RPG, as it’s much stronger than 5E, IMHO.
I’ve also been working on a couple of other projects, nibbling away at them now because they’re large. I do hope to have a bunch of news on these in the fall, though. I have ideas and I’m putting them down on the page.
Next week, as well, I’ll go over a smaller project I’ve been working at for a while that is almost ready to come out.
Okay, that’s enough for now, but I’ll try to keep this going better. Also, please let me know what you think of Substack. It has some real possibilities for me to provide content in better way.
What I’m Listening To
Schism from Tool. I love how Tool manages to take disparate elements into something amazing.
Quote of the Week
Today, in 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis made the final shuttle launch. Despite the Challenger and Columbia tragedies, I looked upon these as something special. I’d like to see us get tospace. For a while there, I’d lost hope, but SpaceX has been amazing.
Anyway, today’s quote is from Countdown, the song by Rush after they got to watch the very first shuttle launch.
The bright stuff of dreams is still in me.
Circling choppers slash the night
With roving searchlight beams
This magic day when super-science
Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams
– Countdown, Rush
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
This week we have Vice Noir. I don’t have a link for it, but keep an eye on their Substack page for details: raconteurpress.substack.com.
Honestly, they’re kicking out so much awesome stuff, you should keep an eye there anyway.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 359.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry for being a day late. I’d intended to write this when I got home from dinner last night, but the wife and I met a friend in Kingman, about 45 minutes away. On the way, home, we came across an accident, and got held up before backtracking and taking the long way home. By that point, I just went to bed.
However, it was a great week last week. I mentioned last week I wanted to get back on the horse after re-arranging the office. Well thanks to Jonna Hayden at Raconteur Press, I did better than that.
I didn’t write in the project I’d meant to write in, but she sent me the current list of Raconteur Press open calls, one of which is due on Sunday. At first, I was thinking that’s too soon, but I said the heck with it, let’s see if I can still go pretty quickly.
And, it turns, out, I can. I started Thursday and finished the first draft today, so about 5 days to get 6500 words. I’ll be editing the next couple of days but then I’ll send it in.
The story prompt is Noir 80s Vice. I’m not sure I ended up fitting the whole prompt, which was trying more for Miami Vice than what I ended up writing, so they may not accept it even if they think it’s good enough. Still, it’s very 80s and very noir, melding in a bunch of 1980s stuff from KC.
And one of the lines in there is absolutely one of my favorites that I’ve ever written.
I also did a final pass on the PDF for the big project in Okkorim and did some other work with stuff there. I have to say, the team that Matt and Luke gathered, including me, is pretty darn good.
And with that, I’m going to watch some TV before bediting the story later on. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Speaking of the 80s, or at least the early 90s, we’re watching Inspector Morse tonight.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to James Bond! Or at least, Ian Fleming. Here’s a great quote we writers always need to remember.
There is only one recipe for a best seller and it is a very simple one. You have to get the reader to turn over the page.
– Ian Fleming
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 360.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Over the last month or so, I’ve dealt with some severe shoulder pain. One night was so bad I literally couldn’t sleep. I even had so much pain, I went to the doctor.
The diagnosis is about what one would expect for a guy my age. I have a bone spur and some arthritis. I’m not a young punk any more, I guess, as my new occupational therapist is teaching me.
Part of the reason is new ergonomics that didn’t work out. I recently moved my office from up front to back of the building. This part has been excellent. I love the space in general, but part of that change wasn’t ideal.
I often write with my chair leaned back and elbow on the table next to me. When I moved, I put a credenza to that side, not noticing that it was about an inch higher than the desk I’d had there before. It turns out, that difference messes with my shoulder.
Today, with a friend’s help. we moved a new desk into my office. It’s actually a bigger workspace but with less walking space. That’s fine, I’ve got more room for bookshelves.
Anyway, over the next couple of days, I’m running all the cables again. That part’s tedious, but it’ll be a much better setup after all.
And that’s all on top of a pretty good week. Overall, I finished out at the Chamber last Wednesday, then finished a major project, then started and finished a different project.
The two projects are both in Okkorim, where I’ve got work lined up for the foreseeable future. I’m really lucky to have this opportunity.
Truth is, while it’s been great, it isn’t a full time job and I need to get back to chunking out new content of my own. Besides the Chamber job, I had another issue affecting my time with my butt in chair, hands on keyboard, which is the single most important part of the job. This is why the office move is so important.
I’ve got plans over Memorial Day, but I want to get a few thousand words into something new by the end of the weekend. Then get back into a regular groove both with Okkorim, some Firehall Sagas stuff, and this new project, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Moneyball with Brad Pitt. I rather enjoy it, though there’s a lot of changes to the real truth of the story.
Quote of the Week
George Wendt passed away today, which really sucks. Here’s a great quote from Norm, one of my favorites.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Sammy. And I’m wearing Milkbone underwear.” – Norm (George Wendt)
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 358.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Welll…. That experiment didn’t work. Apparently, if I don’t post every week, I lose track of things. So, I’m going back to posting every week, with the occasional exception because of events. However, I am still switching things up and moving to Tuesdays.
That being said, welcome back! Sorry for the month-long absence.
What’s been happening this past month? Mostly it’s been work on Anthony’s Balloon Festival. When I’d volunteered to assist the Anthony Chamber of Commerce, I’d anticipated more of a clerical job, but it’s morphed into an event administrator. While I enjoy event administration, it has significantly distracted me from writing and editing. Hence, I’m stepping away from that job after this event.
This is another reason I’ve been poor at these updates. I’ve almost been taken completely away from my real work, so while I’ve gotten paid, it’s been a net loss for me. Ah, well live and learn.
I am working on several short stories and editing some old stuff for re-release. I’d hoped to be much farther along by now, but we’ll get rolling as soon as we can.
For now, though, have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
NFL Draft talk, As you probably remember, I’m a big draft fan and will be watching closely for developments all week long. For the record, I want Dallas to trade down from 12 and get Emeka Egbuka, the WR from Ohio State in the later part of the first round.
Quote of the Week
Lots of interesting birthdays on April 22nd, but I’ll got with Janet Evanovich. Here’s a quote from her that’s one of my main writing principals.
“Make sure your main characters are likeable. They can be flawed, but your readers need to be able to root for them.”
– Janet Evanovich
This week’s advanced sale is Shadow on the Moon, the 12th book in John E. Siers’ Lunar Free State series. This is the final book in the first arc, so don’t miss out on the conclusion! Everything comes down to this! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0F51QZ7XW/
Your pre-release this week is Recon by Fire, the 4th book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. With only one book to go in the series (which will be out on June 6), now’s the time to jump in on the series if you haven’t. The Sutton siblings are in it up to their elbows this time! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ3XNX8/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 354.6lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My favorite video game growing up was Gauntlet. I loved it so much it ended up being one reason I flunked out of KU. Of course, given who I was then, it would have been something else if it hadn’t been that.
Why do I mention that? No real reason, except that March was a bit of a gauntlet, and it’s likely to be a regular thing going forward. Gulf Wars would, I think, have been an unqualified success if we hadn’t lost two prime selling days.
And then there’s GaryCon.
The downside of GaryCon is expense. The hotel cost is significant, plus of course food at the Grand Geneva isn’t cheap. The amazing dealing room doesn’t help, either.
Last year, I wondered if it would be worth all that money. However, like so many things, if you go multiple years, things start to stack, and this year’s experience showed this is stacking quickly. I had a much more productive time this year and I expect it to be even better going forward. Name recognition is important, and I had several people go, “Oh, you’re the writer guy” or something like it.
I have some ideas about next year. I’m going to try and meld some different experiences with the gaming community there.
Chentoufi, City of Intrigue and Secrets
The big highlight was the release of Chentoufi: A City of Intrigue and Secrets. It’s awesome to see that in the wild.
Another highlight came Sunday evening. Ernie Gygax passed away recently, and we participated in a charity game for him. This was held at his house, hosted by his wife Donna, and ran by an excellent GM who had an interesting plan.
He divided the game into 3 parts and used each part to give the players a chance to experience early role-playing. The first part was a Braunstein game, which was one of the earliest progenitors of D&D. Basically, players get a character with a series of goals and resources and negotiate amongst each other.
I’ve experienced something like this in Model UN and in some of the Junior Achievement events. I liked those events a ton in part because they felt like D&D, and this brought it around full circle.
Then we played a sort of make up your own version of D&D. Basically, we had no books, but we were told our characters were experienced adventurers. Then the DM told us to do things experienced adventurers would do. We had to guess from our descriptions everything we could do. If we could cast spells, we had to essentially make them up on the spot.
It was an intriguing thing. As experienced players, we all fell back on various spells and things we did, but it was still basically a player saying to the judge, “We want to do X,” and the judge ruling on it.
I rather liked it. I might try something like that with my players.
Anyway, this past month has been productive on a number of fronts, including some editing and writing here and there. Not as much as I’ll do in April given that I’ll be home the bulk of the time, but I managed a goodly amount in the margins.
Next week is reorganizing and getting back into the groove. I have a number of writing projects in mind, including some new ideas. I also have some editing projects to do.
For now, I’m enjoying the time with my wife and the kitties after running that gauntlet. Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
Inspector Lewis tonight. It’s the 3rd of the Morse trilogy of BBC mysteries. All 3 are great.
Quote of the Week
I had a hard time choosing this week’s quote. On the one hand, there’s Kevin J. Anderson, a fantastic writer and a great guy. On the other, there’s the Captain, Nathan Fillion. On the gripping hand, it’s Opening Day so there should be a baseball quote.
Baseball it is! This one comes from Humphrey Bogart, so I can think of him saying this while holding a golden falcon statue in a suave cabaret in Casablanca.
“A hot dog at the game beats roast beef at the Ritz.”
– Humphrey Bogart
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Interstellar Gambit, the second book in Dawn Chapman’s Through Steel and Stars series. The first book in this series did outstandingly well, so if you missed it, grab it and jump in—it’s not too late! This book will have a simultaneous release in audio (to go with the ebook and paperback). Get whichever you prefer here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZK4F4TM.
Your pre-release this week is Bound and Determined, the second book in Michael LaVoice’s Gladius Leagues series. Nick Landry defeated the Onslaught on Miranatha, but will he be able to liberate his home world? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0F2J47JJ3.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 357.0lbs
Updated Word Count: 40,000
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I think this is week 12 of 2025, but to be honest, I’ve sort of lost track over the last month. I’ve traveled something like 5000 miles in the last 4-5 weeks and had two different book releases, along with a bunch of other stuff going on. It’s been really productive, but I’m not sure what day it is.
Like, I think today’s Wednesday (it is, my computer tells me), but I wasn’t sure when I woke up. And I know I usually send these out on Thursday, but tomorrow is literally packed from 7am to 10pm and I bet at that point I’m not setting up an update.
So you get it a day early, or really, 6 days late as I’d promised to send you one last Thursday. However… things didn’t go as planned at Gulf Wars. I’ll get to that in a bit.
Chentoufi, City of Intrigue and Secrets
First, I have something awesome to share. Chentoufi, City of Intrigue and Secrets is now out, though it’s not yet available online.
Still, check out this cover! I have this copy in my hand and will have copies for sale down the road. Stay tuned for that information.
I can also add we’re already working on the next expansion.
We’re giving out a bunch of these to GMs at GaryCon, which is of course where I’m at now. I’ve already seen a bunch of people here I saw last year, and though I’ve yet to play any games this week, it’s already been a blast. I’ve gotten a chance to meet and chat with Zeb Cook and Ed Greenwood among others. So yeah, lots of bucket list items off the list.
Last week I was at Gulf Wars and I’d anticipated having time on Thursday to send this particular update out. However, as you might have heard, tornadoes went across Mississippi on Saturday. They missed the Gulf Wars site, but we knew severe weather was on the way, and so we packed out and left on Friday instead of Sunday, thereby avoiding any bad weather.
For the time I was there, however, Gulf went well. I sold a little less than I wanted, but I exceeded my daily goals, so an extra two days of sales would’ve cleared all my goals.
I didn’t have huge goals for Gulf, though. I do really well at Pennsic but some of that is because I’ve been selling there for 8 years straight. I have a fan base there that I don’t have at Gulf, having last sold there in 2019. Plus, of course, Gulf is about a 3rd the size of Pennsic.
Still, it was well worth going. I made a small profit, which means I did well given that number doesn’t include follow-up ebook sales. Plus, I got to try some new innovations Gwen a’Brooke and I have been talking about for Pennsic and I got a couple of great nights of singing, which are both really valuable.
Of course, we’re still only about a month from the release of The Feasting of Vengeance, the third book in my Foresters Trilogy. I have to say I’m astounded at the reaction given that we’re already up to 76 reviews. Thanks everyone!
Whew! What an exciting last few weeks. Now, I’m going to go hang out with a bunch of gamers. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Roundabout by Yes on the hotel’s Classic Rock channel. Always a nice choice.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Wyatt Earp! Among the many stories about Wyatt, I think my favorite is that he was an advisor on early western movies. One actor in particular studied him, and while I bet John Wayne would’ve done okay anyway, having Earp as an exemplar probably didn’t help.
And then there’s this quote. I really like “take your time in a hurry.”
“Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. In a gun fight… You need to take your time in a hurry.”
– Wyatt Earp
Upcoming Events
GaryCon, March 20-23, Lake Geneva, WI garycon.com/
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Gaining the Edge, the third book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. An opportunity has presented itself, and the siblings want to take advantage of it. When things don’t go as planned, though, will they still be able to gain the edge they’re looking for? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ34KZ7.
Your pre-release this week is Interstellar Gambit, the second book in Dawn Chapman’s Through Steel and Stars series. The first book in this series did outstandingly well, so if you missed it, grab it and jump in—it’s not too late! This book will have a simultaneous release in audio (to go with the ebook and paperback). Get whichever you prefer here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZK4F4TM.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 362.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 40,000
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The Feasting of Vengeanceis live! This is the third book in my Foresters Trilogy, which is part of the Four Horsemen Universe.
The hunt for Kukuluki continues.
In a galaxy where treachery and double-dealing is the normal way of conducting business, Kukuluki is in a league of his own. And if you get on his bad side, like the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters have, he’ll use those skills to make sure you regret it.
The time has come for vengeance. The Foresters and their allies are arming themselves to rid the galaxy of his evil.
But first, they have to find him. Then avoid all the traps he’s surely set in their path. And then defeat all the mercs one of the richest beings in the galaxy can afford.
Both sides know the stakes. It’s time to be tenacious and versatile.
I’m really pleased with this book. It has more action than any other book I’ve written, with characters I really care about risking their lives. Spoiler alert: Not all of them survive, and I had some emotional moments during the writing process.
Again, many thanks to Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey for letting me play in their sandbox. All told, the Foresters saga will end up being over 400,000 of the best words I’ve ever written.
It’s time for a beer after that!
And I’m having one here in the hotel bar at FenCon. It’s going to be a great weekend and here’s what I’ve got planned:
Saturday2:00 PM – 3:00 PMEbony Founding Fathers and Mothers
Saturday4:00 PM – 8:00 PMGame Room Running the Okkorim 5E Module Rogue’s Gambit
Saturday10:00 PM – WheneverTerrace Bar & Grill 4HU Hangout
Sunday1:00 PM – 2:00 PMEbony Noir: The Enduring Legacy of Gritty Fiction
It’s going to be a great weekend!
This past week was not productive at all because there was so much going on. I edited some stuff for Okkorim, but didn’t get a chance to do any writing or editing of my own stuff.
Things clear up a bit when I get back next week, though. I’ll be working on some editing, dabbling on a new writing idea, and finishing some Okkorim stuff for this quarter. Plus, I’m going to do some woodworking.
But for now, I’m going to bed so tomorrow I can talk about my new release!
What I’m Listening To
Nothing actually, except the hum of machinery in the hotel.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Chuck Yeager. Here’s a quote from him that’s true of everything. You have to work at it, one way or another.
There’s no such thing as a natural-born pilot.
– Chuck Yeager
And Interstellar Pawn by Dawn Chapman, the first book in her Through Steel and Stars series. In addition to being a great story, I think it has the best CKP cover EVER. I almost stole it from her, just because. I don’t have a story for it—I just love it! “Interstellar Pawn” is also something new for CKP—it’s a LitRPG scifi novel. Give it a look here: amazon.com/dp/B0DT3GD1Q4.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 8,000
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
A week from now, I’ll be in DFW, looking forward to an amazing Friday!
The Feasting of Vengeance
The Feasting of Vengeance comes out then and I’ll be at FenCon. What a great combination.
I look forward to seeing a number of you then. I’ll be doing a release party and a 4HU panel, plus I’ll be running Rogue’s Gambit, a module I helped write in Okkorim. Plus other panels and hanging out with a great crew down there.
This has been a week of distractions, however. It seems like every time I turn around there’s another thing going on. Kinda crazy, and I didn’t do as much as I’d hoped. Still, we did a bunch in Okkorim and I got some editing done, so it wasn’t a waste.
This weekend, I’ll be at an SCA event where I’ll step down from the position of Gold Falcon. It’s the kingdom principal herald, which basically means I’m the herald in charge of the kingdom.
I had a number of great ideas to liven up the position, and some of them went well. However, I took the job about a week before we came and looked at the house down here. Shockingly, the move and subsequent life changes took away from my work in the SCA.
That being said, I am proud of some things I did. In fact, I’ll probably publish a collection of my monthly letters. They were usually fun, whimsical discussions of heraldry. I doubt I’ll sell many of them, but as I said, I’m proud of them and I do have a small market.
It’s a little bittersweet, because it was something awesome, but it’s definitely past time for me to step down.
Anyway, time to go. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The Metro done by System of a Down. Honestly, while I love the original, this cover is so good.
Quote of the Week
It’s a really interesting day for birthdays, including Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Marley.
However, it’s also Coronation Day for Elizabeth II. In 1952. What a reign. And what a person.
When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Opening Moves, the 2nd book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. Fighting in both space and on the ground, giant monsters, and evil bad guys—it’s got it all! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DSTYXDJC.
This week’s pre-release is Interstellar Pawn by Dawn Chapman, the first book in her Through Steel and Stars series. In addition to being a great story, I think it has the best CKP cover EVER. I almost stole it from her, just because. I don’t have a story for it—I just love it! “Interstellar Pawn” is also something new for CKP—it’s a LitRPG scifi novel. Give it a look here: amazon.com/dp/B0DT3GD1Q4.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 363.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 7,000
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I was exhausted last week because ChattaCon was so awesome! I had a great time doing my little schtick as the Master of Toast. Thanks to Lee for letting me go wild a bit and to Brandy Spraker for showing insufficient reluctance. In fact, thanks to them and the whole ChattaCon crew, especially Regina Kirby, for granting me the honor.
One of the best parts was getting to know the other guests: Gail Z. Martin, Amy Brewer-Davenport, Delilah Dawson, and Dot Steverson. What a great group! And talented.
I got to interview Gail, which was a lot of fun, plus we were both part of a Victorian cursing panel. We used Victorian curses to write an improve story. Quite fun!
I also got to play Tales of the Valiant, a new TTRPG with Dot Steverson from the company she works for, Kobold Press. We had a blast, though anyone who lets Scott Tackett loose with is going to have fun.
It was just a blast, and again, I couldn’t be more honored to have the opportunity.
The Feasting of Vengeance
Last week was a one of recovery, which is why I didn’t get out a newsletter. However, there’s big doings coming!
The Feasting of Vengeance comes out in two weeks! I’ll be at FenCon to announce it. Take a look at the cover art!
I made it as powerful and explosive as I could, and I was really pleased with it. It’s a great conclusion to the Foresters trilogy, if I do say so myself. I won’t give a teaser, but Chris seems to agree, saying he especially liked the ending.
I think you’ll love it.
Now I’m turning my attention to events, which fill up my next couple of months. I’ll be at FenCon in two weeks, then Gulf Wars and GaryCon back to back in March.
I’m really looking forward to having a great time, but I bet I’m exhausted at the end of March.
In the meantime, I’m re-editing I Am a Wondrous Thing, which I may rename as I rewrite that entire series. I’ll release the 5 books hopefully starting later in the year after new edits and new art.
I’m also helping with Okkorim, and I’m really excited where that’s going! I keep telling you we’ve got great stuff coming, and that time nears. GaryCon is going to be amazing.
With that, I’m going to say goodbye for this week. Have a great time!
What I’m Listening To
Inspector Morse. One of my favorites of the BBC mysteries with a great curmudgeonly lead character.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Gregory Benford! His quote today has been something I’ve tried to live up to of late.
The biggest mistake is being too afraid of making one.
– Gregory Benford
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have House of Owls, the 6th book in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series. Magic is back in the world, but Liam’s children have been stolen, and it’s time to act! Speaking of acting—you’re going to want to grab this book now here: amazon.com/dp/B0DTX9GR5C.
Your pre-release this week is Opening Moves, the 2nd book in my Symbiote Wars series. I’ve written over 70 books now, and this one is in my Top 5 all time. Fighting in both space and on the ground, giant monsters, and evil bad guys—it’s got it all! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DSTYXDJC.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 5,000
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’ll be a shortish newsletter this week as I’m in Chattanooga at ChattaCon. I look forward to seeing a bunch of you here!
The Feasting of Vengeance
But first, here’s a cover reveal for The Feasting of Vengeance, which comes out on February 14th!
Here’s my schedule:
Opening Ceremonies starting at 7pm on Friday. I have something special planned. You want to join us!
8pm on Friday: I get to play Tales of the Valiant on stage with Chelsea Steverson, Gaming GOH
10pm on Friday: Victorian Vulgarities. I get to make up appropriate curse words. Bwa ha, bwa ha ha!
2pm on Saturday: I have the opportunity to interview Gail Z. Martin, the GOH
4pm on Saturday: We talk about good secondary characters in Urban Fantasy
Noon on Sunday: A discussion of 20th century SF
1pm on Sunday: Final questions for all the GOHs, including me
This is going to be a blast! And now I’m off to hang out with all the cool people here.
What I’m Listening To
I listened to Dragons of Autumn Twilight, book 1 of the DragonLance Chronicles on the trip, and I’ve got it going in the hotel room.
Quote of the Week
Sigh. There are a number of deaths in my sphere this week. Howard Andrew Jones, an excellent author I was looking forward to really getting to know over the years, passed today. So did Bob Uecker.
And so did Bob Hill, my stepfather. I wish I’d gotten to know him too.
I’m in an odd mood where the Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius is a bit of a comfort.
“Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 362.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 2474
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’ll go over some of my goals and plans for the new year. Before I do that, I’ll digress a moment.
It’s been 5 years since Neil Peart of Rush died. His writing, whether in his lyrics or his books, still resonates with me and I haven’t yet gotten over his passing. You can expect the What I’m Listening To section to be only Rush over the next month, as is true every January since 2020.
Anyway, let’s talk about the future! My first goal of 2025 is to clean up and republish the Irina series that began with I Am A WondrousThing. I have 4 books finished, but they’ve been unavailable for a bit because of some false starts along the way.
So, I’ll be re-editing those first 4, plus writing Book 5, the conclusion, throughout the year. My goal is to rapid release those starting somewhere like September and October, finishing the series in early 2026.
Now that I’m done with the Foresters series, I’m probably going to write some new science fiction short stories. I have a number of ideas that might turn into series, and I haven’t written as many short stories in the last couple of years. I’m going to try and put out 4 of them in 2025.
One of those may be another Nick Patara, PI stories. I’ve written 3 of them and they need re-editing, plus I might put them out along with a 4th one as a set. Maybe set it up as a serial in a different type of publishing. I’d like to see other options.
Meanwhile, I’ll continue with the Okkorim stuff as long as Luke and Matt will let me. I love what we’re doing there and can’t wait until we have stuff start rolling off regularly, which will happen this year. Ideally, I can also get another client or two in the gaming world.
Overall, my aim is to get more words out than I ever have before, which means something like 450k. I count edited words in this, but only at 1/4 word, by the way.
I have been working with the Anthony Chamber of Commerce for a few months now. My big goal here is to set up regular processes that don’t rely on a single person. This will help me make the events Anthony has work better. Obviously, I’m investing a lot of my future in this town, and I want to keep contributing here.
On the personal side, now that things are actually settling into a routine, I want to add consistent workouts and losing weight. Obviously, that’s been a goal for a while, but things have been wonky.
My wife and I have never taken a vacation. Yes, we’ve traveled 1000s of miles together and done a bunch of awesome things, but that’s all been part of the SCA, or a thing for either one of us. I’d like us to go somewhere like Venice, Florence, and Rome. Something like that. Maybe that happens in 2025, maybe 2026, but it needs to happen.
I expect I won’t get all of that done in 2025, but these are reasonable things to shoot for. Whatever i get done, I’m excited about how much I get to do!
What I’m Listening To
Closer to the Heart, Rush. I’m no plowman, but I’m trying to be a philosopher who knows my part.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to another musical hero, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
This particular quote resonates with me as I sit here on a snowy day in Anthony. We took a chance coming here. It was the right decision both based on what we knew and where we are now, but it was a chance. I’m glad we’re here.
“So many people are frightened to take a chance in life and there’s so many chances you have to take.”
– Jimmy Page
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Hero’s Shadow, the second book in Fred Hughes’ Heroes of Britannia series. Admiral Julie Adams has been tasked with ending the Teddy Bear problem, but it won’t be as simple as she—or anyone else—might like! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DRZ6WBB3.
This week’s pre-release is Blood of Her Father by Kacey Ezell and Marisa Wolf, the fifth book in the Ashes of Entecea series. If you’ve read anything by either of these authors (which I have to imagine everyone on this list has), then you know it’s going to be great. When last seen (in The Conqueror’s Promise), Isonei was a spoiled brat who showed promise. Will she live up to that promise? Surrounded by people with their own motives, though, perhaps a better question is, “Will she survive to her majority?”
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 363.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 2,087
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First of all, I really dropped the ball in terms of updates in December. I missed two then had one that I didn’t send out, despite having it ready to go.
Some of that is because I had perhaps the most family-filled holiday season I can recall, especially if I include friends and customers in that. We had our store’s birthday party on the 21st (It’ll be December 20th in 2025, so mark your calendars). Then we had an extended time with the moms, the guys, and the grandbaby, which was fun. Baking Christmas cookies with the grandbaby was a delight. Then we popped down to Fayetteville for a couple of days with good friends to celebrate the New Year.
Now, that’s no excuse for not doing my work, but during that time, I was also cranking out a bunch of words to hit a deadline, which I did. In effect, I put the family and the project ahead of updates, which shows good priorities, but not good efficiency on my part. I’ll try to do better in 2025.
In fact, next week, I will lay out some of my goals for 2025, but for today, it’s time to look back on 2024.
From a personal perspective, there was a lot of settling in to a new life here in Anthony as store owners. We spent a bunch of time, especially at the beginning of the year, figuring out our basic processes, which we’ve generally done.
We started the year with my office in the front where I could more easily help with customers, but we decided a couple of months ago, the efficiency gained with the store didn’t outweigh the efficiency gained with my own office in the back. We made that transition during December and it’s already proving valuable. I won’t be completely settled in until I build the extra shelving I have in mind for this room (basically I want to cover it in shelves), but I’m well on the way to making this space station fully operational.
2024 was not my greatest writing year, but it was a close second. I aim to beat that number handily this year.
Nevertheless, I chunked out nearly 425k this past year, counting the editing in the way I do. I didn’t actually edit as much this year, but I did put out more words than I have since I started tabulating in 2018 (227k). I had better years in 2016-2017, I believe, since I had two novels each of those years, but between 136k in The Feasting of Vengeance and 90k in paid words in gaming worlds, I’m pretty pleased.
The Feasting of Vengeance is the crown jewel, of course. It’s nearly a third of all my production during the year, it completes the Foresters trilogy subseries in the 4HU, and I’m really pleased how it turned out. It’s scheduled to be out on the 14th of February.
I edited and published an anthology (Paladins of Valor) and three novels (Responsibility of the Fleet, Reka’s Grasp, and Tugarin’s Revenge). I made up for less novels by chunking out 19 modules and magazines for GaxxWorx, a number that will go up in 2025 as we’re ramping up there.
I tried some things, notably the Riddle Patreon. I’m pleased with the riddles, but there didn’t seem to be much interest. I want to have a small revenue generation setup using either Patreon or Substack on the side to sort of fill in the cracks, and I’ll talk about my ideas for 2025 there to make that work.
I didn’t go to as many conventions as I have done in the past, mostly because I needed to focus on things here in Anthony. The store, of course, but also simply recovering from such a travel-filled 2023 where I put 45k miles on my car in part because of all the trips up and down during the move. I’ll do more events in 2025, which I’ll expand on next week.
For now, though, remember I’m the Toastmaster of ChattaCon 50. You want to be there. And you especially want to be there for opening ceremonies. Trust me.
Finally, the other big thing I did in 2024 was get involved in the Chamber of Commerce. I’m not the executive director of the Chamber, which means I’ll be running a number of events in 2025, including BalloonFest, which will happen May 10th. I’ll lay out the current plans next week as well.
Over the entirety of my time as a writer there’s always been something major changing my life. I moved 3 times, dealt with the pandemic, started businesses, had my workspace change often, and so on. By the end of 2024, I’m in a place where I think I’ll have a relatively stable foundation for a while.
I put out something like 75k of those words in 2024 in the last two months, and that’s a reflection of finally settling in, at least to a part. If I were to do 75k every 2 months, I’d end up with nearly a million words in a year. I doubt that’ll happen, but we’ll see 🙂
In any case, 2024 was a busy, productive, and eventful year. I’m glad you all were here on the ride with me. Let’s all have a great 2025.
What I’m Listening To
Where’s My Thing? Part IV of the Gangster of Boats Trilogy. It’s another of the great Rush instrumentals like YYZ, Malignant Narcissism, and Main Monkey Business. Basically, they’re opportunities for Rush to play around and do cool things.
Quote of the Week
Instead of a normal quote, I’ll just put this here which I saw on X.
2025 is clearly the year where it’s hip to be square.
2025
Dragon’s Tidings
We’ll talk about our 2025 plans soon, so in the meantime, check our website (www.reddragonquilts.com)!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Your pre-release this week is from Fred Hughes, as this week’s pre-release is Hero’s Shadow, the second book in his Heroes of Britannia series. Admiral Julie Adams has been tasked with ending the Teddy Bear problem, but it won’t be as simple as she—or anyone else—might like! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DRZ6WBB3.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 368.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 1,183
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I spent most of this week moving! Well, moving my office from the front of the store to a room in the apartment on the main floor. It’s ideal for me, big enough for my desk, bookcases, my comfy chair, and a guest bed.
So yes, I was moving pictures. Did you think I wouldn’t make that reference?
I’m already nesting. It is much like the room I had in Olathe, with its own bathroom and a small kitchenette. Only difference is that it’s a bit bigger and is shaped in a more convenient way. It will also serve as the best jumping off point for events that I’ve ever had.
I’m really pleased.
It’s also already my lair, something I hadn’t realized I missed so much. I had a great setup up front, but it was never my lair.
Anyway, moving is never easy, but thanks to one of the guys whose been gaming here on Tuesday, we got the big stuff all moved on Sunday and at this point, I’m effectively fully operational. I still have some organizing to do, but to be honest, some of that organizing is from the original move here.
I have my SF/F magazines behind me and a good place to sit and read. I may very well start nibbling away at my To Be Read pile.
Obviously, I’m still enthused about sending The Feasting of Vengeance to Chris last week. As a reminder, it’s on the schedule for the 14th of February.
But of course, publish or perish, and I spent my time this week working on a fairly major project for Okkorim. I can’t wait to show off what we’re doing, and we’re gonna have it by GaryCon.
As we approach the end of the year, I’m doing my evaluation of what worked and what didn’t. I’m also figuring out some new things to add to my content. I’m a content creator, I need to create more content. Expect some announcements going forward.
I also spent this week getting ready for Kris Kinder. Hope to see some of you there.
But forget all that! We’re coming up on our first birthday party here at Red Dragon Quilts and Dragon’s Den Books! If you’re in the area, come by. We’ll have specials like buy one, get one used books, pizza, and some giveaways.
It’s a week from Saturday on the 21st! Come join us!
Birthday Party
What I’m Listening To
Niners vs Rams in the new setup. It’s nice.
Quote of the Week
Mako’s birthday is December 10th. That’s close enough for me to use as a quote his opening to Conan the Barbarian. Yes, it’s one of my favorite films, and yes I love Mako in it.
Come to think of it, I can’t remember a single time I’ve seen Mako in a show or movie that he didn’t make it better.
“Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to bear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have The Darkness, the second book in William S. Frisbee, Jr.’s series, The Conglomerate Trilogy. Did you like the Last Marines? Then you’re going to love this series! Bad things lurk in the darkness, and they aren’t going to be content to stay there much longer. Luke is going to need a lot of help if he’s to keep the darkness at bay… so what is he going to do when Topa Suresh suddenly disappears? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DPL2BDNR.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.8 lbs
Updated Word Count: 392,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, sorry about no update last week. I simply didn’t have time. I was too busy feasting!
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. We did, by going up to Wichita to visit the parents, feasting, and then napping.
After napping, I continued working on The Feasting of Vengeance. On the 14th of November, I reported here that I sat at 96,101 words. Over the next three weeks, I wrote 40k, ending up at about 136k.
Nearly all of that 40k was the final battle of Feasting, and I am beyond happy to report that I sent off the manuscript to Chris yesterday. This battle is tough, intense, exciting, and explosive. I loved re-reading it during the editing process.
We even have a planned release date of February 14th. Better yet, that happens to be the first day of FenCon, in Dallas!
So we’re having a 4HU party there, and if you’re coming to the con, make sure to join myself, Kevin Ikenberry, Fred Hughes, and hopefully other 4HU authors there.
This past weekend was also Anthony’s Market Fair, which I ended up running. It went reasonably well, but was exhausting.
Over this week, besides a bit of recovery, I’m turning my attention to Okkorim and maybe churning out a whimsical short story for Christmas.
Also going on, of course, is the upcoming release of Chernobog’s Wrath, which is the 3rd book of the Vechnoye Saga trilogy. That comes out on December 27th.
But you can’t enjoy book 3 without feasting on the first 2! Get the Vechnoye Saga here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4F2K5N.
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
We’re binging Hercule Poirot with David Suchon this week.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Walt Disney! Here’s a great quote from him, one of quite a few.
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”
– Walt Disney
Dragon’s Tidings
We have our 1st birthday party coming up on December 21st!
Watch this spot for an extra special web deal for all you who’ve been along with the ride here.
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week’s release is the anthologyExpress Elevator to Hell, edited by Chris Kennedy and April Kelley Jones, with stories by 15 different (and amazing) authors. This is the first book in a new series called Universes at War, and I’m pretty proud of the stories we collected for you. There are eleven standalone stories (set usually in the authors’ own universes), as well as a 4-story braided novella. Inside you get a Buzzer War story from Kevin Ikenberry, a Prince of Britannia story from Fred Hughes, a Lost Marine story from William S. Frisbee, and much, much more! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DMCQS1TL.
This week’s pre-release is The Darkness, the second book in William S. Frisbee, Jr.’s series, The Conglomerate Trilogy. Did you like the Last Marines? Then you’re going to love this series! Bad things lurk in the darkness, and they aren’t going to be content to stay there much longer. Luke is going to need a lot of help if he’s to keep the darkness at bay… so what is he going to do when Topa Suresh suddenly disappears? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DPL2BDNR.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 363.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 391,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Just a few hours until book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga comes out. It’s Tugarin’s Revenge by H.Y. Gregor has a really cool by Alexandre Rito as you can see.
Then, on December 27th, you’ll get Chernobog’s Wrath to complete the series!
Exciting stuff!
As exciting to me is the progress I made on The Feasting of Vengeance. I made a post on X (@Rhodri2112) that writing is so much fun if you know what you’re writing. That was after a 3,000 word day, which is a lot for me.
Well, it’s not been the only 3k day this week, and overall I went from 96k to almost 111k.
And that’s not all. I edited a bunch of it too. I do, basically, two editing passes. One is the churn pass where I go back over what I’ve written with the aim of improving, expanding, and filling in gaps. This isn’t really a pass, per se, but a number of smaller passes along the way that end up as a full edit.
At this point, I’ve edited all the way up to 106k on The Feasting of Vengeance. Basically, I’m writing one day, editing it the next, which is feeding the new writing. This is why things are going fast.
This is also the sort of thing that happens when I get close to the end. I don’t have to deal with the mystery or intrigue, I don’t have to worry about getting the characters from A to Z, I just have to make a great fight and conclusion.
But wait, there’s more! My main final editing pass is what I call bediting. Basically, it means I’ve lain in bed reading the work on my phone in the Kindle app. I’ve found that reading the book this way is incredibly good for me to see mistakes. This isn’t to say I don’t miss some, of course I do, but this has proven to be very useful. At this point, I’ve bedited up to 91k with maybe a chapter or two more later on.
In short, I’m aiming to send this off to Chris so I can enjoy Thanksgiving, and I think I will.
I’ll let you know in next week’s update, and also I’ll be talking about it at Anthony’s Market Fair, which is a week from tomorrow.
Then, after that, I jump into a new project in Okkorim. Oh, speaking of which, it looks like I’ll be running an Okkorim thing at FenCon in February in Dallas.
Oh, wait, did I forget to mention I’m got everything set up to go to that con as well this week? Oh, and we’re announcing our anniversary party one month from today!
I mean, look at that upcoming event list below. I’ll be everywhere, man. I’ll be everywhere.
I hope you all had a great week too, but for now, I’ve got a battle to finish. Have fun everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Browns v. Steelers. I have to admit, AFC North games are often old school, especially on snowy, cold nights.
Quote of the Week
This is kind of a fun day for science, with Ole Rømer presenting the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light (XXX), Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes making the first untethered hot air balloon flight (1783), and Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph (1877).
But wait, there’s more. Albert Einstein’s paper that leads to the mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc², is published in the journal Annalen der Physik (1905).
And oh yeah, the first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI (1969).
And it’s the birthday of Stan Musial and Ken Griffey Jr., Christopher Tolkien, Harold Ramis, two Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Sid Luckman and Troy Aikman) and a Hall of Fame quarterback chaser (Michael Strahan). Plus, of course, the source of today’s quote, Voltaire.
Seriously, November 21, leave something for the other days.
Anyway, here’s some great advice from Voltaire.
The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.
– Voltaire .
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Tangled Webs by Mark Wandrey, the fifteenth book in the Phoenix Initiative series of the Four Horsemen universe. This story follows Oort, the Tortantula, so you may want to review Weaver and Winged Hussars. You don’t have to, though—the story is fine as a standalone. And, as with the last couple of books, there is a lot of new information in this, with more and more coming as we approach Exodus, the final series in the 4HU.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s just a week until we get the 2nd book of the amazing Vechnoye Saga. It’s Tugarin’s Revenge by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see.
Then, on December 27th, you’ll get Chernobog’s Wrath to complete the series!
It’s been a very productive week with The Feasting of Vengeance. The overall word count won’t necessarily show it, given that it’s at only about 96K, but I’m in what I call the pressing of the toothpaste tube and bediting stage.
By pressing of the toothpaste tube, I mean I go back through and make a full editing pass from the start. This obviously clears out some deadwood, but I also see a bunch of stuff that needs to be there for the final battle.
Once a chapter is done, I can do a bediting pass, which has become my final pass. Right now, I’m about 90% done with the toothpaste tube pass and 50% done with the bediting pass, meaning I’ve got about half the book in its final form.
I still have a bunch to write in the last battle yet. One of the reason I do the editing pass now is to make sure I fire all the guns I put into earlier acts. In a MilSF book, that’s almost literal, as I put in various weapons for them to fight with and have to make sure they all get used.
Still, I can see the far side of the hill now, which is exciting.
What I’m Listening To
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. I love this song, especially the tumbling along of the chorus. Brilliant stuff.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Frederick Jackson Turner. If you’ve taken a historiography class, you know exactly who I’m talking about and why we talked about him. He was one of the foundational historians of American history. He posited the “frontier thesis,” or the idea that the frontier shaped America, in 1893.
As with any historical theory from 130 years ago, it’s been argued, rebutted, and in general fallen out of favor. Nevertheless, he shaped much of the discussion in the latter half of the 20th century and is still relevant in the background today.
“The frontier has gone, and with its going has closed the first period of American history.”
– Frederick Jackson Turner
Dragon’s Tidings
Come see us at Market Fair. We’ll have a booth in Municipal Hall on November 30th along with a bunch of cool crafters!
New Mythology Works in Progress
Tugarin’s Revenge, book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see. It’s out on November 22nd!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (96,101)
Upcoming Events
Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Salvage Harbinger, the second book in the Salvage Title Universe’s new series, The Invasion. Like the first book, it was written by Nick Steverson and Jason Cordova, so you know it’s going to be a great read (and that the body count is also probably going to be pretty high.) Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DM4DHSMQ.
Your pre-release this week is Tangled Webs by Mark Wandrey, the fifteenth book in the Phoenix Initiative series of the Four Horsemen universe. This story follows Oort, the Tortantula, so you may want to review Weaver and Winged Hussars. You don’t have to, though—the story is fine as a standalone. And, as with the last couple of books, there is a lot of new information in this, with more and more coming as we approach Exodus, the final series in the 4HU.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 360.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 244,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My grandfather served in WW1, so Veteran’s Day resonates with me not just for the remembrance of those who died serving the country, but also remembering the Great War. 11/11 is a few days from now, and I’ll have thoughts as I always do.
Tugarin’s Revenge
Moving on, it’s time for a cover reveal! Tugarin’s Revenge, book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see.
This book comes out on November 22nd, so about two weeks. Then, on December 27th, you’ll get Chernobog’s Wrath to complete the series!
I had a good week of progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. I’m getting close now, sitting at nearly 93k. I’m in the final battle, which is large sprawling, and a whole lotta fun. I’ve also got to go back and clear up a number of rough spots and various notes, but I’m getting there.
Elsewise this week, I had an interesting time popping down to Stillwater, OK to hang out with a guy in my fantasy football. I started that league with some people I knew but also with a number of internet friends. At this point, I’ve now met nearly all of them, which I think adds to the fun of the league.
As a side note, this league has been really interesting, unlike many fantasy football leagues. To be fair, I created it, which means I shaped it the way I want it. It’s highly complex, using more players than any other league I’ve seen and with more categories that any other league I’ve seen. It also has a large number of keepers, which are players you get to keep from year to year. I like all these things, so it suits me well. I also like that we’ve had a different winner, I think, every one of the seven or so years it’s been around.
Back to the trip, we met at Eskimo Joe’s, which is a bit of a local legend down there. I got matching sweatshirts for me and the wife. How romantic am I?
Note some new additions to my upcoming schedule below. I extended it out to Pennsic, but the key thing to note is that I’m set to go to Gulf Wars again in 2025! I hope to see a bunch of you there.
With that, I’ll say goodnight as I just thought of a scene to write.
What I’m Listening To
Bengals against the Ravens. Lots of interesting players to watch in this one!
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Guy Gavriel Kay, a great writer and a major influence on my writing. Here, he espouses one of the tenets I aspire to in my own stuff.
“After a while, you start to realize that you should write a book you would want to read. I try to write a book I would enjoy.”
– Guy Gavriel Kay
New Mythology Works in Progress
Tugarin’s Revenge
Tugarin’s Revenge, book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see. It’s out on November 22nd!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (92,799)
Upcoming Events
Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Shadow Wired: Alliance by Gustavo Bondoni, the third book in his Shadow Wired series. This has been one of my surprise series of the year—some series have good individual books but not a good finish and vice versa. Not Shadow Wired! Each individual book is a great story, and all three lead up to a great finish to the trilogy. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DLBWJRYP.
This week’s pre-release is Salvage Harbinger, the second book in the Salvage Title Universe’s new series, The Invasion. Like the first book, it was written by Nick Steverson and Jason Cordova, so you know it’s going to be a great read (and that the body count is also probably going to be pretty high.) Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DM4DHSMQ.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope everyone is having a happy Halloween. The grandbaby’s getting loot right now and will be in a costume contest in a bit. She’s adorable.
I, of course, RAWRed at her. I am Opazilla!
Before I get into the update, here’s a shout out to all at FactoryCon! Wish I could be there.
This was a week of errands for me, so was less productive than normal, but it was to be expected. One of those errands involved running up to Iowa and back in sort of a Smokey and the Bandit kind of thing. It’s a good thing, though, that helps us all out through the year.
Reka’s Grasp
We’ve had a great couple of opening weeks with H.Y. Gregor’s Reka’s Grasp, which you can get here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4. It’s a fantastic book and I’m honored to be a part of it, and in fact, a part of Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords universe.
The best part of it all right now is we’ve just about got Tugarin’s Revenge in the can! Yep, this is book 2 of the Vechnoye Saga and it comes out in three weeks.
Stay tuned next week for a cover reveal.
But wait, there’s more! Chernobog’s Wrath, the conclusion to the Vechnoye Saga comes out on December 27th. It’s like an extension to Boxing Day.
Side note: Does anyone really know what Boxing Day is? Sure, I could look it up, but what’s the fun in that. You all tell me, because I’m curious.
Oh, and there’s even more! I just got House of Owls, the 6th book in the main thread of the Milesian Accords from Jon this week so it’s in the pipeline.
All the magic, myth, and mayhem you could ever want over the next few months!
Anyway, we’re about to roll into the holiday season and I’ll be honest, it’s been a long time since I looked forward to a holiday season as much as this one. Last year, the grandbaby and parents hadn’t yet moved to Anthony, so while we had some great times, it was only when they could come visit.
This year, however, I’m getting to be a part of it all on a daily basis. Best thing ever, I have to say.
What I’m Listening To
Tool’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter. This is such a great song, and Tool’s version is even darker than the original. Fantastic stuff.
Quote of the Week
October 31st also happens to be the birthday of one of my favorite authors, Dick Francis. He had quite a life, becoming a pilot in the RAF during WW2 and a champion steeplechase jockey before earning status as one of the best mystery writers ever.
By the way, if anyone wants to give me a few thousand dollars so I can go to the Cheltenham Festival some day, I’ll let you. I’ve not actually seen a steeplechase race live and it’s one of those things you need to see from close up.
Anyway, here’s a great quote from The Edge, one of Francis’ best where an investigator for the Jockey Club goes undercover on a train traveling across Canada.
“Thought before action, if you have time”
– Dick Francis, The Edge
Dragon’s Tidings
Quilt Guild day on Saturday. Show your guild membership card for 10% and get cookies!
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have a new (old) series from William S. Frisbee, Jr., the Conglomerate Trilogy. It’s a previously released series but with new edits, new art, and new awesomeness. If you liked The Last Marines series, you’ll love The Return, first book in the series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DKP5V9MT.
This week’s pre-release is Shadow Wired: Alliance by Gustavo Bondoni, the third book in his Shadow Wired series. This has been one of my surprise series of the year—some series have good individual books but not a good finish and vice versa. Not Shadow Wired! Each individual book is a great story, and all three lead up to a great finish to the trilogy. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DLBWJRYP.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week is all about the release of Reka’s Grasp, which comes out tomorrow! However, that’s the official date. For subscribers, you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.
Reka’s Grasp
The devil lies in still waters.
Grad school applications are Nikita Baird’s biggest problem—until a friend dies in her arms after a sinister accident. Rusalka and Baba Yaga were just fairy tales—until they aren’t. Soon Niki can’t deny the truth. Something inhuman lurks in the river.
Worse, her own roommate just might be the killer.
Ryan Fortner, Crypto Division, works alone since his partner died on their last case together. Now he needs Niki’s help, even if he doesn’t want it. Together they plunge into a realm of shrouded histories, dredging up more than just folklore.
Niki and Ryan must navigate the currents of myth, tragedy, and redemption to stop the drownings—before the river’s grasp can’t be broken.
Be prepared for me to blast that out on Facebook and Twitter, along with having a link for it next week here in this space. H.Y. Gregor knocked this out of the park, and it’s a worthy addition to the already awesome Milesian Accords universe created by Jon R. Osborne.
For me, this was a week of getting things done. I made good progress on The Feasting of Vengeance, though it’s one of those weeks that the total didn’t really rise because I realized a chunk just didn’t work and cut it out. I wrote a new chunk, a better chunk, to replace it though.
We also had two days of errands this week. One was a fairly normal Wichita go to all the places thing, but the other was to deal with maintenance of our big quilting machine. It needed the work and the closest place is Hennessey, OK, which is about an hour and a half away.
The wife and I took this time to do the trip together, and we did a number of other errands. One of those was replacing my phone. I had a Note 9 from 2017 or so and I’d have kept using it except it was getting really difficult to charge. I’m still dealing with the frustrations of “improved technology.” It’s an S24 Ultra, for those who’re interested.
Anyway, I’ve still got things to do for the RedFish festival, so I’m off!
Remember, Reka’s Grasp is awesome!
What I’m Listening To
Losing It, by Rush. This is a truly amazing elegy about people who were once brilliant at something, but age has taken away some of their skill.
Here’s a particularly relevant lyric to me now:
The writer stares with glassy eyes — Defies the empty page, His beard is white, his face is lined And streaked with tears of rage.
Thirty years ago, how the words would flow With passion and precision, But now his mind is dark and dulled By sickness and indecision
And he stares out the kitchen door Where the sun will rise no more…
Whoof. The song came out on Signals in 1981. Me in junior high didn’t really grok that song, but now, it really resonates.
Quote of the Week
I might as well give the closing quote from Losing It. It’s too powerful not to include it.
Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you — the blind who once could see —
The bell tolls for thee…
– Rush, Losing It
Dragon’s Tidings
We’ll be at the RedFish Festival in Harper on Saturday!
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week’s release is Shadow-Wired: Doomsday, the second book in Gustavo Bondoni’s Shadow Wired series. Do you like non-stop action in a techno-thriller? If so, this book—and this series—is for you! This series left me saying, “Give me more Gustavo!” and has caused a number of our early readers a lot of lost sleep as they just couldn’t put it down! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DJQB6V69.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big news, of course, it the impending release of Reka’s Grasp a week from tomorrow. I’ve said it’s brilliant and I was right! It’s by H.Y. Gregor and is a great addition to Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series.
I spent a goodly amount of time this week working on a thorny knot in The Feasting of Vengeance. I had a battle spring up out of nowhere and I needed to work through both the POV and the tactics.
It’s interesting writing MilSF. I’m constantly trying to come up with new tactics. I try not to use the same sort of thing over and over because I find that boring, so it forces me to do a bunch more research and thinking.
Still, I got about 5k written in the novel. I’m this close to clearing 80,000 which puts me in close striking reach.
I also spent a goodly amount of time working on Anthony’s Fall Fest. It’s fallen to me to help with a lot of this sort of thing, as much as anything because I’m experienced at it. I also kind of like running events.
Sort of a short update this week, but that’s really about all I got this time. Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
The 2019 version of Midway. I actually like it, though I have a number of problems with pacing but it is pretty good in terms of historical accuracy. And it’s never a bad thing when we get to see more Dick Best.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to the prolific Nora Roberts!
There’s no reward without work, no victory without effort, no battle won without risk.
– Nora Roberts
Dragon’s Tidings
Fall Fest on the 12th.
20% off fabric and used books in the store
New Mythology Works in Progress
Reka’s Grasp
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (79,422)
Upcoming Events
Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have Salvage Purgatory by Kevin Steverson, Nick Steverson, and Jason Cordova, the first book in the new Salvage Title universe series The Invasion. If you were wondering what “The Coalition” series was preparing for… it’s here! The first three books will be coming out monthly (look for Salvage Harbinger on November 8), so you won’t have long to wait—jump into the next great Salvage Title series here: amazon.com/dp/B0DJD6YG7J.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 359.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 236,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Reka’s Grasp, book one of the The Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor, comes out on the 18th! So about two weeks away.
Check out this awesome cover by Alexandre Rito! Isn’t that beautiful?
This series is set in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords universe, and involves Russian mythology, which is seriously underused in my opinion. I can neither confirm nor deny, Senator, that houses with chicken legs make appearances in this series.
This story was a joy to edit, except for the part where I had to go back because I got caught up in the story and stopped editing. You all are going to love it.
In terms of The Feasting of Vengeance, I had a slower week than anticipated because some things cropped up. I did make good progress, but not as much as I’d hoped. The things that cropped up are all good, but did take time out of the week.
The preparations for Fall Fest happening in Anthony on the 12th caused part of the delay. We’re going to be doing some neat specials for our customers in the store including a chili cookoff sponsored by the Anthony Chamber of Commerce.
Of note, you should also put down the 30th of November, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Anthony is holding its Market Faire that weekend and it will be a neat Christmas-y weekend celebrating, in part, Small Business Saturday. Just mentioning so you can put it on your calendar.
And with that, I’ve got things to do! Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Shiroyama by Sabaton. This is like watching the climactic battle of The Last Samurai, but with a Swedish symphonic metal soundtrack. It’s actually a fabulous song.
Quote of the Week
Francis of Assisi died on October 3rd, 1226, so this seems to be a great time to toss out this quote of his that I love.
” Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
– Francis of Assisi
Reka’s Grasp comes out on the 18th! Followed soon by the rest of the The Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (74,841)
Upcoming Events
Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have the return of Fred Hughes’ Britannia series with Hero’s Legacy. Hazard may no longer be around, but his enemies still are, and they’re going to need to be dealt with! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DHBQW4PR.
This week’s pre-release is Salvage Purgatory by Kevin Steverson, Nick Steverson, and Jason Cordova, the first book in the new Salvage Title universe series The Invasion. If you were wondering what “The Coalition” series was preparing for… it’s here! The first three books will be coming out monthly (look for Salvage Harbinger on November 8), so you won’t have long to wait—jump into the next great Salvage Title series here: amazon.com/dp/B0DJD6YG7J.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 362.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 234,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Another great week here, with the main topic being two things out the door and significant progress in a third thing as well.
Let’s start with the big one. I finished H.Y. Gregor’s Tugarin’s Revenge and it’s charging along it’s editorial path! This is the sequel to Reka’s Grasp (Coming out October 18th), which means three things:
It’s in Jon R. Osborne’s amazing Milesian Accords series.
It’s steeped in Russian mythology.
Niki and Ryan get to fight some awesome bad guys! (Spoiler alert: Tugarin is one of them)
It’s been an honor to be a part of this series, and you will want to get Reka’sGrasp as soon as you can. It’s that good, and Tugarin’s Revenge is even better.
The second thing I finished this week is a fairly large chunk for Okkorim. As usual, I can’t get into specifics, but I can tell you it’s the kind of thing I love to play and DM in D&D. It definitely fits the rule of cool I want for games.
Then I made a bunch of progress in The Feasting of Vengeance. It won’t look like much (only counted up 3,300 or so, but that’s actually a bit deceiving. I cut some section out that may or may not re-appear, but all of it needed to go for now.
If you are a user of the Save the Cat Beat Sheet method, I can say we’re rolling past beat 10 next week, and I’ve already got Beat 11 planned in my head. I even think I’ll get through Beat 12, which will put us in place for the big battle.
I can see the end.
So Tugarin’s Revenge and The Feasting of Vengeance both coming.
What I’m Listening To
Cowboys v. Giants. Been a bad year so far for Dallas, but hopefully they’ll look better tonight.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to T.S. Eliot! He’s quite the quote monster, so I could’ve chosen a number of great quotes. I think, however, this one suits me today, especially since I’m in quite the journey right now.
– Those who arrive at the end of the journey are not those who began.
T. S. Eliot
Dragon’s Tidings
I update the website today as we have October’s On Line Shop Hop ready to go!
Didn’t know we participate in an On Line Shop Hop? Well, we do, and there’s a special cool thing if you can find it. The clue is on the front page. Enjoy!
New Mythology Works in Progress
Responsibility of the Fleet is out! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam.
And did I mention the upcoming series by H.Y. Gregor yet?
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have Far Horizons by A.J. Gordon, the third book in The Outer Reaches series shared with Peter J. Aldin. The series is now complete, so if you were waiting for the trilogy to be released prior to jumping in, now’s the time! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DHBCRDKB.
Your pre-release this week features the return of Fred Hughes’ Britannia series with Hero’s Legacy. Hazard may no longer be around, but his enemies still are, and they’re going to need to be dealt with! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DHBQW4PR.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 359.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 232,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The granddaughter is going to her first circus tonight. I’m beyond the moon about it, even if she’s too young to get much out of it. Still, it’s a really cool thing.
Responsibility of the Fleet
Also really cool is Responsibility of the Fleet by G. Scott Huggins! Responsibility is back and she’s fighting her greatest foe yet, one that threatens to not only defeat her kingdom, but take over the entire Endless Ocean.
See how your favorite half-dragon princess strives against demons of legend here: amazon.com/dp/B0DGRZQTPC.
Besides that, it’s been really cool how much I did this week.
First, I wrote about 10,000 words in The Feasting of Vengeance, including re-integrated and organizing the long thread that serves as the story’s background. I’ll cross the 70k barrier tomorrow and aiming for 80 next week.
Part of the reason things are going faster is I’ve worked out the bulk of how we get to the final battles, which is actually the hardest part. Now I’m just writing battles, which is my favorite and fastest part.
Better yet, I got Tugarin’s Revenge from H.Y. Gregor this week! This is book two in her foray into Jon R. Osborne’s decorated Milesian Accords series.
My favorite aspect of this new series, besides of course the amazing story, is the depth of Russian mythology and culture. I studied medieval Russia as one of my secondary fields in grad school and it’s remained one of my favorite time periods ever since.
Tugarin’s Revenge comes out on November 22nd.
Of course, you’ll want to get Reka’s Grasp, book two in that series, on October 18th. Stay tuned for a cover reveal coming soon for this one!
On top of all that, I did a bunch in Okkorim as well. I’m so blessed I get to be a part of that. Not only am I proud of what I’m producing, I’m pushing myself and learning a ton of new techniques. I have a number of things I’m dying to talk about, but I can’t, not just yet. I can say, we’re doing great stuff that you’ll love when we start releasing the big hitters in 2025.
With that, however, I’ve got to go hear about the circus from the little one. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Pull Me Under by Dream Theater. It might surprise you that I came to Dream Theater late. It shouldn’t surprise you that when I did find them, I loved them.
Quote of the Week
I know, I know. Neil’s birthday was last week and I shouldn’t always do Rush lyrics for the Quote of the Week. Still, two in a row won’t kill you and this is a lyric I liked when I was younger, but am recognizing it’s true brilliance as I get older.
Side note: I got to see them do this song for the first time live in the R40 tour, the last tour. Jonathan Dinklage played the violin and it was majestic, haunting, and powerful.
Side note to the side note: Jonathan has a more famous, and slightly shorter brother name Peter.
Anyway, here’s the quote.
Some are born to move the world —
To live their fantasies
But most of us just dream about
The things we’d like to be
Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you — the blind who once could see —
The bell tolls for thee
– LosingIt, Rush
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I show arms and the man Making merry most times
New Mythology Works in Progress
Responsibility of the Fleet is out! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (69,044)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week Responsibility of the Fleet is out! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam.
This week’s pre-release is Far Horizons by A.J. Gordon, the third book in The Outer Reaches series shared with Peter J. Aldin. The series is now complete, so if you were waiting for the trilogy to be released prior to jumping in, now’s the time! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DHBCRDKB.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 359.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 209,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Responsibility of the Fleet comes out tomorrow! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam.
Here’s the blurb on this book:
If she saves her brother, she can’t save the world.
The uneasy peace Princess Azriyqam helped forge between the Twin Kingdom of Evenmarch and the Consortium of Man remains, aided by her brother Prince Avnai’s service in the Consortium Fleet.
However, Avnai’s ship faces destruction from a new people on the far side of the Endless Ocean. Tasked by the Consortium’s Chief of Fleet Intelligence to save her brother, Azriyqam discovers a greater menace, one that endangers not just her home and family, but the entire world.
Faced by terrors beyond imagining in a fortress of legend, she must discern friend from foe to gain the strength she needs to choose. Will her choice save all she loves? Or will she fail, losing all she holds dear.
It’s chock full of action, adventure, and magic, just like the first two in the series. If you haven’t read the series, check it out here: https://amazon.com/dp/B095CXTH85. It’s a great read.
Release day is always nice, and it’s been a while, but it won’t be all that long until the next one, Reka’s Grasp, from H.Y. Gregor. In fact, that’s the first of a trilogy you’ll see released in October, November, and December. This trilogy opens a new branch in Jon R. Osborne’s acclaimed Milesian Accords series.
And there’s more coming in 2025. Exciting times at New Mythology Press.
Exciting times for me as I made major progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. I finished a major thread I had to get right, as it serves as a major part of the story’s foundation. That was about 7000 words this week.
Then, I reincorporated it back into the full document, having pulled it out so I could focus on just that. Once that happened, I could really match things up to the Save the Cat Framework. I’d started that already of course, but pulling that out shifted how the chapters would work in the overall book. That’s now fixed, which is a major task in its own right.
Now, I have a boatload of XX prompts. I use XX (not XXX 🙂 ) to mark places where I need to double check something, expand on something, or anything else that requires me to come back to it. By doing that, I can continue to type the narrative without stopping to look things up.
That means I have to go back and check for all of those. I cleared out about a quarter of those this week as well, but best of all, they’re often great places I can dive right back in and throw words on the page without having to stare at the document and remember what I wanted to do, which often happens when I first look at a project.
I also spent a bunch of time expanding a couple of Okkorim projects. I have one that’s in the editing stage where I’m building it up, and another that’s going to get to the editing stage next week, hopefully.
All in all, a productive week, especially since my Achilles has gotten much better. It’s still sore, but I can walk this week, which I couldn’t last week.
Anyway, that’s enough for now, except to say, “Go by Responsibility of the Fleet tomorrow!”
Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Bills v. Dolphins. Football season is back!
Quote of the Week
Today would have been Neil Peart’s 72nd birthday. Of course the quote comes from him. I could, of course, choose a song lyric, but I think I’ll pick something else this time.
“The important thing is: if you fail once, or if your luck is bad this time, the dream is still there. A dream is only over if you give it up-or if it comes true.”
– Neil Peart
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I show arms and the man Making merry most times
New Mythology Works in Progress
Responsibility of the Fleet comes out tomorrow! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam..
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (59,622)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we Shadow Wired, the first book in the Shadow Wired series by Gustavo Bondoni. It’s time for some awesome cyberpunk action… right now! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DG32SJZ6.
Your pre-release this week is Responsibility of the Fleet!
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 359.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 208,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week my Achilles heel has been my Achilles heel. I strained it at some point last week and it’s been a painful nuisance. I can’t really walk well, and it’s hindered sleep. Yes, I’m doing things about it. No, I’m not ignoring it.
But it has taken time away. Much of that were things around the house, and I had held from the family to cover much of that. It’s nice to have help.
That being said, I did get quite a few words written. I’m solidly over 50k on The Feasting of Vengeance having about finished the secondary thread. That’s about 6-7k this week, on top of several thousand written in other projects and some editing. Ideally, I put out about 10k per week of new words, and I did that this week.
Responsibility of the Fleet
Of course, the big thing is the release of Responsibility of the Fleet by G. Scott Huggins, third in his Endless Ocean series, a week from tomorrow on September 13th.
I also dealt with a goodly number of small things around the store that have needed work.
It’s frustrating, actually. I had a good week, but I think it would’ve been a great week if it’d been mostly pain free.
However, things could be worse. I’m going to end this week on a down note. I just learned that Howard Andrew Jones, who writes the Hanuvar swords and sorcery series, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
I hadn’t gotten to know him well, but I had enjoyed the times we’d spent together at cons and anticipated more excellent chats in the future. He’s a very smart man, not to mention nice, and we’ll be far worse without him.
I guess what all this means is today is a good day to do something nice for someone because maybe tomorrow you won’t have the chance.
What I’m Listening To
Three Days by Jane’s Addiction. This is literally in my top 10 songs ever. I remember getting the album Ritual de lo Habitual used thinking I might as well check this group out, then getting blown away by 5 of the first 6 songs (this was number 6, by the way). Number 5 was the one song I didn’t care for as much, and ironically it was the one they played all the time (Been Caught Stealing).
Quote of the Week
On this day in 1960, Cassius Clay won the light heavyweight gold in the Olympics. Of course, he later changes his name to Muhammad Ali and becomes one of the great stars of the 20th century.
Here’s a quote we all need to remember sometimes.
“You don’t lose if you get knocked down; you lose if you stay down.”
– Muhammad Ali
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I show arms and the man Making merry most times
New Mythology Works in Progress
Responsibility of the Fleet is out a week from tomorrow!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (52,799)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have War Criminal, the 11th book in P.A. Piatt’s Abner Fortis, ISMC, series. For those who’ve been following the series (and if you haven’t, why not?), you can pretty much guess that good ol’ Abner will be up to his armpits in trouble as he and Jocko Bender go into the Free Sector to track down two of the war criminals behind the peace rally attack. Remember the world-killer bomb that disappeared? It’s back, too, and fully in play. Will Abner be able to recover it before it goes “boom?” You probably just answered that question wrong… but you’ll have to grab it to find out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DFFPZCFX.
Your pre-release this week is Shadow Wired, the first book in the Shadow Wired series by Gustavo Bondoni. It’s time for some awesome cyberpunk action… right now!
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 357.4lbs
Updated Word Count: 207,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Obviously, this week wasn’t any shorter than any other, but it felt that way as I lost three whole days to health stuff. It’s nothing serious, and most of that reason is a standard checkup procedure to make sure I’ve got no unseen issues, it just takes time out of a week.
That being said, I was pretty productive this week. In The Feasting of Vengeance I pulled out some threads from the main document. This allows me to focus directly on those threads and take them basically to the end of Act II and into the final big battle. I haven’t calculated the total words over all three docs, but it’s thousands more on the total with a bunch of cleanup of dead brush. So major progress, IMHO.
Responsibility of the Fleet
Don’t forget, Responsibility of the Fleet by G. Scott Huggins, third in his Endless Ocean series, comes out in two weeks!
I’ve been working on a larger scale project in Okkorim, however, and I needed to get that finished. I uploaded it for the mechanic to make sure I got the game stuff right yesterday.
This particular chunk had been difficult as I hadn’t had a good way to create game rules without making some things out of balance. The mechanic (his name’s Zach by the way), gave me a thought and what had been a slog at the end of last week was a torrent this week. I wrote 5k just on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Of course, this is DragonCon weekend!
There are a bunch of CKP authors there. I’m sure I’m going to miss some, but I know Kacey Ezell, David Shadoin, Marisa Wolf, H.Y. Gregor, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Melissa Olthoff, and Jon R. Osborne all come to mind.
Also there are a bunch of CKP-adjacent authors such as Joelle Presby, Shami Stovall, and Lydia Sherrer.
In other words, if you want to talk to a bunch of cool authors, there’s little better chance than at DragonCon.
I can’ t go this, year, but I did have a consolation prize. Fred Hughes did an interview with me. I’m not sure when it’ll be released, though of course I’ll let you know. We recorded it yesterday and I think it went really well!
In any case, I think that’s all for now. I’m still fatigued from all the stuff earlier this week, so I’ll sign off. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Steeleye Span’s version of King Henry. Steeleye Span is really cool English band playing medieval and traditional music. Their Saucy Sailor is one of my top 20 songs of all time. While this isn’t to that level, it’s still one I listen to quite often.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to John Locke, born on this day in 1632. I’ve read, and admired, much of his writing, and I encourage people to take a look if they’re philosophically inclined, as I am.
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
― John Locke
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am a thing of whimsy wildly careening
New Mythology Works in Progress
So much happening!
Responsibility of the Fleet by G. Scott Huggins comes out September 13th.
Then a trilogy by H.Y. Gregor starting with Reka’s Grasp on October 18th with another November 22nd and the third on December 27th. This is set in Jon R. Osborne’s awesome Milesian Accords series.
And there’s more on the way. The open call from June is bearing fruit and I look forward to tell you of some awesome stuff from that.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
Your pre-release this week is War Criminal, the 11th book in P.A. Piatt’s Abner Fortis, ISMC, series. For those who’ve been following the series (and if you haven’t, why not?), you can pretty much guess that good ol’ Abner will be up to his armpits in trouble as he and Jocko Bender go into the Free Sector to track down two of the war criminals behind the peace rally attack. Remember the world-killer bomb that disappeared? It’s back, too, and fully in play. Will Abner be able to recover it before it goes “boom?” You probably just answered that question wrong… but you’ll have to grab it to find out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DFFPZCFX.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 357.4lbs
Updated Word Count: 205,201
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a productive week here, though it went a little different than expected.
One thing that was expected is cleaning and organizing from Pennsic. I’ve made huge progress on all that, and by the end of next week, I hope it’ll all be put back into the trailer ready for the next event.
I had anticipated a sort of normal week where I work on a variety of projects, but one of those was Reka’s Grasp, a new series set in the Milesian Accords universe by H.Y. Gregor. The book was so good I couldn’t stop editing and I finished it in, if not record time, close to it.
Responsibility of the Fleet
I spent the evening cleaning up a bunch of stuff in The Feasting of Vengeance. It’s amazing what changing how you view a document changes how you edit it. In this case, I was what I call bediting, or reading it on my phone and making notes while in bed.
It may sound dumb, but it’s proven really effective for me. The small screen forces me to focus on the words more, and I see a ton I miss in any other setting.
Tomorrow, I’ll be sending out the ARC for Responsibility of the Fleet. If you’re on the NMP ARC team, keep an eye on your mailboxes.
If I’m announcing the ARC, that means we’re getting close to release! It comes out on September 13th. It’s the 3rd in G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series.
I also edited a a new adventure in Okkorim coming from Kacey Ezell for Patreon subscribers called the Book of the Drowned. It’s a quick one, but fun and challenging. You can join the GaxxWorx Patreon here: patreon.com/GaxxWorx for all sorts of stuff in Okkorim that I’m helping to create!
So, while I spent more time with Reka’s Grasp than I expected, I ended up doing pretty good with other stuff too!
But I better get back to work.
What I’m Listening To
If 6 Was 9. This isn’t Jimi Hendrix’s most popular song, but it’s one of my favs. Basically, it’s a small structure allowing him to riff, and I’m totally in favor of that.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Dorothy Parker, born August 22, 1893. She’s one of the great quote machines of all time. Picking just one is tough, but I think you’ll like the one I chose.
If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.
– Dorothy Parker
Side note: I have extra copies of The Elements of Style available. Hit me up if you want one.
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am a thing of whimsy wildly careening
Dragon’s Tidings
The circus is coming to town and we have tickets! The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus comes to Anthony on September 19th to Anthony. We have advance tickets at the store for $13 (adult) and $8 (child and senior).
New Mythology Works in Progress
Lots coming soon!
Responsibility of the Throne comes out on September 13th.
Reka’s Grasp from H.Y. Gregor in the Milesian Accords universe in the middle of October.
And a bunch more after that! The schedule’s about to explode.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (44,326)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m sadly not actually at the Vale of Roncevaux but it is the anniversary of the battle. I’d love to go visit the site of the battle someday, but for now, I’m home from Pennsic! Everything is dry! Despite the rain, I still had a great time and sold a bunch of books.
This has been a mostly non-productive week, as expected, at least in terms of writing. I’ve touched base on everything to keep going, and I’ll be doing a bunch of bediting this week.
I did start editing Reka’s Grasp this week. This will be the first of a new trilogy in Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords series. It’s by H.Y. Gregor and she’s bringing Russian myth and tradition into the world.
It’s a great addition to the universe and you’re going to love it.
Responsibility of the Fleet
Speaking of cool new stuff, Responsibility of the Fleet is coming September 12th! This is book 3 in G. Scott Huggins’ innovative and fast-paced Endless Ocean series.
What I’m Listening To
Bohemian Rhapsody. Enough said.
Quote of the Week
It’s Battle of Roncevaux day! Hence, we have to have a passage from the Chanson de Roland. My preferred translation, by the way, remains Dorothy L. Sayers despite the fact that it’s getting somewhat dated. She kept both meaning and poetry in her translation, something few can do.
Anyway, here’s Laisse 8.
The Emperor Charles is glad and full of cheer.
Cordova’s taken, the outer walls are pierced,
His catapults have cast the towers down sheer;
Rich booty’s gone to all his chevaliers,
Silver and gold and goodly battle-gear.
In all the city no paynim now appears [101-29]
Who is not slain or turned to Christian fear.
The Emperor sits in a great orchard near,
Having about him Roland and Olivere,
Samson the duke, and Anseis the fierce,
Geoffrey d’Anjou the King’s gonfalonier,
And Gerin too, and with him too Gerier;
And where these were was many another fere—
Full fifteen thousand of France the fair and dear.
Upon white carpets they sit, those noble peers,
For draughts and chess the chequer-boards are reared;
To entertain the elder lords revered;
Young bachelors disport with sword and spear.
Beneath a pine beside an eglantier
A faldstool stands all of the red gold clear;
Of fairest France there sits the king austere.
White are his locks, and silver is his beard,
His body noble, his countenance severe:
If any seek him, no need to say, “Lo, here!”
From off their steeds lit down the messengers,
Well did they greet him with shows of love sincere.
– Chanson de Roland, Laisse 8 (translation by Dorothy L. Sayers)
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am first in the light Leading the memory
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (43,017)
Upcoming Events
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Quaestorby Peter J. Aldin. This is the second book in his Outer Reaches series. It’s sort of a mil SF Judge Dredd story, and you can’t go wrong with that. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DCF1Q235.
Your pre-release this week isSalvage Race by David Alan Jones. Get more awesome action in the Salvage Title universe here: amazon.com/dp/B0DD4BFV6R.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 361.8lbs (Pennsic was good for me!)
Updated Word Count: 165,488
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m still at Pennsic, though I’ll hopefully be on the road back on Saturday. Hence, it’ll be a streamlined update once again.
Overall, it’s been a productive, but challenging war thanks to three of the hardest downpours I’ve seen here. Rain is a given at Pennsic, but it’s usually in steady amounts. We had three bursts that flooded the tent which simply overwhelmed my normal rain defenses.
This isn’t the horrible thing it might sound. It’s not my first rodeo and all my stuff was protected from the rain so I didn’t lose any stock. I’ll lose old rugs, but I actually anticipated this to be a rainy Pennsic so I brought the rugs I was contemplating getting rid of anyway. That’s the extent of my loss.
I will say it does make it harder. I had to spend time getting rid of water, and though I have a store shopvac and electricity, we took out a bunch of gallons of water. And of course the floor never really got completely dry.
But again, it wasn’t a huge thing. All my stuff is elevated, including my bed, so I slept great, especially during the steady rains normal to Pennsic. Such rains on canvas is incredibly soothing.
As I said, it was really productive too. I sold quite a bit and may exceed last year despite losing three prime sales days to rain. My partner, the potter, will likely do the same. We did see a major drop off in fiber arts stuffs (looms, thread, yarn), because those work better if I can display them outside on sunny days.
Responsibility of the Fleet
I will, as usual, make a profit after fees, insurance, inventory cost, helper fees, and travel costs. The amount of profit is yet to be known as I still have a day and a half of potential sales.
During the slow times, I wrote about 10k on The Ravening of Wolves, finally breaking the 40k mark and clearing a bunch of chaff too.
Also, Responsibility of the Fleet from G. Scott Huggins is now at the proofreader for the final editing pass. It’ll be out on September 12th.
I also started editing Reka’s Grasp, the next Milesian Accords novel, this one by H.Y. Gregor, which comes out in October. This will be the first of a separate trilogy in Jon R. Osborne’s best-selling universe, which is about to really explode even more than it already has.
Exciting stuff.
I also caught up on a bunch of editing in Okkorim, making progress in four projects over the last week.
Truly, Pennsic is one of my best times of the year for progressing. But for now, I must take care of the next customer.
What I’m Listening To
The conversations of the marketplace.
Quote of the Week
Happy what would have been his 105th birthday to Dino di Laurentiis, producer of one of my favorite films and the author of a quote that inspires my writing.
The audience wants to be attracted not by the critics, but by a great story. You must deliver to the audience emotion – and when I say emotion, I mean suspense, drama, love.
– Dino De Laurentiis
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am the killer of worlds and Keeper of trust
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter XX of WORKINPROGRESS.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I arrived in the area of Pennsic last week on Thursday evening and meant to give you an update. Then I passed out from fatigue. Then it was setup on Friday and things got away from me. My apologies for no update, but next year I’m just going to plan to skip it.
Now, however, I’ve been set up for a while, sales are happening, and the war is moving along. Here’s a picture of the booth.
Pennsic 51
Once again, I’m blessed to share my space with Mistress Gwen of Lobster Rose pottery. You should check her stuff out at: facebook.com/LobsterRosePottery. She’s really talented and inventive.
It’s been a productive week otherwise, but to be honest, I have too many customers coming into the booth to get into detail.
Soooo… have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Conversations in the merchant area around my booth. It’s such a normal, pleasant sound.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to David Gemmell, born on this day in 1948.
“Nothing of real worth can ever be bought. Love, friendship, honour, valour, respect. All these things have to be earned.”
– David Gemmell
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
Query of today is Quite revolutionary
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (36,901)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a good week here, and one that marks the passage of time. First, thanks to all who reached out to wish me a happy birthday. I do appreciate you all.
I got quite a bit done this week, though it was one of those weeks where no plan survives contact with the enemy.
For example, I had someone weed-eating and they kicked up a rock through one of my car windows. It’s fixed now with nothing out of pocket, so no big deal, just one of those things. Of course, that happened Friday afternoon as the wife and I were about to get on the road to an SCA event. With help, we frantically switched cars and, really, it all ended up fine.
Still, it took time. In fact, there was a lot going on this weekend. Appointments most days this week of one sort or another. Stuff that had to get done, and it all went really smoothly, for which I’m grateful. Anthony’s a cool place, and if you need tires, Joe at Pronto Tires bends over backwards to help us.
I got a lot of writing and work done, probably the most in quite a while despite all that, but none of it is finished and at least one project needs to be. In fact, I’ll be finishing it after I send this out.
Speaking of finishing, have you gotten your copy of Bureau 42 yet? It’s the new Four Horsemen anthology and it came out Friday. I’m really pleased with what Dan and I did with our story in there, and it’s feeding straight into The Feasting of Vengeance.
I actually made significant progress on that, though the numbers won’t show it. One reason is that I miscounted about 1000 words, having accidentally duplicated them. Another is some editing and smoothing of earlier chapters to fit with later stuff. Still, I think I’ll hit 40k next week and still aiming for the end of August.
I finished Ted Lasso this week. What an amazing show, and honestly it’s better as a whole than even the individual clips I’d seen. It ties together so well across all three seasons, which I find impressive. Can’t recommend it enough.
I also did a bunch of work around the building to get ready for Pennsic. I leave Wednesday morning, which means I have lots to do before getting on the road. As usual, I’m looking forward to it. It’s a cool thing where I get to work all day and enjoy myself in the evenings. I enjoy the second more when I know I’ve earned it.
But that’s enough for this week’s update. I’m a year farther into the future and I’ve got stuff to do!
Raise your hands if you’re surprised I love the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell and the BBC TV show with Sean Bean. Anyone? Bueller?
Quote of the Week
I’ve always been a wanderer, but not like this. Happy birthday to John Glenn, and thanks for being so curious.
“I suppose the one quality in an astronaut more powerful than any other is curiosity. They have to get some place nobody’s ever been.”
– John Glenn
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
Great treasures I hold, Trading past for present
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Dragon’s Tidings
Check our website next week. We have a cool special thing about to happen!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (34,799)
The Chivalric Orders (6,597)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
Your pre-release this week is more from Fred Hughes in his Prince of Britannia series. This book, number 9, is the conclusion of the first storyline! Get PrinceImperator here: amazon.com/dp/B0CYZ8Q92N.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 369.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 157,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The exciting news this week is Bureau 42, the new anthology in the Four Horsemen Universe. Lots of great action as the Peacemakers deal with a host of cold cases.
In my case, Dan Bridgwater and I wrote a story with Rick Blaine on the trail of Kukuluki. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go smoothly!
More news: I’m finished with the first pass of Responsibility of the Fleet, coming out on September 12th. Oh my goodness, the action in the second half of the story simply doesn’t let up. Great stuff!
I wrote a goodly amount this week, but to be honest, I got distracted by a story that has been pushing out of me for a while. Get the words on the page even if they’re not the ones you planned on.
Plus, I wrote I bunch of stuff for Okkorim this week, some of the most fun stuff I’ve ever created for a gaming world. I’m really excited about what it’ll turn out to be. Looks like I’m leveling up there as well.
We also made huge progress on my woodshop. I need to do work in it next week and you know what, I’ll be able to do so. Been a while since I could.
For now, have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Ted Lasso. The wife and a friend are spending a lot of the week at a big weaving conference in Wichita, so I decided to get the trial period of Apple TV to watch a show I’ve been looking forward to seeing for a while: Ted Lasso.
I’m 7 episodes in and it’s as brilliant as I’ve heard. It’s got that balance of comedy and heartwrenching moments of the best M*A*S*H episodes. It’s that good.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to E.B. White, born on this day in 1899. I’m sure glad he was because Charlotte’s Web was one of my favorite books growing up.
Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.
– E. B. White
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
Over and under Upside and downside
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (34,791)
The Rattler Strikes (4,112)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
This week’s pre-release is Bureau 42, the new anthology in the Four Horsemen Universe. Lots of great action as the Peacemakers deal with a host of cold cases.
In my case, Dan Bridgwater and I wrote a story with Rick Blaine on the trail of Kukuluki. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go smoothly!
This week we get more from John E. Siers in his excellent Lunar Free State series. I actually played a bit of hooky from reading fantasy to go through this series. In this one, Three Player Game, a new group of nations has joined the space race, and it’s going to upset the apple cart!. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D76SLN6B.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 368.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 155,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Happy 4th of July to everyone! May you all have an excellent and safe holiday.
Anthony is fireworks mad, and they’ve been shooting them off for a week now. We get a nightly show out our windows, which is actually kinda neat. I like fireworks, and the SWMBO enjoys the lights, but the booms get to her. This means she gets to see them without all the sound.
I spent much of today setting up my woodshop (finally). It’s still a loooong way to go but progress is progress. In true American fashion, I have to run to the hardware store for specific parts.
Responsibility of the Fleet
I also made progress on Responsibility of the Fleet, by G. Scott Huggins. I’m chugging away and on the downward curve. I anticipate it’ll be back to Scott by the end of next week and then off to the editor after that.
The planned release date, by the way, is September 12th, and here’s the amazing cover by J. Caleb Designs.
This time, Responsibility faces demons at the end of the world. How can you not want to read that?
I made go progress on The Feasting of Vengeance too. Man, I love these characters. They, of course, hate me, given all the crap I put them through. Right now, Rhan’Kiial’Tala wouldn’t mind stomping me with his CASPer. I did the worst thing ever to him: he got a promotion.
I’m going through the open call submissions, though it’ll take time. I’ll keep everyone updated as I make decisions.
I also spent part of today writing out my plans for ChattaCon. In case you didn’t know, I’m the Toastmaster and man, am I excited about this honor. I hope everyone can come to ChattaCon in January. It’s the 50th one, after all.
Oh, and I’m cooking up something special for opening ceremonies. If you’re there, make a point of attending that for sure.
And with that, time to go enjoy the holiday! Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
If Eternity Should Fail, one of the many great songs by Iron Maiden off their album Book of Souls. Some Maiden fans will consider this heresy, but I think it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done.
Quote of the Week
Can I quote anything but the Declaration of Independence today? Here’s a passage I think is really important but which often gets glossed over.
“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”
– Declaration of Independence
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
Great treasures I hold, Trading past for present
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Responsibility of the Fleet is the next release, but starting in October, you’re going to see the world of the Milesian Accords explode like the series of fireworks at the finale of the biggest fireworks display around. We’re very excited.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (33,245)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
This week we have more from the amazing Bill Fawcett and Casey Moores. It’s No Further, book 3 in their Blood and Armor series. This series is rapidly becoming a favorite, and you’re not going to want to miss it! There’s a new player in the arena that wants to wipe out the Kurdish Republic, but the peshmerga aren’t going down without a fight! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0D842YY8L.
Your pre-release this week is more from John E. Siers in his excellent Lunar Free State series. I actually played a bit of hooky from reading fantasy to go through this series. In this one, Three Player Game, a new group of nations has joined the space race, and it’s going to upset the apple cart!. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D76SLN6B.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 369.6 lbs
Updated Word Count: 116,631
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
i’m home from LibertyCon. What a great time, as always. Here’s my full AAR if you’re interested: robhowell.org/blog/?p=3534. The TL:DR version is basically that there’s never enough time to properly wallow in the great adopted family there.
The big announcement I made there was an upcoming series from Aaron Rosenberg. This man is ridiculously talented and has proven it in universes such as Star Trek, Stargate Atlantis, and Warhammer 40k. Now he brings us his own series, the BEO Files. You’re going to love them when the come out in spring/early summer of 2025.
Lots of stuff is percolating in the Milesian Accords as well. Jon R. Osborne is not only adding to his main line that starts with A Reluctant Druid, he’s joined by H.Y. Gregor and David Shadoin to bring two more threads into the universe. After that, who knows?
I’m going through the submissions and by the end of the summer, I hope to have similar announcements. Exciting times.
I’ve not done much this week, but of course, that was to be expected since I was LibertyCon and the travel back was grueling. I did get some writing done at the con, but not as much as I’d like.
Then, of course, the drive took it out of me. I’m basically back in the saddle now, but I’ve learned not to push it.
Next week, however, promises to be pretty productive as we roll into July 4th weekend. It is, however, hot! Of course, it’s always hot this time of year in southern Kansas, so it’s to be expected. Home is definitely where the heat is.
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Freebird. Need I say more? I suppose I do, actually, as it’s a live version that I love. I think the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert I saw in 2019 is the last show I’ve caught. I’m glad I got to see them. Another bucket list item.
Quote of the Week
June 27th is a bland day for birthdays, but a sad day for bassists as both John Entwhistle (2002) of the Who and Chris Squire (2015) of Yes died on this day. Two of the best to ever do it, and here’s a quote from one of these music legends.
“Being called a ‘music legend’ is a very funny thing. It’s nice to know that my work has been appreciated and that people have given me that status. On a personal level, however, I can’t think about it too much. It means a lot… but then it doesn’t.”
– Chris Squire
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
Great treasures I hold, Trading past for present
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Dragon’s Tidings
We’ll be closed on July 4th but open on the 5th and 6th. Have a great holiday everyone!
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (29,799)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
This week we have the start of a new series, the Other Reaches, by A.J. Gordon and Peter J. Aldin. It’s entitled Iconic and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HBPPS.
Your pre-release this week is more from the amazing Bill Fawcett and Casey Moores. It’s No Further, book 3 in their Blood and Armor series. This series is rapidly becoming one of my favorites, and you’re not going to want to miss it! There’s a new player in the arena that wants to wipe out the Kurdish Republic, but the peshmerga aren’t going down without a fight! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0D842YY8L.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 371.0lbs
Updated Word Count: 112,000
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m home from LibertyCon. As usual, it was the best of cons. It’s home. My biggest issue with LibertyCon is that I don’t have anywhere near enough time to catch up with everyone.
Before I get into that, I have to touch on the one true negative. The Marriott hotel was awful. I have a list of things they did badly, but suffice to say this: don’t stay there unless you have to.
But that just makes LibertyCon shine all the more. Despite the fact I know I’ll have issues with the hotel, I will stay there next year because that’s where LibertyCon is. I will go wherever LibertyCon ends up, no matter what, because the people who are a part of it are brilliant.
Let’s start with staff. It is the most organized convention around thanks to all these folks. Part of this is because so many of them have been doing it for decades. Of course they’re going to do well. They’re smart, skilled, and experienced.
However, that’s a thing in and of itself. I’ve worked in a number of organizations over the years and I’ve never seen a crew have less turnover from burnout. That suggests to me that not only do they want and enjoy what they’re doing, they process is made as easy as possible for them by the organization. They also like each other.
I’ve not seen every organization in existence, so I can’t say the LIbertyCon crew is unique, but it is unique in my experience.
In any case, my con started with a bang! William Joseph Roberts (Hillbilly) invited me to participate in the “It Came from the Trailer Park” panel which includes authors who’ve contributed to these anthologies.
Now, let me tell you, I had a lot of fun writing my story in the first one of these, but honestly, it’s been even more fun joining in on these panels. They are always a hoot! I got to riff with the Phil, Jenny, and Hillbilly who run the project and with Ian, Christopher, and a bunch of others who contributed.
And the fans! This panel was centered around the panel asking questions about their particular cryptid or monster and how rednecks would fight them. I won’t say all of the answers started with, “First, you make a roux…” but people left the panel contemplating Mothman recipes. Like one does.
As an added bonus, somebody brought Hillbilly a candy bar, the Flaming Anus chocolate bar. He loves hot stuff, so this was excellent, and perfectly appropriate given that it came in an outhouse.
I thought it surprisingly bland. Others had other opinions. I think everyone should bring Jenny Wren one. She was… um… amazed by it. We’ll go with that.
Anyway, I then spent much of the early afternoon writing and making some preparations for the party before opening ceremonies.
Side note: Opening ceremonies this time was the smooooothest I can ever recall, thanks to the amazing Kacey Ezell.
Anyway, after that, I went to one of the best panels I’ve ever been on: Worldbuilding for Epic Fantasy. You know the old line that if you can’t figure out the mug at the poker table, then you’re it? Well, I sorta felt like that here. The rest of the panel was Tim Akers (amazing), Dave Butler (amazing), Howard Andrew Jones (amazing), and Jon R. Osborne (amazing). What a lineup!
One of my favorite parts came when we talked about our foundational process. Tim talked about his background in theology, so he starts with the cosmos. Howard’s a classicist, so he looks at classical sources. I’m a medievalist, so I look at medieval ones. Jon looks at mythologies and religions, but on a less grand scale than Tim, and then there’s Dave, who’s extremely philosophical as well as brilliant.
That panel was the first of a long stretch. I went from that panel to cover the New Mythology portion of the CKP Year Ahead. We had a great audience for that, including a number of new faces.
However, at the time that started, I was supposed to be in the Author’s Alley, so I immediately ran back up to the Author’s Alley to set up. I’d prepositioned tanks near the Fulda Gap… err… my books near the area, so it went fairly quickly. I then spent until 11pm chatting with folks and selling a few books. Author’s Alley is nice even without selling, by the way, but it’s a bit of an oasis for actual conversations at times.
In any case, as I was hosting a party, my room was on the party floor. That meant I could stroll down a couple of rooms for a beverage and a bit of hanging out, but that didn’t last too long.
Saturday started with the Guest of Honor Brunch banquet. I always really enjoy it because again, I get to have actual conversations with a fairly random group of folks. I had a great table, as usual, and we talked about a huge variety of things. I suggest it to most people as it’s really good networking.
After that I did a Costco run to get food for the party. Chris had gotten the beer already, so I got ice as well. By 3pm, I’d basically laid out everything for the party that could be out of the refrigerator and arranged the room.
Then I was off to my reading alongside Dan Kemp. Neither of us expected anyone there as it was against the Baen Roadshow, but we actually had half a dozen. We both read from works in progress, mine being from The Feasting of Vengeance.
We had some time to chat after our readings before the panel ended, which was nice. I really enjoy chatting with Dan, who’s done a bunch of stuff in his life, but he’s often in a crowd so you don’t always get to hear him.
After that I rested for a bit, got dinner, and did the final preparations for our release party at 8pm. The party went great, I think. We were still going around 230am. I got about the right amount of food and drink. A little left over but not too much.
And there were chats! Lots and lots of chats. Good times for all of us, I think. If we hadn’t been on the party floor, I know we’d have gotten a noise complaint.
Side note: I really like how they do parties at LibertyCon. They put them all on the 3rd floor, which has only one wing of rooms. So it’s all concentrated there and can spill out into the hallway without issue. No noise complaint stuff either, plus there’s a bathroom in that hall to add to those in the rooms. Really, it’s nice just knowing that if you go onto 3rd after 8ish, you’ll find folks to hang out with.
Sunday was a slooooowwww day. I was supposed to go to the Kaffeeklatsch at 10am, but even though I kicked everyone out by 230am, I didn’t actually get to sleep until something like 5. Instead I rested and puttered. I did my book signing at 2pm, then put stuff in the car. By 6pm, I was at Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse with a crew having gotten nearly everything packed.
Then there was the Dead Dog party. This is always delightful, as it’s a chance for people to hang out again. For myself, I played a game of Munchkin with Brandy Hendren (con chair) and Matthew Fanny (who runs registration). I won and got to preen. Great time.
I think it’s interesting to note just how many people were there on Thursday and Sunday nights. These bookend nights aren’t needed to participate in the con, but they are brilliant opportunities to be with friends and this adopted family. It’s such a credit to the LibertyCon folks that there were literally hundreds of people on both nights choosing (in many cases, eagerly) to spend $100s in order to be a part of it.
And as I look back at this AAR, what jumps out to me is just how awesome it is to be in this crew. I never see everyone. In fact, I know Sarah and Daniel Hoyt were at LibertyCon but I literally never saw them. Not even in passing. Talk about ghosts in the night. Maybe Sarah needs to add LibertyCon to her list of places in the Tales of the Muses Darling series. Either way, this place is about awesome people.
Monday I drove home. It took a while. I took breaks. I got home eventually. That’s about all I can say, though I did enjoy listening to Path of the Fury by David Weber again. I always find that book funny because the tactical commander for the bad guys is named Howell and the main bad guy’s name is the same as someone who totally had spanking rights when I was young. I’ll not say the name, as I don’t want to ruin the mystery, but yeah, it’s an ironic connection. I would’ve liked that book anyway without that ironic connection, but more is more!
And with that, another LibertyCon is in the books. I’ve already committed to running a party at LibertyCon 2025.
I’m at LibertyCon after a I made a winding trip here. I caught the UFL championship game in St. Louis with some friends I haven’t seen in a while. Then I went to Townsend, TN, which is the Smoky Mountains, for some writing and recharge time. Then spent this morning with a leisurely drive on blue highways to Chattanooga. Honestly a delightful trip.
I got work done here and there. I’m approaching 30k in The Feasting of Vengeance. I was hoping to have more writing time today, but check in at the hotel did not go smoothly. Like a train wreck.
But I’m in my room now getting ready to head out and see folks! It’s good to be among my tribe. Because of that, it’s a short update, so you all have a great week.
I know I will. I’m at LibertyCon!
What I’m Listening To
Nothing except the hotel AC. It’s the first thing I do after I’ve gotten my stuff inside.
Quote of the Week
Happy 99th birthday to perhaps the greatest warrior in America’s history. Certainly, Audie Murphy is the most decorated.
He also suffered from his experiences, not only dealing with PTSD himself but also trying to help others, especially Korean and Vietnam vets, deal with coming home.
A true hero.
“No soldier ever really survives a war.”
– Audie Murphy
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am woven by wyrd My warp and weft tight on life’s loom
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Dragon’s Tidings
If you’re at LibertyCon, hit me up! We’re offering a code for 20% off for those interested in quilting I talk to at the con.
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have a pre-release from A.J. Gordon and Peter J. Aldin. It’s entitled Iconic and it’s the start of their new series, the Outer Reaches. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HBPPS.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big news this week is that A Lake Most Deep is on sale through tomorrow for $0.99! You won’t have a better chance to get it than now. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CCKVLPBL.
I won’t say it was my most productive week ever, but it was solid. I made progress in The Feasting of Vengeance, which is over 25k now. Not great progress, but hopefully I’ll boost that over the next week.
I’m also making progress on Responsibility of the Fleet, which is G. Scott Huggins’ next Endless Ocean book. One thing that happened is we finalized the cover art and it’s epic. We’ll have a cover reveal when we get closer to release date, which should be in August.
The wife was away at Lilies all week, so I’ve been eating and watching all the things I like that she doesn’t. Actually, the two of us are ships in the night this week as we’ll only touch base briefly on Saturday as I start my trek to LibertyCon.
Why am I leaving so early, you may ask. Glad you asked! I have a ticket to watch the inaugural UFL Championship Game. I’m bummed that my Battlehawks aren’t in it, but ‘ll get to hang out with a couple of dear friends I haven’t seen in ages.
Also, it’ll still be cool to watch live. Probably the closest thing I’ll ever get to going to the Super Bowl. Unless, of course, you all want to buy me a ticket and hotel rooms…
After that, I’m spending a couple days in Townsend, TN and aim to have a small writing retreat. I actually need to schedule a week off to do one for real. They’ve been really productive for me in the past. At the very least, I get to dance upon the Smoky Mountains for a couple of days.
I get to Chattanooga on Wednesday of next week, which is early. However, we’re throwing a party on Saturday night of LIbertyCon and I don’t want to have to rush around doing everything on Friday.
Should be a fun week and I can’t wait to see my LibertyCon buddies!
What I’m Listening To
All Good People from Yes. I love this song. It’s so weird and quirky. I like it so much I once actually built an RPGA dungeon around it.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to William Butler Yeats, one of my favorite poets. He was just so evocative, like in this passage.
“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
― William Butler Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am woven by wyrd My warp and weft tight on life’s loom
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
New Mythology Works in Progress
The open call is completed and man do I have a bunch to read! I got 15 submissions including one I’ve already decided to accept. I’ll tell you all who that is when the time comes.
Also on sale from CKP this week is The Moon and Beyond, which is book 1 of John Siers’ excellent Lunar Free State series. Trust me, it’s great. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B097QMN7PJ.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 372.0 lbs
Updated Word Count: 109,075
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Eighty years ago. Utah. Omaha. Gold. Juno. Sword. The names still linger in our memory. The tributes today are amazing.
Also amazing is the successful Starship launch from Space X. I have long looked at NASA and despaired of making it to the stars. Thanks to Elon Musk for pushing us down that road.
That being said, it’s been a down week here. Seasonal allergies/cold have knocked me back. Worse, they make it hard to sleep, so my brain’s been foggy. I got almost no writing and only a little editing done this week. I’m better today than I have been and if I get a good night’s sleep tonight, I think I’ll be able to rock and roll again tomorrow.
I did get a number of projects done this week that are ancillary or don’t require brainpower. Might as well do them when I simply can’t think up words.
But for now, I’m going to keep things short and sweet. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. I love the way this song trips off the tongue.
Quote of the Week
It’s almost impossible to imagine just what D-Day was like for those troops in the first wave. The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan was a glimpse. Then there’s things like this. Wow.
“They’re murdering us here. Let’s move inland and get murdered.” – Colonel Charles D. Canham, 116th Infantry Regiment commander, on Omaha Beach
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I dash to and fro Daring dire perils
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Lots of exciting things going on around here this week. First, the Ruriksagais out and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D35XF4RJ.
Ruriksaga
This is a companion volume with a bunch of short stories I’ve written in the world, along with new maps, some historical documents, and, of course, the Ruriksaga, a poem describing the beginnings of Periaslavl.
It’s exciting for me if only because it’s what I want all authors to do. If I like a world, I want to see under the hood, and this is your chance.
Also exciting is that it’s time for Balloon Fest in Anthony! I had a great time last year and that was after only about a month of starting the move here. Now we’ve got the store open and I’m part of the process.
My big contribution is the sponsoring and addition of an ESports tournament. Chaparral High School here has an ESports team and next year it becomes an official KSHAA activity on par with band. I think this is a great thing, plus events like Balloon Fest don’t often have enough stuff for teenagers to do. I’m excited and hope to make this a yearly event.
If you plan to come down, make sure you visit our booth. We’ll be near the axe throwing, which seems sorta right, doesn’t it?
The next exciting thing is I’m starting to get rolling on The Feasting of Vengeance. I’m over 10k now with consistent progress every day this week. It’s in that phase where some of the chunks are just rolling off the keyboard onto the page.
I also started back with my riddles! That’s exciting. I didn’t mean to take six months off, but I’m back on the horse, so to speak.
And one more thing. It’s early days, but I’m up to 3 days in a row working out. A long way to go, but now I’ve taken the first few steps. Hopefully, I’ll still be excited next week.
But for now, I’ve got some things to get ready for the weekend. Have a great day!
What I’m Listening To
Different Stages, by Rush. I’ve been meaning to edit the numbers of all the tracks on Different Stages so I could listen to the album in order. I finally got that done and am enjoying it. It’s a quarter-century old now, but man that was an amazing tour.
Quote of the Week
Today’s the birthday of both Liberace and Danny Trejo. How’s that for duo? Both have great quotes, but I have to give it to Liberace this time.
Why don’t I just step out and slip into something more spectacular?
– Liberace
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am the killer of worlds and Keeper of trust
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
Your pre-release this week is D.T. Read’s fifth book in her Seventh Shaman series, Trial by the Gods. It superbly blends Native American mythos with far future scifi. It’s one of a kind, and well worth giving a look! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D46LXS5G/.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 370.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 105,739
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
So much going on at New Mythology Press right now. First, Paladins of Valorcame out on the 19th Thanks to all who’ve already bought it and reviewed it. If you haven’t gotten it yet, get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/.
We have another release to talk about! On May 14th, we’re releasing Ruriksaga by yours truly.
This is a companion volume in the Firehall Sagas. What’s a companion volume, I hear you asking. Great question!
Ruriksaga
A companion volume is collection of cool things related to the universe. In this case, it’s six previously published short stories plus a brand new one. But wait, there’s more. There are also a variety of worldbuilding documents I created as part of building up the world of Eard including, shockingly enough, a poem I wrote called the Ruriksaga.
There are a whole bunch of hints of what’s coming there, including some really cool maps (Thanks Sean Stallings!). It’s a peak behind the curtain, including my commentary on some things. Basically, it’s a bunch of stuff I love to get from writers about series I can’t get enough of. I want to be the writer who matches the kind of writer I admire, so here’s stuff I like.
The Ruriksaga is out on May 14th, as I said!
I am back on the horse, so to speak. I’m fully recovered from both getting back from all the trips and cutting off caffeine for a time. I’m allowing myself a little caffeine again and, hey, it works again. Good thing because there’s lots to do.
I did a bunch of publicity stuff this week, along with making solid progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. You won’t really see it in the word count but I went ahead and did a Save the Cat beat sheet for it. Save the Cat has a basic outline format that occasionally gets me going, and to be honest, a challenge to The Feasting of Vengeance is both to conclude the trilogy while doing things I haven’t done yet.
Spoiler alert: The Save the Cat idea added some huge moments. You might say it went nuclear.
I also edited another scenario in Okkorim, which is now available for some Patreon subscribers (patreon.com/GaxxWorx).
Lots of fun stuff going on, too. Today is the 3rd birthday of the New Mythology Discord Channel. Send me an email if you’re interested in joining.
I’m also doing a couple cool things in Anthony. First, this weekend, on May the 4th, David Birdsall is coming in to run Star Wars RPG and the Outer Rim board game before we all go watch Star Wars: A New Hope at the 1936 movie theater here.
And on that now, I’ll bid you adieu. And, of course, May the 4th be with you!
What I’m Listening To
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. This might be my favorite Zeppelin song, though Ten Years Gone and Stairway to Heaven are right up there. This version is the Physical Graffiti original release, but the best version in my mind is the Page and Plant release with doumbeks and bunch of other things thrown it.
Quote of the Week
I’ve become more and more of a fan of the Rock over the years. A bunch of that is him bringing back the XFL (now UFL) since I’m a fan of the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Anyway, his story is pretty interesting and this is a quote that’s relevant to writing, especially writing a novel. Also, happy birthday.
I’ve learned over the years that when it comes to success, consistency is key. Consistent hard work that we may not like doing today, but for a payoff we’ll love tomorrow. Earn it. Enjoy it.
– Dwayne Johnson
Dragon’s Tidings
Come by on Saturday for Star Wars gaming! May the 4th be with you.
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
Your release this week is The King’s Daughter by Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy is out! This is book 2 in the Ashes of Entecea series which is going to be our next big shared world, I think. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D2JYKN61.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The best part of FantaSci for me was to be with the portion of the tribe I’ve not had a chance to see since LibertyCon, really. That crew is awesome and it was just too long since I’d seen them.
Paladins of Valor
The Paladins of Valorrelease went very well! Thanks to all who’ve already bought it and reviewed it. If you haven’t gotten it yet, get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/.
At FantaSci, we announced this is the last of the Valor anthologies for the foreseeable future. They’ve been awesome, but it’s time for New Mythology to shift its focus.
If you read the FantaSci AAR, you basically cover my week since the last update. I’ve been recovering the past two days, so I didn’t do much writing or editing. I did get a project done in Okkorim, however. You’ll get it soon if you’re in the GaxxWorx Patreon.
That being said, the last six weeks have been weak on the writing/editing side since I’ve been on the road so much. I actually had planned to go to Foolzcon this weekend, but I just don’t want to drive anywhere. In fact, I’m basically down to local stuff up until LibertyCon. I need the break.
There will be some fun doings here in Anthony, though. May 18th is BalloonFest, which should be awesome. I will have more to say on that in upcoming weeks. Also, David Birdsall is joining us to run some Star Wars game on May the 4th, then we watch Star Wars: A New Hope in the 1936 art deco theater here. Gonna be a great day.
And look here, I’m officially part of Harper County! I’m on the list of local authors at the Harper City Library: harper.scklslibrary.info/local-author-links/. Thanks to the folks at the library for doing that!
And with that, I’m off to start another project.
What I’m Listening To
Icarus Dream Suite 4 performed by Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s basically Adagio in G Minor, and Yngwie is, above all else, a master at turning classical music into metal.
Quote of the Week
April 25th is an interesting day for birthdays, including Oliver Cromwell, Guglielmo Marconi, Meadowlark Lemon, and Al Pacino. However, it’s also the birthday of La Marseillaise.
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons
– La Marseillaise
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have Never Again, the first book in Bill Fawcett’s new Blood and Armor series. I’m incredibly stoked to have Bill in the CKP crew. Get this one here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW18N86G.
Your pre-release this week is The King’s Daughter by Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy is out! This is book 2 in the Ashes of Entecea series which is going to be our next big shared world, I think. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D2JYKN61.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I have successfully returned from FantaSci and mostly recovered.
Actually, that’s not true. I’m not recovered. I’m also not recovered from GaryCon really. Frankly, I’m beat and FantaSci was a perfect example.
First, I had a great time, when I had the gumption. However, I just didn’t have enough to stay going late into the night as is my wont. I went to bed before 11 most nights, which meant I missed much of what I went to FantaSci for.
Of course, I didn’t really plan FantaSci well. In fact, I didn’t do anything right. Here’s a lesson, kids. When you go to a con, pre-register, register for a hotel room, and send a message to the programming folks. I didn’t do any of that. Fortunately, thanks to a variety of people, things worked out great, but I completely dropped the ball.
I rode out with David Birdsall, who is in Paladins of Valor. He’s new to the author business and I was pleased to see him get some great experience at the con.
We got out to the hotel Thursday afternoon. A bunch of us went to dinner and I finally had a chance to hang out with Chris for the first time in a while. Then came the only night I stayed awake for any length of time. I had a good time, even finally getting a chance to chat with Kevin J. Anderson. We talked Rush and IPAs, two thing we’re both fans of.
Friday morning I completed the New Mythology portion of the CKP presentation. Then I rested until my first panel.
Sharp readers will have caught that I didn’t register for panels, but Chris got overbooked so I took two of his. Plus, there was the CKP Year Ahead, What’s Happening in the 4HU, and the Paladins of Valor release panel so I ended up speaking in five, which is about right.
Anyway, the first panel I was on was “Hey, Do You Remember When?” This panel talked about older TV shows, and ended being a fun reminiscence of our favorite cool things about a number of great shows. If a panel isn’t necessarily about how to be a writer, it should be this sort of thing that celebrates what’s great in SF/F. A really fun time.
My next panel was “Is The Book Always Better?” Obviously, the answer to this is, “No, the movie is sometimes better.” To me, the book is usually better but there are times, usually revolving around some aspect of the cinematography or, more often, a truly memorable performance, like those in The Princess Bride. Rarely, as in The 13th Warrior, is the movie simply better than the book all around.
The last panel of the day was the CKP Year Ahead. Here we talked about a number of things, including the news that I’m opening things up for more novel/trilogy submissions from June 1-10th. More details at chriskennedypublishing.com/2024/04/25/new-mythology-open-call/.
Saturday was mostly centered around selling at the author’s alley, which is graciously provided by the con. During this, I popped in to talk about The Feasting ofVengeance, the conclusion to the Foresters story. I swear I’ll have it done in the fall.
Then came the Paladins of Valor release panel. We had David Birdsall, Edie Skye, Jon R. Osborne, Hailey Gregor, David Shadoin, and Nathan Balyeat there.
Not present, sadly, was Dave Butler, but Chris DeBoe had brought some giveaway copies In the Palace of Shadow and Joy, the first Indrajit and Fix novel. Indrajit and Fix are the only characters to have appeared in all 7 anthologies thus far put out by New Mythology Press. Dave’s a delight to work for, so it was awesome we could give out some of his books.
Anyway, we announced that, for now, this was the last Valor anthology. We’ve had a fantastic run, achieved all my goals, and I’m really proud of what we did. However, both Chris and I want to focus on longer form stuff. With the hiatus in FantaSci, which was announced by the con at closing ceremonies, it seems a good time to turn our attention away from the Valor anthologies.
Does this mean New Mythology won’t do anthologies in the future? Not at all, just that we’re aiming more at getting novels on the release schedule in 2025 and going forward.
I spent the rest of the day socializing as much as I could, but I just didn’t have a ton of energy and went to bed 11ish.
Sunday was another stint on the author’s alley, then I got to do something I’ve wanted to do for a while: visit Baen Headquarters. It’s a really neat place. A dangerous place for someone who loves SF/F. Thanks to Jason Cordova for the invite and the care package!
After that, I had lunch with my aunt. It was great to see her, but it was tough because it’s the first time I’ve seen her since my uncle passed away. I’d like to see her more often, but North Carolina is a hike.
Finally, I spent the evening hanging out with folks in the lobby. It was a relaxing, fun time to just chat. I’ve said it before, the best time of cons is the night before things start and the night of the dead dog. These are the times where the pressure of going hither and yon are gone, so you just chat. And plot. Great stuff.
On Monday at 4:45am, David and I got back on the road. By leaving that early, we missed traffic in Louisville and most of the traffic in St. Louis. I dropped him off at 5:30pm. I anticipated getting a hotel along the way, or at least getting power naps, but David drove across most of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, so I was far fresher than normal.
I made it home late Monday/early Tuesday and here on Thursday I’m starting to get back into the groove. Despite the fatigue, I’m always more enthused and excited about work after spending time with Chris.
Anyway, there’s my FantaSci AAR. Time to get writing.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been with this tribe. Not since LibertyCon, so nigh unto 10 months. I’ve really missed these folk and been looking forward to getting here.
Of course, you can lay your hands on (see what I did there) Paladins of Valor tomorrow! Check out the awesome art and the amazing list of authors in the Table of Contents. It’s really awesome.
One of the people I’m most looking forward to seeing is Chris Kennedy. He’s made all this happen and it’s too long since I bought him a beverage.
Most of this week has been about logistics, both getting to the event (which is a decent drive) or things for the store, but I did get a really cool thing written for Okkorim over the weekend. As usual, I can’t talk details, but I can say it’ll be one of the ways innovative DMs will make Okkorim their own.
I’m sure I have more to say, but I’m at a con and I’m getting distracted. Shocking, I now. Catch you all next week!
What I’m Listening To
The sound of friends chatting in the hotel lobby. Pretty darn awesome.
Quote of the Week
On this day in 1943, the plane holding Isoruku Yamamoto was shot down. You’ve probably heard the famous quote by him, but here’s another along the same vein.
“A military man can scarcely pride himself on having smitten a sleeping enemy; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten.”
– Isoroku Yamamoto
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week’s release is Prince Dominator, the eighth book in Fred Hughes’ Prince of Britannia series. Hazard has taken the Sol System… but will he be able to hold onto it while getting the information back to Britannia? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D19WN6HN.
Your pre-release this week is Never Again is the first book in Bill Fawcett’s new Blood and Armor series. Bill Fawcett? THE Bill Fawcett who’s list of accomplishments in SF is a mile long? That one?
They defend the weak, no matter the time, place, or foe.
They stand up for others in the cold dark of space, the dusty Wild West, and lands of mystical empires.
They fight with any weapon that can help them save those behind them, whether it’s battlemechs, magic, swords, or even Sharps rifles. Along the way, they discover they can be more than they ever thought.
So come join us as we visit, in fourteen great stories, the worlds of Hanuvar, the Black Company, Kish, the Milesian Accords, and more great universes because there are always those who stand up for those who can’t.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We have a bunch going on with Paladins of Valor right now! First, take a look at that amazing cover by J. Caleb Designs! He always seems to know what I want.
Next, it’s up for preorder! We don’t usually do this but we thought we’d try it out this time. Go to amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/ to preorder a copy now!
We’ll do a reveal of the Table of Contents next week so you can see all the authors and the universes you get to see again. There’s some awesome worlds in it!
I had somewhat of a surreal week in many good ways, but not necessarily the most productive. On the down side, I’m struggling to get back into the creative flow. Not surprising given the recent push, but still something I’ll fix next week.
Overall, though, it was a positive week. I’ll get to the surreal bits in a moment, but let’s start with some things I did get done.
We’ve had a bunch of great books come in and I’ve had to expand my bookshelves! I spent much of this week getting things re-arranged. I’m still a long way to go, and I know I’ve got another batch coming tomorrow.
I don’t entirely know what’s in that batch, but here’s what I can say. We now have a YA section! It’s not huge, but it’s not tiny either. We also have a western section! And our romance section grew a ton. Plus, I haven’t even had a chance to line up all the mysteries, as they forced me to rearrange everything!
Exciting times there.
I also did a bunch of fairly mundane catchup work. I finally sent some emails after GaryCon. I also cleaned up on some invoicing, both some to pay out and to pay in. Fortunately, lots more coming in. I also ordered a new laptop to replace the old soldier.
I expect I’ll have to start looking at going to Linux for all my systems. I hope Office 2010 can work smoothly on it. However, I refuse to go to Windows 11 with the massive amount of spyware you can’t opt out of. That’s a fall project, I think.
Anyway, time for the surreal and cool things!
First, the small one. I somehow ended up on the Anthony Chamber of Commerce board. Still not quite sure how that happened. Anyway, if you see me posting odd questions like, “What kind of cool things does your town do,” you’ll know why.
By the way, what kind of cool things does your town do?
The best for last, however, was Easter weekend with a 1-year-old grandbaby. We took her to her first easter egg hunt. The Kiwanis here sponsor one and it’s divided by age group. The 0-2 age group wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but there were still a bunch of smiles.
What I’m Listening To
The Raven by Alan Parsons Project. It’s part of their album Tales of Mystery and Imagination, and homage to Edgar Allan Poe. It’s a fun album for Poe fans, and I’m certainly one!
Quote of the Week
Since I already mentioned Poe, let’s have a quote.
“Lo! Death has reared himself a throne
In a strange city lying alone
Far down within the dim West,
Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best
Have gone to their eternal rest.”
– Edgar Allan Poe
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I’m back, starting on April 11th! 2nd and 4th Monday of every month!
First Line of Next Riddle:
I am the killer of worlds And the keeper of trust.
Dragon’s Tidings
Lot’s of new books, as I already said. Plus blocks of the month, new fabric, and more!
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
Freebies and Cool Stuff
FREEBIES
New Releases
This week we have Holy War, 10th book in P.A. Piatt’s Abner Fortis, ISMC series. Abner has made it a habit of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, and then having to pull his troops back out of it again. This time, the Kuiper Knights are back, and it’s time to take them out. But Abner has a long history with them, and they don’t like him very much. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CZ7G7VYP.
You get two pre-releases this week! First is Revelation, the third and final book in the Sol Saga series by James Fox. The revolution on Mars is gaining steam… at least until President Trent decides to break out the Rods from God! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW6C4Y7D.
They defend the weak, no matter the time, place, or foe.
They stand up for others in the cold dark of space, the dusty Wild West, and lands of mystical empires.
They fight with any weapon that can help them save those behind them, whether it’s battlemechs, magic, swords, or even Sharps rifles. Along the way, they discover they can be more than they ever thought.
So come join us as we visit, in fourteen great stories, the worlds of Hanuvar, the Black Company, Kish, the Milesian Accords, and more great universes because there are always those who stand up for those who can’t.
We call them paladins.
Pre-order it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 370.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 92,760
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been an off-kilter week, but I expected it would be. What I didn’t expect was a laptop dying. It’s not a huge surprise. I’ve had it since 2016 and 7.5 years is yeoman’s work. I also didn’t have anything on the hard drive I don’t have elsewhere, and besides, I probably can salvage the drive.
In other words, no big deal, but a nuisance, and the main reason why I didn’t get this week’s email out on time. The other was fatigue.
GaryCon was excellent, and I have a full AAR here: robhowell.org/blog/?p=3457. But it was a long, exhausting trip. I achieved all my goals, but this week I’ve been paying the price.
Paladins of Valor is in the can. The ARC copies will go out in the next day or so. I’ll have a cover reveal next week. Spoiler alert: It’s really, really cool.
With that, I’m going to get back to catching up. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Primus, Tommy the Cat. Primus is not a band I can listen to constantly. Les Claypool is just too much. Yet, Primus is a band I must listen to periodically because Les Claypool is just too much. If you know, you know.
Quote of the Week
One nice thing about being a day late, I can celebrate Eric Idle’s birthday today! If you didn’t know already, I’m a huge Monty Python fan. Here’s a short and simple quote from him.
Life has a very simple plot: first you’re here and then you’re not.”
– Eric Idle
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I’m back, starting on April 11th! 2nd and 4th Monday of every month!
First Line of Next Riddle:
I am the killer of worlds And the keeper of trust.
Dragon’s Tidings
We’re rearranging to get more space for books! We have a bunch more romance and westerns to fit in, plus even more mysteries.
And we have a new Young Adult section, which will be on sale during April.
The Queen’s Fixer, first of a brand new series by Kacey Ezell (along with Chris Kennedy) is out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CYHB5QPB. I’ve seen some of what they’ve got planned in the Ashes of Entecea series, and it promises to be huge.
Your pre-release this week is Holy War, 10th book in P.A. Piatt’s Abner Fortis, ISMC series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CZ7G7VYP. Abner has made it a habit of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, and then having to pull his troops back out of it again. This time, the Kuiper Knights are back, and it’s time to take them out. But Abner has a long history with them, and they don’t like him very much.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 371.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 91,338
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow, what a great time at Planet Comicon! I did well, enjoyed myself, and came home exhausted. Much of this week has been recovering from the show.
Paladins of Valor is nigh unto in the can. Fourteen great stories, with paladins in space, the Wild West, Gettysburg, medieval fantasies, and much, much more.
Like last time, my favorite story is Sarah A. Hoyt’s Kit Marlowe, PI, story. Noir, fantasy, Shakespearean, and more rolled into one ball of awesome.
I’m turning my attention to GaryCon which is next week! How did that get here so quickly. I’ll be running 2 sessions of A1: Sinister Sands, a module set in Okkorim. I’ll also be playing as many different game systems as I can to get a feel for some of the new stuff out there. Also, I’ll be schmoozing.
To be honest, I’m unlikely to do a full update next week, if one at all. I’ll be going full tilt from Wednesday onward.
This weekend is St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade on record was in 1601?
Bet you can’t guess where it was. Hint: It’s not Boston (their first one was 1737), New York (1856), or even Dublin.
Answer below in the place where I list my words completed for the year.
What I’m Watching and Listening
Death in Paradise. It’s a fun, light-hearted British mystery. Light-hearted except for the fact that its homicides per 100k has got to be in the Midsomer Range.
Still, it’s quite fun. It’s a neat blend of British, Caribbean, and French themes.
Quote of the Week
What else could it be? Besides, who doesn’t want 100 pieces of pi? Or 100 places at least.
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067
– First 100 digits of pi
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I’ve taken a hiatus with this since the move, but I’m going to start back up in April. I wrote the riddle at Planet Comicon, and it’s fun.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Paladins of Valor is out on April 19th!.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
The Feasting of Vengeance (5,612)
Upcoming Events
GaryCon, March 21-24, Lake Geneva, WI garycon.com/
Your pre-release this week is Mother Earth, the tenth book in The Last Marines series by William S. Frisbee, Jr. This is the last book in this arc and—while it isn’t the end for The Last Marines like it was for Caesar—it is the end until the next arc is written. Get it here: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CW18S2NS.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 370.0lbs
Updated Word Count: 82,830
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Oh, and the answer? St. Augustine, FL hosted the first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade on record.
Another productive week in Robland. I did a bunch of work in Okkorim, completed the bulk of the behind the scenes work on Paladins of Valor, and organized a bunch of books donated by a local library.
Side note: We have a bunch of new romance, westerns, and young adult, plus many other titles in different genres. The sweetie glommed on to the cookbooks. Sorry.
The big thing this week, of course, was the prep for Planet Comicon this weekend. It’s at Bartle Hall in KC, and if you’re in the area, come chat. I’ll be the big guy wearing a Rush shirt. If that’s not enough, my booth number is 1746.
I’ve actually got a fantastic location this year. I got a corner spot, which was generous of them. It’s close to the West Dock, which is fantastic from a logistics perspective. Plus, there’s a restroom about as close as I could hope.
Gonna be a great weekend!
One note on Paladins of Valor. I sent the art to Chris Kennedy so he’d have it when the time came to upload. His response, in his best Captain Kirk voice, was, “That. Is. GORGEOUS!”
As usual, he’s absolutely correct. Cover reveal in a few weeks.
Most of this week’s writing and editing focused on Okkorim, however. We have a bunch of content coming out in March, including 3 new modules plus a slew of other Okkorim content.
And we’re just ramping up. We’re making a whole new world and I’m so honored to be a part of it. If you want to see it grow, join the Gaxxworx Patreon at: patreon.com/GaxxWorx.
With that, I’ll wish you a great week. I’ve at least a couple hours to throw some words at the page in one of my most productive places ever. More on that in a moment.
Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
Longtime readers will have some idea just how many days I spent in Brewbakers over the last decade.
Well, since I’m in KC for Planet Comicon, I get a chance to claim my booth for a day.
So I’m listening to the overhead random music they play. Just now, they had Call Me by Blondie. A favorite song from my past. And, of course, Debbie Harry. Happy sigh.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Elizabeth Moon! She’s one of my favorite writers. Her space opera Heris Serrano series is brilliant and her Deeds of Paksenarrion series is even better. It is one of those series *every* fantasy author should read just to see her breathtaking skill and attention to detail.
Anyway, here’s her paying attention to, well, you’ll know when you read it.
“Sometimes I wonder how normal normal people are, and I wonder that most in the grocery store.”
― Elizabeth Moon
Dragon’s Tidings
OMG, we have so much new stock. A bunch of the fabric that’s been on order arrived. Send best wishes to our poor FedEx guy who had to push it all into the building.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Happy Leap Day. Congrats to all the people who were born on February 29th and get a birthday every 4 years (well, except for years evenly divisible by 100 but not by 400).
I had another productive week, especially with Paladins of Valor. It’s now a complete manuscript and went off to the editor on Tuesday.
Plus, I got to see the first draft of the art by J. Caleb Design. Great stuff! We’ll have a reveal at some point in March.
However, to get your whistle wetted, we’ve got interviews with some of the authors in Paladins of Valor writers. I’ll post those on my blog in the middle of April as we get close to the release.
I got a goodly amount of writing done, both in The Feasting of Vengeance and a new sooper sekrit project. It’s in bits and pieces on a few different computers, but I got about 5k done all told.
I spent the past week editing a bunch of stuff in Okkorim in order to have new modules looking ship-shape for Gary Con in a less than a month. OMG, it’s less than a month!
Speaking of things sneaking up on me, Planet Comicon is next weekend! Whaaa? How did March get here so fast?
In any case, I’ll be in booth 1746. Come on by!
With that, I’m getting back to writing. Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
I thought I’d change this up to new and cool stuff that I found, and some weeks that will still be the case. However, I’ve honestly had my head buried in work, so I barely notice anything new.
So, back to the old way.
This week, I’m currently listening to my favorite Cream song, Tales of Brave Ulysses.
Quote of the Week
The Riddlemaster of Hed is such a good book, one of those books I read in grade school that inspired my love of fantasy. Happy birthday to Patricia McKillip and many thanks to her memory for all the inspiration she gave to bunch of us.
“When you open your mind and hands and heart to the knowing of a thing, there is no room in you for fear.”
― Patricia A. McKillip, Riddle-Master
Dragon’s Tidings
We have a bunch of new stuff. Dozens of new bolts of fabric and hundreds more books. Come in and see all the cool stuff!
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
As I mentioned, I ended last week with a nasty cold. It knocked me back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, despite all that, I had a really productive week, though not necessarily on everything I anticipated.
Divine Revelations
Let’s start with Okkorim because I have art to show off!
Over the last few months I’ve been fleshing out the pantheon of gods in Okkorim. This batch included 10 major gods and 30 lesser ones, and is over 60,000 words of description, dogma, new spells, new magic items, and religious institutions.
Okkorim is already a cool setting, but I can absolutely tell you there’s some amazing stuff in here. Divine Revelations is a small primer of the cosmology of Okkorim available to Luke’s Patreon followers. He wrote most of it, but I’m also editing a bunch of stuff they have, as I did with this.
Mirelie
Next is Mirelie, the deity of magic among other things. Luke came up with the basic concept, but this supplement is the fuller depiction of Mirelie. What do the priests do? What symbols represent the deity? Where are their major religious sites? What are the religious orders who follow Mirelie? And of course, several new spells and magic items.
I’m excited about what I’ve been able to contribute, and I think it’s going to be something players of D&D 5E and Castles and Crusades will love.
Again, if you’re interested, go to: patreon.com/GaxxWorx and sign up for at least the Silver Membership ($5/month). That gives you all the G20 magazine stuff that comes out, and let me tell you, I’m editing a ton.
Let’s turn to Paladins of Valor. It’s basically in the can and goes to the editor next week. Just waiting on a few edits.
I’ll give you a tease of two authors I was excited to work with in here. First, there’s Edie Skye, the author of the Titan Mage fantasy romance series. Here stories can be spicy or not, but they always have a lot of action.
On a completely different note, we also have Glen Cook returning with another Black Company story. I’ve been honored over the years by his support.
Speaking of New Mythology Press, we’ve been kinda quiet lately. This has been because we’re rearranging some of the foundational stuff in the background to make it work smoother for us to produce and cooler for you to read.
I can’t yet get into specifics, but I’ll tell you this, the schedule for later in the year is starting to come together.
One of the changes, by the way, is that we’re moving the bigger announcements and stuff to New Mythology’s mailing list, as I announced some time ago.
Also, I started another sooper-seekrit project this week. It’ll be some months before I can talk about it, but I think it’ll be really.
Oh, one last thing. The local historic theater is going to show Star Wars on Saturday, May 4th. We’re planning a shindig and I have a question for you:
What is your favorite Star Wars-themed food?
Quote of the Week
Still hits me in the feels 43 years later.
“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
– Al Michaels on February 22, 1980, as time ran out in the USA-USSR hockey game in Lake Placed.
This week’s release takes us back to the Fallen World, as Brisco Woods continues his saga of the first nanite-enhanced Specialist in Truth and Consequences. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CVNF5F6R.
That’s the 20th book in the Fallen World now! Wow!
Your pre-release this week is book 2 in James Fox’s Sol Saga universe. It’s called Retaliationand you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW29B39G.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 371.4 lbs
Updated Word Count: Need to update the spreadsheet, somewhere around 40k this year so far.
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s another productive week, but it wasn’t how I expected to go. There’s also news.
Most important, we started the process of getting the kid, her guy, and the grandkid down to Anthony. We’ve been hoping this would happen for a while, and now it’s in progress.
Second, more news about GaryCon. I’ll be running a couple of gaming sessions which is great. It’s been a while since I’ve run games at cons, but that was 20-30 years ago and I can’t wait.
That’s in part because game nights have done well twice in a row with me DMing in the Firehall Sagas. It’s a chance for me to build the world and build the local community at the same time.
More and more gets done with Paladins of Valor every week. Mostly, we’re in the stage where authors are doing edits, but I’ve been also assembling it. I had the pleasure of editing Howard Andrew Jones’ Hanuvar story this week, and man is it good.
I didn’t write as many new words in Okkorim as I have in past weeks, but about 4,000. Also, I did a bunch of editing and setup as we transition to the next phase. It’s really an awesome project and I’m honored to be a part of it.
New and Cool
I haven’t eaten cereal in a decade, but I tried the GrainBerry Multi-Bran flakes on a lark recently. I rather like it. I’ve had more cereal in the last week or so than I had since the 80s.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Jules Verne! Might have to re-read 20,000 Leagues again.
Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.
– Jules Verne
Dragon’s Tidings
A fun week here. We keep getting new stuff every week. This week was a bunch of new fabric, along with expanded drink selection for the game nights.
This week we have Wolf Legion by William S. Frisbee, Jr., the ninth book in The Last Marines. Holding Earth continues to get harder, and everyone is against the last Marines, but will they give up? Never! Check out the entire series here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5WRRMPB.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 370.2 lbs
Updated Word Count: 21,693
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Was a bit of a dreary week this week because we’ve had mostly gray days. One drawback to the new building is its lack of insulation, so not only has it been gray, it’s been chilly inside.
My wife thinks it’s hilarious, though, as when we lived in Kansas City, I never wore sweaters at home. Now, I often do. She likes to knit, but she’d never make me one that I wouldn’t wear. Now she just taunts me with it a bit.
I spent much of this week helping not only write Okkorim stuff but assisting with G20, which is the newsletter that Luke Gygax puts out. If you’re part of his Patreon, you can see some of what I’ve written for his world, plus get other tidbits. His Patreon is here: patreon.com/GaxxWorx.
I did about 5,000 new words in Okkorim, plus started reading through the notes for The Ravening ofWolves.
I also made great strides with getting Paladins of Valor done. I feel odd a bit this year, as I feel like I’m really late. However, FantaSci is a month late, so I’m really exactly where I should be.
I did some reading this week too. I’ve been getting back to my roots, and currently I’m re-reading the Barsoom books from Edgar Rice Burroughs. Also, I spent a lazy afternoon re-reading The Ghost of Dibble Hollow. This was a book I read in 4th grade or so, one of the many things I pestered my parents about during the Scholastic Book days, and it was one of my favorites as a kid.
I hadn’t read it since the early 80s, at least, and I was a bit nervous that it might not have aged well. However, it’s still a great kids book, even if the editing of 1965 used different standards than I do nearly 60 years later. The book has action, mystery, suspense, rivalries, and of course, a ghost. I’m keeping it to read to the grandkid.
And hey, tonight, I’m going through making this newsletter under the thumb of viewers. A couple of writers who are on the New Mythology Discord joined me as I typed it up. I showed them my methods, and hopefully it’ll help them.
Really, it’s been another one of those weeks where I didn’t think I got much done, but in retrospect, we did a goodly amount.
And with that, I’m going to go introduce myself to the wife.
New and Cool
Did I mention G20 from Luke Gygax on Patreon? This month’s issue, edited by me, along with a lot of my content, comes out in a few days. Sign up here: patreon.com/GaxxWorx.
Quote of the Week
It’s been 7 years since Mary Tyler Moore passed, but I still love watching reruns of shows she’s in. Plus she provided all creators with a great quote here.
Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.
– Mary Tyler Moore
Dragon’s Tidings
We had our first game night at the store. Sadly, as it was the first and the weather was wretched (cold, gray, and icy), we only got one person. However, I expect that’ll grow as we go along.
Every Monday night starting 5ish to 9ish.
Tonight, we’ve got the second session of the wife’s Beginning Quilting class. Also, we have some paper piercing classes coming. If you’re interested, check out our class schedule at: reddragonquilts.com/calendar.htm
New Mythology Works in Progress
I had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners of this year’s open call for Paladins of Valor. So many stories I wanted to publish, but here are the four I finally selected as the best.
Chris Hepler with High Water Mark
Nathan Balyeat with Welcome to Detroit
David Birdsall with The Passing of the Mantle
Chad Boyer with Apprentice in Trouble
I’ve edited all of these at this point, and I’m pleased to say they’re even better than I realized.
More 4HU awesomeness this week in Foiled Ambitions from John M. Olsen. This is the eleventh book in the Four Horsemen’s Phoenix Initiative. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CSKNY8FS/
Your pre-release this week is Stolen Dreams from Dennis M. Myers, the 4th and final book in his Rise of the Automated Empire. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0CT5V8G8M.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 368.2lbs
Updated Word Count: 15,467
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Well, wasn’t that a fun announcement from Chattacon? In case you missed it, they’ve invited me to be Toastmaster for Chattacon 50. I’m excited and honored to be part of the list shown here.
I can’t thank the Regina, Lani, Lee and all the other folks I’ve met at Chattacon enough for giving me this opportunity.
Also this week, we’ve added a new mailing list just for New Mythology Press! Kacey Ezell is running it and she has a bunch of cool ideas for it. She’s much better at this sort of thing than I am, so at the very least, you might want to sign up just to see how she’s setting things up. I’m already learning a ton.
Oh, and there’s a rather nice reader magnet for all who sign up, with short stories by myself, Jon R. Osborne, Kacey Ezell, and David Shadoin. Also, there are some legends from both my Firehall Sagas and Trisha J. Wooldridge’s 27 Kingdoms series. And, of course, snippets, including several from other New Mythology series such as Kevin Steverson’s Balance of Kerr series, Scott Huggins’ Endless Ocean series, and Christopher G. Nuttall’s Heirs of Cataclysm series. There’s no better way to find out what we’re about.
I appreciate all of you who are a part of my mailing list, and one reason I’m so excited about this other mailing list is I think it’ll help me do better by you. Expect some freebies from me coming your way soon, too.
I have yet another announcement! I’ll be at GaryCon in March. I’ll get to talk about Okkorim and, of course, play as much D&D as I can. It is the 50th anniversary of D&D and I suspect I’m going to wallow a bit. However, my big plan will be to hopefully meet a bunch more game producers and designers.
Thanks to Luke Gygax for all these opportunities!
I spent this week working on edits for Paladins of Valor and Okkorim. All told, about 10,000 words written this week, which is really nice.
I had intended to get going on The Feasting of Vengeance, but to be honest, I was going so good with Okkorim I didn’t want to break the momentum.
My writing philosophy is basically, get words on the page. Anything that gets in the way, like feeling I have to do all of the writing projects I’ve got going on, should be avoided.
And with that, I’ve got another idea, so I’m going to go do some more.
This week we have a new series! It’s from James Fox, and the series is the Sol Saga. Book 1 is Revolutionand you can get it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ6MZTR.
Your pre-release this week is Foiled Ambitions from John M. Olsen. This is the eleventh book in the Four Horsemen’s Phoenix Initiative. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CSKNY8FS/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.2 lbs
Updated Word Count: 14,509
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Apparently, I needed a snow day, and I got one. We closed for the snowstorm on Tuesday and I spent the day essentially out of it. I guess I’ve been going pretty solid, so time to breathe.
I did a bunch of work in Okkorim this past week. I’m up to over 42,000 total words written there, and more coming. That’s about 7k this past week despite the day off.
I made progress in editing for Paladins of Valor, though not as much as I intended. I’ll have most of them edited by the time of next week’s update. It’s great stuff, guys. Going to be very hard to choose the best one out of the open submissions, plus of course great stuff from H.P. Holo and Glen Cook.
We also had a major project finished here. The front door to the apartment literally had a 1/8th in gap in the panels. Also, there was a set of old windows that needed replacing because it wasn’t any better at holding in the cold wind.
Those got replaced yesterday and we already see a huge difference.
Also this week has been some cleaning up for the classes we’re holding here. We have students! Another revenue stream! Go us.
Overall, I’d intended to start seriously writing on the Feasting of Vengeance, but too much was going on. Hopefully next week, but we’ll see. Got to finish with Paladins of Valor first.
New and Cool
This isn’t really new to me, but the last time I was at Jungle Jim’s, I found a new salsa I love: Da Bomb Scorpion Garlic.
As you might guess, with scorpion peppers it’s got a huge kick. However, it had so much garlic that was the flavor that dominated. Really tasty.
Quote of the Week
In 1787, William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus. This quote from him is sort of like his work, the deeper you look at it, the more you learn.
“Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt.”
– William Herschel
Dragon’s Tidings
We had a very slow week of traffic, but we’ve had a bunch of enthusiasm for the classes. Next week won’t be much better, what with the weather.
Given us time to do projects. Oh, did I mention we have a longarm quilting machine and my wife has too much time on her hands? (Yes, I know I’m going to pay for that)
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or a wonderful time at whatever holiday you celebrate. I had a great time, especially since we got grandbaby time. The kids go back today, but I had a great moment of the grandbaby falling asleep on my lap.
We’re winding down on 2023 and I have to say it was a far more eventful year than I ever anticipated. We took this right turn at Albuquerque and I’m so glad we did.
Along the way, I tallied about 387,000 words according to my formula. This was less than what I aimed for in January (500k), but I didn’t expect the opportunity.
To break that down, there was a full length novel (Farewell, My Ugly), three regular short stories (Hyarkeen in Thirteen Stories of Horror, Dust Devil Courtship for my reader magnet, TheRuriksaga, and I Smell a Rat for the upcoming 4HU Bureau 42 anthology), nearly 30k in Okkorim, 5 Postcards stories (2 accepted), 15 riddles, about 40k in blog posts, and nearly 800k edited. Really, given that from April 11 we closed on the new house, closed on the old house, built up the new place to have stores laid out, and had our grand opening, I have to see it was a year of many achievements.
Oh, yeah, we got a grandbaby too!
What’s up for 2024? Well, I’ll talk about that next week. I would specifically like people to chime in at rob@robhowell.org what they like about this mailing list. One of my goals for 2024 is to improve this list, both in the content and the mechanics. Let me know anything you like, don’t like, or want to see. I want to make this list serve you all better.
As for the rest of this week, I have to finish the Bureau 42 story and a chunk of Okkorim stuff, but there’s little to do there. Next week, I’ll be doing a couple more chunks of Okkorim and rolling into consistent work on The Feasting of Vengeance.
2023 wasn’t the great year I expected, it was the great year I needed. Here’s to 2024 being the same.
What I’m Listening To
We’re watching Colombo tonight. Peter Falk is so great.
Quote of the Week
Happy 101st to Stan Lee, a great inspiration to creators of all stripes. As a writer, though, he often sees to the heart of the matter, like here.
“To my way of thinking, whether it’s a superhero movie or a romance or a comedy or whatever, the most important thing is you’ve got to care about the characters. You’ve got to understand the characters and you’ve got to be interested. If the characters are interesting, you’re half-way home.”
– Stan Lee
New Mythology Works in Progress
I had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners of this year’s open call for Paladins of Valor. So many stories I wanted to publish, but here are the four I finally selected as the best.
This week we have Broken Trust, third book in the Rise of the Automated Empire series by Dennis M. Myers. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKVRTSQQ.
Your pre-release this week is book 8 in the Last Marines series by William S. Frisbee, Jr. It’s entitled Wolf Emperor and you can get it here amazon.com/dp/B0CR1TXG61.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 358.8
Updated Word Count: 387,112
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Last Friday was our Grand Opening, and it was great! A bunch of people made it happen, and we thank all of them.
Here’s a couple of pictures thanks to Kari at Harper County EcoDev.
Grand Opening Red Dragon QuiltsGrand Opening Dragons Den
We’re going on an adventure!
To be honest, much of this week was spent on recovery. I did work on a story for the upcoming 4HU Bureau 42 anthology. I also did a bunch of stuff for Okkorim. However, it wasn’t my most productive week overall.
Monday is, of course, Christmas. I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season. We get more time with the grandbaby, which is really all the present I need. This will be our first Christmas with the baby and how cool is that?
One last thing. Thanks to all of you for following along on my journey. 2023 did not go as anticipated, but I’m so glad of how it went.
Wow, a fairly brief post from me. I guess that’s my present to you all.
What I’m Listening To
Rams v. Saints. It’s been a fun game to watch.
Quote of the Week
Today is December 21st, or as the Europeans would write it, 21/12.
Sure it’s the solstice, but it’s International Rush Day!
What can this strange device be?
When I touch it, it gives forth a sound
It’s got wires that vibrate, and give music
What can this thing be that I found?
See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently, like rain.
– Rush, 2112
New Mythology Works in Progress
I had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners of this year’s open call for Paladins of Valor. So many stories I wanted to publish, but here are the four I finally selected as the best.
Your pre-release this week is Broken Trust, third book in the Rise of the Automated Empire series by Dennis M. Myers. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKVRTSQQ.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 365.8
Updated Word Count: 373,065
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m going to post a number of pictures today of the store. Most of this week has been spent getting ready for the open house, so here’s some of the cool things we got.
Let’s start with the fun part! We have signs, and here’s the picture of the front of our building plus all the Grand Opening details.
We Have SignsThe signs rock, but let’s see what we have inside.
Here’s what we’ve got in the entryway! Some swag (our cups came out so well), and some other cool stuff.
Front Display
We have an amazing Christmas Tree thanks to Mockingbird Flowers here in Anthony.
Christmas Tree
Check out this awesome Saint Nick Quilt!
Saint Nick Quilt
Now let’s look at our book displays starting with the Chris Kennedy Publishing Display. Such an honor to be a part of this crew.
CKP Display
Here’s a display of my books!
Rob Howell Display
Here’s a display of some great New Mythology Press stuff that I’ve had the honor to work with. At the bottom, so amazing alien romances from C.V. Walter!
New Mythology Press Display
But where would we be without our friends! Here’s a display showing off a bunch of the cool stuff from Raconteur Press!
Raconteur Press Display
And finally, thanks to Baen Books for sending swag to give out! They’re great folks, and here’s a small display showing some of the used Baen Books we have!
Baen Books Display
Well, I hope that was fun for you guys! We’re ecstatic and hope you can come visit someday, even if it’s not during our open house tomorrow.
New Mythology Works in Progress
I had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners of this year’s open call for Paladins of Valor. So many stories I wanted to publish, but here are the four I finally selected as the best.
Your pre-release this week is something new in the Four Horsemen Universe. It’s Thicker Than Water from Michael Morton and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CQ5TC144.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 360.2
Updated Word Count: 372,565
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We’re basically only a week away from the Grand Opening!
If you want to come join us, the ribbon-cutting from the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 1pm. Also, there’ll be cookies at about that time. Or if you prefer pizza and no ceremony, come later in the day.
I spent much of this week going hither and yon spreading flyers around the local area. For as exhausting a task as it is to go into every place I could find, I did find some interesting places. There’s place with tea, spices, and interesting stuff in Kiowa, a cool antique place with some fascinating sports memorabilia in Medicine Lodge, and a fun bakery/craft food store in Harper.
Also, we got our signs today. Install next week, and I can’t wait to show them off.
On the writing side, I made progress on a short story that’s due at the end of the month. I’m at about 6500 words on it, so it’s close.
However, my big project this week is reading through all the short stories we got for the Paladins of Valor open call. I have to say, this is probably going to be my toughest choice. There are so many good stories this time. It’s a good problem to have, but it’ll be a challenge.
With that, I better get to reading, or in this case, re-reading so I can weigh my choices.
What I’m Listening To
Jonathan Creek, another BBC mystery show. It’s more quirky than several.
Quote of the Week
“Across the channel was Ford Island and Battleship Row, containing the Arizona, Oklahoma, Maryland, Tennessee, all flaming, sinking wrecks. Ahead of us was the Oglala, sunk. Astern of us the cruiser Anchorage was not quite as bad off, but the Helena, the Honolulu, Raleigh and many supply and auxiliary vessels were afire and severely damaged.”
– Adrian Marks, aboard the USS Sacramento, in Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Another productive week in Rob world. The big success was getting the quilt store’s website live. It’s here: reddragonquilts.com/.
Then I did a bunch for our Grand Opening. Expect to see a number of posts on Facebook about the opening, but here’s the ad that’ll be in the Anthony Republican.
Oh, hey, there’s another new website! Chris Kennedy Publishing has its own shop. It’s got some things, but lots more to come. Check it out here: chriskennedypublishing.com/shop/.
On the writing front, I’ve been focusing on a short story due for a new Four Horsemen anthology. I’m getting close to having it done. I aim to have it finished by the end of next week.
Once I’m done with that, I’m turning my focus to The Feasting of Vengeance. I’m about a year behind on that project, like much of the other things in my life. However, I hope to turn it over in the spring.
I also finished a project in the world of Okkorim and sent that off. I’ve started the next phase on that, though only dabbling so far.
I mentioned a couple of weeks that I’m working on learning Facebook ads. I’m making progress, but it’s slow, in part because you have to try an ad or two, see the results, then adjust. Definitely a learning experience.
I’ve got another advertising thing coming, and it includes a Christmas present to all of you. More on that in a week or two.
Just know that I’m honored you guys read my updates and I’ll try and keep them informative and entertaining.
With that, I’m going to get more writing done.
What I’m Listening To
Seahawks against the Cowboys. Was there any doubt?
Happenings in Anthony
Walking back from trivia yesterday, we got a chance to see the downtown all lit up with Christmas lights. It’s not a huge display, but it’s cool. You should come visit.
Quote of the Week
Today is one of the hardest days of the year to find a quote. I mean, seriously, there are 365 days in the year. Why do 2 of the top 5 quote machines ever (Winston Churchill and Mark Twain) have to be born on this day?
So you get two quotes. Sorry, not sorry.
“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
– Mark Twain
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
– Winston Churchill
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Happy Black Friday! Sorry I didn’t get this done yesterday. After eating a great meal, watching the Cowboys, and snuggling with the grandbaby, I fell asleep before doing actual work.
We’ve been open for a week now, and it’s gone well. Some traffic, but most importantly, we’re already getting business using the longarm quilter. Apparently, the area has been without for a few years and we’d hoped we have a market. That seems to be the case.
We’re having our actual Grand Opening on Friday December15th. We’ll be open from 9am to 8pm with a variety of specials. We’ll have food catered by Kristy’s Kafe, the excellent pizza (and more) place a half block away.
As to writing, I’ve been focusing on publicity stuff all week, plus writing more for Luke Gygax’s Okkorim. Overall, I didn’t write a ton (about 4000 new words), but I caught up on store stuff and publicity.
And of course Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks to you all, I get to work the career I should always have done, and I thank you all immensely.
Enjoy your leftovers. Also, feel free to come over and help us eat ours!
Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Gray Cell Green by Ned’s Atomic Dustpin. One of my favorite songs from that alternative era of the 90s. This song got played a bit on the radio, but not much and it’s too bad.
Happenings in Anthony
We lost at trivia! Thank goodness. If we’d have won a 4th time in a row, there might’ve been a riot. Ironically, we got all 8 of the Music questions, which is the category that bedevils us.
Tonight they’re lighting the lights and having a parade. Then the kids get to do Santa Claus at the hall. Maybe we take the grandbaby there, if she’s (or to be honest, we’re) up to it.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Billy Connolly. What an interesting life he’s had, and he’s given me and so many others a lot of joy over over the years. So thanks to him, too.
Also born on this day are a host of interesting people like Oscar Robertson, Baruch Spinoza, Dwight Schultz, Spider Robinson, Scott Joplin, Forrest Ackerman, John Kovalic, Brad Sherwood, and a bunch more.
Life is supposed to be fun. It’s not a job or occupation. We’re here only once and we should have a bit of a laugh.
– Billy Connolly
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
20 Books was great. I learned a ton and will be putting that into practice throughout 2024. I spent most of my focus on advertising and publicity, which I’ll touch on again in a moment.
It’s also a fantastic place to check in with a bunch of others in the industry. Of course, much of this was simply hanging out with friends I haven’t seen in far too long, but of course it’s also hanging out with people I’ve not met before.
However, I don’t like Vegas. It’s boring, contrived, uncomfortable, and expensive. It’s good to be home.
Store Ad 20231116
The next momentous thing is… well, rather than explain it, check out the ad we put in the Anthony Republican.
For those scoring at home, that’s tomorrow. Going to be a fun day.
But back to the publicity thing, which is the next momentous thing. It was my plan to use 2023 to work on publicity and growing both the New Mythology and Firehall Sagas fan base. Then, of course, we got the amazing opportunity in Anthony, so I never really had the chance to put as much effort into this as I wanted.
Frankly, I haven’t had enough time to re-edit and shepherd the new releases, set up the bookstore, learn new advertising skills, and get all of the other writing I’ve committed to complete according to deadlines.
Something had to give, and that something is the Firehall Sagas timeline. We’re going to hold off re-releasing the Irinasaga, the second series I’ve written in the Firehall Sagas. Since we completed the Edwardsaga, this is a great time for a break. Also, I’m aiming to do a 5th book in that series in late 2024.
Instead, I’m learning publicity. To start with, I’ll spend the next quarter learning Facebook ads and incorporating those into my daily routine. Then, in February or so, I’m going to try TikTok or YouTube. Also, with the help of Kacey Ezell, we’re building a New Mythology mailing list. Then, in the summer of 2024 or so, I will be rebuilding how I do my mailing list. More to come on that when it’s relevant.
By the way, if you see one of my ads on Facebook, a like or, even better, a love, will help those out.
Luke Gygax 1
Now, I mentioned other writing projects. First, I owe all the readers of the Foresters The Feasting of Vengeance, book 3 in my sub-series about the Queen Elizabeth’s Own. I wanted to have this out this summer, to follow 2019 for The Feeding of Sorrows and 2021 for The Ravening of Wolves. Obviously, that didn’t happen. It needs to get done in 2024.
Luke Gygax 2
However, here’s where we get to the really cool part.
That guy in the two pictures is Luke Gygax. That’s a familiar name to many of you, and yes, he’s one of Gary Gygax’s sons. For those who don’t recognize the name, Gary Gygax invented Dungeons & Dragons, which is honestly a major cornerstone in this whole career for me.
I have the incredible honor to join his team creating the World of Okkorim. I’ll be writing a variety of things in the world, and while I can’t talk much about what we’re doing, I can tell you we’re doing some cool things.
You can actually get started playing in this world with some modules he has available. Here’s one on Amazon, in fact, The Eye of Chentoufi. I’ve actually had the pleasure to play in this module, and our group had a great time. We played at 20Books last year, in fact, and it’s actually how I got involved in the project. You can get it here, by the way: amazon.com/dp/B0BWK8DS61.
Stay tuned for continuing releases.
And with that, I better get going. I have to get up early for opening day.
What I’m Listening To
Ravens v. Bengals. It was trending to be a great game, but then Joe Burrow got hurt and that’s going to make it difficult.
Happenings in Anthony
We may never get to go back to trivia. We’ve one the last 3 weeks in a row.
More importantly for the town, they put up a bunch of decorations this week. Also, they’ve got a number of fun things going on next week.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of my favorite Dallas Cowboys player ever. It’s not Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett, or any of the normal names. It’s actually Harvey Martin. Nicknamed “Too Mean,” to counterpoint “Too Tall” Jones on the other side of the defensive line. Had sacks been an official statistic during Martin’s career, he might very well be in the Hall of Fame.
Sadly, drugs and alcohol hit him hard after he retired and while he got clean later in life, he died far too soon at age 51 in 2001.
In any case, if you see me wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey with 79 on it, it’s him.
Mark Wandrey returns this week with more adventures in the 4HU and, in fact, with a novel about one of the Horsemen themselves. Mil SF at its most action-packed. Get Winged Hussars: Andromeda here: amazon.com/dp/B0CLL1XLJ2.
Today’s Weight: 361.1 (Did I mention I hate Vegas? I had salads a number of times and I tried to eat well, but it’s just impossible)
Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The Texas Rangers won the World Series last night.
It’s still surreal. I’ll talk about it more down below, as there’s also a bunch of great book stuff this week.
First, a quick thing. Tomorrow, November 3rd, Chimera Coup is on sale! Check out book 1 of the Heirs of Cataclysm series for only $2.99. Deal good only for tomorrow. Go here to get your deal: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
Farewell, My Ugly
Farewell, My Ugly is out on Tuesday! This is the first completely new Edward novel in several years, but it won’t be that long to the next one.
He’s clashed with Pherenike of the Imperial Guard before, but now she comes to him, hat in hand, to solve a problem that has bedeviled her. Edward uncovers the greatest plot he’s found yet, one that will shake the Empire of Makhaira to its core. Can he save the people of Achrida, friend and foe alike?
On Tuesday, you’ll find out.
Next in the Firehall Sagas is a bit of a shift. The Ruriksaga is a collection of previously published short stories and a bunch of appendix material. There’s also a brand new story detailing the time when Ragnar and Zoe met.
They weren’t always innkeepers, after all.
In January, we’ll switch to epic fantasy in the Firehall Sagas, with a five book series to complete in June. These center around Irina Ivanovna, former Great Mother of Periaslavl.
We’re in November, and that means the open call for the next Valor anthology is coming to a close. These have to be in by November 30th.
November also means 20Books Vegas. If you’re there, say “Hi!” I probably won’t do a full update next week, by the way. Instead, I’ll probably send out a message with all the release details of Farewell, My Ugly and maybe a comment or two.
Red Dragon Quilts
We have news about the stores! We’re having a soft opening on Wednesday, November 15th, and then planning on a Grand Opening/Holiday Party on Saturday, December 16th, after we get the bugs worked out.
Dragon’s Den Books
Check out our cool new logos, thanks to the amazing Cedar Sanderson. Red Dragon Quilts and Dragon’s Den Books.
I hope you all come in some day and check out what we’re doing. We had the Harper Counter EcoDev lady come in today, and she’s excited about what we’re doing.
As are we.
And, hey, the Texas Rangers won the World Series. Did I mention that?
Some of you reading this were there on that awful night in 2011 when we were 1 strike away from winning the World Series against the Cardinals. I watched that game in St. Louis at McGurk’s.
It was awful for me, great for you. That was Game 6 of that series, and if you ever hear me say “Game 6,” it’s that game, no other Game 6 that has ever happened.
It was a tough night, and while we went to the series the year after, that series was never as close. Then came some down, wretched years. The Rangers lost more than 100 games 2 years ago.
I had no expectations of this year’s team. There were so many questions marks. How much would injuries bite the pitching staff? Would the offense gel? How good was Josh Jung? Could Adolis Garcia take a step up? Could all these free agents contribute? And so on.
The strange thing is that a bunch of those things went badly. Injuries hammered this team, and they went through some awful stretches. At the beginning of the year, they were really hot and many, including me, expected some regression.
That regression happened, but it turned out it wasn’t all luck. They finished with a run differential of 162, meaning they scored that many more runs than they allowed through the year. That’s a huge indicator of a team doing well, and their Pythagorean W/L record was 96-66, which shows they were unlucky to finish only 90-72.
By the way, the only AL team with a better PythW/L and run differential was Tampa Bay, so I did not want to face them in playoffs. Until, of course, we swept them. Things continued against Baltimore, which was exciting.
Then the @#$(&&**ing Astros. That used to be my NL team, and I rooted for them for years, yet this group is so unlikable. But they’re really good. Yordan Alvarez nigh unto won the ALCS by himself, until Adolis Garcia decided he’d do that.
And then the World Series. I knew I wasn’t going to believe we won until that final out happened. I guess I still don’t really think it’s happened, and I’ve checked throughout the day, just to make sure. 50 years of frustration and awful baseball, and Game 6, will do that to a fan.
But when Marcus Semien hit that homer in the 9th to put us up 5-0, that’s when I started to think it might happen.
I’m sorta surprised I didn’t break my desk pounding on it after that.
The Rangers’ slogan through the playoffs was #GoAndTakeIt. Well, they #WentAndTookIt.
Wow.
What I’m Listening To
Midsomer Murders, with the guy who plays Father Brown as a guest star.
Happenings in Anthony
We won at trivia again! The Music category was kind to us.
They did it up well for all the kids on Halloween. There was trick-or-treating along Main Street and then a costume contest.
Quote of the Week
Eric Nadel has called Rangers games on TV and radio since 1979. Here’s his call at the end of the game.
“Sborz kicks and fires. He struck him out looking! It’s over! It’s over! The Rangers have won the World Series!
Ranger fans, you’re not dreaming!”
– Eric Nadel
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First, a quick thing. Tomorrow, November 3rd, Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall is on sale! Check out book 1 of the Heirs of Cataclysm series for only $2.99. Deal good only for tomorrow. Go here to get your deal: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
It’s time for more Salvage Title adventures! This week’s release is Salvage Search from David Alan Jones, which you can get here: amazon.com/dp/B0CLR91ZWF.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Most falls, I get a cold. It knocks me back for a bit. This week was the week for that. I got almost no writing done, though I did get a number of side projects done, including some work on my website. I’ve been adding some things in preparation for the release of Farewell, My Ugly, which comes out on November 7th.
Farewell, My Ugly
Did I mention Farewell, My Ugly comes out on November 7th? In that case, it’s time for a cover reveal. Check this out, again from J. Caleb Designs. It’s brilliant, as usual.
I spent this week trying to write on a number of projects. I got some words written here and there, but not much. I’m finally on the other side, though, so this will be a great week.
I did manage to get a bunch of books priced and organized. The store is taking shape. Next week, I’ll have more pictures. We’re only about 3 weeks from opening day.
Exciting times!
Also exciting is for the third time ever, the Texas Rangers advanced to the World Series. The first major league sporting event I ever attended was a Rangers game back in 1974 or so. The stadium was wretched, but I loved it and ran around in all sorts of places I shouldn’t have.
I still recall the names of Toby Harrah (who would’ve been a huge player in today’s time with his excellent walk rate), Jeff Burroughs, Fergie Jenkins, Charlie Hough, and even Lenny Randle and Frank Lucchesi. They weren’t good teams, but they’ve been my team since I had a team.
So, to coin a phrase, #GoAndTakeIt.
With that, I’m going to cut this short. I’ve got bunches of stuff to catch up on, and I’ll get a bit more written tonight. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
No football so far tonight. Spending time with the wife and mom-in-law watching older Midsomer Murders. Man, I wonder what the homicide per 100,000 rate is there. Is it worse or better than Cabot Cove?
Happenings in Anthony
Not much to report, as I was in the house all week.
Quote of the Week
Happy OK Corral Day!!! Which of course makes me think of Tombstone, and that makes this week’s quote obvious.
“I’m your huckleberry.”
– Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Updated Word Count: Accounting mostly done. Well over 300k. Exact count net week.
Firehall Sagas Archives: 749 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sigh. A good chunk of my writing buddies are in North Carolina today having fun at FactoryCon. With the move and setting up the stores, it wasn’t in the cards this year. Frankly, I haven’t seen them since LibertyCon, and that’s far too long. I’ll get to see a goodly number at 20Books Vegas, and that will be wonderful, but that’s several weeks away.
I’ve still been enjoying the release of Where Now the Rider. Reviews are excellent. Frankly reviews of the whole Firehall Sagas series have been great, and I appreciate it. Get all 3 books here: amazon.com/dp/B0CCKWZKYQ.
This has been a week of various projects. We buy half a cow each year from friends in Iowa. That’s now a two-day trip, so all I could do is some bediting for work. Also this week was Anthony Fall Fest. Makes it hard to make a lot of progress.
However, I did get a few words written along with a bunch of editing on the Ruriksaga. This has been rough sledding, in part because of fatigue, but it’s getting there. Also this week, I started editing I Am a Wondrous Thing.
I got feedback on my sooper-sekrit project and it was very positive. I’ll talk about it when I can, but they really liked the first part.
We also made a bunch of progress on the building. We’re setting November 15th as a tentative opening date. There’ll still be a bunch to do to improve things, but we’ll have stock, working POS systems, and our store areas are looking great.
All in all, it’s one of those weeks where I probably got a lot done, but it didn’t feel like it. Combine that with a long period without a break, and missing my friends, I’ve been a bit down.
But next week will be good. We’ll finish the apartment and that’s a huge load off my brain. I’ll start putting in inventory, ,which will make the shop much more real, and we’ll have the Man Cave going.
But for now, you guys have fun at FactoryCon!
What I’m Listening To
A pretty bland game between the Saints and the Jaguars. I should probably be watching Texas play Houston, but I get so stressed, I decided to let it go for a while. Plus, my superstition is big time games go better if I don’t watch them. It’s not true of course, but sometimes it’s what I do.
Happenings in Anthony
We’ve settled on Nobody of Consequence for our trivia team name. We really need people who know movies and music, because those two categories kill us. We do great on the other ones, but it’s tough when you’re dropping 20% of the possible points off the top.
This week is the town clean up. I’ll be dropping off chairs and some other stuff to clear up the place.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthdays to L.E. Modesitt, Jr. and John le Carré. Heck of a lot of great stories come from this day.
Anyway, here’s a quote from le Carré about how writers and spies are alike.
A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream population. He steals his experience through bribes and reconstructs it.
– John le Carré
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
New author alert! Final Assembly by Dennis M. Myers, the first book in his Rise of the Automated Empire series, is set in a post-scarcity society on the moon in the distant future, where no one lacks for anything, and everyone gets along. Right? Not so fast… Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKVFR1PL.
Updated Word Count: Still need to do an accounting
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My goodness, what a week! Around 7,000 new words in a number of projects, plus so much else going on.
I got some great feedback on Where Now the Rider. Check out this review: “I shouldn’t have started this book at 2230. I should have known better. I do know better. All three of these have done violence to my sleep, and I did it willingly. I look forward to another.”– Greg Gagnon, KU Reader.
The first story I ever wrote was in 1997 and it was done only to fill a quire in the program for Neocon 8. It was, at the time, wretched and required a goodly amount of hubris to put it there.
Still, it filled the quire almost exactly and now that it’s been edited after all this experience, I’m quite pleased with it. Thanks to Nick Steverson and Marisa Wolf for including it in Thirteen Stories of Horror, which comes out tomorrow!
Stay tuned tomorrow for both the release link and details of a fun podcast with a bunch of the authors on Saturday evening at 7pm Central.
I’ll be there for part of it, but I’m going to be pretty busy on Saturday. It’s Anthony’s Fall Fest and I’ll have a booth in front of Pack N’Flavor restaurant. Come get books from me and some of the great cookies they sell there.
We made huge progress on our personal library this week, which is basically a long hallway extending from my den, which is behind my desk in the bookstore. I also got a big step up on the bookstore layout, plus put up new lights in the store. I’m making progress actually putting books on shelves. The vast majority of them are in stacks of their categories. Next week will bring a bunch of labels, more organization, and my checkout counter.
Oh, and stay tuned for cool new logos coming next week.
We’re starting to get a whole bunch of things in their actual place!
Oh, and we have a new assistant.
Bella
What I’m Listening To
The Chiefs beating up on Denver. Man, the Broncos simply aren’t a good offense. I don’t know what their overall problem is, as I don’t really study them, but they’re just not good.
Happenings in Anthony
Fall Fest 2023
Anthony Fall Fest! Click the thumbnail for the larger image.
Well, Team Nobody of Consequence didn’t, quite, defend their title at trivia last night. We were just too far behind after the music and entertainment categories. However, we almost made a miracle comeback, running the entire last category and getting a full 16 points. Lost by 2, 37 to 35. We’ll get ’em next week.
Quote of the Week
On this day, in 322, Demosthenes died. Demosthenes was one of the world’s greatest orators. I don’t have time here to give more than a quote, be he’s well worth looking into.
And, of course, you can read Jack McDevitt’s excellent A Talent for War to get a perspective on Demosthenes.
In any case, this is perhaps the most true quote I’ve ever posted, and something we all have to work against.
Nothing is easier than self-deceit.
– Demosthenes
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is a new series from a new author! It’s Final Assembly by Dennis M. Myers, the first book in his Rise of the Automated Empire series. This series is set in a post-scarcity society on the moon in the distant future, where no one lacks for anything, and everyone gets along. Right? Not so fast… Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKVFR1PL.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 355.8
Updated Word Count: Did too much to do that full accounting, but will try to do so next week.
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This is book 3 of the Edwardsaga. Edward made a promise and the time has come to fulfill it despite the fact that everyone wants him to leave the past buried. The trail leads to something he never expected, and maybe the bad guy isn’t the worst thing out there.
One of my favorite parts of writing this novel is that since it is the third, there’s a lot of depth within Achrida I can use. For example, Edward gave the promise in question during his investigation in A Lake Most Deep. The answers he got in that mystery may not have been worth the cost.
The Edwardsaga
In any case, the Edwardsaga now has 3 books with a 4th (Farewell, My Ugly) coming out on November 7th. And all that I just said about building on top of things for Where Now the Rider is that much more true about Farewell, My Ugly. This started as an homage to Dick Francis and ended up an homage to Bernard Cornwell. From Sid Halley to Sharpe.
Next week, I’ll have another release: Thirteen Stories of Horror. This is an anthology coming out on Friday the 13th. My story is actually the first story I ever wrote in a moment of pure hubris way back in 1997. That’s long before I ever thought I might be a writer. I wrote it only to fill a quire in the program for NeoCon 8.
I’m in the middle of two projects right now. One I’m just going to call The Seven, as the project is Sooper Sekrit. The other is The Ruriksaga, which will be the next Firehall Sagas release, aimed at December 12th. It’s a collection of all the short stories I’ve written in Eard, along with some other tidbits.
Making progress on the stores, too. Mostly this week I’ve started the early sorting of books into their categories. I was mostly caught up but got 2 more totes and 4 boxes today. Today was actually a Wichita excursion, which got me the books, some excellent bookshelves, and a variety of things to finish projects around here.
We haven’t decided anything yet, but I’m hoping to have the ribbon cutting as close to my return from 20BooksVegas as possible.
One last thing. Thanks to Consortium of Genius for inspiring this update’s title. If you haven’t checked them out, they’re the best hard rock supervillain comedy band I know of.
And with that, I better get writing.
What I’m Listening To
Bears kicking the tails of the Washington Football Team. I like it.
Happenings in Anthony
We won trivia this week!!! The Civil War category was right up my alley but, I think, no one else.
Weekend after next is Fall Fest, and the decorations are making Main Street look pretty cool. Pics in a couple weeks.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the R101 airship disaster in 1930 and that, of course, makes me think of Iron Maiden.
Because they wrote an epic song about that event called Empire of the Clouds.
“Now a shadow on a hill
The angel of the east
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
And in a country churchyard
Laid head to the mast
Eight and forty souls
Who came to die in France”
– Iron Maiden, Empire of the Clouds.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I’m back on the horse. September was simply just too busy but we’ve definitely turned the corner.
This week we have D.T. Read’s Ganwold’s Child. This is not the next book in her excellent Seventh Shaman series, but is actually book one in the Sergey Chronicles. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CJDLJ4H2.
The pre-release this week is a new 4HU novel. It’s Gunpowder Geishas by Carolyn Kay. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKF8BP29.
Updated Word Count: I’ll do a full accounting next week, but it’s getting up there.
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first time in far too long, I finished a novel. In the last 6 full months, I only wrote about 34,000 words in that, plus a few here and there on other stuff. That’s really slow for me.
Farewell, My Ugly comes out on November 7th.
Before that, of course, we have Where Now the Rider, which comes out on Tuesday! Edward has to fulfill a promise, though no one wants him to dig under that particular stone.
Of course, we all know I had reasons for that, not excuses. Still, it’s nice to fell like I’m really getting back into the flow. I’m even more excited for once we get to a normal keel, which should be sometime in early 2024.
So we’ve got a while yet, but each week gets us farther along. Here are some pictures of where we’re at.
Multipurpose Room BeforeMultipurpose Room After
Let’s start with the multipurpose room. This will have classes, game nights, and temporary office space. The first picture is after we cleaned it out, and it needed cleaning, but before we put the subfloor down. The second is after the floor went in along with the new lighting. It went from a dreary room I didn’t like going into to a great place to do stuff. Perhaps my favorite transformation so far.
Quilt Store Pews 1Quilt Store Pews 2
Now here are some pictures of the quilt store. When we bought this place, it was an open room filled with a bunch of pews. As you can see, we found great use for these. They stack nicely, and already had holes drilled to screw in place. They’re amazing shelves. By her calculation, we can put over 800 bolts on display at any given moment. That seems like a lot to me, but what do I know?
Quilt Store FrontBolts on Pews
As you can see, stacking them works perfectly for bolts of cloth.
Then we get to a broader look at the room with a picture aimed toward the front. We’re adding all sorts of shelves and displays on the ends and up front, but this serves as the core.
Quilt Store Battleship RowLoom Goddess Assembling a Floor Model
Now to the important part of the room, which is opposite the stacked pews. I call this Battleship Row, though I suspect the wife has a different name for it. Speaking of the Loom Goddess, here she is assembling a floor model and telling me just what she thinks of me taking her picture.
In the back, you can see the longarm quilting machine, a sewing machine setup, then we have the big loom (the one that wouldn’t fit in the van), then another loom for making rugs. As mentioned, we’ll have other looms to try out, along with a variety of other toys along that front wall.
And we haven’t even talked about the side walkway. We’ll get to that eventually.
Front of Bookstore
I suspect many of you have been curious about the bookstore. My side isn’t as organized yet, though by the end of next week it’ll be much closer. Here’s the front, where I have 3 sets of 4 shelves plus 2 on the end and a shorter one in the window. I’ll be adding endcaps to each of the 3 sets, probably where I put some of the small publishing displays.
SFF Books Getting Sorted
Here’s a picture of the main wall of SF/F, along with horror and possibly mystery. This is just a start at getting all that alphabetized, and intermixed are new books plus books I’m keeping. For now, just getting this all sorted is a huge step.
I’m waiting on brackets to put up all the shelves. There’ll be 8 total 10ft long shelves here. The top is 12in wide for storage and fun displays. It’s to tall for me to reach easily, so it’s mostly just for flavor stuff. Yes, that’s a Munchkin figure as the first thing. Seems appropriate.
The next shelf down will likely be too tall for many readers, so again, that’ll be for displays. However, that leaves 60 linear feet of space, which should do for SF/F, at least for the moment.
By the way, some of you eagle-eyed folk might spot titles by friends. Again, this is a mass sort, and the books given to me by other indie/small press authors are going onto a bookshelf in the break room. The break room will serve as a place for those waiting on people shopping at the quilt store to relax. It’ll have comfy chairs, books, and a TV. Hopefully, they’ll check out some of your guys’ stuff.
This idea, by the way, comes from the quilt companies in Hamilton, MO, who have a storefront dedicated entirely to getting non-quilters a comfy place to wait. Pictures to come when we get this somewhat close to done.
Office and Counter
Finally, at least for this set of pictures, is my desk and the counter of the store. Some friends might recognize the counter, which was made by some awesome people in Canada for their Pennsic set up. They decided it was too much, and I pounced. I think it’s an amazing piece of furniture and will proudly display their heraldry in my store.
Then there’s my desk. It’s a mess, but again, each day a few things get put into the right place. It’s a comfy, productive setup, so that part’s nice.
Through the open door is our shipping station and then also a small den for me to relax in (and watch football without disturbing the wife). Most importantly, it has a chair that serves equally well for naps and bediting. Bediting, by the way, is when I edit on my phone, and the small screen really helps me see stuff I don’t on the computer.
So that’s a small tour of the building so far. It’s exciting. Not as exciting as typing “The End,” but it’s up there.
What I’m Listening To
Empire of the Clouds, by Iron Maiden. It’s an epic song about the R101 airship disaster.
Happenings in Anthony
Fall Fest is in a couple of weeks.
Our team name in trivia this week was “Even Mom Don’t Know.” We did really well, actually, missing out by only one point.
Quote of the Week
On this day, in 935 (maybe 928), Wenceslas I was assassinated. This is the Good King Wenceslas and the events around his death are interesting to any writer. Also, there’s a picture of his skull used for a ceremony on the Wikipedia page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslaus_I,_Duke_of_Bohemia, and how cool is that?
Speaking of cool, here’s a link to Heather Dale’s version of the song, which is just amazing. youtube.com/watch?v=3W2vn6RlXMQ.
And here’s the 4th verse of the song, the one I like the best.
Sire, the night is darker now,
and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how;
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, my good page.
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
freeze thy blood less coldly.
– Good King Wenceslas, Václav Alois Svoboda, translated by John Mason Neale
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
This week’s pre-release brings us back to the amazing Salvage Title universe. It’s Alex Rath’s Tails of Revenge, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CJYGPJ9S.
D.T. Read’s Ganwold’s Child is out. This is not the next book in her excellent Seventh Shaman series, but is actually book one in the Sergey Chronicles. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CJDLJ4H2.
Your pre-release this week is
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 353.8
Updated Word Count: xxx,xxx
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Another productive week! Almost ready to send Farewell, My Ugly to the editor. Soooo close.
Where Now the Rider
First, I’m really excited about Where Now the Rider. It comes out on October 3rd, and is the 3rd of the Edward novels. In this one, Edward fulfills a promise made in A Lake Most Deep. Unfortunately, that promise involves asking questions most everyone thinks are better left forgotten. Edward ends up facing a foe who’s been plotting against Edward for far too long.
The ARC went out to the advance team this week, so if you’re on the team, check your inboxes. If you’re not on the advance team, but want to read new stuff before anyone else, drop me a line.
This is one of those “negative” writing weeks, in that I ended up with less words. However, somewhere around 85% of the story is polished so I’m getting there. Today, for example, I did my “that” search. I eliminate as many “thats” as I can, which ends up getting rid of a whole bunch of wasted verbiage. I did that for a couple other phrases/words that often just clog up the reading.
This is also the part where I’m starting to really love the story. I start with a cool idea, then I get to about 70k, and things get slow and boggy. Frustration sets in a bit as it’s tough. Then I get over the hump, and the story pops of the page again.
I’m at that point, which is always a great feeling.
Also close is the layout of the bookstore. By this time next week, I should have all the shelves constructed and start sorting books by category. Hopefully, next week, we’ll have a bunch of the layout of the quilt shop done. Also, might have our POS computers up.
What we did finish is the big multi-purpose room floor. It looks good. I’ll have pictures next week after we have the lighting redone. It has a dropped ceiling and we’re putting in 2x2ft LED panels that are really nice. We also put these in the AirBNB.
We aim to have the AirBNB ready at some point in October. We’ll be painting it next week, and might even have part of the floor done there too.
Progress, progress, progress.
What I’m Listening To
49ers v. Giants. Right now, the step-spawn is yelling at the TV.
Happenings in Anthony
I’m starting a new category this week, and that’s a local report from Anthony, KS.
We’ve started going to the Idle Hour’s Wednesday night trivia and half-price wings. Our name last week was, “We Don’t Have One.” This week it’s “We Still Don’t Know.” We’re doing okay, though it’s just the two of us and we have no clue about popular music. If you know popular stuff, come join us!
Speaking of trivia night, the city is hosting a trivia night on November 4th as a fundraiser. More details next week.
Quote of the Week
Today is Bill Murray’s birthday, and that’s a fact, Jack!
Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you’re donating blood.
– Bill Murray
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is D.T. Read’s Ganwold’s Child. This is not the next book in her excellent Seventh Shaman series, but is actually book one in the Sergey Chronicles. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CJDLJ4H2.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.6
Updated Word Count: 212,924
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s amazing how productive I can be during weeks where I don’t have to travel. This was a very good week, and for the first time in a long time, I averaged over 1000 new words a day.
The main work was in Farewell, My Ugly, where I added over 7000 new words, plus did final edits on over half of it. The end and off to the editor should happen next week.
It’s finally coming around the bend. Thank goodness.
I also did work on the project coming out after that. I’ll talk about it more, but I started a short story in it and I got about 1600 words written in that one too.
Where Now the Rider
The big news this week, however, is I have a cover reveal! Where Now the Rider comes out on October 3rd, and here’s the cover. Many thanks to J. Caleb Designs for yet another great cover. As, of course, we expected because he is one of the best cover artists in the business.
This was also a great week for working on the building. We started laying floor in the big room. I expect we’ll have pictures next week because we’re done.
We also got the AirBnB cleaned out. We’re aiming for that to be available in October, but there’s a long way to go.
Finally, at some point next week, I can start organizing books. Plus there’s stock coming in for the quilt store. Hopefully next week we’ll have a logo to show off.
It’s been a great week. I hope yours go just as well!
What I’m Listening To
With our current setup, it’s really easy for me to watch Thursday Night Football and do my update. So, guess what I’m doing now?
Quote of the Week
“Give me a ping, Vasily. One ping only.”
Happy birthday to Sam Neill, who played Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October. Here’s a quote from him, something I’m glad I’ve learned along the way.
“Failure is never quite so frightening as regret.”
– Sam Neill
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I’ve done a bad job here, this week. Been focused on Farewell, My Ugly.
Your pre-release this week is book 4 of Kevin Ikenberry’s Guardian Covenant series. It’s entitled Volunteer Fury and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CHZ14TWK.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
At least, what the Rob kneeds now. He needs to not hurt his knee and then drive over 2000 miles over a weekend. Sadly, that’s exactly what Rob did this past weekend. Hard to have an especially productive week when you lose 4 full days between the trip and the recovery.
The Eyes of a Doll
Still, I did get some writing done. I got a couple thousand written on Farewell, My Ugly plus about 1500 on a short story I’ve wanted to write for a while.
I want to thank all of those who are part of New Mythology’s ARC team. I say it sometimes, but not enough. They do a great job helping up have great releases. I especially want to thank them for all the help getting The Eyes of a Doll released. You can get that here: amazon.com/dp/B0CGMV3B91.
We could use a few more on our ARC team, though, so if you’re interested in contributing to what we’re building, hit me up. You get to read cool stuff and be part of the magic.
I did a goodly amount of work on this house this week too. We’re ticking off things, despite the normal challenges of DIY stuff. By the end of next week, we’ll be kicking it into hyperdrive organizing the stores. I’ll have shelves. We’ll have storage. Exciting times.
Also next week, we’ll be ramping up for the release of Where Now theRider, book 3 of the Firehall Sagas. Edward’s back and this time has to fulfill a promise he made in A Lake Most Deep, despite the fact that Zupan Vukasin really doesn’t want to see that happen.
Expect a cover reveal next week, too.
Also coming soon is an announcement about an anthology that includes, quite literally, the first story I ever wrote. It goes back to 1997, long before I thought I’d ever really write for a career.
For now, I’m going back to work.
What I’m Listening To
The Chiefs v. the Lions. The NFL is back, and I’m here for it.
Quote of the Week
One of my favorite songs to sing in the SCA is Conn MacNeil’s Crusader’s Song. Today happens to be the anniversary of the Battle of Arsuof, which is more than enough excuse for me to quote from that song.
“At Arsouf on the coastline we met with the Paynim,
We won the battle, though many men fell,
And one was a Baron with lands that need tending,
Now they are mine, and I’ll tend them well.”
– Conn MacNeill, Crusader’s Song.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Edward returns and all he has to do is find a little girl’s doll. There’s no way that ends up involving Achrida’s crime lords, murderous servants of the emperor, and an ancient evil, right? Right?
It was a pretty good week of writing, almost 5000 words more in Farewell, My Ugly. I hope to do better next week, but I’ve been faced with so much around the house.
I spent this week wishing for one man more. Or woman. And I got it. With lots of help, we got a ton done around the house.
The big news here is that the classroom/temp office/storage/game room is ready to lay floor. This room is about 1000 square feet, and it was sort of a catchall room. But it’s been cleaned out, carpet floor strips removed, floor trim salvaged, and we have the underlayment ready to install.
This is one of the biggest dominoes we’ve needed to fall, because once it’s built, we can set up her fabric storage shelves. Just getting all the fabric totes out of the big room will be a huge step.
I also managed to get my woodshop to the point where I can putter without necessarily having to move something first. Some of its shelves are up and ready to go, and I can use the table saw, which will be needed for the underlayment of the big room.
The previous owner had bought some windows for our apartment area, and we got those installed. This is a major thing in terms of heating and air, as it’s a bank of 4 big west-facing windows.
Also, now we can set up the bar.
We made major progress cleaning out the AirBNB room, too. Some of that is the simple fact the windows were stored in there, but there’s a bunch more that’s gone.
A big help today was the arrival of Autumn from Prairie Rose Mortuary. This is the other mortuary in Harper County, and I asked her to come over and take all the things she might want, like coffin inserts and such.
The place we bought was a mortuary, by the way, if you didn’t know. Prairie Rose is the reason we were able to buy this place, because Anthony is… wait for it… a one-hearse town.
I’m pretty proud of that one.
And if you need an out-of-date style coffin for your Halloween, hit me up.
What I’m Listening To
The Cult, She Sells Sanctuary. This isn’t in my top 10 songs of all time, but it ain’t far off.
Quote of the Week
Happy Deathday to Henry V. Okay, so maybe deathdays aren’t as enjoyable as birthday, but he died August, 31, 1422, and if you think I’m going to pass up a chance to quote part of the Crispin’s Day speech, well, now you know.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
– Henry V, Shakespeare
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a hectic week. I spent a goodly amount of it in North Dakota with family. There was more than a little cuteness with a grandbaby and a kitten, but a bunch of stuff to do.
The Eyes of a Doll
It was so busy I barely mentioned my new release. Last Friday, Imagine That!, the new collection of postcard nanostories released by Raconteur Press, came out. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CFX7XPPW.
I’ve also hardly mentioned that The Eyes of a Doll, sequel to A Lake Most Deep, comes out next Tuesday. How did it get to be late August already?
Nevertheless, the Firehall Sagas continues! The Eyes of a Doll does come out in only 5 days. Edward is back and all he has to do is retrieve a lost doll. Nothing could go wrong with that, right?
And if you want the first in that series, A Lake Most Deep, you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CCKVLPBL. Following that, by the way, will be Where Now the Rider, coming out on October 3rd.
I’m getting back into the groove finishing Farewell, My Ugly. About all I could do during much of the recent traveling was editing it, so I’m farther along on that than I normally in, but behind on the new content. I’m actually down on my count from last week, cutting several thousand wasted words out, but I expect to get those back tomorrow or the day after.
I have a number of other irons in the fire right now, but I’m still recovering from a month on the road, so for now, I’ll wish you all a good week.
What I’m Listening To
The Steelers v. the Falcons in preseason. Football is almost here, baby!
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Stephen Fry!
“You are who you are when nobody’s watching.”
– Stephen Fry
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is more 4HU, and it’s from a new author in the universe, William S. Frisbee. Get Brass, Inc.here; amazon.com/dp/B0CGCJQXKS.
And remember, The Eyes of a Doll comes out on Tuesday!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 356.6
Updated Word Count: 209,934
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Well, I made it home safely from Pennsic. However, I had to jump right back on the road up to North Dakota for some family things. Nearly 40 hours of driving in 4 days makes a tired me. There are some great things happening, though.
Thomas Guarding JJ
Check out this picture of Thomas the Cat taking care of JJ the Grandbaby. We’ve actually had an abundance of cuteness as not only is there JJ, there’s a tiny kitten my sweetie rescued bumbling around.
I haven’t done much work this week, for reasons not excuses, but I can’t complain about all the cuteness.
Also, there’s so much going on with stuff already in progress, I barely have time to breath. First, it’s been a month sinceA Hope In Hell came out. This is book 3 in Christopher G. Nuttall’s excellent Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy. It’s been a great honor to be a part of this and you can see why by getting it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CBDGZ7D6/.
I did a cover reveal of The Eyes of a Doll last week, but here it is again. It comes out on the 29th, so in less than two weeks.
In this one, Edward just has to retrieve a girl’s doll lost at a picnic. What could go wrong?
But wait, there’s more. I was accepted to an anthology of horror coming out around Halloween. Expect a cool cover reveal in a few weeks. My contribution is literally the first story I ever wrote. Man, did I cringe when I edited it.
And there’s still more!
Imagine That!
Imagine That!, a new Postcards anthology following Imaginarium, comes out tomorrow. Again, I’m honored the folks at Raconteur Press chose my story and I think you’ll all like it.
After we get all the family stuff dealt with, I’m looking forward to an extended period of little travel. It’s time to start settling down after a really busy past few months.
What I’m Listening To
The baby and the kitten playing together. Pretty darn cool, if you ask me.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Brian Aldiss, who has a quote that really resonates with me. I’ve certainly never fit into the system.
Why had I become a writer in the first place? Because I wasn’t fit for society; I didn’t fit into the system.
– Brian Aldiss
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s the 2nd Thursday of Pennsic and that means one thing: It’s the day after Moonlight Madness, which means everything is slow in the merchant area.
Moonlight Madness is as much roaming around with friends in the merchant area as it is a shopping time. We had a great evening, with a lot of traffic interested in our vine-ripened, organic, dolphin-safe madness, so it was a lot of fun.
Overall, Pennsic has been incredibly busy. My writing output is nowhere near what I expected, but that’s because we’ve sold way more than ever. In fact, on Monday, we’d sold more than we had at any previous Pennsic. There were several irregular expenses for this Pennsic having to do with the new trailer and other such things so I hoped to break even. We did way better than that.
I got 20 copies of A Lake Most Deep and I sold them. In fact, I had people coming up asking for The Eyes of a Doll. And Where Now the Rider. So all that is exciting.
That being said, I did make some progress on Farewell, My Ugly. I got through an editing pass to catch up with where I’d lost track during the move, and I added a number of scenes to conclude various threads. I’d hoped to be in the 90s by the end of the week, but the 80s with a lot of sales will have to do.
I also had quite a bit of interest in Rob’s Riddles. Obviously, more subscribers there would be very nice.
I entitled this Madness Recovery Program, but the truth is there’s so much left to do before leaving, that program will have to start when we get home. We have the kingdom party tonight then the long process of packing out. I should be on the road Saturday morning and it’ll be good to get back to the kitties.
With that, I better take care of the customers coming into my store.
What I’m Listening To
Conversations around the merchant area, like last week. It’s a beautiful day here and people are strolling about enjoying the last couple of days of Pennsic. A pair of friends are warping the last two looms I have for sale, and they’re talking weaving stuff that is way too complicated for me.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull! That’s one of my favorite bands ever, which is probably not a real surprise.
This quote is from Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day, which is in my top 10 songs of all time.
“You were bred for humanity and sold to society.
One day you’ll wake up in the present day,
a million generations removed from the expectations
of being who you really want to be.”
– Jethro Tull, Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is more MilSF awesomeness! It’s Stand on Xanadu, book 9 in John E. Siers’ amazing Lunar Free State series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CF441GQ7.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 352.0
Updated Word Count: 208,641
Firehall Sagas Archives: 743 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m at Pennsic! The shop is set up and I’ve been selling. Going to be a fascinating year as this is Pennsic 50.
I had a great week. Obviously, it’s been a week or so since A Lake Most Deep, book 1 of the Firehall Sagas, came out. Thanks to all who helped, including especially Larry Correia, for contributing to such a great release.
It was a bit challenging to keep abreast of comments and other things on social media as I literally got on the road on release day. However, it meant that at stops I had the pleasant task of checking and answering. Again, thanks very much.
The Eyes of a Doll
Of course, at New Mythology, we set things up so we put out a bunch of books in a series in quick succession, so today I’m giving you the cover reveal for book 2, The Eyes of a Doll, which comes out on August 29th.
Jake has done a great job again on this cover and I’m honored to get to work with him.
As mentioned, I left for Pennsic last week and was setting up Friday afternoon. For a variety of reasons, setup this year was particularly hard and complicated. I didn’t really recover until yesterday morning, in fact, though part of that was the effort to run and clean up my yearly bardic circle.
However, I’m here at the shop now, fully operational and selling like a madman.
As you can see, I have books, including more on the shelf perpendicular to the main table, pottery from Lobster Rose pottery, looms, yarn, and even some wooden folding chairs.
A goodly selection, if I do say so myself.
I’ve gotten a bunch of editing done on Farewell, My Ugly, plus some quasi-outlining I hope to write tomorrow during the slow times. Overall, I’ve made good progress on the book given the challenges, and I’m excited how it’s going.
And in fact, I’m going to throw some words on the page now.
What I’m Listening To
Conversations in the merchant area as I sit here inside my tent.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Ernie Pyle!
“I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the end they are the guys that wars can’t be won without.”
– Ernie Pyle
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Also, Chris has a variety of special announcements this week on his mailing list, too many for me to list here. There are books on sale, new audiobooks, and he needs launch team readers. Go here to become a part of his email list: chriskennedypublishing.com/newsletter/.
Side note, I could also use more launch team readers, so send me an email at rob@chriskennedypublishing.com to get added to the list.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
By the way, this is the first in the books of the Firehall Sagas, which has its own home page at: https://firehallsagas.com. There’s all sorts of things there including descriptions of people, places, and things in the world of Eard.
It also has the maps! Here’s the new map to Achrida, the city where all the action in A Lake Most Deep happens. Click for the bigger version.
What an amazing release week and thanks to a huge list of people for helping make it awesome.
But wait, there’s more news about A Lake Most Deep! It’s part of this month’s book giveaway headed by Dave Butler. It’s even the headline book (never mind they’re listed in alphabetical order). Check out this page for the complete list: davidjohnbutler.com/giveaways/july-2023-six-fantasy-books-giveaway/.
To explain, there will be 5 winners chosen this weekend from all who sign up and each will get 6 books, physical, signed copies, from the ones listed there. That’s like $100 value, so it’s well worth taking the time to sign up.
Overall, this has just been a fantastic week. I made progress on a number of projects, including Farewell, My Ugly. I also had a couple of really cool things happen early in the week that I can’t tell you about yet, but are awesome. Finally, I’m typing this update in Grove City, PA, which consistent readers will recognize as my normal stopping point the night before Pennsic.
And what a Pennsic this promises to be as it’s Pennsic 50. I’ve been about 20 times now, and it is truly a home. Friends I see once a year, great bardic circles, stories of old and new ones getting made, it’s just something special.
Best of all, Pennsics have become productive, what with the way I have my shop set up and the ability to work whenever there’s no customers. Either I’m getting words on the page or selling something. It’s works out well.
I’ll get you updates while I’m there, but for now, I’m off to get a good night’s sleep. I’m going to need it.
What I’m Listening To
Not much. In the hotel room relaxing after a long and moderately arduous trip.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Gary Gygax. Thanks for bringing D&D into the world, my life is so much better for that. Here’s a great quote that actually describes my writing style too.
The worthy GM never purposely kills players’ PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.
– Gary Gygax
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
More Salvage Title awesomeness from Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff! Privateers & Pandemonium is live and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CC9TGLJS.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It was a very productive if scattershot week. First, we had a great first full week from A Hope in Hell, the conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s excellent post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery trilogy. The Heirs of Cataclysm has been a great series to publish and it’s been an honor to work with Chris.
And next week we have the re-release of A Lake Most Deep on Tuesday! I’m beyond the moon excited about this. It’s the first of the Edward mysteries, and Dave Butler said about these: “You’re going to love Edward’s adventures! It’s like Harry Bosch got crossed with Uhtred of Bebbanburgh!”
A Lake Most Deep Wrap No Text 600
This updated version has this amazing art from J. Caleb Design! Here’s the blank wrap cover to show it all off.
Tomorrow, I’ll reveal the updated map of Achrida by Sean Stallings. It’s brilliant.
I also made good progress this week on Farewell, My Ugly as I get back into the swing of writing consistently. I’m aiming to have it to the editor by the end of August.
I also made good progress on the sooper-sekrit Firehall Sagas project that I’ll talk about in good time. Basically, the Firehall Sagas is about to explode.
Then there’s been setting up the bookstore. I did a ton of work on this too, getting the basic layout in place, including finally locking down my office space. I also started the acquisition of the basic inventory over and above what I had.
I’ve got a ton going on during the next few days. Saturday, I’ll join H.P. Holo. We’ll be talking about A Lake Most Deep and whatever else comes to mind. If you haven’t seen her stuff before, you should check her out. She’s a rock star, as is Jacob, her husband.
H.P. Holo Q&A
And look at the graphic she made for this episode! And here’s the link if you want get updates on Facebook: facebook.com/events/234711226078834.
Then on Monday, I’ll join Jeremy Comeaux on Monday for a pre-release party. Come join us for giveaways and whimsy. Here’s the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj9v3n1H_Ew for that.
That’s going to be interesting, if only because I’ll be Pennsylvania getting ready to go to Pennsic. By the way, if you’re going to Pennsic, I’ll be selling out of Area… errrr… I mean, Booth 51. It’s next to Calontir Trim and on the side of the barn.
Oh, and there’s a fun thing I’m doing with Dave Butler next week. Check out next week’s update for a fun giveaway.
And another oh, I should mention thing. Congrats to Nick Steverson, Melissa Olthoff, William Alan Webb, and Larry Hoy for all winning Imadjinn awards at Imaginarium last weekend. Best novel, best short story, and best anthology. I think covers it all, right? Well deserved.
Wow, so much great stuff going on. I’m glad y’all are here to be a part of the journey.
What I’m Listening To
More of Endeavor while the wife knits next to me. Not a bad way to work.
Quote of the Week
It’s July 20th. Could there be any other quote for the week?
“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
– Neil Armstrong
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Speaking of Imadjinn winners Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff, this week’s pre-release is Privateers & Pandemonium from the Salvage Title universe. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CC9TGLJS.
And remember, A Lake Most Deep is out on Tuesday!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 354.0
Updated Word Count: 206,306
Firehall Sagas Archives: 742 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This was a week of clearing hurdles related to the move. Most particularly, the old house closed so we can get seriously into the process of setting up the new stores. Expect a bunch of updates after Pennsic.
This was also a release week! A Hope in Hell, the thrilling conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy, came out on Tuesday. From my perspective, it was amazing to watch him bring it all together, and I’m honored to have been a part of it.
So much going on in the Firehall Sagas. A Lake Most Deep comes out on the 25th. Find out why Glen Cook called it a “Damn fine read.”
Its sequel, The Eyes of a Doll, is back from the proofer and the third one, Where Now the Rider, is going to the proofer next week.
H.P. Holo invited me to join her on her podcast on July 22nd. We’ll be talking about A Lake Most Deep and whatever else comes to mind. If you haven’t seen her stuff before, you should check her out. She’s a rock star, as is Jacob, her husband.
H.P. Holo Q&A
And look at the graphic she made for this episode! And here’s the link if you want get updates on Facebook: facebook.com/events/234711226078834.
Hopefully, I’ll be on a couple other podcasts in the next month or so.
I also did some writing this week! Go me! I got about a thousand done in Farewell, My Ugly and I sent in a short story this weekend. I’d hoped to get more done, but that’ll happen next week. I’m aiming to get a full draft of Farewell done by the end of August.
I also did a bunch of work on a sooper-sekrit fun thing for the Firehall Sagas.
So, all in all, despite the fact that I’ve had a bunch of things related to the move this week, it was pretty productive. A bunch of hurdles cleared.
What I’m Listening To
We finished Morse and on to Endeavor.
Quote of the Week
Happy Birthday to Harrison Ford, so let’s pick a Han Solo quote.
“It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.”
– Han Solo
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
Of note, this now includes our recent releases, so if you’re not sure what we’ve put out lately, you can go here and check.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
OG (2,379)
Hyarkeen (2,991)
Farewell, My Ugly (74,921)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, I want to apologize to all the mailing list subscribers. I did everything to get your email out on time except press the “Send” button. It was in the Outbox going, “Well? You gonna hit send?”
In any case, happy 4th of July! Let me tell you, Anthony goes all out for the 4th. The fireworks started in June and the display a few blocks away last night was spectacular.
The title to this week’s update, by the way, comes from The Blacksmith of Brandywine, a fantastic song about a guy in Pennsylvania during the Revolution who helped Washington elude a trap only to lose his family. He then took revenge on the redcoats before dying. Here’s a good link on the story: hoofcare.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-blacksmith-of-brandywine-story-of.html and here’s a link to the best version of the song I can find on the web: youtube.com/watch?v=PpCbxwVjaX0. This isn’t a great version, though. Sabaton really needs to do a proper version because it’s as metal a story as you’ll ever find.
A Hope In Hell
On to the big news. A Hope in Hell, the thrilling conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy, comes out on Tuesday. The advance reviewers have been unanimous that it’s great and a fitting end to this post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery.
It was a very productive week otherwise, too. A Lake Most Deep is in the can and will go out to the advance readers this weekend. The Eyes of a Doll is at the proofer, so it’s ahead of schedule. Where Now theRider went out to the editor today.
And I promised you a cover reveal, so here you go! Jake did an amazing job here, and while it’s similar to the first cover since it’s the same scene, it’s so much stronger. He’s really amazing.
Also, note the cool thing right over the “E” in Lake. Glen Cook, yes that Glen Cook, wrote me out of the blue that since I’d edited him a few times, he thought he’d take a look at the Edward novels. He started his review with, “That’s a damn fine read.”
Yes, my head is still blown.
Glen’s been one of my favorites for a long time, and to have the creator of the Garrett, P.I. series, one of the foundations of the fantasy/mystery subgenre, say that about A Lake Most Deep was astounding.
Let’s see, what else? I finished a sooper-sekrit project and sent it off. We’ll see what fruit that bears. I also mostly finished a new short story which I’ll send out this weekend.
Also this week, H.P. Holo invited me to join her on her podcast on July 22nd. We’ll be talking about A Lake Most Deep and whatever else comes to mind. If you haven’t seen her stuff before, you should check her out. She’s a rock star, as is Jacob, her husband.
H.P. Holo Q&A
And look at the graphic she made for this episode! And here’s the link if you want get updates on Facebook: facebook.com/events/234711226078834.
Whew, so much going on and next weekend might be even more awesome.
What I’m Listening To
Writing this with Law & Order in the background. S. Epatha Merkerson is so good as Anita van Buren. She’s one of my favorite TV characters ever.
Quote of the Week
Here are the original words to Blacksmith of Brandywine from its writer, Pat Garvey.
Original Words by Pat Garvey
Sep 26 – ’63
Chorus Make it one for Washington and all his gallant men And one for the girl that once was mine. Make it one for the darlin’ boy I’ll never see again And don’t forget the Blacksmith of Brandywine.
As we rode down to Brandywine
There was a sight to see
A giant man with a hammer in his hand
Lying dead ‘neath a cherry tree
And all around him on the ground
In fatal disarray
A score of men who would never fight again
Nor travel on the King’s Highway.
Then quietly we dug a grave
And gave him burial there
And passed the day a ridin’ on our way
Till we met with a musketeer.
From him we learned the story of
A brave and angry man
Who undertook the British enemy
With a hammer in his hand.
Chorus
There lived a man in Chester town
Away from the cannon’s roar
Of manner mild, he’d a woman and child
And he loved them twenty times o’er
Till a Tory spoke of a plot one day
To waylay Washington
He left his home and family alone
And to the General he did run.
When he returned the next morning
A horror struck his eyes
His family slain by Tory gun
And his house it burned the skies
The Blacksmith reached for his heavy sledge
And gave a practice swing.
Next day at the line on the field of Brandywine
You could hear his hammer ring:
Chorus – Pat Garvey, Blacksmith of Brandywine
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
Of note, this now includes our recent releases, so if you’re not sure what we’ve put out lately, you can go here and check.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
OG (2,379)
Hyarkeen (2,991)
Farewell, My Ugly (73,704)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy came out a couple weeks ago. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
And don’t forget, A Hope in Hell by Christopher G. Nuttall comes out on Tuesday!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.6
Updated Word Count: 204,881 (I went back and caught up with some stuff I should have added a while ago)
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I had a great time at LibertyCon this past week. I did a full AAR here, but suffice to say it rocked. You can find the full AAR here: robhowell.org/blog/?p=3117.
A Hope In Hell
At LibertyCon, I did not one, but two cover reveals. You can see both in the AAR but I’ll just highlight A Hope In Hell, the thrilling conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery series.
This comes out on July 11th. If you haven’t read the first two books in the Heirs of Cataclysm yet, here’s the link to the series: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLWPL5N.
The other reveal was for A Lake Most Deep. This comes out on July 25th, starting a sequence of Firehall Sagas stories coming out every 5 weeks until some point in 2024.
I’m incredibly stoked about these re-releases. The writing is stronger, the art is more powerful, the maps are better, and the layout is more professional. Better in every way because I’ve learned a few things over the past decade.
One of the things I didn’t cover in the AAR were all the conversations about the Valor anthologies. I’ve not talked about how awesome Bonds of Valor has done, at least, not as much as I should have. The move sort of distracted me, but I got a number of compliments on it at LibertyCon.
I also talked to a number of writers to be a part of the next one, and while I can’t give you the full list yet, it’s as good if not better than Bonds.
There is, again, and open call for stories. If you’re interested in contributing, here are the details: 2024 FantaSci Short Story Contest.
LibertyCon was also the conclusion to an incredibly busy 4 months. On March 1st, I became a grandpa. Then there was FantaSci. Then we closed on the house here in Anthony. Then we did the actual move and that was something, let me tell you. Then Lilies. Then LibertyCon. Then… Then… Then…
During this time, I drove over 20,000 miles, ate way too much road food, and took a bunch of ibuprofen.
My life changed in so many ways, so many great ways, that I can’t wait to see what’s coming, but I basically have a month to stay at home before Pennsic.
Time to take a breath and just write and edit.
What I’m Listening To
We’re watching Inspector Morse on BBC. We’re going to watch all the way through it and then do Endeavor.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Ian Paice, drummer of Deep Purple. I guess that means I have to quote from the song you’re never supposed to play in guitar stores…
We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
– Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
Of note, this now includes our recent releases, so if you’re not sure what we’ve put out lately, you can go here and check.
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
Farewell, My Ugly (73,704)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy is out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 356.0 (I’ve got to get better when I travel)
Updated Word Count: 121,021
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s Wednesday, which is about right. I need at least a few days to recover from the awesomeness that is LibertyCon. I hated missing it last year, but I suppose I made the right choice. I am still married, after all.
Anyway, before I get going into my weekend, I want to take a moment to thank all the crew at LibertyCon. Brandy Hendren is a rock star among rock stars, and her crew is the single best organized con crew out there. I deal mostly with Rich Groller (programming) Matthew Fanny (gate) because I never get a chance to go to the best con suite around (Vonn Gants and crew), the art show (Ann Robards), or the game room (Misty Kat Gutierrez-Waller). And that doesn’t count all the behind the scenes folks.
That crew is amazing, but it’s not really a surprise. We often talk about how much LibertyCon is a family, and this is the core of the family. They’ve all done the job for a while, helping their family members have a great time.
I thank them all the time, but it’s really never enough.
Anyway, I was so ready for LibertyCon that last Tuesday night I couldn’t sleep. It was like Christmas Eve, so I gave up the ghost, got up at 430am and was on the road by 5 to Murfreesboro, my stop on the way. It’s good to have friends to crash with, especially when they make chicken and mashed potatoes for a weary traveler.
I got to the hotel early on Thursday and did a bunch of work in the room before heading down to the lobby.
The lobby at the LibertyCon hotel on Thursday night is a trap. A great trap, a wonderful trap, a trap worthy of Grimtooth, but a trap nonetheless.
There are friends there I haven’t seen in at least a year, lots of them! I flitted from friend to friend, getting snatches of conversation, talking business, the past year, beer, writing, and all the other things in swirling conversations that make the Thursday night at LibertyCon one of the single most important days of the year professionally.
We closed down the bar and then went to a room party. This was an oft-used plan by many at the bar. Marriott might want to reconsider closing the bar right at midnight.
Friday was breakfast at the City Cafe. Sadly, they’re being forced to move a few blocks away. It’s a shame as it was only a block away from the hotel and it is really good.
Then I got into panels starting at 1pm. This was the Out of the Trailer Park anthologies panel led by William Joseph Roberts. He’s a really smart dude and the driving force behind Three Ravens Publishing. If you haven’t checked that company out, do so. They’re really good.
Anyway, I’m not saying I committed myself to writing a redneck version of Beowulf, but I committed myself to writing a redneck version of Beowulf for a future anthology.
After that, I was generally off until 8pm and my Author’s Alley stint from 8pm to 10pm. I was really pleased with how this went. I only sold 4 books, but I talked to a bunch of folks and that’ s a big part of why I do those slots.
More importantly, I had bought a rolling toolbox to make setup and teardown go smoothly. It holds 4 stacks of books, so about 40 or so without difficulty. It also came with a smaller case that holds promo and setup stuff like the Wandering Signature Chart and the big d20. I can bungee two racks on top and it was really easy, so that’ll be a help going forward.
I was originally scheduled to be on Author’s Alley until 11pm, but the CKP Year Ahead panel went from 9pm to 11pm, and I skipped my last hour (actually I donated it to Cedar Sanderson, who couldn’t make the con) to go do the New Mythology portion of the presentation.
And that’s where I lost my name.
I showed up to find they were mostly through the New Mythology portion and that Kacey Ezell had impersonated me. Apparently, she’s a better me than me.
A Hope In Hell
So I took her tiara and tagged in. I got there in time for not one, but two cover reveals. The first was for A Hope in Hell, the conclusion to the Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy by Christopher G. Nuttall. This comes out on July 11th and it’s the post-magical-apocalypse swords and sorcery series you didn’t know you’d love but you will. The art, by the way, was done by Laercio Messias.
Then came the most exciting part of the presentation. I’m re-releasing all of my books under New Mythology Press starting with A Lake Most Deep on July 25th. This is the first of the Edwardsaga, the fantasy mystery series.
The Firehall Sagas schedule starts like this:
July 25th: A Lake Most Deep
August 29th: The Eyes of a Doll
October 3rd: Where Now the Rider
November 7th and every 5 weeks afterward for a good while, something else.
No surprise that I’m excited. These books have updated art, maps, new edits, and a better layout. Basically, I’m taking all that I’ve learned over the last decade and refreshing them. I’ve said a number of times that while I love A Lake Most Deep because I created good characters, a great setting, and a challenging mystery, I didn’t execute the writing well. No surprise there, it was my first novel. Now, however, I’m as proud of the writing as I am the story and this is true for all the rest.
A Lake Most Deep
Did I mention art? Here’s the other cover reveal. This art is by J. Caleb Designs, one of my favorite cover artists around. I think you can see why. It’s much the same cover as before, but it’s so much more energetic and strong.
On top of this, I’ve been pleased to get a couple of blurbs from other authors. Glen Cook, yes that Glen Cook, the one who wrote the Garrett, PI series, said A Lake Most Deep is “a damn fine read.”
Yes, my head exploded when I got that email.
Also, at LibertyCon, Larry Correia gave me a writer blurb: “Rob mixes intrigue, murder, and magic in to his own cool blend.” Plus, Dave Butler agreed to get me a blurb as well. I’m honored by their trust and hope to live up to everything they expect of me.
Back to LibertyCon. Following the CKP panel, we had a CKP YouTube internet thing. This was a hoot. I sat in the back and heckled, not that it needed my heckling to be hilarious. Check it out here: youtube.com/watch?v=x35cP0ir34M. Uhhh, not safe for work, or your ribs from laughing too hard.
Saturday started with the brunch. We had a fun table including Gary Shelton the donut god, Ann Margaret Lewis (who’s releasing her first CKP title soon), and Scott Huggins, writer of the Responsibility series.
The theme for our table was, “Dammit, Scott!!!” The banquet was set up so each table would go up in succession, with the table number drawn randomly. Scott said he had terrible luck with this sort of thing and we’d go last, so every time another table was called, we yelled, “Dammit, Scott!!!” Then Scott McIntosh-Mize got in line and we yelled it at him too. He was appropriately confused. Then they said the last table to be called would get a prize, so we yelled “Dammit, Scott!!!” when we were second to last. We may have had to wait, but we had more fun than all the other tables.
Scott’s working on book 3 in his Responsibility series right now, by the way.
At noon I had a reading with Patrick Chiles. He’s a hard SF author writing with Baen and his first reading reminded me of Inherit the Stars, at least it had the same sort of awesome puzzle from James P. Hogan. That’s still one of my favorite books, even if some of the scientific basis hasn’t entirely held up in the nearly 50 years since it came out.
For myself, I read the new first chapter of A Lake Most Deep, which is much stronger then the first chapter of Farewell, My Ugly.
Then I had another long break until panels at 7, 8, and 10pm. The first was a panel on Writing from the Perspective of a Historian. In general, I enjoyed the panel, and David B. Coe did a good job of moderating it.
I think the key thing to remember about this topic is that history doesn’t have to make sense, but fiction does. Also, there’s always another level to the history, and at some point you have to cut that off in fiction to keep the reader in the story.
Then there was another panel on history, this time writing for history, and again moderated by David B. Coe. It wasn’t an exact reply, though, as it was focused more on worldbuilding.
He asked what 3 things we start with, and my answer is that all the worldbuilding has to provide kinetic energy to the story. Hence, I start with foundational stuff like the magic system and also the ancient history that is hidden in the epic fantasy quest. Then I start with regional stuff to create trade routes, political tensions, and such. Then I mention my Wikipedia random article process to create a database of ideas for characters, places, and events.
Then came the Great Tiara Exchange of Ought-23 and me getting a new name.
On the schedule it was the Valkyries panel where a bunch of authors in The Valkyrie Protocol anthology talked about their story. Kacey Ezell introduced herself as Rob, so I took her tiara again. This, by the way, was a huge blue-stone studded tiara as opposed to the simple circlet from the previous night.
I rocked it the rest of the night.
But I’m getting ahead of myself, as the Joelle Presby introduced herself as Rob. Then Melissa Olthoff introduced herself as Rob. So I introduced myself as Kacey Joelle Olthoff to much rejoicing.
All the while wearing the tiara balanced on my head. Did I mention it didn’t fit? It was just perched there, but I never once had it fall off.
Back to the panel, which had some business moments. Marisa talked about the plan to keep writing in that world, and that a number of books were coming out along these lines, ultimately concluding with an Avengers-like book with all the characters kicking ass. I don’t have time to write a book, but Vigdis hasn’t saved her last soul.
Side note: www.irocktiaras.com is available and I might need a new website.
Following the Valkyries panel, we retired to the bar to close it down. Then went to room parties. Then we went on an excursion!
I skipped right over the part where Trisha J. Wooldridge was at her first LibertyCon with her brand new release, Shadows, Ash, and Prophecy. She seemed to have a great time and is a great addition to the CKP crew. She’s also working on book 3 in that series right now.
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Here’s the cover, by the way.
She was staying at a neighboring hotel, so we formed a party amoeba and escorted her home. Then we returned to the room party.
I usually do my major night of reveling on Thursday, but apparently I was too hyped to stop. I closed out the room party, then spent time helping Nathan Balyeat edit a story. A drunk editor can be good, but he either sacrifices his editing skill or his ability to phrase things nicely. Fortunately, Nathan didn’t kill me, but I was like a director yelling, “cut, cut, cut!”
Then I realized it was 6am and I had planned to drive to Fayetteville, AR after the con.
Ooops.
Well, I packed my stuff up except just what I’d need and took it down to the car. Went to the breakfast buffet, which opened at 630. Then I caught a few hours of sleep to join the Kaffeeklatsch.
After that was the Four Horsemen panel and suddenly, the tables turned.
They started the presentation and were introducing all the people up on stage when they came to an empty chair. Kacey Ezell’s chair.
Yes, I jumped up and did my best Kacey impersonation. To be fair, she’s a much better me than I am of her. I apparently can’t do a soft, higher-pitched voice without doing it in Southern. Still, it was a lot of fun and most of the crowd had been to the previous panels so was in on the joke.
At that point, I got out of Dodge as quickly as I could because I was already tired. I figured if I got out early, I could stop for a nap or two, which I did. However, leaving LibertyCon is not a fast process, something I appreciate. Lots of people to hugs, lots of goodbyes, and even a homemade cookie.
The trip home wasn’t terribly eventful, though I did make a detour when I saw the weather going through the middle of Arkansas. I ended up going north around it and getting a hotel in Mountain Grove, MO instead of stopping at a friend’s house in Fayetteville. Ah, well, I got home safely.
Overall, LibertyCon was as awesome as usual, maybe even more so since I’d missed it last year. Never again, unless I can’t help it.
All the business things I’d hoped to cover got covered, and more. I got to hang out with a people I haven’t had much of a chance to before, including Patrick Chiles, Howard Andrew Jones and the Holos. I met a bunch of new folks, too.
So, can we go back next week? I already miss my family.
Lilies was great, as to be expected. Overall, weather as good as could be hoped for and a bunch of opportunities to sing. I’m rusty around a singing circle so I’m spending July practicing.
But now it’s on to LibertyCon. I left Wednesday morning at 5:07am. I intended to leave at 6am but I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep. It was like sleeping on Christmas Eve.
It’s been four years since I’ve been able to come to LibertyCon. This is such an important event for me, both professionally and sentimentally. I came here first in 2015 in order to help get a feel for how to be a pro writer. I’d never have the career I have without it. It is also one of those cons where things get done in a myriad of conversations.
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Anyway, there’s a ton going on this week, so let’s get to that. Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy is Live! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
Coming soon is A Hope In Hell. It’s the conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s action-packed post apocalyptic swords and sorcery series the Heirs of Cataclysm. I’ll have a cover reveal here at LibertyCon Friday night in the CKP Year Ahead.
Two weeks after that is A Lake MostDeep, book 1 of the Firehall Sagas by yours truly. I’ll reveal that cover tomorrow night as well.
As most of you know, this is a re-release of my fantasy series. That means we’ll have a bunch of them out in sequence, including not only the 7 currently published novels but more. Much more. The Eyes of a Doll, book 2, is coming out August 29th. Where Now the Rider, book 3, is scheduled for 3 October. And something more every 5 weeks after that for a while. A long while.
Exciting times for me.
Back to the CKP Year Ahead. Not only will I have the two cover reveals, but I know Chris has a number of surprises too, so you won’t want to miss it. It starts at 9pm in CC Ballroom E on Friday night.
Alan Parson Project House of Usher. Let’s start the weekend with some Poe.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to one of the forefathers of my profession, born on this day in 1856. Might be time to read the Allen Quatermain adventures again. In the meantime, here’s a quote from King Solomon’s Mines.
“It is far. But there is no journey upon this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There is nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may not climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross; save a mountain and a desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he holds his life in his hand counting it as nothing, ready to keep it or to lose it as Providence may order.”
― H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon’s Mines
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
Of note, this now includes our recent releases, so if you’re not sure what we’ve put out lately, you can go here and check.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy is out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
The big release this week is a whole new set of threads in the Four Horsemen Universe. Thought we were done? Not at all. Check out The Phoenix Initiative: The First Missions for seventeen! stories totaling 160,000 words! You won’t want to miss it, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7YZCFCK.
New Author Alert! Please welcome Nic Plume to CKP Factory by checking out her Shadows of Peace series. Your pre-release this week is Tinaree: Trial by Inferno. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C8SDFJR5.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.2
Updated Word Count: 117,862
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m sending this via the magic of scheduling. I’m at Lilies War, so instead of talking too much about my week, I’ll hit a couple of high points then give you the first chapter of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy.
A Hope in Hell and A Lake Most Deep are in progress. Expect more details next week.
By the way, last week I typed July 24th instead of July 25th as the release date for A Lake Most Deep. To be clear, it comes out on the 25th, which is a Tuesday, not the 24th, which is not.
And with that, here’s the first chapter of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s excellent Asian-themed epic fantasy series, The 27 Kingdoms.
* * * * *
Chapter One – Things That Shouldn’t Be
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
In swirling darkness, fear redefined itself for Blessedhunter Koki.
Her insides twisted in one direction, her body the other. Images and memories—familiar and foreign—pelted her foggy awareness.
Byria, her Byria; Byria’s dragon; poisoned illness; mountains and giants’ magic; shaking, breaking earth.
Reflective black stone made by fire in a cave of boiling water.
Mokin’s spiritcall rune drawn in blood.
Years of muscle memory allowed Koki to land in a stable crouch that at least felt familiar. Her stomach heaved. She spit out burning bile. Smells assaulted her, smells she knew intimately, smells that carried yet a different fear.
Years of experience sharpened Koki’s mind and senses with her next breath. She was still in danger. This danger she knew well.
She was in Lakan’s home.
A particular room in Lakan’s home, though light hardly penetrated its walls—walls within walls, for it was a room hidden in the central strangler fig lattice within the Magicleader’s large hut. Blood of beast and person mingled with pre-storm air. Sticky, still, and prickly.
She needed to leave. Now. No. As soon as it was safe, as soon as she wouldn’t be discovered. Panic had its purpose in survival, but this wasn’t the place. Her heart beat faster than the wings of hummingbirds.
The cut on her hand from which she’d drawn Mokin’s spiritsigil pulsed. Not pain, but something through the tacky blood still seeping over her palm tugged at her attention. Like a thread or string. Pulling.
Like lightning, Mokin’s spiritcall rune flashed in her vision, illuminating the secret room.
Koki flinched deeper into a crouch, barely containing a gasp.
A person-sized reflective surface, like the stone the dragon had fired, balanced upright on a stand of Ancestor Wood. Her stomach twisted even more. Ancestor trees were never to be harmed. What had become of the souls entrusted to this tree?
Had Lakan always had such a thing?
It had always been after sundown, darker than now, when she’d pulled Mokin from this room. Tied, bleeding from the runes his father had carved into his flesh, and writhing from painful magic burning his blood. She’d observed their surroundings only to ensure their safety.
That sensation in her cut hand yanked at her heart. No, not quite. Like a string from her heart to her hand, something tugged her in the direction of the room’s hidden entry.
Koki crept closer to the hinged wall. Dizziness clung to her movement, forced her to focus more on moving her body than attending to her surroundings. The silence of the hut was more distracting than the loudest spring birdsong raucous.
Trembling climbed her limbs, and she had to stop and lower to a knee, lest she fall. I need to get out of here! Koki mentally shouted at her uncooperative body. I need to find Mokin! As if to confirm her intuition’s declaration, another pulse rippled from her heart to her hand toward the wall.
But she couldn’t move.
Koki shook as if from fever, or when she’d lost all that blood from the leopard fight. If she were discovered—and discovery was more likely if she tried to move in this state—she’d be in danger worse than that attack. What that danger was, she didn’t know, but she trusted her instincts.
“You know what you need to do.”
Mokin?
He’d spoken into her mind a few times when it had been necessary. This didn’t feel quite the same, though she perceived the thought in his voice.
The thought was correct.
Koki closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She willed herself to be unseen, unheard, undetected. Glamour rippled around her.
Breathing, breathing, she knelt on both knees, a more stable posture. The ground within this room was damp, almost muddy. She thanked her sharp senses for noticing such a detail and thought no further on the observation. It wasn’t immediately necessary for her survival.
Still no sounds.
Per the light that did filter in, it was daytime. Lakan’s hut was just outside the village, somewhat isolated, as was the home she and Mokin had built—as far from his father as possible. The sounds of the village wouldn’t reach the house. But…
There were no birds, no animal movement. Not even at a distance.
It was more silent than the barren lands heading toward the mountains. The silence swirled Koki’s nausea like a spoon stirring a pot.
Wrong.
Considering what Koki knew Lakan had done in this room, he’d likely glamoured it to buffer noise coming in or going out.
Ancestors and gods! Koki began the thought as a profanity. Then, like when instinct positioned her spear before she focused on a target, she gestured in prayer. Ancestors and gods, all blessed spirits and souls, please… Please, what? Just please, with my heart and spirit. Please…
The sting of tears and her bleeding palm impinged upon her awareness.
Pulling a cloth from a belt pouch, she wrapped her cut hand and got to her feet, doing her best to smooth the almost-mud and hide any blood she’d spilled. Proper washing could come later.
Her instincts spoke more primally, and Koki surrendered to them. As if she stalked prey, her feet found the quietest, most secure steps. Her bandaged hand slipped below her leopard tunic, palm pressing to where her heart beat behind her chest bone.
The beating slowed, as did her shaking, with each breath Koki took. She cracked open the secret room’s door, and sounds filtered in to her heightened senses.
Unfamiliar birds cooed nearby, as if from a coop. Odd, as Mokin’s family had never kept birds, but not immediately important. From farther away, she picked up the sounds of the village common.
Even considering the distance, the sounds of her people seemed… less. Not muted, but… fewer?
More worrisome than unexpected birds, but still not an urgent concern.
No one was nearby. She could leave unseen and unheard, so she did.
That string sensation pulled her heart and wrapped hand to the east, toward the Ritual Circle that held council and holy meeting huts, the Blessing Pools, and the speaking and ritual dais. Swallowing hard, Koki followed the call, trusting it like her hunting senses.
She cringed upon passing a pile of decomposed bamboo and branches—once the hut at which Mokin had apprenticed under Motherhealer Choli, his mother. Koki was surprised anything still remained of it—that Lakan had never removed it—after over a century of abandonment.
Reaching for her spear, Koki found only air and scowled. She vaguely remembered being unable to hold her spear after pulling the poisoned arrow from her shoulder and running. She cursed.
Then again, no weapons were permitted in the sacred areas.
Willing glamour to cover her, she broke into a jog with surprisingly less pain than she expected. Koki gave thanks that she’d lost her spear. The last thing she needed was to offend the gods and ancestors.
* * * * *
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
The sound of singing around a campfire.
Quote of the Week
This is a line from one of my favorite campfire songs, Battle of Maldon by the amazing Rosalind Jehanne
For our hands shall be the harder, and our will shall be the wiser
And our hearts shall be bolder as our strength must end
Come and follow me to glory, so that when they tell the story
We shall not be forgotten in the halls of men
– Rosalind Jehanne
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle:
With fierce heart Defend I your soul
Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
This week we have New Horizons by Chris Kennedy. This is a collection of sixteen of his best short stories. You don’t want to miss it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7BP8PJ3.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.8
Updated Word Count: 116,537
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Hey, look, I remembered today is Thursday. Go me! I’m back on schedule, except for the fact that there’ll be no regular update next week as I’ll be at the War of the Lilies and not have enough internet access to post.
However, I’m going to try something out, so expect something special.
I’ve had another great week and there’s so much coming out soon!
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy went to the ARC readers yesterday. If you’re on the team, check your email. This is the 2nd book in The 27 Kingdoms by Trisha J. Wooldridge. It’s Asian-themed epic fantasy with dragons, fey, and as you can see on the cover, a tough bad guy.
By the way, with all that’s coming down the pike, I’m going to need a bunch more ARC readers. If you’re interested in becoming part of the advance team, send me an email at: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com.
But wait, there’s more! A Hope In Hell, the high-powered conclusion of Christopher G. Nuttall’s excellent Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy, is in process. The target date for release is July 11th.
And yet, even more!The Firehall Sagas, the re-release of the former World of Shijuren is nigh.
A Lake Most Deep by yours truly gets re-released on July 25th. It’s got a new cover, an editing pass to streamline the story, but with all the same mystery and adventure.
Expect the rest of the Firehall Sagas to come out in sequence, about every 5 weeks at least through 2023 from that point.
I can’t tell you all how excited I am with this release. I love A Lake Most Deep, but it suffered from normal first-novel issues. The characters, mystery, and setting are great, but I wasn’t as good a writer in 2014 and 2015 as I am now. Not only that, it has a new opening scene I really love.
Plus wait until you see what J. Caleb Designs did for the cover. It’s amazing.
There’s also been a bunch of unpacking and organizing here. Bit by bit, the boxes are getting emptied. We can even sit at a pew or two.
Now all I have to do is learn how to back up a trailer. This hasn’t gone well yet, but I’m learning.
As you can see, Richard Groller and the rest of the programming staff have given me a great list of things to do. By the way, I’ll be reading the brand new opening scene to A Lake Most Deep.
With that, I better get back to work. Lots to do before leaving for Lilies. Have a great couple of weeks, everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Take the Long Way Home by Supertramp. Seems fitting now that I’ve move back to the Wichita area after all those years away.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Jerry Stiller. You may remember him from Seinfeld, King of Queens, or as Ben Stiller’s dad.
I remember him from the videos he made for Rush concerts. Here’s one to start with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Cz9VjjvCE.
“Did I miss the band? Where’s the band? Where’s my man Lerxst? Hit me baby. And the skinny guy, Dirk. Give it to me. And the other guy. Yeah, the Professor! Where are you guys?”
– Jerry Stiller
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
This week we have Pirates & Payback from Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff. This is the second of their Salvage Treasure trilogy in the Salvage Title universe originally created by the amazing Kevin Steverson. Get your fast space opera action here: amazon.com/dp/B0C6QWXCB6.
Also in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe, It Takes All Kinds, an anthology of fun races including my story Careful with that Axe, E.U. Gene. Get it in, electronic, paper, or audio formats here: https://books2read.com/u/bQApGE.
Your pre-release this week is New Horizons by Chris Kennedy. This is a collection of sixteen of his best short stories. You don’t want to miss it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7BP8PJ3.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.8
Updated Word Count: 115,029
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a great, productive week! So much so I completely lost a day in there somewhere. Well, actually, I remember yesterday, as I was falling asleep, “Wait, today’s Thursday!”
So I apologize for getting this out a day late, but as I said, I got a lot done.
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Let’s start with a cover reveal, and let me just say, this is one of my favorite covers I’ve seen so far. It’s the cover for Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy by Trisha J. Wooldridge, which comes out on the 20th.
Isn’t that amazing?
It’s from J. Caleb Designs, one of the best cover artists out there. You’ve seen his work with the Valor anthologies, the Balance of Kerr series, and now this.
Side note: There’s another cover coming next month from him that’s awesome, though I might be biased. But we’ll get to that in due time.
Trisha and I spent a great deal of time putting the final touches on Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy and I’m excited with this story. It’s set in The 27 Kingdoms and is a great follow up to Heart, Wings, andFire, and focuses on the fey allies and enemies Byria gained in that book.
Trisha did a great job of creating a culture with Asian influences, especially Taiwanese, that still has the alien feel that the fey should have.
But wait, there’s more! I’ve also been working on A Hope in Hell. This is by Christopher G. Nuttall and is the conclusion to his first trilogy in the Heirs of Cataclysm series.
This will come out on July 11th, so it’s coming soon!
On the home front, there’s been a bunch of unpacking and the barest hint of organizing. Getting there. I also spent a day getting a trailer hitch put on the car and then a pretty epic shopping trip across Wichita. Amazing how many steps when you go through Sam’s, Wal-Mart, Aldi’s, and Ollie’s.
A great week indeed!
What I’m Listening To
Pandora’s Classic Prog Rock channel has gotten me of late. Rush, Jethro Tull, Yes? Sign me up.
Quote of the Week
I learned today that both Morena Baccarin (1979) and Jewel Staite (1982) were born on the 2nd of July. Any day is a great day for a quote from Firefly, but this seems perfect!
Kaylee: No, it’s shiny! I like to meet new people. They’ve all got stories… Jayne: Captain, can you stop her from being cheerful please? Mal: I don’t believe there’s a power in the ‘Verse can stop Kaylee from being cheerful. Sometimes you just want to duct tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month. Kaylee: I love my captain.
– Firefly, Pilot
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I got a bonus riddle out last week and I’m back on track.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
Your first release this week is Pirates & Payback from Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff. This is the second of their Salvage Treasure trilogy in the Salvage Title universe originally created by the amazing Kevin Steverson. Get your fast space opera action here: amazon.com/dp/B0C6QWXCB6.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m up and operational! Not fully, in the sense of everything arranged, but I’m at the point where I can work then procrasticlean. I’ve an office, and maybe I’ll take a picture or two of it next week
Most importantly, I’ve been working, actually working, instead of simply moving.
I spent much of this week working on Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, by Trisha J. Wooldridge. This returns to here lush, intricate setting of The 27 Kingdoms.
This comes out on June 20th, if I’m remembering dates correctly. Stay tuned next week for a cover reveal.
I had a great time at Anthony’s Balloon Fest. We had a beautiful day for meeting people, watching a parade, and selling a few books. I expect it’ll be a normal thing for us going forward.
We have a couple small things left at the old house, but they’re so minor, I’ll worry about them over Lilies.
It’s such a relief to finally be settling in. Tonight is my first night having a late worknight in my new office, but right now, it’s time for a beer at the Idle Hour. Probably a Stone Arrogant Bastard, because I clearly need to be more arrogant!
What I’m Listening To
Langt Nord I Trollebotten by Lumsk. This is one of my favorite songs, a combination of intricate Scandinavian folk styles and crunching guitar riffs. I stumbled upon it, and Lumsk, from a Pandora selection. The song was so good I immediately bought the album.
We’ve had a number of celebrity deaths of late, including the amazing Tina Turner. However, you might have missed the passing of Rick Hoyt. He and his father formed Team Hoyt. The father ran marathons pushing his son Rick, a paraplegic.
Rick said that during these events, around 1000 races, he felt like his disability disappeared. He also said this, and it doesn’t get much more powerful.
“The best that has happened to me in my life has come from handling the worst that’s happened to me in my life.
– Rick Hoyt
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is C.S. Ferbuson’s The Province of Danger, book 2 in his Transhuman War. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C665BS1P.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 346.8 (Not a typo. Amazing what happens when I’m not driving all the time)
Updated Word Count: 113,461
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
On Wednesday, I made a double trip, meaning I went up to Olathe, filled my car, and came back to Anthony in a day. That’s about 8 hours of driving, plus load time.
It’s notable because that was basically the last time I’ll be at that house after a dozen years.
I’m so glad that we have everything down in Anthony, and that nearly everything is done to make the house sellable. Now all we have to do is unpack and arrange everything.
I started arranging my office today and at some point soon I’ll have my full workspace up and operational. I’ll get back in the normal rhythm of writing and editing on Sunday or Monday.
Man, am I ready for that.
And you know, if I’ve gt a ton of procrasticleaning I’ll need to do to help me take breaks.
This was the final push, so I haven’t even tried to do any real work. Part of that is I’m exhausted. One reason for that fatigue is Two Men and a Truck.
A week ago Wednesday, I was to get another truck from them. I wasn’t entirely pleased with the way they packed the first two trucks, but they certainly worked hard.
The last truck, however, had a crew that didn’t want to do anything. They packed the truck half-full, gave half effort, and in fact only gave me 10 of the 20 hours I paid for. I registered a complaint. The local management gave half attention, and frankly gave me an insulting amount of recompense. I’ll take it, but my advice is never use Two Men and a Truck.
This meant that on Saturday, I was up at 5am. We left from Anthony to Olathe, where we rented a UHaul. Then we spent 5 hours packing it, then drove it back down to Anthony, and unloaded it halfway by 9pm.
Thank goodness we had a couple guys we’ve been paying to help us. We wouldn’t have made it if it hadn’t been for them.
However, we spent about twice on Saturday what Two Men offered us to repay their lack of service, not counting our time. The good news is I got to use my Pennsic Packing Tetris skills.
But if Two Men had done their job, I wouldn’t have had to go to overtime. But we’ve got everything here. Now we have time for me to get back to work.
What I’m Listening To
Playoff hockey. Better yet, overtime playoff hockey. It’s the most exciting and dramatic of all sports in overtime. Only thing more exciting is a Game 7 overtime playoff hockey gae.
Quote of the Week
Wayne Gretzky is one of the commentators during the intermissions, so let’s have a quote from him. It’s relevant to us right now, by the way, because the ethos here is behind our move to Anthony.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
– Wayne Gretzky
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I apologize for the hiatus on the move. Back to full speed soon, hopefully next Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
As you can see, I’m a day late to sending this week’s update. There have been some delays in the moving process and I just didn’t have time yesterday.
Overall, buying the house has been a smooth process, but the move has been awful, thanks in part because of our amount of stuff. However, we have not been helped by our moving company. They basically screwed up to this point and we *still* have a truckload of stuff.
I’m giving them a chance to make it right, so I won’t name them yet, but I’m incredibly pissed off right now.
But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if I have to rent a UHaul on top of all this, it’ll all fit at this point. At some point, very soon, we’ll have everything in Anthony and be settling in. I anticipate a good week of work, real work, next week.
Also, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, and my mom’s birthday falls around Mother’s Day every year so it’s a double chance to tell mom how awesome she is.
She is awesome, by the way.
As for work, I’m nibbling away, doing maintenance level stuff. I’ve lost basically a month of production, which, to be honest, was to be expected.
So everything is delayed, but as I tell people, there are reasons and excuses. A move is a reason. Boy, is it a reason.
Time to take advantage of Brewbaker’s and do some editing. Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The sounds of Brewbaker’s. I’m going to miss this place. It’s been a really productive writing home. If you’re ever near 95th and Renner in Lenexa, KS, you should try it out. Their truffle fries are really good, as is their southwest chopped salad, especially with extra fresh jalapenos and avocado.
I’m eating that right now, in fact.
Quote of the Week
May 12 is a huge day for birthdays, including not just one great quote machine, but two, Yogi Berra and George Carlin. Also born on the 12th is Katherine Hepburn, Ving Rhames, Burt Bacharach, Florence Nightengale, Emilio Estevez, Tony Hawk, and a host of other fairly big names like Lou Whitaker and Leslie Charteris. Also, who knew Mary Kay had a last name. It’s Ash, by the way.
But I have to give a double-shot since how can I pick between George and Yogi?
“Meow” means “woof” in cat.”
― George Carlin
He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.
― Yogi Berra
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I apologize for the hiatus on the move. Back to full speed soon, hopefully next Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience.
And there’s a ton of things going on with CKP, so many I can’t really get to them all. You should also subscribe to Chris’s email list *and* get a free story. Go here: chriskennedypublishing.com/newsletter and sign up.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 354.0
Updated Word Count: 112,158
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I bet you all are tired of hearing stuff about the move. Good news we now start the last week of getting out of the old house. Yes, it’ll take months, many months, to fully organize the new place, but getting everything down to one house will be a huge victory.
One more week of bouncing up to Olathe or down to Anthony about once a day. That’s 3.5 hours each way, by the way. I’m ready to be done with it.
I’m also ready to really get back to proper work. We’ve been pushing through this move at warp speed, and I’m glad because I’d hate it if it really dragged. I mean, when I look at what we’ve done since April 11th, I have to say, it’s been impressive, especially since neither of us truly believed we’d get the house in Anthony until close actually happened.
We’re ecstatic about the new house and I daresay you’ll get some cool pictures as we get rooms and things organized. I’m hoping to have my main working area arranged by next Thursday and have a full week of work starting then.
I’ve been nibbling at Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, book 2 of the 27 Kingdoms series by Trisha J. Wooldridge. I’m behind, but making progress. I hope to have that ready to publish at LibertyCon.
Partially, that’s because the art is done and it is awesome.
Anyway, I need to get back to packing. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
La Villa Strangiato by Rush. Seems apt for my life right now. Intricate, amazing, and long.
Quote of the Week
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.
In 1904, work on the Panama Canal started. I had the great pleasure of transiting the canal in 2016, and much of The Eyes of a Doll was written on that cruise, so here’s a quote by Teddy about the accomplishment.
“A finer body of men has never been gathered by any nation than the men who have done the work of building the Panama Canal; the conditions under which they have lived and have done their work have been better than in any similar work ever undertaken in the tropics; they have all felt an eager pride in their work; and they have made not only America but the whole world their debtors by what they have accomplished.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I apologize for the hiatus on the move. Back to full speed soon, hopefully next Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience.
Also, it’s not a new release, but there’s a sale on The Last Stand, book 1 of the Guardian Covenant by Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJNW843S. Get it for half off now!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 352.4
Updated Word Count: 111,491
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Things are progressing on the move. We’re starting to settle into the new place a bit, and are making progress getting the house in Olathe ready to sell.
I’ve been puttering with a couple of projects, but it’s been difficult as I’ve spent so much time on the road. I’ve averaged more than one trip between the two houses (about 3.5 hours) per day over the last two weeks. I know I-35, US-400, K-42, and K-2 too darn well.
We moved the cats yesterday. That’s always a thing, but they’re starting to settle in.
Anyway, a short update today. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
The NFL Draft! One of my favorite things all year.
Quote of the Week
Seems like I should have a quote from a football guy, and hey, look, Chuck Knox was born today.
Winning and losing are both very temporary things. Having done one or the other, you move ahead. Gloating over a victory or sulking over a loss is a good way to stand still.
– Chuck Knox
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
I apologize for the hiatus on the move. Back to full speed soon, hopefully next Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
But wait, there’s more! Podium has also opened up Pandora’sBox, book 2 in Christopher G. Nuttall’s excellent swords and sorcery post-apocalyptic series Heirs of Cataclysm. Pre-order is here: audible.com/pd/Pandoras-Box-Audiobook/B0C2QMZLHF.
Stay tuned next week for some special tidbits on these.
There’s more to talk about, but I think I’m going to bed so I can pack some more tomorrow. Where did all this stuff come from?
What I’m Listening To
My favorite Black Sabbath song, Sign of the Southern Cross.
Quote of the Week
Moving is such a hard trek, even when things go smoothly. Rush’s Marathon has the perfect quote.
It’s a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
– Rush, Marathon
And sometimes it’s the heartbreak climb upstairs with yet another box.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Note: The move has delayed a couple of normal entries in the Patreon. I’ll be resuming on Monday.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
We begin with Mike Jack Stoumbos’ first foray into the 4HU, Defender’s Rise. This book gives you a look at the elSha and opSha, a couple of races that—until now—have been secondary in nature, so it’s not to be missed. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557058.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’ve had a major project, a non-writing project, going on this week. I’ll expand on it next week, but while this was a productive week, it wasn’t exactly my best writing week. I got virtually no writing down, but some editing here and there.
As I’ve said, however, this is a reason, not an excuse, so I’m not getting down on myself like I might have done some time ago. See? I can learn. Slowly. With much pain.
One more thought on this. We’ve had a ton of upheaval in our lives the last month or so. It’s all good stuff, including my granddaughter, but it’s a marathon.
Anyway, let’s talk about Bonds of Valor. What a great release week! Thanks to all who helped us get that orange tag. If you want to know why we earned it, get it here and find out for yourself: amazon.com/dp/B0BZ7BFXN9.
For all of April, we have The Chimera Coup, book 1 of the Heirs of Cataclysm by Christopher G. Nuttall at half-off the normal e-book price. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
Also, we’re 10 ratings away from 500, with a 4.5 average. It’s really good, and those who’ve read it agree.
I would normally talk about a bunch of what’s coming up, but I’ve been go-go-go all day and I’m exhausted. Stay tuned next week for some major announcements.
What I’m Listening To
Now onto the Sapphire Rose. Will finish it tomorrow, I’m sure.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to John Ratzenberger. Here’s a quote from Cliff Clavin, who I really, really hope all of you have heard of.
I might have said this quote a time or two when the moment was apt.
“Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.”
– Cliff Clavin
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Your pre-release this week is Children of the Fall, by J.P. Chandler. It’s a new release in the excellent post-apocalyptic Fallen World universe. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C1J99413.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.0
Updated Word Count: 109,084
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a great week it’s been. Of course, I was at FantaSci, and being among my tribe is always a great thing. This week, has been a little slow, as is often so when splashing down after a long trip, especially on the heels of Planet Comicon.
Bonds of Valor Orange Tag
At FantaSci, we released Bonds of Valor into the wild. It’s been a great release. I even have pics to prove it. Look at that lovely orange tag we got earlier in the week.
Also at FantaSci, I had the privilege of announcing the winner of this year’s short story contest. Congrats to Fiona Grey, for her story The Coward’s Shadow. See you next year at FantaSci, Fiona!
I also announced next year’s theme, which is paladins, chivalry, and the oaths that bind them. This does not mean each hero must wear armor, only that they fit the larger class of paladins and chivalry. For example, I contend Malcolm Reynolds is a paladin seeking to regain his faith. Yoda was a paladin. Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Spenser are all knights errant.
Also, we have a great special to announce. The Chimera Coup, book 1 of Christopher Nuttall’s excellent Heirs of Cataclysm series, is half-off starting on Saturday the 1st throughout all of April. If you haven’t gotten it yet, here’s your chance: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
And while it’s not a special, let’s not forget Hunting the Hart, book 5 of Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series. We had a bunch of conversations and panels that touched on this series, which is one of the best modern fantasies I’ve read. Get Hunting the Hart here: amazon.com/gp/product/1648556477.
With that, I’m off to do some editing.
What I’m Listening To
I was listening to The Diamond Throne, book 1 of David Eddings’ Elenium on the trip back from North Carolina. I don’t usually like listening to audiobooks when I’m writing, but I’m now listening to The Ruby Knight and will surely follow up with the The Sapphire Rose.
Side note: I sure hope these come out on e-book someday.
Quote of the Week
You should all know I’m weird. If not, here’s further proof. In grad school, I was assigned all sorts of medieval philosophy. I actually enjoyed it, even though I’m not smart enough to understand it all.
Among all that, Maimonides was one of my favorites.
Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.
– Maimonides
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I had a great time at Planet Comicon. I sold well, and was especially pleased to see how well Postcards from Mars sold. The art in it is really fun and even people who don’t read much thought it was cool.
Because I’ve either been at a con or on the road to a con nearly every day this week, not to mention a variety of mundane tasks to deal with, I had very little chance to write in Farewell, My Ugly. I had one decent writing session, so about 1500 words and I pushed through yet another rough spot, so it wasn’t completely unproductive.
One thing I should mention. I listened to Newsletter Ninja on the way out. This means there’ll be a few changes to the newsletter in the next couple of months. Part of that will mean you’ll get a few extra emails, stuff I should have built into my mailing list from the beginning. The good news is these will have some free stories and extra content.
I mention it now so you’re not surprised. I really appreciate all of you who read this, and want to make sure I’m giving you fair value for both your email address and your time.
But for now, I need to turn my time to FantaSci. Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Rush, Clockwork Angels. I always wear Rush shirts at cons, and this gets me in the mood to be a rock star.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Steve McQueen. Here’s a quote from him that is a real challenge for many writers, but it’s something we have to power through.
“The world is as good as you are. You’ve got to learn to like yourself first.”
– Steve McQueen
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
It’s all here in fourteen stories of valor, heroism, and bonds that tie folk together, for good or ill. There are bonds of love, oaths to gods, and life-long friends.
Will the old, crusty worn-out veteran find his new partner just might be something? Will the knight learn humility from those who serve him? Will Indrajit and Fix restore the path of true love?
Or will the bonds between characters break under the pressure of evil wizards, ancient enemies, or massive dragons?
Lots this week! Let’s start with The Last Argonaut, by Ian J. Malone. I’ve been waiting for this warball novel in the Salvage Title universe for months! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BYHP4RX2/.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My supervisor was looking over my shoulder all week.
She’s not a bad boss, but man, does she have to use her claws?
In any case, it’s been a solid week here. Good progress on Farewell, My Ugly. I’m now over 70,000. I had aimed at 80,000, but I think it’s going to run to about 100,000 after all. Oh, well. I should still have a full draft at the end of April.
I also wrote another femtostory for another anthology in the vein of Postcards From Mars. This one had a steampunk theme, and Cedar Sanderson gave me a great image as inspiration.
I call them femtostories because to me, a microstory is about 1000 words. These are 50. Picostory is probably more correct, but I think femto- sounds more fun.
If you want to see the image, I will put it up on my Patreon site on Monday along with a new snippet from Farewell, My Ugly.
Bonds of Valor
The big thing this week is the cover reveal of Bonds of Valor. J. Caleb Studios did another excellent job, as you can see by this cover.
Take note of the amazing list of authors. It’s an incredible honor to work with such masters as Todd McCaffrey, Jody Lynn Nye, and Glen Cook.
This is another Black Company story, and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s so fun to publish these as that’s one of my favorite series.
By the way, many of these authors will be joining us on CKP YouTube on Tuesday, the 21st. The YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/live/r4M0qkZWU4s.
I hope you’ll join us.
I also hope a bunch of you join us for the release of Bonds of Valor at FantaSci is about a week. Where has the time gone!
Side note, Sarah’s story is my favorite story I’ve had the pleasure to edit.
With that, I better go to bed. It’s going to be a long, exhausting weekend at Planet Comicon.
I can’t wait.
What I’m Listening To
My computer hum. I was chatting with Becca Gardner, who’s a great writer and an even better arranger of publicity. She’s really helped Todd Fahnestock, who’s also staying here for the con. However, she went off to do projects and I’m enjoying the white noise.
Quote of the Week
I love William Butler Yeats. He has such a vivid way of sending emotions through the reader with his poetry. Here’s a quote I love. every fantasy author should know.
Seriously, how good is this?
“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
– William Butler Yeats
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle:
I swirl and I swoop Swiftly striking my prey
Latest Snippet: Chapter 3 of Farewell, My Ugly
New Mythology Works in Progress
Bonds of Valor comes out next Friday! Here’s the blurb:
A private eye saves his dead friend.
The Black Company deals with something fishy.
Deathmages, space mages, and forgotten magic.
It’s all here in fourteen stories of valor, heroism, and bonds that tie folk together, for good or ill. There are bonds of love, oaths to gods, and life-long friends.
Will the old, crusty worn-out veteran find his new partner just might be something? Will the knight learn humility from those who serve him? Will Indrajit and Fix restore the path of true love?
Or will the bonds between characters break under the pressure of evil wizards, ancient enemies, or massive dragons?
And The ChimeraCoup, book 1 of Christopher G. Nuttall’s amazing Heirs of Cataclysm series, is now out in audiobook. Get it here: books2read.com/u/bxrG6d.
Your pre-release this week is The Last Argonaut, by Ian J. Malone. I’ve been waiting for this warball novel in the Salvage Title universe for months! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BYHP4RX2/.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 350.8
Updated Word Count: 106,969
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
No, that’s not a typo. It really is Week X of 2023, not just my template. Yes, I’m the guy who puts up a V and says “Five beers please.”
Ha! I slay me. And it matches this week’s quote.
Anyway. It’s been a huge week here, though you won’t see it in all the numbers. Lots of projects around here and the next couple of months are going to be something, let me tell you.
This past weekend was an SCA get together, a heraldic retreat. Yes, I’m into heraldry. I’m sure that’s shocking. We spent the week talk about charges, field divisions, ordinaries, and so much more. We also played Puns of Anarchy, which is perfect for heralds.
If you didn’t think I could get any geekier, well, there you go.
But more on that when the time comes. I did a bunch of work Farewell, My Ugly and I’ve just about pushed through a major snarl that I had to unravel. I’m pretty pleased about that. Only one more transition to go, really, and transitions are what truly slow me down.
Even with all the other stuff and the snarl, I ended up with over 5000 words written and a bunch of issues cleared up on the draft. I tend to mark things on my manuscript that I need to fix later or double check with XX. I found a bunch of those and fixed them. Go me.
I also did some editing on Where Now the Rider. My hope is to have both ready to go by the end of March, and I’m on track.
What I’m Listening To
A Marple mystery from the BBC. I love the fact that they occasionally show her reading Raymond Chandler novels.
Quote of the Week
Carthago delenda est!
– Cicero
It’s the anniversary of Rome’s victory over Carthage in the Battle of the Aegetes, which ended the first Punic War. Cato, famously, ended his speeches in the Senate with today’s quote, which means, “Carthage must be destroyed.”
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Magic has returned to the world, but so has an ancient foe.
Erin Donnelly, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk, searches for Nechtan—her lover cursed to live as a stag for a year and a day. Enlisting the aid of allies, Erin maintains a vigil, turning back hunters and predators who might harm Nechtan in the wilds of the magical otherworld.
But when Stangr Iron-skinned escapes his imprisonment in the River of Time, he has one thing on his mind—revenge on Nechtan. Stangr’s thirst for vengeance takes him from the Seelie courts of the otherworld to the windswept Great Plains.
Can Erin find Nechtan before Stangr tracks him down? Erin beat Giwargix the Dragon-Slayer, but can she defeat a jotunn-blooded Viking impervious to blades and bullets?
Your pre-release this week is a new 4HU novel from Jason Cordova and Kevin Ikenberry entitled The Misfits. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BXWJGNDG.
And The ChimeraCoup, book 1 of Christopher G. Nuttall’s amazing Heirs of Cataclysm series, is now out in audiobook. Get it here: books2read.com/u/bxrG6d.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 348.2
Updated Word Count: 106,104
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I was involved in not one, but two releases this week!
Hunting the Hart
The big one is Hunting the Hart, by Jon R. Osborne. This is the fifth in his excellent Milesian Accords series where the modern world and the magical world collide.
It’s full of action, mythology, history, and great characters. Just like the other four in the series.
Also this week, Postcards from Mars came out. This was a fun exercise where Cedar Sanderson and C.V. Walter provided a bunch of authors with small, postcard-like images of characters they’d drawn. They asked the authors to write a 50-word story based on that image.
Yes, 50 words, not 51, I asked.
Writing a full, complete story in 50 words is challenging, and I probably cheated. Mine has a story arc, so it fits, but it’s also a good first chapter.
Anyway, if you want to see some great art and some authors pushing their writing skills, check it out here: amazon.com/dp/B0BW7Y5PP5.
Also, if you want a sneak peak at the image that was my inspiration, join my Patreon at: patreon.com/rhodri2112. This is just another free benefit I provide to thank my subscribers.
I made good progress on Where Now the Rider and some progress on Farewell, My Ugly. This was an odd week, however, as there is a major house project I’m working on that took a great deal of my time. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on that down the road.
So, with that, I’m going to get back to editing and see if I can catch up a bit.
What I’m Listening To
Definitely a Sabaton kind of week. Currently, I’m listening to the title track of The Art of War, a great album with Sun Tzu quotes weaving through the songs.
Quote of the Week
I’ve been lucky in that I’ve gotten to see quite a few places in my life. One of the remaining bucket list items is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Today, in 532, Justinian the Great laid its foundation stone and that’s a great reason to have a quote from him.
“Justice is the firm and continuous desire to render to everyone that which is his due.”
– Justinian I
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
Magic has returned to the world, but so has an ancient foe.
Erin Donnelly, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk, searches for Nechtan—her lover cursed to live as a stag for a year and a day. Enlisting the aid of allies, Erin maintains a vigil, turning back hunters and predators who might harm Nechtan in the wilds of the magical otherworld.
But when Stangr Iron-skinned escapes his imprisonment in the River of Time, he has one thing on his mind—revenge on Nechtan. Stangr’s thirst for vengeance takes him from the Seelie courts of the otherworld to the windswept Great Plains.
Can Erin find Nechtan before Stangr tracks him down? Erin beat Giwargix the Dragon-Slayer, but can she defeat a jotunn-blooded Viking impervious to blades and bullets?
Jon R. Osborne’s Hunting the Hart, fifth in his excellent Milesian Accords series. The modern world and the magical world collide, with magic, technology, and mythology all swirling in a fast-paced story of heroes.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Things got loud in my neck of the woods Sunday night. Congratulations to Chiefs Kingdom for winning the Super Bowl, and thank goodness it wasn’t the Eagles.
Hunting the Hart
I have a few small details and Bonds of Valor will be done. All the proofreading, editing, and arranging is done. Just waiting on a couple of things and it’s out the door.
I also finished my edits of The Eyes of a Doll. That went to some alpha readers this week, so it’s getting closer.
I started on Where Now the Rider this week. I’m about ten percent done with it, so good progress already.
The big news this week is the upcoming release of Jon R. Osborne’s Hunting the Hart, book 5 in his excellent modern fantasy series, The Milesian Accords. This comes out on Tuesday, the 21st. The blurb, by the way, is down below in the New Mythology section.
By the way, subscribers to my Patreon have already gotten the first couple of chapters. Weeks I don’t have riddles will have chapters of upcoming works, and I don’t charge for these snippets. They’re a bonus on top of the fun riddles.
I do have some personal news, because it’s really just so me. I went to the doctor this week because I strained a ligament… in my left pinkie. Yeah, that’s exactly how I want to go on the DL. But here’s the kicker. I strained it how you’d expect, if you know me well enough. Yes, I strained it somehow while asleep.
I’m really something impressive, aren’t I? And with that, time to do some bediting. Hopefully, I don’t have to go to the doctor tomorrow.
What I’m Listening To
I’ve been enjoying Time Team of late, and in this episode, they’re looking for English Civil War artifacts. If you like archaeology, which of course I do, I suggest you watch this show.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Edgar Bergen, and of course, Charlie.
Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?
– Edgar Bergen
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle:
I live in the ground but my greatest is high above
Latest Snippet: Chapter 2 of Hunting the Hart, by Jon R. Osborne.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Hunting the Hart is the next new release, coming out on February 21st. This is book 5 in the Milesian Accords by Jon R. Osborne, and here is it’s blurb:
Magic has returned to the world, but so has an ancient foe.
Erin Donnelly, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk, searches for Nechtan—her lover cursed to live as a stag for a year and a day. Enlisting the aid of allies, Erin maintains a vigil, turning back hunters and predators who might harm Nechtan in the wilds of the magical otherworld.
But when Stangr Iron-skinned escapes his imprisonment in the River of Time, he has one thing on his mind—revenge on Nechtan. Stangr’s thirst for vengeance takes him from the Seelie courts of the otherworld to the windswept Great Plains.
Can Erin find Nechtan before Stangr tracks him down? Erin beat Giwargix the Dragon-Slayer, but can she defeat a jotunn-blooded Viking impervious to blades and bullets?
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Last week was so epic, this week had to pale in comparison. And it did.
Hunting the Hart
Not to say it wasn’t productive, just not as epic. And this week, we have a cover. Here’s the cover for Hunting the Hart, book 5 in Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords series.
This one stars Erin, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk. She’s trying to save her cursed lover before an ancient foe wreaks his revenge. Great stuff.
This comes out on February 21st.
I got another 3rd of The Eyes of a Doll edited. I should have it done next week and on to Where Now the Rider. Once that’s going, I’ll be rolling back into Farewell, My Ugly. I aim to have that draft finished by the end of March.
I also had a number of personal projects to work on this week that have taken some time.
To be honest, though, I’ve moved pretty slowly this week. Don’t know it was the change in the weather or if there was something else, but I’ve had achy, grumbly week. Nothing bad, just slightly off-kilter.
Ah, well, that means I better get back to it. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
I have a cluster of performers who sit as 2nd best to Rush. Right now I’m listening to Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden. Part of that is the depth in their lyrics, the hammering power of three guitars, and Steve Harris. However, a big part is Bruce Dickinson. He and Ronnie James Dio are 1 and 1a of metal voices for me.
Quote of the Week
Frank Frazetta would be 95 today, so happy birthday to the most iconic fantasy artist ever. You may not know the titles Death Dealer or the Egyptian Queen, but chances are you’ve seen them and others here and there.
Here’s what he said he wanted to do. I think he got it.
“I want to do something that nobody has done before me. And I want to do it in such a way that nobody will forget me for it.”
– Frank Frazetta
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle (Coming Feb. 13th)
I live in the ground but my greatest is high above
Congrats to David for guessing the riddle from January 23rd. Great job.
Latest Snippet: Chapter 2 of Hunting the Hart, by Jon R. Osborne.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Hunting the Hart is the next new release, coming out on February 21st. This is book 5 in the Milesian Accords by Jon R. Osborne, and here is it’s blurb:
Magic has returned to the world, but so has an ancient foe.
Erin Donnelly, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk, searches for Nechtan—her lover cursed to live as a stag for a year and a day. Enlisting the aid of allies, Erin maintains a vigil, turning back hunters and predators who might harm Nechtan in the wilds of the magical otherworld.
But when Stangr Iron-skinned escapes his imprisonment in the River of Time, he has one thing on his mind—revenge on Nechtan. Stangr’s thirst for vengeance takes him from the Seelie courts of the otherworld to the windswept Great Plains.
Can Erin find Nechtan before Stangr tracks him down? Erin beat Giwargix the Dragon-Slayer, but can she defeat a jotunn-blooded Viking impervious to blades and bullets?
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a week! It was so busy, I’m going to have to a list.
Approved the cover for Hunting the Hart by Jon R. Osborne (Out February 21st).
Approved the cover for Bonds of Valor (Out March 24th).
Finished the manuscript for Bonds of Valor and sent to the copyeditor.
Did about a third of the new edits for The Eyes of a Doll.
Hosted a postrevel.
Wrote 2 riddles (and had my first correct guess, way to go David).
Read and responded an old slush submission.
Wrote about 3000 in a new Firehall Sagas short story.
Not too shabby.
I also taught my wife Call of Cthulhu, so she can play a lawyer as a hero.
Next week, Saturday, I’ll get the ARCs out to the Hunting the Hart ARC team. By the end of next week, I’ll be turning my eyes to Where Now the Rider.
I’ve been building new processes after the lessons of 2022, and man, have they been working.
Speaking of which, I’m going to go edit some more. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
The sound of a mechanical keyboard. I’m getting to this update a little late after a long day of work and family stuff.
Quote of the Week
In 1141, Empress Matilda defeated King Stephen I at Lincoln. This is a good reason to quote from the Cadfael series, and I really don’t even need a reason, as it’s a great series of books. The BBC versions with Derek Jacobi are excellent too.
“Whatever the rights or wrongs of their affection, in the teeth of danger and despair love is entitled to speak its mind, and all others should be blind and deaf.”
― Ellis Peters, The Hermit of Eyton Forest
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle (Coming Feb. 13th)
I live in the ground but my greatest is high above
Congrats to David for guessing the riddle from January 23rd. Great job.
Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of Hunting the Hart, by Jon R. Osborne.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Hunting the Hart is the next new release. This is book 5 in the Milesian Accords by Jon R. Osborne, and here is it’s blurb:
Magic has returned to the world, but so has an ancient foe.
Erin Donnelly, descendant of Cu Chulainn and Champion of the Folk, searches for Nechtan—her lover cursed to live as a stag for a year and a day. Enlisting the aid of allies, Erin maintains a vigil, turning back hunters and predators who might harm Nechtan in the wilds of the magical otherworld.
But when Stangr Iron-skinned escapes his imprisonment in the River of Time, he has one thing on his mind—revenge on Nechtan. Stangr’s thirst for vengeance takes him from the Seelie courts of the otherworld to the windswept Great Plains.
Can Erin find Nechtan before Stangr tracks him down? Erin beat Giwargix the Dragon-Slayer, but can she defeat a jotunn-blooded Viking impervious to blades and bullets?
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a very productive week here in Robville, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the cats are in control (especially Wynnifred).
Hunting the Hart is almost in the can. ARC Team readers can expect to get copies next week.
This is the fifth in Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords series and follows the adventures of Erin as she tries to save her love from getting hunted and killed. A curse has turned him into a stag, the mightiest in the forest and a prize for any hunter.
Plus, he’s got an ancient foe who’s come back to seek revenge.
The release date on this got pushed up because of convention schedules, so it’s coming out on February 21st! Yes, we know that’s only a month away, but we’ve been juggling art, editing, and all the details and didn’t want to announce a date before we knew it’d be ready.
Hunting the Hart comes out on February 21st. Spread the word thoughout the Dunwold.
I did a bunch of work on Bonds of Valor, too. It’s mostly in the can. One story I worked on came from Sarah Hoyt. All I can say is, wow, that woman can write. It’s one of the best short stories I’ve read in a long time. The only spoiler I’ll say is it’ll blow fans of Shakespeare away.
Here’s a good news/bad news thing. The bad news is that I’ve been wretched at dealing with slush submissions. I’ve routinely lost track of them for far too long.
The good news is I’ve revamped my process for these and the results look good. I at least went through a couple of the most egregious submissions and I’m on the way to catching up.
Still, I’ve owed a number of authors an apology, and I’m making good as best I can. I am sorry.
I made progress on The Eyes of a Doll too. I aim to be done with it in a couple of weeks. Given the juggling of a some deadlines, that’s ambitious, but I’m making progress.
I gave you all a bonus riddle last week that I thought of when I was driving home from MarsCon. Here’s the riddle:
Occidentally, I weave innocence
I’ll give you a few sections to think about it before giving you the answer in the Rob’s Riddles section below.
I also started a new Firehall Sagas short story, one that goes into a particular bit of history I mention in A Lake MostDeep. I’m in a race with a couple of other writers to finish it next week to go into Bonds of Valor.
I had an author have ongoing health issues that prevented them from providing the level of quality they expect, and time just ran out. It’s a shame when this happens, but it’s far more important that authors take care of themselves.
This is probably the most important thing I have to say this week. It’s true for everyone, of course, but if you’re a creator of anything, the most productive thing you can do is keep yourself healthy. No one writes their best stuff when they’ve got more important things to worry about.
With that, I better throw some words on the page.
What I’m Listening To
Right now it’s Lessons by Rush. It’s from side 2 of 2112, and it’s one of those hidden gems you get out of deep tracks. The opening is so smooth and strong.
Quote of the Week
So let’s have a quote from Lessons.
Sweet memories Flashing very quickly by
Reminding me Giving me a reason why
I know that My goal is more than a thought
I’ll be there When I teach what I’ve been taught
– Rush, Lessons
Rob’s Riddles
I have a Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work. You can find it here: patreon.com/rhodri2112, along with a sample riddle.
First Line of Next Riddle:
I have neither handle nor spout, yet I am stout
Latest Snippet: Chapter 2 of Farewell, My Ugly
Bonus Riddle: Occidentally, I weave innocence
As I mentioned to one who commented on this, with a riddle of only 4 words, they all have to matter, except for I.
I used the basic meaning of “western” for occidentally here, not the more common usage of “western countries.”
Weave is here to give me a verb (yay verbs), but I chose it specifically for its letters.
Innocence and virginity are often intertwined in poetry.
Weave has W and V, and the riddle popped into my head while I was driving through West Virginia.
Yes, the part where I mentioned I wrote it on the drive back was also a clue.
So there you go. And yes, my mind is a little twisted and overly intricate. Who knew?
Coming out this week is Point Break, book 3 in the Guardian Covenant. This is a joint mil SF project with Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry, so you know how good it has to be. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BSMLDQ27.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m back from MarsCon! It was as good a time as one could have with insomnia. I mean, if I’m going to stay up to 5 and 6am, I want to have at least been out reveling, but sadly that wasn’t the case.
The con itself was excellent. I got to hang out with too many great people to name. Probably the best part was going over New Mythology plans with Chris Kennedy. We’ve got a goodly amount coming down the pike. I’ll get into that in a moment.
I was on 6 panels, which is a great load from my perspective. I moderated panels on Food and Drink in SF/F and then one on the other jobs authors have had. Let’s just say this one turned fowl thanks to Kelly Grayson and Mark Wandrey.
I was also on a panel of CKP upcoming stuff. There’s a lot. Just saying.
Then there were panels on Advice for the Late Bloomer, Researching for your Story, Creating Alternate World Histories, and “I Got a Great Idea For a Book.” Good stuff.
Back stuff coming down the pike, let’s talk about Hunting the Hart, the fifth book in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords. It actually went to the editor today and I’ll have a firm release date next week, but it’ll be out soon.
I did some work on The Eyes of a Doll for the re-edits. By the way, if you want the old versions for nostalgia’s sake, I’m going to pull them down next week, I think.
I got feedback on the new version of A Lake Most Deep and it was very positive. I’ve a couple of things to clear up, but it’s basically ready to go when the time comes.
I’m almost ready to send Bonds of Valor to the editor. That’ll happen next week. Cover reveal will happen in mid to late February. Once again, I’m honored to get to work with such talented authors.
It’s interesting. There are weeks where I think I got almost nothing done but look up and see a bunch of stuff. This was one of those weeks, and I know I didn’t do as much as some because I’m always a bit slow coming back from a trip. Still, I’m quite pleased in retrospect. Now, off to do some more editing.
What I’m Listening To
Tai Shan, by Rush. I know a lot of Rush fans get down on this song and it’s often chosen as one of their worst. That may be true, but I really like it.
Quote of the Week
Today’s a great day for birthdays, but in the end, the choice was easy. Happy birthday to Edgar Allen Poe, and here’s one of my favorite poems of his. It is, by the way, without any ravens.
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow: You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand– How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep–while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?
– Edgar Allen Poe, A Dream within aDream.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a new Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work.
Plus a bonus riddle! I thought of this one while on the drive back from MarsCon. By the way, it’s just one line total, so here is the whole riddle. I think this one is really easy, but your mileage may vary.
This week we have is book 5 in William S. Frisbee, Jr.’s Last Marines series, Genocide of Mankind. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BS443W6S/.
Your pre-release this week is, Point Break, book 3 in the Guardian Covenant. This is a joint mil SF project with Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry, so you know how good it has to be. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BSMLDQ27.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 342.0 (I didn’t quite make it. I’d been aiming to stay under 340 with all of the holidays, travel, and events. I’d have made it, I think, if I’d slept better at MarsCon. Still, it’s not as bad as it could have been).
Updated Word Count: 29,234
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope your new year has started off well. Mine has, in general, started off really well. I’m excited about all the projects I’ve got going on, especially my new Riddle Patreon.
I really enjoy writing riddles, and have for something like 25 years now. I actually wrote one yesterday, which comes out on the 23rd of January, just sort of sitting around.
The structure on this one was fun. I suspect it’ll be one of the easier riddles I write, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
My current plan is to post something every Monday. The 2nd and 4th Mondays will have new riddles, and those will generate revenue. The other Mondays will be snippets of works in progress. I started with the first chapter of Farewell, My Ugly this week, and will go at least the opening six chapters and probably more until I switch to The Feasting of Vengeance. At least, that’s the plan, until you all suggest a better one.
I made huge progress on Bonds of Valor this week. I’ve been a bit behind on this as I’ve been catching up on a bunch of stuff, but my edits are going out. This will come out at FantaSci on March 24th.
Speaking of which, I think it’s time to announce the list of authors, and it’s one of the best lists we’ve had.
You know the winners of the contest already:
Justin Doyle
B. A. Ironwood
Casey Moores
Fiona Grey
They’ll be joined by:
Philippa Anastos
D.J. Butler
Glen Cook
Sarah Hoyt
Todd McCaffrey
Jody Lynn Nye
Jon R. Osborne
Aaron Rosenberg
Benjamin Tyler Smith
Kevin Steverson
What a list. I’m honored by all these amazing authors. Besides, who doesn’t want more Black Company, Necrolopolis, and Indrajit and Fix stories?
I also spent the week finishing A Lake Most Deep. It goes out tomorrow to a couple of alpha readers. I’ll start on The Eyes of a Doll this weekend.
And with that, it’s off to edit another story. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Saturday is the anniversary of Neil’s death. Rush on repeat for the next few weeks.
Quote of the Week
Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.
Marcus Aurelius
We had a moment on Monday where death might have smiled on national TV. Damar Hamlin, a player for the Buffalo Bills, suffered cardiac arrest on the field. Great news today as Damar asked “Did we win?” He’s not out of the woods, but credit to all involved (except Roger Goodell, but I don’t have time to get into *that* rant).
The Riddles!
I have a new Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
So last week, I screwed up and muddled a couple of titles and authors. I should have said, get Casey Moores’ The Guilted Cage, a new Fallen World novel, here: amazon.com/dp/B0BQRQYL86.
Oh, and since I’m tossing out links, here’s Pandora’s Box, 2nd in Christopher G. Nuttall’s Heirs of Cataclysm series. It’s here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.2
Updated Word Count: 1,213
Firehall Sagas Archives: 740 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been an eventful 2022, I think, for all of us. I hope things went as well as possible for all of you and that 2023 is your best year yet.
Pandora’s Box
Speaking of best yet, I think the release of Christopher G. Nuttall’s Pandora’s Box was the best release of any book I’ve published so far. It’s been an honor to work with him, and I’m so pleased to be a part of the Heirs of Cataclysm.
With me moving on from both the Eldros Legacy (which you should still read) and the Dudes in Hyperspace (which will hopefully have a show here and there), I find myself with some extra time.
I’m going to fill that time by writing Old English-style riddles. Here’s an example:
I reared my mother after madness sent her to me
Then I moved mountains and made monsters fear me
Time I have carried taming it to my purpose
Against the glacier’s wrath I guard mighty empires
Yet the least hold me captive kept in loneliest thrall
I do not delay when dooms are decided
Health and life I shield holding against harm
Great, gallant, and gracious have I grown
My back is broken but I bear the dreams of all
I carry a magical world so say what I am called
Every couple of weeks, I’ll write another one, as well as provide the answer to the previous one.
How can you get these riddles? Great question! I’ve created a Patreon. Every subscriber will get a riddle on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, starting on January 9th. Plus, I’ll add snippets and other tidbits of works in progress or whatever seems interesting.
At higher tiers, subscribers will get free books. At the highest tier, they’ll also get an illuminated manuscript of a personalized riddle suitable for framing.
What’s the answer to this riddle? Well, you can find out in two ways. One, you can subscribe. Two, since you subscribe here, I’ll pass on the explanation next week. I appreciate all who’ve been along for this ride too.
Anyway, we’ll see who can guess this one. Oh, yeah, I have some fun things planned for those who guess it before I send out the answer.
I also spent a bunch of this week getting the new website for the Firehall Sagas ready to go! Check it out here: firehallsagas.com. Thanks to Kevin Fritz Fotovich for creating cool new artwork and logos. Also, I should have thanked Kate Gill many years ago for her photos, but she also took a fantastic one of me performing part of Beowulf in Old English at Pennsic.
I was in a firehall performing a saga. It had to be on the website.
I did a bunch of editing the week. All in all, it was one of my most productive weeks in a long time, even though I took Christmas off to spend time with the folks.
Tonight, I’m watching the rest of Dallas against the Titans, then back at it tomorrow.
What I’m Listening To
The Cowboys are playing on a Thursday. Is there any doubt I’m watching it?
Quote of the Week
“If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it’s the biggest sport in the world.”
– Pele
As you may know, Pele passed away today. Godspeed, O Rei. Your best was truly amazing.
We give our swan song in a truly dude-tastic show. We’re taking a break, though don’t be surprised we have episodes coming occasionally down the road. Also, I’ve developed a taste for podcasting, so who knows what will happen.
This week we have the 18th book in The Fallen World, The Guilted Cage. Post-apocalyptic mayhem by Casey Moores. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BQRQYL86.
I’m still celebrating the release of Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.2
Updated Word Count: 428,364
Firehall Sagas Archives: 737 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Haven’t read it or The Chimera Coup, book 1 of the Heirs of Cataclysm yet? They’re post-magical apocalypse swords and sorcery with lots of action, intrigue, and great characters.
I’ve spent this week editing. I’ll be done with A Lake Most Deep next week. I’m mostly done with the initial pass, but I need to do a bediting pass. It’s much, much leaner and stronger.
I also did some editing on the stories for Bonds of Valor. I’m a bit behind this year because of events, but I’ll get half of them done next week.
I also spent a bunch of time cleaning up a number of housekeeping things and doing foundational work. I’m essentially re-booting my entire career in 2023, and I’m fixing as many small issues here and there. I’m excited about all.
One thing I’m going to start pushing is Twitter. I’m @Rhodri2112 there, and over the next couple of years I’m going to transition away from Facebook.
Speaking of excited, I will have a number of exciting items in next week’s update. I’ll have the website ready for the Firehall Sagas and an extra special sooper-sekret thing I’ve been working on.
This last bit is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and it dovetails nicely with a lesson I learned at 20Books.
Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing the parents for Christmas this weekend. I hope you all have a great time with your family and friends. Be well, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The Jets vs. the Jaguars. It’s nights like this, cold and rainy in New York, that I’m glad I didn’t actually play football.
That being said, today had some interesting news. NFL Sunday Ticket will finally move from DirectTV, which was an awful provider, to YouTube TV, which isn’t my preference, but certainly a major step up. I’m curious what that will cost.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary (or at least one possible one, there are questions) of the death of Emperor Vitellius. He was not a terribly notable emperor, ruling only about 8 months.
However, an antiquarian named Robert Bruce Cotton during Elizabethan times collected every ancient manuscript he could. He organized them on bookcases that each had a bust of a Roman Emperor. On the Vitellius bookcase, he put the Nowell Codex on the first shelf (A) and set it as the 15th (xv) manuscript on the shelf.
Hence, the Nowell Codex became known also by its catalog number as Cotton MS Vitellius A XV. It also happens to be one of four major extant collections of Old English poetry.
It includes the only copy of Beowulf to survive, and that was a close-run thing. In 1731, the repository for his library was Ashburnham House, and it had a fire that destroyed a number of manuscripts. The Nowell Codex was damaged, and there’s a burn mark of a poker that makes portions of the last few sections of Beowulf unreadable.
I don’t need much of a reason to celebrate the poem, so here’s my favorite line. And that’s why I’ll never forget Emperor Vitellius.
Deað bið sella
eorla gehwylcum
þonne edwitlif
Death is borne better
By every soul
Than a life of shame
We give our swan song in a truly dude-tastic show. We’re taking a break, though don’t be surprised we have episodes coming occasionally down the road. Also, I’ve developed a taste for podcasting, so who knows what will happen.
As I mentioned, we have Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Your pre-release this week is the 18th book in The Fallen World, The Guilted Cage. Post-apocalyptic mayhem by Casey Moores. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BQRQYL86.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 335.2
Updated Word Count: 427,484
Firehall Archives: 742 entries (I cleaned out a number of Eldros Legacy items, part of the housekeeping I mentioned up above).
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
2023 is going to be a great year for me, not least because I keep improving what I do and the way I do it.
Firehall Sagas
The biggest change, of course, is the Firehall Sagas. Here’s the new logo, created by Kevin Fritz Fotovich, an immensely talented artist and author.
A horizontal version of this will appear on all the books, and elements will appear on all the websites, once I get it all updated, of course.
This email will change a bit. Obviously, the Eldros Legacy section will go away. However, I hope all of you go to eldroslegacy.com/ as they are going to do great things there.
As you heard, the Dudes in Hyperspace is taking a hiatus. I have a fun plan to fill that time. I’ll announce it next week when I have all the details. In any case, I’ll remove the section but keep a link at the bottom.
I may have some other changes as well. I’m hoping to provide you guys with an update that’s more than simply “buy my books,” thought of course I hope you do that too.
Speaking of books, we’re less than a week away from the release of Pandora’s Box by Christopher G. Nuttall! You can get it on pre-order here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX, with the actual release on the 20th.
This is the sequel to The Chimera Coup in the Heirs of Cataclysm series. Expect book 3, A Hope in Hell, soon.
This week was aimed at two things, doing well at Kris Kinder, which I did, and making my choices for Bonds of Valor. I got, as usual, way more than 4 excellent stories, but I had to pare it down. The list of winners is down below.
I also spent a goodly amount of time editing A Lake Most Deep. It’s not out of the question to have it completed next week, though we’ll see. I’m cutting a ton of wasted words and strengthening the book so much, it’s really hard to describe.
I didn’t get much writing done. I wrote on another project, and there was some scribbles, but nothing to speak of.
Maybe I should get doing that now .
What I’m Listening To
San Francisco in Seattle to play the Seahawks. I don’t expect this to be a great game. The 49ers are just too powerful.
Quote of the Week
I was having a heck of a time finding a quote for today, then I asked the boss. My sweetie said I should use this one, and it’s never a bad time to quote Oscar Wilde.
“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.”
– Oscar Wilde
We give our swan song in a truly dude-tastic show. We’re taking a break, though don’t be surprised we have episodes coming occasionally down the road. Also, I’ve developed a taste for podcasting, so who knows what will happen.
This week, we have Vortex Stingray, book 2 in the Covenant series by Kevin Ikenberry and Chris Kennedy. This particular book is Pacific Rim-style mechs by Kevin on his own. Breaking news: Kevin does everything well. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BPCT7MQS.
And then, of course, we have Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.0
Updated Word Count: 426,523
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
December always brings so much fun stuff. Family, holidays, good eating. It also brings one of my favorite events in the SCA, Kris Kinder Market. It’s a time to sell, chat, and hang out with friends. I’ll be there this weekend, and as usual, be hosting the postrevel afterward.
I’ve spent the week cleaning and recovering, as well as catching up. Midwest GameFest was amazing. I sold far more than I expected, which is nice. I also met a number of local folk, and for the first time, am looking forward to gaming here in town. I even joined the Role-Playing Guild of KC.
Well worth the time, though it was grueling. Closing time was a little flexible, any time after 8pm. Opening was 10am on Thursday, and 8am on the other days. Add on a 40-minute drive each way and those were long days.
I had a couple volunteers to help some (thanks guys!), but really, they can’t sell my books like I can.
Knowing the long hours, being unsure of traffic flow, and having electricity meant I brought my laptop and set up like I would at Pennsic. I did get some writing done, more editing, and a number of emails, but the traffic was so constant I got far less of that sort of work done than anticipated.
That’s a good thing.
But I’ve needed to rest some this week. It’s been a productive week, but it has been slower than normal. It’s been the kind of week where I do a bit here, a bit there, mostly to keep myself going. For example, I got 1300 words written yesterday, but it was 100 here, 200 there between other projects.
Speaking of other projects. Pandora’s Box has done extremely well on pre-order. Thanks to all who have already gotten it, and for those who haven’t started the Heirs of Cataclysm series by Christopher G. Nuttall, you’re in for a treat when you do.
One of the other things I’ve been focused on this week is reading submissions for Bonds of Valor. Because GameFest ran started on the 1st and because I’ve gotten a lot of good submissions, I’m still a bit behind. I’m working my way through things and hope to have everything sorted and the winners announced next Thursday at the latest.
It’s going to be a hard choice. Thanks to all who submitted for their patience.
With that, I better get back to work. These stories aren’t going to read themselves.
What I’m Listening To
Rush’s 2112. There’s something here that’s strong as life. I know that it will reach you.
Quote of the Week
There are a ton of interesting people born on the 8th, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Sam Kinison, Kim Basinger and more. I chose one who’s older than most, Horace. Here’s a quote you know, at least, you know the first part.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.
(Sieze the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.)
First is Vortex Stingray, book 2 in the Covenant series by Kevin Ikenberry and Chris Kennedy. This particular book is Pacific Rim-style mechs by Kevin on his own. Breaking news: Kevin does everything well. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BPCT7MQS.
And then, of course, we have Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 332.2
Updated Word Count: 425,697
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We have a new release announcement this week! Pandora’s Box, book 2 of Christopher G. Nuttall’s Heirs of Cataclysm series, will come out on December 20th!
Here’s the amazing cover, again done by Laercio Messias.
It’s not just a box, it’s an ancient weapon capable of destroying entire cities.
Deep within the badlands, warped and twisted by tainted magic and weirdlings, the box was discovered by archaeologists secret wisdom lost in the Cataclysm. Those who found it are selling it to the highest bidder. If it falls into the wrong hands, their fragile civilization’s uneasy peace will be shattered once and for all.
John, along with his fellow adventurers, are hired to steal this ancient artifact so it can be safely destroyed. But stealing it is one thing, surviving it is another.
Everyone is after them and they’re on the run, a bounty on their head so large every mercenary, rogue, and even old friends are willing to risk death to claim it.
And nothing is quite what it seems.
And in order to make it easier for you to buy it as a present for yourself or someone dear to you, we’re going to do something we rarely do. It’s up for pre-order here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
You can get it just in time for Christmas Day.
This is what I spent Thanksgiving working on to the exclusion of most everything else. We really wanted to make sure you guys could have it for the holidays. Thanks to Chris, Laercio, Tiffany, and Zach for jumping up to make it all happen so quickly.
On to my plans for the weekend. I’m spending it at Midwest Gahttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DXmeFest, my first time there. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, there’ll be a ton of sales, some gaming, and a great chance to meet people.
If you’re in the KC area, come on out.
Also this week, I laid the groundwork for a whole bunch of stuff related to the Firehall Sagas. Because of the reveal of Pandora’s Box, I’m going to save my reveal of the new logo and banner until next week, but suffice to say it’s awesome. Thanks to Fritz Fotovich for working with me on that.
I did take time to watch the US beat Iran in the World Cup. On to the elimination round of 16, lads! Side note: On November 30th, 1872, England and Scotland played the first ever international soccer match. Happy 150th, international soccer!
With that, I probably better get all my packing done for the event this weekend. Have a great weekend, wherever you end up.
What I’m Listening To
The next door neighbor’s dog barking. Oddly, this afternoon I worked without music or watching anything. That’s very strange for me. I usually have to have something playing.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Rex Stout. Here’s a quote that really suits me, as I am not an “early to rise” kind of guy.
“The trouble with an alarm clock is that what seems sensible when you set it seems absurd when it goes off.”
2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest deadline has passed! Thanks to all the entrants for submitting. I’ll have the winners ready to announce in no more than 2 weeks.
Out this week is An Act of Aggression, by Alex Rath. It’s the 3rd novel in his Terran Space Project. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN5B7GRF.
We have two pre-releases this week. First is William S. Frisbee, Jr’s Revolution Calling. This is book 4 in his Last Marines series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0BNMGNQ46.
And then, of course, we have Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.0
Updated Word Count: 424,875
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving today. My wife and I celebrated just the two of us because I’ve had a bit of con crud after 20Books and didn’t want to spread to family.
Wynnifred
Aside from that, it was excellent. We had steak, ham steaks, mashed potatoes, french onion soup, 2 kinds of cranberry sauce, veggies, a cheese plate, pumpkin pie, and oatmeal raisin cookies. We ate well, as did our portable black hole, Wynnifred.
As you can see, she’s still hungry.
Anyway, lots to get to this week. First, I had a great time at 20Books Vegas. Rather than going into detail here, here’s my AAR: robhowell.org/blog/?p=2950.
Side note: Welcome to all my new readers from 20Books. Thanks for signing up!
That leaves time to talk about Responsibility of the Throne, which comes out on Tuesday the 29th. This is the 2nd in G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Endless Ocean series. And check out this cover from the amazing J Caleb Studios.
Azriyqam is home, and discovering that princesses have to live up to their titles.
Responsibility of the Throne
Living up to the example of her parents involves more than she ever imagined, like inheriting the title of Holder of the Two Keys, who judges between dragons and humans, and keeping watch for Consortium agents ready to destroy her homeland.
While she’s being trained in the law she’s supposed to uphold, the people she’s supposed to judge are a far greater mystery. And though she’s received harsh lessons in the treachery of humans, she has not yet begun to fathom the motives and designs of the kingdom’s dragons. And these are the key to a challenge that could fracture the entire kingdom.
Can she stand up to the fire and destruction facing her, or will bitter enemies and cruel traitors send her sinking to the bottom of the Endless Ocean?
I got a decent number of words written before the con started, but between travel, recovery, the con, the holiday, and other work, I haven’t had a chance to touch anything since a week ago Sunday. I’ll get back on the horse tomorrow.
Finally, there’s less than a week left until the deadline for the 2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call. It’s due on the 30th. We’ve had a bunch of great submissions, but yours might just be better, so send it in.
And now, off to do more editing. Have a great rest of your weekend.
What I’m Listening To
It’s Thanksgiving. I’m a huge football fan. Soooo…, after watching the Cowboys beat the Giants (Go Cowboys), I’ve got the Patriots in Minnesota on right now.
Quote of the Week
I get frustrated at the blind stupidity of the NFL, but sometimes they get one right. They are honoring John Madden at all Thanksgiving games going forward.
He was such a fixture on this day for me, and he was always one of my favorites. Go he go too far overboard? Sure. But you never doubted his passion for the game.
“Since 1981, I’ve spent every Thanksgiving Day broadcasting a game, and it is one of my favorite days. You can say, ‘Woe is me, I never get to be part of the tradition,’ or you can say, ‘Heck, we’ve got our own tradition, and it’s pretty good.'”
– John Madden
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
This week we have the second book in D.T. Read’s The Seventh Shaman series, entitled Mountains of the Gods. How good is this? Chris reads more than a few books each year and he says it’s the best thing he’s read all year. Find out yourself here: amazon.com/dp/B0BMM99PPQ.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m back from 20Books and I’ll start with saying it was an amazing trip.
I went with two overall goals: Gain the tools to level up personally and to level up New Mythology Press. Mission achieved.
Sunday night is when things sort of start. I say “sort of” because panels start on Tuesday, but networking and reconnecting is a huge part of the event.
I got a chance to hang out with some of the North Texas Troublemakers on Sunday. This is a collection of some skilled writers and artists from around Wichita Falls. They’re good folk and I don’t get a chance to really hang out with them much, but several of them were at the con.
One was Dorothy Grant, who I’ve crossed paths with before, but mostly knew online. This was a chance to get to know each other in real life. This last bit, by the way, is a huge theme of 20Books for me.
Another was C.V. Walter, an successful romance writer, especially her Alien Brides series. I’m trying to add a bit more of those tropes to my writing to broaden my skill set, and we had a good conversation about that. I put some romance in The Door Into Winter, and she agreed to take a look at what I did and see how I can punch that up a notch.
Also, expect to see her in an upcoming anthology as she’s got some great ideas and plans for valorous deeds. That’ll be 2024.
Monday started with the big vendor show. A bunch of people who offer a variety of services to help authors write. I found some intriguing stuff I’ll be digging through in the upcoming weeks.
I did have a chance to meet Jake of J Caleb Designs. He’s the artist for so many of New Mythology’s Books. He’s talented, creative, and a true professional. I can’t recommend him enough.
The rest of Monday was more networking and hanging out with a bunch of people. I had a great conversation with a friend who I’ve not really hung out with much in real life.
A crew of CKP folk ended up at Giordano’s, a true deep dish pizza, and we had a bunch of chats about this and that pertaining to a various CKP plans.
Tuesday started with a D&D game hosted by Luke Gygax. If you’re familiar with D&D, you might recognize the name. Yes, he’s related. In fact, he’s one of Gary’s kids.
I actually gamed with him twice, having a session both Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We had a blast, but from a professional standpoint, it was a great chance to connect with a few individuals more than we might have otherwise.
I’m certainly going to keep track of Gaxxworx, Luke’s company, and the setting they’re creating for D&D.
After that I hit Dave Butler’s editing for muscular prose. This was a very useful session as I not only learned new things, it also codified a number of things I’d sort of known but hadn’t ever lined out explicitly.
I’ve already started to put some of those things into use. Definitely a chance for me to level up.
Side note on Dave. We’ve been friends for a bit, but at most cons we don’t have time to actually sit and chat. We had a couple of chances, especially dinner on Thursday. He’s a great dude, and I look forward to hanging out again.
Dave was also hanging out with David West and Brad Torgerson. These are two writers I’ve interacted with on the internet, but hadn’t met in real life. Unfortunately, Brad came down with an illness, so we didn’t see much of him later in the week.
I especially wanted to meet with West, as he’s been pushing Weird West stories. As I desire my Libri Valoris anthologies to be broadly ecumenical in fantasy subgenres, I wanted to make sure he knew that Weird West fantasies are absolutely acceptable for these.
Wednesday was more panels, in particular Larry Correia’s one on action scenes. If you’ve read Larry’s stuff you know he makes these pop, and I got a few tips and tricks I’m looking forward to adding to my stuff.
Speaking of Larry, I also got to hang out with him more than I’ve done before. We had a fun lunch at the French restaurant close to the convention including Kacey Ezell, Nathan Balyeat, Mike Massa, and Larry’s wife, Brigit. Cheese was the biggest topic of conversation.
Also, it was great to actually get a chance to chat with Massa, another talented writer I’ve admired for a while but barely known in real life.
The other really useful session on Wednesday was Bryan Cohen’s Less Time, More Readers panel. This had a number of specific ideas on being productive.
The basic theme here was consistent mediocrity. Doing a little thing day after day after day will add up more than big days. We already kind of know this because we try to write some every day, but he pushed for us to do this on everything we do.
He also said it’s best to cut down on the things we try to do, but again, stick with them day after day, week after week. This might seem counter-intuitive but it struck a chord with me because it’s exactly what I talk about to people thinking about joining the SCA.
Many new to the SCA are intimidated by all the stuff. The great outfits, the bling, good shoes, chairs, wooden chests, and at camping events, tents and such-like things. They feel like they can’t do this because they can’t get all this stuff.
The thing is, no one should have all this stuff at the start. I started with tennis shoes, sweats, and plain T-tunic. This is still sufficient to start with. I had bag chairs, not wooden ones. Everything we used was modern.
But over the 25 years I’ve accrued this and that periodically. I made a chest, bought a chair, traded for garb, etc. I have a pretty good kit, but only after doing a bit here, a bit there, over all this time.
I need to do that with my work. Many, including me, often look at established writers and struggle to do all the things they do without remembering they didn’t do all those things at the start, but did some then added on as they got better.
I need to focus on certain things and get consistent with them. Then, when they’re programmed in, add something else. You can expect to see a few changes along those lines in the upcoming months. Some will be behind the scenes, but it will all be more calculated, more planned to do less, but more consistently.
Those were the three panels I got the most out of, though there may be more. I’ll be watching a few of the others that conflicted with other plans. This con, more than most, had productive things opposite other productive things.
Thursday, after the gaming with Luke Gygax, was mostly networking. In particular, I had a chance to really hang out with James Artimus Owens, a writer and artist who’s also one of the main people at Superstars. His class on cover art at Superstars was one of the best things I did there and it was good to actually get to know him a bit.
This conversation actually gave me a chance to consider the relative merits of both Superstars and 20Books. They’re both great for up-and-coming writers, but they have slightly different aims. 20Books seemed to have a much more granular, detailed approach to the business side of things, especially for indie writers who already have a few things out there. Superstars is better for newer writers, and also for those who lean toward tradpub.
Short version: both are great, but one can be better than the other depending upon your goals and circumstances. As both are expensive to attend, I suggest studying each to find the best fit for you. Most of us can’t afford to attend both in a given year.
It seemed like 20Books had more aimed at my specific needs, but again, this is something you need to determine yourself.
Anyway, the event ended on Friday with the RAVE event. This was an open-to-the-public sales event. There weren’t a ton of shoppers not part of the con and we didn’t have many sales. However, this was a chance for people to show off what they had.
I had a great chat with a number of writers, including some I expect you’ll see coming out in New Mythology down the road.
Overall, it was a fantastic convention and I achieved my goals. I’ve got more tools in my toolbox, more connections in the industry, and more ideas to push my stuff to the next level.
I start my sojourn to Las Vegas soon for the 20Booksto50K conference. I’d intended to go last year, and for that matter, the year before, but circumstances prevented it.
Still, there is sometimes an advantage to waiting, and I think I’m better prepared to go than I was last year. This year, I’m less of an apprentice publisher and more of a journeyman. I have a much better idea of weaknesses, so I can tailor my panels that much more precisely. I also have a more definite set of goals, much more than just “follow on Chris’s coattails.”
I’m sure I’ll follow on some coattails for a while as I get the lay of the land, but not near so much as last year.
Anyway, I’m excited. There’s stuff to learn.
Programming Note: Since I’ll be doing so much at 20Books, I’m not even going to try and do an update next week. I’ll be back on the 24th with a double issue, however.
Responsibility of the Throne
We have a cover reveal this week! Here’s the cover for Responsibility of the Throne, book 2 in G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Endless Ocean series.
Halfdragons fighting dragons, ship to ship combat, palace intrigue, treachery, and even a broken heart or two. It’s all in there.
Made very good progress on Farewell, My Ugly this week, crossing the 50k mark with an aim at 80k. My goal is a full draft early December with a final draft before the end of the year. Totally doable at the rate I’m going.
I also made great strides in the refresh to A Lake Most Deep. There was so many wasted words. I know I’ve gotten better and faster with my prose, but it’s humbling to see how much I’ve grown since that time.
I actually started the process by adding about 1500 words in a new opening chapter and have still cut almost 3000 total in the first four chapters. These are the chapters that needed the most trimming, of course, but it’s exciting to see what this story is looking like now.
I also did a bunch of behind the scenes things for the transition from Eldros Legacy. Major news on that front in two weeks.
We’re starting to get close to the deadline for Bonds of Valor. See below for all the details but remember it all has to be in by November 30th. There are a bunch of good entries right now, but there’s always room for better.
Looks like it’s time for me to pack. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
She Sells Sanctuary by the Cult. Man, this was a huge song for me back in the day, and for that matter, the Cult is such an underrated band. American Gothic? Love Removal Machine? Ashes and Ghosts? And let’s not forget the entire Sonic Temple album.
Great stuff.
Quote of the Week
Teufel Hunden
Happy birthday to all the Teufel Hunden out there!
So let’s have a quote from perhaps the greatest of them all.
“So they’ve got us surrounded, good! Now we can fire in any direction, those bastards won’t get away this time!”
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, thanks to everyone who responded about my new world name either with direct emails or Facebook, Discord, and Twitter. I really appreciate all that feedback.
And I have made a decision!
But I’m going to hold off telling you all what that decision is until I have the domain, logo, and website ready to go. I anticipate that right after I get back from Vegas.
Not my most productive week. I had some distractions, some were good and fun distractions, but still distractions. Mostly, though, with all the changes, I’ve been thinking through a bunch of things and I haven’t slept well. That’s probably my worst production limiter.
I did get a bunch of foundational work done, so there’s that. I also did a bunch of detail work on Farewell, My Ugly. While the word count isn’t as big as I wanted for this week (only 3k for the week), I made important and significant progress clearing out a bunch of notes.
My goal is to basically have a draft done by the end of the month. It’ll be tight, but I thought of an important transition today that’ll speed up the next part of the process.
Sometimes, when writing a mystery, the challenge isn’t coming up with a plot, but a plausible way to find a particular clue. That’s been a big one here. I’ve had a fun idea from the beginning, but it’s not something that would necessarily jump off the page to someone from the Byzantine Empire.
So, while it wasn’t a great week for production, it wasn’t awful. I kept plugging along, and usually just plugging along gets me to where I want to go.
Now, I’m going to get back to work.
What I’m Listening To
The World Series. What else this week?
Quote of the Week
I’ve always been fascinated by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, especially Annie Oakley. She died on this day in 1926, but she left us this wonderful gem of a quote.
Aim for the high mark and you will hit it. No, not the first time, not the second time and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally you’ll hit the bullseye of success.
– Annie Oakley
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
Two new releases this week! First, we have a new This Fine Crew book by Mike Jack Stoumbos. This is book 4 in the series and is entitled The Impossible Moon. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BKLL4F82.
Next we have something I’ve been waiting on. I met Fred Hughes at FenCon and I’m excited to read his Prince of Britannia series, which begins with The Prince Awakens. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BK232YT2.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.2
Updated Word Count: 398,717
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
There’s a whole lot of changing going on around these parts. I can’t really get into everything yet, but there’s a lot of cool stuff happening.
In other words, stay tuned!
Arranging things this past week slowed me down a bit. I only wrote about 3000 in Farewell My Ugly.
I did, however, get a bunch done on other projects. First, I started the freshening up process on A Lake Most Deep.
I love the story in A Lake Most Deep. I made great characters, a neat setting, and fun mystery. I also made a ton of rookie mistakes. It’s been my worst book, not surprising because it’s my first book, and it’s time for me to make it as good technically as I think it is artistically.
I talked about this some in our recording of Dudes In Hyperspace this week. The thing that struck me as I read through the manuscript for the first time in a while is that I love this story and the characters.
And also, I’m so much better than I used to be. It doesn’t hurt that in the last couple of years I’ve edited almost 2 million words. I may not be the most experienced editor, but I’m certainly settling on a style.
My own writing will benefit greatly from that style.
Also, this week, we made great progress on Responsibility of the Throne, book 2 in G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Endless Ocean series. Expect a cover reveal soon.
Also, we’re getting going on Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, the sequel to Heart, Wings, and Fire.
Oh, and I did a bunch of reading on the stories sent to me for Bonds of Valor. There’s some good stuff in there, and I can’t wait to see more. See below for the submission guidelines.
So a variety of things. And I’m so excited to see where these changes lead me.
What I’m Listening To
Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. I got the remastered version recently and decided to wallow in it. It’s probably my favorite Zep album, though on occasion it’s Houses of the Holy.
My thoughts on Houses of the Holy are this: it’s like the Don Sutton of album. Sutton was rarely, if ever, the best pitcher in baseball on any given year, but year after year he was very good to great for 23 years.
Houses of the Holy is like that. Every song is very good. It’s overall consistency is amazing, and I can listen to it every day. It doesn’t have that transcendent song, but it’s all very good to great.
Physical Graffiti has a weak link here and there for me, but it also has a couple of transcendent songs in Kashmir and Ten Years Gone.
Anyway, I’m enjoying it.
Quote of the Week
It’s a great time of year for baseball fans and the playoffs have been fun so far. So, besides the Don Sutton reference, I’m going to wish Mickey Mantle’s memory a happy birthday.
When I’m hitting, I’d play for nothing. When I’m not, any kind of money I receive makes me feel as if I’m stealing.
– Mickey Mantle
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
This week we have a book exchange! You should check out Rejected by R.M. Demeester.
Echo Paisley has been on her own since her fiancé, Nash, died three years ago. She soon discovered that she didn’t know the man she was going to marry. He had cheated on her with the one person she thought had her back. But that wasn’t the only secret.
Echo is about to leave her past behind when she discovers one last secret Nash left behind, which threatens to turn her life upside down. Echo is forced to seek help from her estranged mother with no one else to turn to.
Your pre-release this week is The Last Stand. This is a new series from Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.6
Updated Word Count: 397,024
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week, we released A Murder of Wolves by Jamie Ibson, the 9th book in the Eldros Legacy. It’s a howling (get it?) good adventure and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BHRKNYD5.
I’ve been working on edits for Responsibility of the Throne this week, sequel to Responsibility of the Crown by G. Scott Huggins. He’s such a strong writer and the characters are great.
I’ve also spent this week working on Farewell, My Ugly. I made huge progress, topping 30k this week. I’m aiming at 80k, so it’s over a 3rd done. I’m definitely better at hard-boiled and noir imagery than I was when I stumbled around writing A Lake Most Deep.
I also spent much of this week working on some foundational work that I’m looking forward to talking about down the road. I’m excited about more new projects. Expect to have a big update next week about the new plans.
You guys have a great week. I’m off to date night with the sweetie.
What I’m Listening To
Palästinalied Congregatio by Corvus Corax. These guys are another one of those bands who play medieval music on medieval instruments but do it with a metal crunch.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
And of course, A Murder of Wolves by Jamie Ibson, the 9th book in the Eldros Legacy. It’s a howling (get it?) good adventure and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BHRKNYD5.
Updated Word Count: 395,925 (For some reason, I stopped entering in all the stuff I’d edited, which I count as a 1/4 a page. This now matches last year’s process. If you’re interested, I’m currently at 944,000 and I’ll go over a million edited this year. Last year, it was about 783,000.)
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a week! There was the release of Heart, Wings, and Fire by Trisha J. Wooldridge. This is a great story inspired by Asian myths and legends that includes princesses, dragons, and fey, oh, my!
I met Trisha at Superstars and she’s is incredibly impressive. Smart, enthusiastic, and talented. Hard to pass up this combination and I’m incredibly honored to have been able to publish her in New Mythology Press.
But wait, more’s just around the corner! The 9th Eldros Legacy novel comes out this upcoming Tuesday. It’s A Murder of Wolves by Jamie Ibson. It’s got a bit of military fantasy mixed with swords and sorcery and a lot of adventure.
Again, this comes out on Tuesday and it’s great.
By the way, in last week’s poll, the cover for A Murder of Wolves edged out the cover of Heart, Wings, and Fire. I think I like the art on Wolves better, but the title treatment of Heart is amazing, so that pushes it over the top for me.
On my end of things here I had one of those weeks where I was productive but the numbers won’t exactly show it. I’ve had a bunch of words come out on Farewell, My Ugly, but I cut a bunch as well. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that’s part of my process.
Like I say, it won’t really show up in the running tally below, but this was one of my best weeks in a while, topping 7,000 new words even if about that number went by the wayside.
I’m in the midst of the transition from Act I to Act II and I realized that a bunch of what I had in Act I really doesn’t drive the story, but this new stuff will absolutely push us ahead.
I also took a bit of time off, like really off, this past weekend while the sweetie was off in North Dakota. I told y’all I’d watch football, and I did, watching 6 NFL games and some or all of 8 college games.
I have to admit I’m especially excited about the University of Kansas Jayhawks right now. I don’t ever expect them to win, so going 5-0 thus far is way ahead of expectations.
They’re even hosting College GameDay, a big thing for college football, this weekend. This is ESPN’s Saturday pregame show and they move it around to various campuses to give fans a chance to be a part of the show. It’s quite fun, and this is the first time ever it’s been to Lawrence. Whether they beat TCU this weekend or not, it’s already been a successful season for the Jayhawks.
Rock, chalk, baby!
And with that, I’m going to go write a fight scene. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Currently, I’m listening to Wolgemut play Chanzonetta Tedesca. Wolgemut is a neat band that uses medieval instruments to play medieval songs but often with a metal edge and enthusiasm. Really fun, fantastic stuff.
If you have other things in your life-family, friends, good productive day work-these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer.
– David Brin
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
This week’s release is Vendetta Protocolby Kevin Ikenberry. It’s actually a re-release of Kevin’s first series and it’s fantastic. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BGN41SY7.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Over the next two weeks we have books coming out that have some of the best cover art I’ve yet seen. They can’t both be my favorite, so I’m struggling which to pick.
You tell me. Which one do you all like better?
Heart, Wings, and Fire
A Murder of Wolves
Heart, Wings, and Fire starts a new series, the 27 Kingdoms, and starts it off with a bang. The story includes a princess fighting her way to freedom and find her true past.
The cover art for this was done by J Caleb Designs, who’s done a bunch for us in the past.
A Murder of Wolves is the 9th title in the Eldros Legacy and is by Jamie Ibson. CKP readers know Jamie well, especially from the fun We Dare anthologies he edited. This cover was done by Laercio Messias.
You might recognize his style from the cover of The Chimera Coup, by Christopher G. Nuttall, which came out last week. Because I like vaguebooking, not only has this release gone extremely well, there’s more fun stuff in the works in this universe.
Responsibility of the Crown
This week, I finished my edits on Responsibility of the Throne, which is the sequel to Responsibility to the Crown. G. Scott Huggins is one of the most talented writers out there, and you’re going to love this book.
This weekend is going to be a football weekend for me. My sweetie is off to see her mother and some relatives for a quilting retreat and the house is mine, all mine! I’m watching every football game I can.
Time to go make food that’s far too spicy for my sweetie to like it.
What I’m Listening To
I’m on another of my every so often listen to all the Rush. Currently, it’s Subdivisions, which was one of the most important songs I heard growing up.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. May you all have some windmills worth tilting at.
“Look there, Sancho Panza, my friend, and see those thirty or so wild giants, with whom I intend to do battle and kill each and all of them, so with their stolen booty we can begin to enrich ourselves.”
– Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
As mentioned, The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall came out a week ago Tuesday. It’s a mix of post-apocalyptic and swords and sorcery. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
The Four Horsemen Universe returns this week with World Enders by Chris Kennedy & Marisa Wolf. This is book 2 of The Phoenix Initiative, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BG19B753.
Your pre-release this week is Vendetta Protocolby Kevin Ikenberry. This is actually a re-release of Kevin’s first series and it’s fantastic. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BGN41SY7.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 330.0
Updated Word Count: 158,132
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, welcome to all the new readers. I was able this week to finally get all my updates from Pennsic and FenCon uploaded. Thanks to all of you who joined up. If you have any questions about what all I’ve got going on here, just send me an email at rob@robhowell.org.
And wow, what an amazing week it’s been. Let’s start with the first new release, The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall.
This came out on Tuesday and is a post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery world with technology added. It’s fast-paced, as you’d expect from Chris, and you’re going to love it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
I contributed a story in here about a Valkyrie working her job on the mean streets of St. Louis. After 1500 years working for Odin and Freya, she thought she’d seen everything. She was wrong. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
But wait, there’s more! The Pain Bearer by Kendra Merritt came out on the 13th. This is the 8th of the Eldros Legacy and is probably my favorite novel so far in this series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W/.
If you’re keeping track at home, and I am, this stretch of 4 books I contributed to in 14 days is a personal record.
I was also on 3 different podcasts: Cursed Dragon Ship and Inside CKP both had all the Eldros Legacy authors on. Then we did a Dudes in Hyperspace episode. Click on the show names to watch or listen to all these episodes and so much more.
And what did I do to celebrate? I went to FenCon and had a great time with Larry Correia, Chuck Gannon, and Rob Hampson (all Guests of Honor there) along with fellow CKP authors Mark Wandrey, Bill Webb, Kayla Krantz, Sandra Medlock, and Fred Hughes, plus a bunch of other awesome people.
Frankly, it felt like LibertyCon Lite and I need it, having missed LibertyCon itself.
This week I’ve been editing Responsibility of the Throne by G. Scott Huggins. This is the sequel to Responsibility of the Crown and is excellent. Dragons, halfdragons, intrigue, and boarding actions.
I’ve been nibbling at some story ideas too, though I’ve had little time to write them. September has routinely been my worst month as I’ve come out of Pennsic and all the summer cons, and this year is no different. That has meant October is one of my best, though, and I anticipate it will be.
One last thing, it’s time for a cover reveal from one of my favorite covers so far. Heart, Wings, and Fire by Trisha J. Wooldridge comes out on the October 4th and here’s the cover. This starts her amazing 27 Kingdoms Universe, which you’re gonna love.
Princesses, dragons, and fey, oh, my!
Now I need to let you all go so I can get ready to record the first Dudes In Hyperspace Podmail show. There are so many questions, we’ve had to move that to its own regular episode.
What I’m Listening To
I came back recharged in many ways, and popped right back into setting my playlist to all Rush songs.
Right now it’s Distant Early Warning off of Grace Under Pressure. I remember distinctly getting this album at about the time I was most interested in the Cold War and the Soviet military, so even if it hadn’t have been Rush, I’d have loved it.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Joan Jett who, let’s just say, I especially admired when I was a teenage boy.
“I saw him dancing there by the record machine
I knew he must have been about seventeen”
– I Love Rock’n Roll, as performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
This week we have The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall. This is a post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery world with technology added. It’s fast-paced, as you’d expect from Chris, and you’re going to love it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
The Valkyries Initiative, a new set of stories set in the Hit World universe edited by Marisa Wolf, came out on Friday. I contributed a story in here about a Valkyrie working her job on the mean streets of St. Louis. After 1500 years working for Odin and Freya, she thought she’d seen everything. She was wrong. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
Your pre-release has the Four Horsemen returning this week with World Enders by Chris Kennedy & Marisa Wolf. This is book 2 of The Phoenix Initiative, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BG19B753.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.8 (I’ve been traveling and not eating well. Since coming back, I’ve re-focused on eating better. Time to get back on the downward path.)
Updated Word Count: 157,349
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Yes, there are still ten days left in September, but so much has gone on that I really need to do an AAR. Plus, October looks like it’ll be just as busy so I don’t know when I’ll get this done, and as I look back a monthly AAR sounds like a pretty good regular post.
No Game for Knights
This month started off with a huge bang when No Game For Knights came out on the 6th. This is the noir-themed science fiction and fantasy anthology edited by Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell and follows up Noir Fatale, which was also really fun.
My story in here was entitled The Incomparable Treasure, and it continues the adventures of Edward Aethelredson. If you’ve read The Eyes of a Doll, you want to read this as it follows up some of that story there.
The Pain Bearer
Then, on the 13th, New Mythology released The Pain Bearer, by Kendra Merritt. This is my favorite of the Eldros Legacy novels so far, including my own The Door Into Winter.
On the 16th, The ValkyriesInitiative came out. This is an anthology in the Hit World universe edited by Marisa Wolf.
The Hit World is what I call genre gumbo. It has everything: aliens, magic, gods, myths, James Bond-style espionage and assassinations, intrigue, and if it doesn’t have it now, it will someday.
Really fun.
The Valkyries Initiative
My story in here is actually in many ways like my story in No Game for Knights. It’s hardboiled and has more than a bit of noir influence. It’s about a valkyrie who’s been doing the bidding of Freya and Odin for some 1500 years now. She’s currently working a job in St. Louis and, spoiler alert, everything goes sideways.
I like putting characters into difficult positions where no choice is good, and this was one of my favorite bad situations so far.
The Chimera Coup
Today, we released The Chimera Coup, which starts a new series called The Heirs of Cataclysm. This is post-apocalyptic, swords and sorcery and tech and is full of action as one would expect from Christopher G. Nuttall.
If you haven’t read Chris’s stuff before, you should. He’s got a bunch out there, including some other fantasy series, plus a bunch of great mil SF and space opera. We’re honored to have the opportunity to publish this.
Books 2 and 3 in this trilogy will come out soon, and you’re going to love how he wraps this all up.
I’ve also been a part of a number of podcasts. The Eldros Legacy crew did an interview on the 7th on Inside CKP. We did another interview with Cursed Dragon Ships on the 13th. Between those, the Dudes in Hyperspace had their NFL preview show on the 8th.
Click on the show links to check out all three of those.
Whew, that’s 4 books released and 3 podcasts recorded in 2 weeks!
But wait, there’s more! I also just got back from FenCon in the DFW Metroplex.
Larry Correia was the guest of honor, Robert E. Hampson was the science GOH, and Chuck Gannon was the toastmaster. Man, that’s a heck of a list and it drew out a ton of people. I heard, though I haven’t confirmed it, that FenCon drew almost as many people this year as it had done in the previous two pre-pandemic years combined.
Again, I’ve got no confirmation on that, but it sure seemed hopping to me. I was only on two panels, one on Indie Publishing and the CKP Look Ahead, but both were very well attended. Thanks to all who come out.
I also had constant traffic in front of my dealer’s table. I sold more than I expected, which is always nice, but I also got to really talk to a bunch of great people.
The author next to me, Tim Gilliland, was brand new. This was his first con ever, whether to sell or not. He’s in his 60s and finally getting to do what he’s always wanted to do. I predict he’ll do well, given how enthusiastic he was.
This was actually a theme, as I was aware of more people who said this was their first ever convention than I can recall at any other con. Great to see all the new blood.
But truly, it was the old blood that made this con for me. Because of the guests, there was a huge percentage of attendees who I usually see at LibertyCon. Since I missed it this year, I was ecstatic to have sort of a LibertyCon Lite. Yeah, yeah, I do realize it was probably the wise choice to be at my own wedding instead of the con, but I still missed my friends.
I had a great conversations with old and new friends, which is really the best part of cons. Selling books is great, and I love panels, but it’s the people that matter.
Among friends I had good conversations with were Larry, Rob, Chuck, Sarah Hoyt, Cedar Sanderson, Jonna Hayden, C.V. Walter, Dan Hoyt, Karl Gallagher, Sean CW Korsgaard, Mark Wandrey, Lloyd Behm, Joy Wandrey, William Alan Webb, Sandra Medlock, and Toni Weisskopf. I also met Fred Hughes and Kayla Krantz, two newish authors in the stable, plus a bunch of people like Tim Gilliland, David Birdsall, and Greg Gagnon who I expect to get to talk about when they get their own writing careers going.
What a fun crew.
I came back with a number of new ideas and looking forward to going to the next FenCon.
What’s left in September? Well, to be honest, prepping for October, plus we’ve got our Dudes in Hyperspace podmail episode coming out this week.
On October 4th, we have the release of Trisha J. Wooldridge’s Heart, Wings, and Fire. This is another new series set in her 27 Kingdoms world.
This story is really something new for New Mythology Press, something I’ve been wanting to see. It’s full of action, but less in the way of swords and more in the way of standing up to challenges. It’s also set in an Asian-inspired setting. I love all sorts of myths and legends from across the world and I want to see more of it.
Then on October 11th, we have the 9th Eldros Legacy novel, A Murder of Wolves, from Jamie Ibson. This is set on Daemanon and is a neat take on druids.
There’ll be more from the Dudes in Hyperspace, of course, and maybe more still yet to talk about.
September 2022 rocked, and I can’t wait for October.
So much going on this week. First, we have the release of Kendra Merritt’s The Pain Bearer. This is the 8th novel in the Eldros Legacy and it’s set on Noksonon.
It is also, thus far, my favorite of the 8 novels we’ve published so far, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W.
Tuesday, I and the other Founders of the Eldros Legacy were on Cursed Dragon Ship‘s 20 Questions podcast. This was a hoot, though sadly lacking in Dwarven Death Metal.
Also, it’s only a little more than a week since No Game For Knights came out. I’m still basking in this, especially since it’s still ranked 6th on Amazon for SF Anthologies. Thanks to all who’ve bought it so far.
And, of course, there’s FenCon. I’m already in Dallas and raring to go. One reason I got here last night is so I could go to the Baen signing at Half-Price Books. This was a lot of fun and I’m really glad I went.
FenCon starts tomorrow. I’ll mostly be in the vendor’s room selling books. I’m also on a couple of panels, one about indie writing and then the Chris Kennedy Publishing Look Ahead.
Mostly, though, I’m excited because while FenCon isn’t LibertyCon, there’s a solid crew of friends I would have seen at LibertyCon. I’ve missed these folk and I’m excited to see them.
These folk include Cedar Sanderson and Sarah Hoyt, both of whom took time out to help teach me back when I was just getting started. They weren’t the only ones so generous with their time, but taught me some of my most memorable lessons.
Setting up, by the way, is why this is coming out so late in the day. Well, not really setting up. It was the hanging out with some of these friends.
Time well spent.
What I’m Listening To
Right now, I’m in a diner listening to the hum of people chatting.
However, let’s talk about what I listened to on the way down. I love the combination of Larry Correia’s Hard Magic series when narrated by Bronson Pinchot. Yes, that Bronson Pinchot. I’ve said this is my favorite combination of story and narrator for audiobooks.
They now have competition.
I got The Adventures of Cadfael, which is actually several of the novels in an omnibus, so it’d be a good value for one credit on Audible anyway.
However, it’s narrated by Derek Jacobi. Yes, that Derek Jacobi, the one who played Cadfael on the great BBC TV adaptations.
It’s perfect.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Agatha Christie, who’d be a spry 132 today.
She is one of those writers who I’ve drawn on for inspiration. I don’t write her style of mystery, but I couldn’t write my style without her example. Especially with my favorite, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
“Books are a habit-forming drug.”
– Agatha Christie
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
Hey, look, a placeholder: Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
I’m setting up a website to keep track of all the amazing fantasy coming out with New Mythology Press. It’s starting to really stack up, and I’m honored to get to work with all these amazing authors.
Out today (since I’m getting this email out after midnight Eastern) is The Valkyries Initiative. This is a great anthology edited by Marisa Wolf set in the Hit World universe created by Bill Webb. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
And guess what, I’m in here too with one of my favorite stories to write, a hardboiled story about a Valkyrie doing her job in the mean streets of St. Louis. Sometimes, you just can’t please your bosses, even after being on the job for 1500 years.
We had my personal favorite so far of the 8 Eldros Legacy novels come out this week. That’s The Pain Bearer by Kendra Merritt. Get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W/.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I had a number of things to talk about this week, but as I’m sure all of you have heard, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.
It is, of course, no tragedy. The death of anyone who lives until they’re 96 and is as spry and active as she was up to the end is rarely, if ever, a tragedy.
But she was a pillar of stability in a world that needs such. Something like 85% of every person living today has never experienced a world without her on the throne until today.
She served in World War II as a mechanic. From everything I read, it was a task she enjoyed, not just performed dutifully. It’s hard to imagine a royal of any type enjoying that sort of work these days, but she was something special.
For many reasons, she always reminded me of my mom’s mom. Elizabeth was younger than my grandmother, but not by that much. More importantly, my grandmother had that same look, that same feel, that same background in some ways.
My grandmother grew up as the daughter of a wealthy British-Canadian family. She was trained to be the same kind of a woman as the queen. She was always proper, always elegant, always exquisite.
And I think that’s one of the things I’ll remember most about both women. They were classy *and* strong.
I am really glad at this moment that I named my mercenary unit in the Four Horsemen Universe the Queen Elizabeth’s Own.
Farewell and Godspeed
What I’m Listening To
The Yew Tree from the Battlefield Band.
It’s a neat song, but what’s relevant today is that the yew tree in the song exists. I’d be shocked if Queen Elizabeth never went to it.
Quote of the Week
If you’ve never done so, go take a look at the list of quotes from Queen Elizabeth II. She was quite a sensible woman, as you can see with this one.
Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.
– Queen Elizabeth II
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m finishing The Chimera Coup by Christopher Nuttall which will come out on the 27th of September. I’m also doing the final touches of Heart, Wings, and Fire from Trisha Wooldridge, which comes out the following week on October 4th.
No Game For Knights, an anthology of noir in speculative fantasy settings, also came out on the 6th. Kacey Ezell and Larry Correia, the editors, have both appeared in New Mythology anthologies, but Chris Kennedy, Dave Butler, Scott Huggins, and myself also appear in this. Get it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B57DS9JD.
This week’s early release for my mailing list readers is The Futility of Intent by Mike Wyant, Jr. This is the 4th book in his Anisian Convergence series, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDDHLTG2.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I am so pleased to be a part of this anthology. It is, of course, an honor to be in something with so many big names like Correia, Hamilton, Buettner, et. al., but for me it’s more than that.
I love noir, especially the hard-boiled detective versions. I love the intricate plots, the vivid language, the multi-dimensional characters, and a setting that is as much a character as it is a place. Raymond Chandler’s writing is almost poetry, and I heartily suggest people get audio versions to listen to his rhythm and cadence.
It’s the genre I lean into, whether I’m writing fantasy, pure mystery, SF, or whatever.
The Valkyries Initiative
So that brings me to my next awesomeness for September. On September 16th, The Valkyries Initiative comes out. This is an anthology set in the Hit World created by William Alan Webb. The anthology is edited by Marisa Wolf, who wanted to add more powerful women characters to that universe, and also create a whole separate thread in that universe.
Let’s just say, Marisa weaves a tangled web, which will make even more sense when you read the anthology.
Anyway, I leaned into noir with my story here, which is sort of a hard-boiled PI version of a Norse Valkyrie just trying to do her job in modern St. Louis and finding it’s not so easy as she thought. The Norns have woven a fate for Vigdis that she has to discover, else they will be wroth with her.
At least Vigdis gets to drink all the Schlafly Oatmeal Stout she wants.
And that brings us to the next reason I’m excited about September. That weekend, the 16th through the 18th, I’ll be at FenCon in the DFW Metroplex. This is a con I’ve been looking forward to going to for a while, especially since I’ll see a number of friends I haven’t in a long while.
This includes William Alan Webb, and we’ll be talking up The Valkyries Initiative quite a bit. Plus Larry Correia will be there and I’m sure we’ll be talking up No Game for Knights.
But wait, there’s more!
September will have not one, but 2 releases with New Mythology Press. First, we’ll have The Pain Bearer, by Kendra Merritt on the 13th. This is the 8th in the Eldros Legacy.
Then, on the 27th, we start with a new series from Chris Nuttall. The first book is entitled The Chimera Coup, and it’s a blend of post-apocalyptic with some Harry Potter in a swords and sorcery story with a host of action and adventure. It’s great stuff.
Basically, I have something coming out each week in September (plus the first two weeks of October, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves).
Man, I’m excited. Let’s do this!
What I’m Listening To
Pellonpekko by Korpiklaani.
What by who?
Korpiklaani is one of my favorite folk metal bands, in their case, it’s Finnish folk music that inspires them. Pellonpekko is an instrumental that’s one my “Must Play Again Every Time” list.
Pellonpekko is a Finnish god, and here’s a version of the song on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=fCY5b36U9t8. It’s the kind of song that crosses a lot of genres, so even if folk metal isn’t normally your thing, you might still like this one.
Quote of the Week
“Aspen 30, I show you at one thousand nine hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground.”
– Brian Shul
On this day, the SR-71 set the record for flying from New York to London in the time of one hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds. Today’s quote is from a different SR-71 moment.
The Pain Bearer by Kendra Merritt comes out on the 13th.
This is the 8th in the Eldros Legacy and is set in Noksonon, the continent of light and shadow. I have to add, this might be favorite EL novel so far, and that even includes my own The Door Into Winter.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
This week we have Darkness Rising by William S. Frisbee, Jr. This is the 2nd in his Gods of War series. Side note: Chris has 6 of these in hand and will be releasing them about every 5-6 weeks. That means if you jump in now, you won’t have to wait long, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BBQ5J3R9.
And new in audio is Action, by Nick Steverson. It’s part of the Salvage Title universe and is narrated by Michael LeBlanc. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BBQ47LFH.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 327.2
Updated Word Count: 152,140
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I haven’t mentioned this enough, but Kayla Krantz’s 2nd in her The Witch’s Ambition series comes out on the 6th of September.
Don’t remember the 1st in that series? I don’t blame you, I did an even worse job of mentioning that here, so let’s do that again. It’s The Council, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B855VDQ5.
Been a great week, mostly of editing.
I finished Heart, Wings, & Fire by Trisha J. Wooldridge this week. This comes out October 4th, and you’re going to be enthralled with her take on dragons. This starts and entirely new series called the 27 Kingdoms.
I met Trisha, by the way, at Superstars in February. Fitting, because I think she’s going to be a star.
I mostly finished with A Murder of Wolves by Jamie Ibson. This is a new novel set in Daemanon, the continents of demons, and is his take on druids and the Kari’Ma, a canine-type race of humanoids.
By the way, A Murder of Wolves has been moved up in the schedule to October 11th and Dark and Secret Paths has been moved back a month to November 8th. This was done to balance the releases from each continent better.
I’m looking forward to fall, and I have to say I’m pumped. Yes, we’re going to keep kicking out great stuff in the Eldros Legacy. But we already added one new series from Kayla Krantz, with two more new ones soon.
Christopher G. Nuttall, who many of already know and love is starting a great new series called The Heirs of Cataclysm. This is sort of a mix between post-apocalyptic/high fantasy/steampunk with a lot of swords and sorcery. The first book is The Chimera Coup and comes out on the 27th of September.
Then there’s the one I mentioned a bit above from Trisha. This is a little different in that it’s got a lot of romance-style tropes to go along with coming-of-age and includes fae, dragons, and some bad guys you’re gonna love rooting against.
And that’s not all. There’s more coming because I keep getting sent awesome stuff.
It’s a good time to catch this train, because it’s gathering speed.
What I’m Listening To
Whirling Toward Shambalah. I can almost guarantee none of you have heard of the band AnubisSpire. I don’t even know if they are still together anymore but they had a couple of albums in the 1990s and I stumbled on them. I especially enjoyed the album Old Lions in a World of Snarling Sheep.
They are a prog rock band with a bunch of fascinating influences including, in this one, Middle Eastern. There’s a compilation album you can download for $5 (or more if you wish) at: anubisspire.com/
Quote of the Week
Since I’m on to odd music groups I listen to, since it’s the 210th anniversary of the Canadians burning the White House, and since a bunch of Canadians brought me Headstock IPA (possibly my favorite beer) to Pennsic, here’s something from the Arrogant Worms.
Oh, come back, proud Canadians
To before you had TV,
No hockey night in Canada,
There was no CBC (Oh, my God!).
In 1812, Madison was mad,
He was the president, you know
He thought he’d tell the British where they ought to go
He thought he’d invade Canada,
He thought that he was tough
Instead we went to Washington….
And burned down all his stuff!
– Arrogant Worms, The War of 1812
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on A Murder of Wolves, Jamie Ibson’s 1st novel in the Eldros Legacy. I also finished my edits for Trisha Wooldridge’s Heart, Wing, & Fire, which is the first book in The 27 Kingdoms series.
The special early release this week is Darkness Rising by William S. Frisbee, Jr. This is the 2nd in his Gods of War series. Side note: Chris has 6 of these in hand and will be releasing them about every 5-6 weeks. That means if you jump in now, you won’t have to wait long, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BBQ5J3R9.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 328.2
Updated Word Count: 151,004
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We talked on our recording of Dudes in Hyperspace tonight of a concept Larry and Steve on The Writer’s Dojo call “sharpening the saw.” (Side note: that’s a great podcast for writers wanting to learn the craft). Sharpening the saw is taking a break so that your mind, body, and soul can recharge. I’ve phrased this as a reason, not an excuse.
Anyway, that’s what this week is for me. I learned some time ago that Pennsic, especially the last few days, tear down, and drive home, are hard on me. I have, in the past, thought I could just come home and start right back up on work like normal, but that’s simply not possible.
So this week I’ve done little except recover, recharge, and reorganize. I kept up with the stuff that has to be done on a timely basis, but I’ve written almost nothing since last Thursday.
Embers & Ash
That’s perfectly fine since I’m using that time to get myself ready to go next week. Losing a week to recharge is much more preferable to digging yourself into a depression cycle fed by fatigue, imposter syndrome, and all the other things writers do themselves. I’ve lost about a month that way, and I bitterly regret it because I should have known.
Still, there was the release of Embers & Ash, by Marie Whittaker, the 7th novel in the Eldros Legacy. It’s a great coming of age story of princess fighting to keep her birthright against the Never-Aging Man.
This is especially fun for me as it opens up the last of the 5 continents. Now you can see all the fun differences in each.
Daemanon: The theme centers around demons, abominations, and other creatures.
Drakanon: The theme centers around dragons.
Noksonon: The theme centers around light, dark, and shadow.
Pyranon: The theme centers around fire and volcanoes.
Shijuren: The theme centers around legends and myths.
No Game for Knights
Also, there’s been major progress on the details of The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall. It’s a great honor to have him join New Mythology, and you’re going to love his new series, The Heirs of Cataclysm.
I came home to an awesome surprise, my author copies of No Game for Knights, my first Baen Books credit. It’s an anthology edited by Kacey Ezell and Larry Correia of speculative fiction combined with noir, and I contributed a new Edward story.
This anthology comes out on September 16th, and we recorded an episode of the Baen Free Radio Hour on Monday with most of the authors. It’s a heck of a lineup as you can see from the cover, and I’m blown away to get to on Team And More here along with Chris Kennedy and Scott Huggins. Keep an eye on the Baen site for when that episode airs, it was a lot of fun with some amazing people.
Speaking of Scott, I’ve been editing Responsibility of the Throne, the sequel to his Responsibility of the Crown. I loved the first, but this one’s even better.
Also, we recorded not one, but two episodes of the Dudes In Hyperspace. We had the awesome pleasure to have Kevin J. Anderson in for an interview, and that’s already live. I’m literally typing out this week’s email after recording another show, this one with Joe Deleone talking about the upcoming college football season.
Grill/Griddle
Finally, I was able to finally get my birthday present from my mom, a grill/griddle combo. I got the floor model (at a nice discount), so that’s why there’s some rust on the griddle itself. However, that’s an easy fix, far easier than assembling it.
I can now make eggs the way I learned at Jimmie’s Diner way back when without fighting a damn small pan. Breakfast is going to be awesome this weekend.
And with that, I’m going to spend some time with the sweetie. We’ve had some time together, of course, but there’s been lots of catching up to do after being apart for three weeks.
Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
I put Rush on random again. We had KJA on for the Dudes as I mentioned, and obviously I had great fun listening about his friendship with Neil.
Right now, it’s Peaceable Kingdom from Vapor Trails.
Quote of the Week
In 1227, Genghis Khan died. You all know the quote from Conan which includes “lamentations of their women.” That’s simply one translation of a Genghis Khan saying.
He had a number of other sayings, some of which are actually good words of wisdom. This is one of my favorites.
“An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”
― Genghis Khan
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall, which comes out in September. This starts a new series, The Heirs of Cataclysm, and it’s full of action and energy.
First, Embers & Ash from Marie Whittaker. This is book 7 in the Eldros Legacy and is a coming of age story where a princes fights for her birthright against the Never-Aging Man. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B9HZNMZ8.
Next is a much-anticipated Four Horsemen Universe novel, The Lyon’s Pride by Chris Kennedy and Marisa Wolf. Get the real story behind the Lyon and Lyoness here: amazon.com/dp/B0B96JZB1B.
By the way, this novel starts a new 4HU subseries, The PhoenixInitiative. Phoenix is important here, as this novel is designed to be a new starting point in the 4HU. The 4HU is certainly a big hunk to bite into, and this gives a way to get into it from the middle, so to speak.
Also, I’m going to start announcing the upcoming CKP Friday release as a special to readers of this email. Kevin Ikenberry’s Sleeper Protocol release date is actually tomorrow, but you can get it early here: amazon.com/dp/B0B9WGHFV2/.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 328.6 (I’m steadily falling though, as I often gain weight on the drive home)
Updated Word Count: 150,156
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The second Wednesday at Pennsic includes Midnight Madness. Basically, this means we’re open until midnight, most merchants have some sort of specials, and a bunch of people plan fun things to do to turn it into a bit of a swirling, shopping festival.
It’s a blast.
It’s also exhausting, especially the day after. We did well last night, but neither I nor the potter who’s selling stuff out of my booth are very energetic.
This has been a week of a lot of work. I finished the editing of The Chimera Coup, the first book in a new series by Christopher G. Nuttall. The series is entitled The Heirs of Cataclysm and if you’ve read Nuttall before, you know it’ll be full of action and great challenges for the characters to overcome.
You’re gonna love it.
Embers & Ash
Of course, Tuesday is the release of Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker. This will unlock all 5 continents of Eldros.
I wrote when I could, which wasn’t as often as I expected because we’ve had so many sales. I did get words in here and there, but seriously, it’s been a great war for sales. Still, I got about 5k written across several projects.
I have also been editing Responsibility of the Throne, the sequel to G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Responsibility of the Crown. This comes out in November. There have been a few other things that got finished I will announce in the upcoming weeks.
I also got confirmations of two new events, so check the listing of where I’ll be for where I’ll be.
It may seem surprising, but Pennsic is perhaps my most productive two weeks of the year, and this year was even better.
What I’m Listening To
Bagpipes in the distance and the occasional cannon shot to signify a battle’s beginning and ending. (No, it’s not fired at the actual battle)
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Maldon in 991. I actually wrote about this battle in Trouble in the Wind. It’s a fairly famous battle because of the poem written about it, which describes the Viking raiding fleet, a battle of the causeway, and a decision by the leader of the English, Byrhtnoth, Ealdorman of East Anglia.
The most famous part comes after Byrhtnoth’s death, where his warriors stand up and declare they’ll fulfill their oath and die at his side.
In the SCA, one of my favorite songs concerns this battle. It’s written by Rosalind Jehanne and here’s perhaps my favorite passage from it. Note how well she follows the Anglo-Saxon alliterative poetic style and still uses the rhyme and arrangement of modern songs. Combining two such disparate genres is incredibly difficult.
“Death is our doom But let us die with honor
All that lives after Is what the bards do say
Fight to be worthy Of fame in the future
Let them remember The deeds we do today”
– Rosalind Jehanne, Battle of Maldon
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The PainBearer by Kendra Merritt, book 7 in the Eldros Legacy.
Two new releases this week. First, in the the Fallen World comes Cause and Effect by Brisco Woods. It’s the 17th book in this great post-apocalyptic series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B8JCXDV3.
Next is a book I’m criminally behind in talking about. This is Kayla Krantz’s The Council. It’s book one in a new fantasy series called The Witch’s Ambition. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B855VDQ5.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m home! Well, my two week summer home, at least. Here’s a picture of my shop with my friend Mar for scale (not for sale, unless you make a really good offer).
I’m so happy to be here. I get to see friends I haven’t seen in 3 years or more. I’ve sung songs, laughed, cried, and sold books. Exactly what I’d hoped. In fact, better than I hoped, at least in terms of sales to this point in the event.
I can even enjoy it when it rains, as it doing right now. I’m snug in my tent enjoying the sound of raindrops on canvas, which is very soothing.
I’ve also gotten some writing done, as you’ll see some progress in a number of things. My setup is designed for me to get words on the page when there are no customers to sell to. However, since there are customers, I can’t always write in large chunks. I have 3 novels I need to make progress on so I’ve got them all open to get a sentence here, a paragraph there. Whatever comes to mind.
And, of course, deal with all the publisher stuff. Embers & Ash went out to the ARC readers today. That comes out on August 16th, right after I get home from Pennsic. It’s a great story with coming-of-age parts, gothic horror hints, and a giant, flying riding bats!
The novels I’m working on are two you’d expect, Farewell, My Ugly and Sowing Spring’s Wrath, but next summer I need to finish my Foresters trilogy so I’m throwing a few words at The Feasting ofVengeance as well.
What I’m Listening To
The pitter-patter of rain on canvas.
Quote of the Week
As I’m writing Sowing Spring’s Wrath on the heels of The Door Into Winter, this Shelley verse seems apt, especially since it’s his birthday.
“And the Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.”
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Pain Bearer, September’s Eldros Legacy release by Kendra Merritt.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
At the moment, I’m hovering just not of the Pennsic battlefield in Grove City, PA. This is my traditional night before Pennsic stopping point. It’s close, an easy drive, and has several food and hotel choices. My old standby, the Elephant and Castle is no more, but it’s still really convenient.
It was a week filled with travel. Since my last update, I’ve driven 2000 miles over approximately a day and a half of actual drive time, not counting overnight stays. And that’s not counting 200 miles to get to Council Bluffs, IA, where I wrote last week’s update. There was also two days at a family reunion where I forgot many a name but had a great time nonetheless.
The route took me to North Dakota, then across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s quite a scenic drive in places, especially where you’re going right next to Lake Superior or Lake Michigan. I actually added to the drive so I could drive along Lake Huron in the lower part of Michigan.
I had several good writing sessions along the way, both with Farewell, My Ugly and Sowing Spring’s Wrath, which now actually has words listed in its entry down below.
I also worked on a number of projects, mostly shifting tasks from one person to another. Small stuff in the main, but it all has to be done.
Tomorrow, I will get into Pennsic and begin the process of setting up. Anymore, this is a huge process that will take at least a couple of days, especially on the shop side of things.
My camp takes a goodly amount to set up and tear down, but for the next 2+ weeks, it’ll be as comfortable a place as I could want, except for the fact that my sweetie is stuck at home working.
The drawback of being an itinerant salesman at times, but in return I get bardic circles every night.
I’ve missed Pennsic. After 3 long years, I am so glad to be home.
What I’m Listening To
The overhead music at a place called Hoss’s. It’s too faint for me to make out much, but what I can is bland. However, they had a coffee-rubbed steak that was actually quite tasty.
Quote of the Week
Today, in 1809, Wellington led a British/Spanish force to defeat the French at the Battle of Talavera. I, like many, automatically think of Richard Sharpe when I think of the Peninsular War, so here’s a quote from Sharpe’s Eagle, the TV version of Bernard Cornwell’s book of the same name, which covers Talavera.
Sir Henry Simmerson : What makes a good soldier, Sharpe?
Richard Sharpe : The ability to fire three rounds a minute. In any weather, sir!
– Sharpe’s Eagle
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Chimaera Coup, a new series written by Chris Nuttall.
And it’s obviously not a new release, but if you haven’t gotten into the Eldros Legacy yet, here’s Khyven the Unkillable by the incomparable Todd Fahnestock. This is the first of what is currently 6 books, with the 7th out in August, the 8th out in September, and so on. Get the book that started it all here: amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z9W3ZSH.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.0
Updated Word Count: 147,095
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I think about family often this week every year. My grandfather was born on the 20th of July. My dad on the 31st. Combine that with the fact we’re heading to a family reunion soon, it’s even more in my mind this year.
I’m lucky in my family. I wouldn’t get to do this without their support. My mom helped get me started in this job, as she has helped me so many times before. My dad got me interested in reading, and so much of what I write is influenced by what he introduced me to. My wife has been there for a lot longer than the 33 days we’ve been officially hitched. Plus, there are all the rest. And, of course, the cats, who are ever so helpful.
Thanks to all of you.
Anyway, this past week has been working on a bunch of editing. If that sounds like a lot of the previous weeks, you’ve clearly been paying attention. However, I’ve wanted to get on the other side of that curve to let me balance writing a bit more as I go into a very busy time for me.
I just finished my portion of editing The Pain Bearer yesterday. This is the September Eldros Legacy novel. It’s by Kendra Merritt and it’s set in Noksonon.
And it rocks. One of my favorite novels I’ve read of late. I really enjoyed the way she made our magic system work and be challenging.
Next is Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker. That comes out on August 16th. This will be set in Pyranon, and with its release all five continents will now be opened up. We’re really excited about that, and expect some fun stuff down the road to follow up now that we’ve opened up the entire world.
As mentioned, over the next few weeks, I anticipate writing a bit. One of the drawbacks of editing has been my limited output, but the silver lining is that a bunch of ideas have been whirling around in my head. I expect that I’ll be writing in a variety of stories as I just get some of these ideas out on the page.
With that, it’s time to take the wife to dinner.
What I’m Listening To
Blind by Korn. I like a bunch of Korn’s music, but while this was the song that introduced them to me, it’s still my favorite thing from them. I actually stumbled onto this song, and Korn, on first ESPN X-Games compilation album, which is really a great collection of songs.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Shrewsbury, where Henry IV defeated Henry Percy, known as Hotspur. I had the pleasure of walking this battlefield back in 2006.
Did you know, if you walk around a battlefield singing SCA songs about that battle, the joggers and moms with prams will look at you like you’re strange? Who knew?
Here’s a verse from that song.
Ready your weapons and don warlike harness
The King rides to greet us at Shrewsbury town.
He’ll pay what he owes me, or fight on the morrow,
The Blue Lion of Percy will bloody the ground.
– Andrew of Wolvenwood, Hotspur
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
This week, we have P.A. Piatt’s 7th Abner Fortis, ISMC novel, Uncivil War. If you haven’t gotten into this series yet, you’re missing out. Get this one here: amazon.com/dp/B0B6DV772Z.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.2
Updated Word Count: 146,236
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Book release weeks are always great, and this week we have Mark Stallings’ The Forgotten King. It’s got dragons, Delvers, and dungeon crawls and is great swords and sorcery fun. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B67ML6H2.
Marie Whittaker and I spent much of last week editing Embers & Ash, which comes out on the 16th of August. It’s a great coming-of-age story.
I spent time working over Farewell, My Ugly. Not a great week for word count, but clearing some things up. Standard for this part in the process.
Next week, I’ll be finally turning my focus back to Sowing Spring’s Wrath, the sequel to The Door Into Winter. I’ve had some challenges getting it laid out in my head, but I think those are going away. It’s been percolating in the back of my mind exactly where I want to end and what kind of challenges I want to have, and sometimes that takes working on something else to let it grow on its own.
I’m also ramping up for the trip to Pennsic. This will be my first year having my own booth at a Pennsic. I had one for Armistice last year, of course, and that went great. I’m curious how it’ll go with five times the number of people.
With that, I need to go clean up a number of small tasks that have been waiting on my attention. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The Flowers ofBermuda, which was originally done by Stan Rogers, but in this case performed by Heather Dale. The song is great, one of Stan’s best, in my opinion, and Heather has a fantastic voice. If you haven’t checked either of these folk out, you should absolutely look into them.
Of course, knowing what I know of my subscriber list, I daresay that most of you have at least some of their music on your playlists.
Quote of the Week
I mean, seriously, what else could today’s quote be?
And we’re marching to Bastille Day
La guillotine will claim her bloody prize
Sing, o choirs of cacophony
The king has kneeled, to let his kingdom rise.
– Rush, Bastille Day
Book seven, Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker comes out on the 16th of August. We’re releasing it on the 3rd Tuesday, not the 2nd, because I’ll be at Pennsic for the first half of August.
By the way, Marie’s novel will unveil the last of the five continents. We are so excited to get all of them up and going.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on a variety of projects for NMP, not just Eldros Legacy but new stuff. Exciting times.
We have a new space marine series at CKP, this one by William S. Frisbee, Jr. It’s entitled Gods of War, and it is book one of The Last Marines. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5WJB2MY.
Also this week is The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. It’s done really well so far. Find out why here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B67ML6H2.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 324.2
Updated Word Count: 145,251
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. The wife-formerly-known-as-sweetie and I went to visit the now-for-reals-stepdaughter. We had a good meal and then ice cream at Braums.
And then, on the drive back, we got to see lots of fireworks. It’s happened of late that I’m driving on the 4th of July evening, and it’s quite enjoyable to see fireworks lining the hills off in the distance. It’s a movable feast of “oooh” and “aaah.”
The Forgotten King
The big news this week is the cover reveal for The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. This is another great cover from Jake Caleb, who is an absolute rock star.
With all that’s happened of late, between wedding, Lilies, and holiday, I’m a little behind revealing the cover as The Forgotten King comes out next Tuesday. Where did all the time go?
Anyway, this is a fast-paced swords and sorcery tale that has LitRPG influences along with epic fantasy. It’s really fun.
This past week was a good one working on Embers & Ash. This is by Marie Whittaker and introduces us to Pyranon, the last of the five continents in the Eldros Legacy. This is a coming of age princess epic fantasy merged with some gothic influences and you’re going to love it.
You’re also going to love some of the things coming down the road. Full release schedule is below, but we’re starting to get to the point where New Mythology is getting to two books a month.
There’s stuff coming from Chris Nuttall, Trisha Wooldridge, G. Scott Huggins, Courtney Farrell, Kendra Merritt, and Jamie Ibson. It’s a great list of authors I’m proud to work with and these are great stories.
With that, it’s time for me to go record the next Dudes in Hyperspace podcast.
What I’m Listening To
Gordon Lightfoot’s Canadian Railroad Trilogy. This might surprise those of you who think I only listen to Rush and metal, but this is one of those I have hear a couple times every time it pops up in the rotation.
Quote of the Week
Today is a bit of a holiday in my mind, at least it should be. It’s Robert Heinlein’s birthday and I owe so much to him. First, the stories. Second, his books were one of my favorite memories of my father and how we connected.
There are so many quotes from Heinlein to choose from. I’ll take the one that really encapsulates my vision of work.
“Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.”
The latest show includes an interview with the mighty Chris Kennedy himself. We just recorded a show entitled Crafting Short Stories v. Series which will be out in the next day or two.
And this time, it’s a video! You get to see our smiling faces.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on Embers & Ash, the next Eldros Legacy novel.
New Mythology Schedule
July 12th: The Forgotten King (Eldros Legacy 6), by Mark Stallings
August 16th: Embers & Ash (Eldros Legacy 7), by Marie Whittaker
September 13th: Dark and Secret Paths (Eldros Legacy 8), by Courtney Farrell
September 20th: Chimera Coup ( Chimera 1), by Chris Nuttall)
October 4th: Heart, Wings Fire (27 Kingdoms 1), by Trisha Wooldridge
October 11th: The Pain Bearer (Eldros Legacy 9) by Kendra Merritt
November 8th: A Murder of Wolves (Eldros Legacy 10) by Jamie Ibson
November 22nd: Responsibility of the Throne (Endless Ocean 2), by G. Scott Huggins
This isn’t a giveaway, it’s a collection of books and authors that Kacey Ezell thinks rocks. I’m honored to be listed here, and take a look and see what else is there.
This week’s new release is Fallen Hunter, Book 2 of Mike Wyant’s Anisian Convergence. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B5D91VTM. More space opera from CKP!
And don’t forget, The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings, sixth book in the Eldros Legacy, comes out on Tuesday the 12th.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.0
Updated Word Count: 145,521
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow, what a great couple of weeks it’s been since my last update.
First, it’s official. The marriage license arrived today. The wedding was as fun and exciting as something completely unrehearsed ought to be. We laughed a lot, our friends had a great time, and we sang songs until late at night. And we drank a lot of Tullamore Dew during the ceremony. Exactly what we wanted.
I had a great time at Lilies in general, not just the wedding. I sold more than expected, which is nice. I got to write the scroll text for a dear friend’s knighting and got to speak at another friend’s Laureling ceremony. Best of all, I got to sit and chat with friends I’ve missed for for far too long.
I want to thank Duncan for officiating, Fernando for being my best man, Hrodir for serving as Giulia’s beast of honor, my mom for giving me away, and Conna for providing the music. And, of course, thanks to all those who joined either at site or online.
The past couple of weeks has included a bunch of editing. We’ve been working hard and heavy on Embers & Ash with Marie Whittaker, which will be the next Eldros Legacy novel.
The next EL novel after The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings, I mean. This is coming out on the 12th of July, and is the first novel set on Drakanon. His continent, as you might guess, centers on dragons. And this story is filled with action and a great dungeon crawl.
Along the way, I’ve been putting together the release schedule for the fall. It’s huge. I’ll list that all out next week, and let me just say, it’s gonna have a bunch of great stuff. It includes a bunch of stuff I’ve been working on that I haven’t been ready to announce… until now.
Exciting times here for sure.
What I’m Listening To
Since I pulled up the link to paste it up above, I’m actually watching our wedding ceremony.
Quote of the Week
Today’s an interesting day for birthdays. Mike Tyson, Phil Anselmo, and Vincent D’Onofrio are all born on June 30th. I chose another who’s celebrating today, one of my favorite guitarists, Yngwie Malmsteen because this is how I’ve approached my writing career.
“The simple truth is that in order to become good, you have to be obsessed. You have to put in an awful lot of time and hard work and couple that with desire and unflagging perseverance.”
– Yngwie Malmsteen
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on Embers & Ash, the 7th novel in the Eldros Legacy.
Giveaways
Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
Farewell, My Ugly (12,390)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
More from John Siers in his terrific Lunar Free State series this week. It’s The Gathering Storm and it’s the 7th in this series already. Great stuff.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.8
Updated Word Count: 144,304
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This will be a longer email than normal with a whole bunch of $0.99 books and new releases. In part, it’s because we just have a whole bunch going on. In part, because next week I won’t be able to make a post so I’m slamming everything in this ahead of time.
The key thing is to watch for dates on sales and giveaways, because they’re not all the same time.
But wait, there’s more! Chris Kennedy is also having The Reluctant Druid (1st book in the Milesian Accords by Jon R. Osborne), Cherry Drop (1st book in the Abner Fortis, ISMC by P.A. Piatt, and the one that started the whole Four Horsemen Universe, Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey on sale through Tuesday at $0.99 as well.
In fact, you can get the all four in one swell foop by clicking right here.
We’ll get to even more in a moment, but that’s a heck of a start. Four great books at less than a dollar and a hot new release.
I did a bunch of editing on the new Eldros Legacy novel, The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. This is a fun, action-packed story that rocks. Expect this on the 12th of July.
But of course, most of this week has been focused on wedding preparations. Did I mention that the wedding will be LiveStreamed at 7:30pm Central Time on Saturday the 18th? You can even bookmark the link here: youtube.com/watch?v=yJLHL9_IKZY.
You get to see me in funny clothes, with funny people, doing funny things. Going to be a hoot, I expect, and I am incredibly excited.
Oh, did I mention up above there’s more? There is!
As a wedding gift to you all, I’ve got both A Lake Most Deep and I Am a Wondrous Thing going on sale for $0.99 starting tomorrow, Friday the 17th, and running through Thursday the 23rd.
Again, they go on sale tomorrow through next Thursday.
And after you get done buying all that, there’s a huge list of stuff that’s
The event my sweetie and I will be getting married at is Calontir’s War of the Lilies. The event runs all week and while I’ll have phone access, I won’t have computer access. This means I won’t send out an email next Thursday. I’m including all that I’d put in next week’s in this week.
So…
While at the War of the Lilies, I’ll be selling books and doing a bunch of editing on Eldros Legacy projects. Hopefully, I’ll come back with a bunch less books and a bunch of stuff edited.
One great thing about these events is that I’m either making money, making progress on new stuff, or spending time with close friends. None of these are bad things.
This week has been busy and exhausting, so this afternoon I treated myself to a movie in the theater for the first time in over a decade. I’m not really a theater guy. Usually, I’d just rather watch the movie in my comfy chair at home, but I was told that the visuals of Top Gun: Maverick were worth seeing on the big screen.
Man, were those people right. The aerobatics alone were amazing, especially since they weren’t created with CGI, but actual pilots flying actual planes. Impressive stuff. The story was very good, nothing terribly surprising, just a good old-fashioned kick-ass film. Lots of fun, and I cried at several moments.
The Val Kilmer scene? Yeeesh. So powerful.
Anyway, I have things to pack, so let’s get to the rest of the stuff.
What I’m Listening To
Currently, I’m listening to Corvus Corax’s version of Cheiron Seikilos. Corvus Corax is one of those bands who play medieval songs on medieval instruments in a metal style. Fantastic stuff.
Quote of the Week
As I said, the Val Kilmer scene was something, especially since he can’t talk anymore and they had to recreate his voice for this. He’ll be my huckleberry this week with a quote every creator needs to hear.
“I saw the horizon. It’s out there. And though I may not ever be able to touch it, it’s worth reaching for.”
– Val Kilmer
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Forgotten King, the next Eldros Legacy novel.
Giveaways
Three giveaways this week on top of the $0.99 stuff. If this doesn’t kickstart your summer reading, I don’t know what else I can do.
First, let’s get to Bestiarii, which is a new series from another new writer to CKP, James Tarr. You can get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B44YM335.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Nope, this week’s title doesn’t refer to any of the Libri Valoris, though of course I hope you all note the open call for the next anthology, Bonds of Valor, down below.
Instead, I’ll be going to my first SCA event in over two years, the Tournament of Valor in Wichita, KS. I get to see my parents, sell my books, and hit my friends with sticks. What could be better?
Lorelle of the Dark
This is an exciting week for other reasons too. We have the cover reveal for Lorelle of the Dark, the next Eldros Legacy novel. This one is by Todd Fahnestock and is a direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable.
And man, it has an amazing cover as you can see. Lorelle of the Dark comes out on the 14th of June.
By the way, if you haven’t read Khyven the Unkillable yet, you should know it’s a finalist for the Colorado book awards. Then get into the whole of the Eldros Legacy.
But wait, there’s more! No Game for Knights, which includes a new Edward story, is now available on e-ARC from Baen. An e-ARC, for those who’ve not heard the term before, is an electronic advance reader copy. This means you can read the stories ahead of its real release in September, but it may have some errors or oddnesses that will get fixed for the final release.
It’s an incredible honor to be a part of this anthology. Just look at th author list: Laurell K. Hamilton, Larry Correia, Christopher Ruocchio, Michael Haspil, D.J. Butler, Kacey Ezell, Griffin Barber, Robert Buettner, Sharon Shinn, Craig Martelle, Chris Kennedy, S.A. Bailey, G. Scott Huggins, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Rob Howell.
I may be last, heck, I may be least, but I’m there and I’m very excited. Ask me in person sometime about my reaction when I heard the news. That involves a bunch of Muppet flailing you just have to see.
I actually started playing around with the next Edward novel, which is long overdue. I am still working my way around a plotting issue in Sowing Spring’s Wrath, and rather than just beat my head against the wall, I started writing something else. 7500 words already, which is about 10% as I’m going to make these shorter, so it’s a good start.
My working title is a bit whimsical, but I might just keep it. I’m going with Farewell, My Ugly for now and we’ll see.
With that, I’d better go pack my armor.
What I’m Listening To
Moving Pictures by Rush. Right now, it’s on The Camera Eye, which is such an underrated song in my opinion. It’s probably the worst song on the album, but that’s because the other six songs are 11+ on a scale of 10 and this is only a 10.
Quote of the Week
Sad to hear that Ray Liotta passed away. My favorite of his roles was, not surprisingly, Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. Here’s my favorite quote of his from the movie.
“Man, I did love this game. I’d have played for food money. It was the game… The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face?”
– Shoeless Joe Jackson, Field of Dreams
The latest show includes stuff on the Indianapolis 500 with an expert batting for me because I know almost nothing about racing. Still, the Indy 500 is one of those big sporting events I want to go to once, like the Kentucky Derby and a British Open at St. Andrews a number of others. Not something I’m huge into, but I want to experience the thing.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Yesterday, I got to do something I haven’t done in ages. I put on armor and hit my friends with sticks. At one point, I did SCA fighting once or twice a week, then I got busy with grad school and stopped going as much. Last night, I thought I was mediocre, but not a baby seal, which was all I could have hoped for.
As loyal followers have seen, I dropped about 80 pounds from a couple years ago. This meant two things. One, I moved better than I expected to do so, and also fought more. Two, my armor doesn’t fit any more. I am using borrowed armor for the moment.
Part of the reason is so that I can fight at a couple of events coming up. I’ll be selling my books as well, but unlike many other events, my sweetie can come and watch the booth while I get bruised and beaten. Trust me, she’s fine with allowing that to happen.
The new event to note is the Valor Tournament in Wichita, KS starting a week from tomorrow. If you’re going, come buy some books.
But fighting is one of those things you have to get in a rhythm and do consistently. In other words, it’s much like writing. And, to be honest, also like writing, if I’m doing both consistently, I tend to feel much better. I’m certainly feeling better than I have any right to be today.
I’ve been throwing some ideas at the page for Sowing Spring’s Wrath, and I’m facing a challenge, so it’s been slow going. The good news is that this is a foundational challenge, so once it’s resolved, I’ll be in great shape.
This is all part of the Save the Cat Beat Sheet. I used this with The Door Into Winter and it served me well. It allowed me to keep track of the forest while in the midst of the trees. I still pantsed the actual prose, but when I got to a point where I wasn’t sure to go, I had a vague waypoint to aim at. This is huge at the 55-75000 word area where I’ve always lost track a bit.
Just another tool to help me be more efficient, once I get past this hurdle.
Like the Sowing Spring’s Wrath Beat Sheet, this was a week of more foundational stuff. More stuff I can’t yet talk about but is exciting.
With that, I better get to figuring out just what weaknesses I want my characters to have. And you know, just in typing this little bit about my life and processes, I think I might have come up with another one. I guess I better go write that down, shouldn’t I?
What I’m Listening To
La Villa Strangiato by Rush. Hard for me not to be creative listening to this song.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of Peter Mayhew, who of course played Chewbacca. So, that means we have to have a quote from that iconic character.
“Raarrwewraraerrrrrrrrr!”
– Chewbacca, Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope
The next book, schedule for June 14th, is Lorelle of the Dark, by Todd Fahnestock. This follows up immediately after the events in Khyven the Unkillable.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on a number of projects, including a bunch of new to New Mythology authors. There’s some cool stuff coming.
Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week’s release is a new series from William Alan Webb and Kayla Krantz. Runners, book one of the The Core, is now available at: amazon.com/dp/B0B11GF3N2.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Irina, Ausartxango, Valentin, and Geirr chase him to Svellheim, a land of ice and secrets as old azs the mountains themselves.
The wounded Giant, filled with wrath, is aided by his old and faithful servants, corrupt nobles, and those ruled by greed, hate, and rage. He awaits his pursuers, setting a trap to claim his vengeance.
His pursuers are mighty, but they are merely human. Will their prowess prove enough against the greatest enemy Shijuren has ever known? Or will the Giant bring back an evil thought destroyed two thousand years ago?
It is, of course, the fourth book in the Eldros Legacy. If you haven’t started the series, you can get Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock, then read them all!
Outside of the release, this was another foundational week. Getting caught up on submissions, and the overall quality is impressive. Cool new series coming your way in the summer and fall.
Also, this week, the fabulous Marisa Wolf interviewed me about my story in her upcoming Hit World: Valkyries novel. I was actually the supporting actor here because my cat Wynnifred surely stole the show. You can watch my video here: youtube.com/watch?v=lIS9Iaqs9v0.
This is actually the first video on the Chris Kennedy Publishing YouTube channel, so not only do you want to see me (along with my amazing co-star), you want to subscribe to this channel.
This next week I’ll be getting back into the writing groove with Sowing Spring’s Wrath. Time to get some of these ideas on the page.
But for now, I’m basking in another release! Thanks to all who helped make this possible, including my artist Patrick McEvoy, my editor Jonathan A. Miller, Quincy J. Allen for the layout, and a host of others who helped along the way. Thanks everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Take a Chance on Me by Abba.
You’ve caught me. I’m actually a fan of Abba. To be honest, there’s a lot of disco era music I really enjoy. Don’t tell anyone, OK?
Quote of the Week
What the heck, it’s release week, so you get a quote from The Door Into Winter. This is a line toward the end of the book by Geirr Stronghair in the final battle.
“He lifted the flaming sword over his head. ‘You want vengeance, Skadi, come and take it! Else I shall take your winter from you!'”
– The Door Into Winter
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big news is the release of The Door Into Winter, coming next Tuesday! This is the first novel of mine published under the Eldros Legacy umbrella and the fourth novel in the series.
In this, some characters you may know (Irina, Ausartxango, Geirr, and Valentin) head to Svellheim to chase a Giant. Lots of action and adventure, and an ending that came together in a way that I didn’t expect.
Now that I’m a week away from Planet Comicon and can breathe a bit again, I want to chat about one of the best parts of going to cons in general, and those multimedia ones in particular. That is, of course, getting to see what so many others are doing, even if all you can really focus on are the people who are across the aisle from you or down the row.
This year, I was across from an artist named Nathan Lueth. He’s got a new release, The Canon of Vangel, which I’ll be pushing in the New Releases section below. Here’s a sample of his art, which I thought was tremendous:
Canon of Vangel
He’s just one of many I chatted with during the weekend. If you’re starting in this business, I heartily encourage attending cons. They may or not make money from sales, but they’re invaluable networking and publicity outlets if you can afford them.
Anyway, I spent this week cleaning out stuff and taking things slow after hammering a bunch of stuff out the previous two months.
Part of that, of course, was wallowing in the NFL Draft. This was an especially interesting draft because for once, the QBs didn’t drive the process.
Sunday, my sweetie and I took a bit of a road trip and also got to see my parents for dinner. Such an enjoyable day.
With that, though, I better get back to work. For some reason, these stories don’t just edit themselves.
What I’m Listening To
The Main Monkey Business by Rush. One of two amazing instrumentals on Snakes and Arrows.
Quote of the Week
On this day in 1260, Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire. So, that of course means…
“It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!”
Imagine how much more awesome the poem could have been if Coleridge hadn’t been interrupted?
Irina, Ausartxango, Valentin, and Geirr chase him to Svellheim, a land of ice and secrets as old as the mountains themselves.
The wounded Giant, filled with wrath, is aided by his old and faithful servants, corrupt nobles, and those ruled by greed, hate, and rage. He awaits his pursuers, setting a trap to claim his vengeance.
His pursuers are mighty, but they are merely human. Will their prowess prove enough against the greatest enemy Shijuren has ever known? Or will the Giant bring back an evil thought destroyed two thousand years ago?
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Dave Butler came out with a new novel this week, Abbott in Darkness. It’s not a CKP or NMP book, but it is Dave Butler, so it goes on the list. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09X61NNNW
This week there’s also a new Four Horsemen novel, The Executioners by Jason Cordova and Matt Novotny.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 319.2
Updated Word Count: 137,931
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Yes, I know I’m crazy, but I really love the draft. I enjoy the research and studying prospects, and I tend to keep track of my pet cats throughout their careers, especially the ones that go in the later rounds.
If you want a non-first round pick that seems like someone that’ll be fun to follow, I’d suggest Bernhard Raimann. He’s an Austrian kid who played on a youth American football team in Vienna. He started as a wide receiver, got bigger and played tight end, and now he’s an intriguing offensive tackle prospect. He’s a little old, and not the biggest out there, but he’s got good athleticism and might be something. He’ll hear his name called tomorrow.
The Door Into Winter
Anyway, it’s been a really productive week. The Door Into Winter went out to the review team. And guess what! We have a cover reveal. I love this cover. It’s so kinetic and the colors match me.
The week actually started with Planet Comicon. I had a great time and I had my best-selling year yet. My feet hurt, though. Been a while since I’ve had to do that sort of thing.
I also finished an editing project that I’ll be talking about much more down the road.
I’ve started working on the sequel to The Door Into Winter, which I’m tentatively titling Sowing Spring’s Wrath. Mostly, I’ve been playing around with some Save the Cat Beat Sheet ideas.
I’ve got a ton of projects in the wings coming, and I’m really excited about what we’ll be bringing in the summer and fall.
What I’m Listening To
I’m listening to draft coverage on the Dallas Cowboys network, which is actually one of the best across the board draft shows around.
Quote of the Week
This quote comes from the performer at the first concert I ever went to. My mom took me to see Willie Nelson at Cessna Stadium, the Wichita State football stadium, when I was in 7th grade or so. Fun, strange experience. Anyway, Willie’s birthday is today, and here’s a great quote from him.
Indecision may or may not be our biggest problem.
– Willie Nelson
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Another Steverson with another Salvage Title story. Stop me if you’ve heard this before! This time, it’s Nick Steverson, with Consequences. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09YC47GMG.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.2
Updated Word Count: 137,048
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This was one of those weeks where I did a bunch of work, but it’s not something that turns into specific product yet. Lots of editing, some small projects, and so on.
However, that all changes this weekend with Planet Comicon. I’ll be in booth 1746 all weekend, and I look forward to chatting with so many people.
These kind of big comicons are exhausting, and I’ll be dragging on Sunday, but they’re also inspiring and give me a great creative push, at least once I can get my head back above water.
I’ve a bunch of friends there too. Todd Fahnestock, James Young, Jennifer Stolzer, and a host of others. That’s part of the fun, and it’s been way too long since I’ve seen a bunch of these.
The Door Into Winter comes out on the 10th of May, and of course, that’s also exciting. Release dates are kind of like Christmas, in that you have to wait to open the presents, or in this case, the response.
I’m going to cut it short for now, because I set up today and we also recorded another Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, and I’m beat.
What I’m Listening To
The clacking of my mechanical keyboard. I’m so tired I didn’t put on my headphones to listen to anything.
Quote of the Week
Yesterday I got to see Primus for the first time. They’ve been on my list, and this was especially the concert for me as they played all of Rush’s A Farewell to Kings. They did really well, and it’s been a while since I had a Rush quote. This one’s from Madrigal, which is not one of Rush’s more well-known songs, but I love these lyrics.
And I’m so lucky to have finally found the “you” mentioned in the last line.
When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And there’s no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop awhile with you
– Rush, Madrigal
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Giveaways
None this week so you can take a break. As one subscriber said, I’m running out of time with all this awesome free stuff! More to come next week, so better catch up quick.
New stuff in the Fallen World! Among the Embers is a new anthology with Kevin Steverson, Marisa Wolf, Jon R. Osborne, and, of course, the universe founder, Christopher Woods, plus a bunch of other great authors. You can get it here:
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 322.6
Updated Word Count: 136,524
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s always exciting when I finish a big editing pass on a novel. The Door Into Winter went off to the editor and will come out on the 10th of May.
For those who thought I said the 9th, I did, but only because I apparently can’t read a calendar. The 9th is a Monday, and we do our releases on Tuesday. One day I’ll learn how these calendar thingamajigs work.
Anyway, I love how The Door Into Winter. I always go into that big edit knowing I’ve got some weak spots, places where the narrative isn’t as strong as it needs to be. But that’s why I do this particular pass, and it’s a terrific story.
I love stories of heroes doing heroic things, so that’s what I always write, and this has all that.
Also, of course, we’re still celebrating Aaron Rosenberg’s amazing story of skullduggery and mayhem, Deadly Fortune. Thanks to all of you who supported the release.
This week, I’ve turned my attention to Embers & Ash, by Marie Whittaker. This has more of a gothic fantasy feel. It’s a about a princess coming of age to ascend to a cursed throne. Fun stuff.
I also started on a new project that I can’t talk about just yet, but I’m loving it so far. More of a mil-fantasy thing.
Tonight, I’m headed off for a small trip with the sweetie to see the stepdaughter. Most importantly, she and her fiance are now in a place to take their kitty back, so it’ll be a meow-filled ride.
With that, I better get moving.
What I’m Listening To
Chop Suey by System of a Down. Such a great song to jam to.
Quote of the Week
Here’s a teaser quote from The Door Into Winter. Something I’ve always wanted in Shijuren were dwarves, my favorite of the standard D&D/Tolkien-style races. We’re calling them Delvers, or in Svellheim, the Dvergr.
Here’s something from a pair of new characters:
Sakhroa took a deep breath. “We mine in uncertain stone. I cannot but continue to dig, yet without bolstering it will collapse and slay us all.”
“Should this vein prove fruitful, I shall bring you that bolstering.” Karreka bowed slightly. “The path inside is fraught with peril.”
“The path outside is treacherous,” replied Sakhroa.
“Only in paths conjoined can we preserve our kin,” they said in unison.
– The Door Into Winter
PS: I also added undead, which I absolutely love as bad guys.
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m currently working on Embers & Ash and something new, The Chimera Coup.
And another book swap with Jessica Lewis. This time it’s her story The Music. Get it here: storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/7b679af6-08f9-11ec-a5c7-9f431ddfa2ec?swapId=817f5c40-a4c0-11ec-a182-7f20841f5e9a
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow! Another great week highlighted by the release of Deadly Fortune, Aaron Rosenberg’s first Eldros Legacy novel.
This is a swashbuckling tale of pirates, murder, hidden secrets, and mystery. It’s set in the Areyat Islands, a corner of Shijuren that Aaron claimed for his own. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09X3Q44FR.
But that’s not all! We’re almost to the final stretch on The Door Into Winter. I spent the week doing my developmental edit pass. Tomorrow, I’ll receive the other devedit pass, this one by Leslie Bridgwater, and by Sunday, I’ll have all that inputted and sent to the copyeditor.
It comes out in a month and I’m so excited! Let me just say I cried at the end in the places I wanted people to cry.
Because of my focus on The Door Into Winter, I didn’t do a whole heck of a lot else except try and clear through a backlog of small projects.
I didn’t do a whole lot more this week except clear out a few small projects that have backed up here and there.
This means two things. One, the people on my mailing list will get another free story.
By the way, those of you on my mailing list who’ve already read Under a Midnight Clear, I’d love it if you gave it or the first book in that series, Silent Knight, a review. Well, truth be told, we live on reviews so I always appreciate reviews, no matter which book.
Oh, yeah. One other thing. I certainly didn’t graduate from the University of Kansas, but I had a very fun year living on that campus and attending basketball games with far more consistency than attending classes.
That was not an easy game to watch, at least not for my blood pressure, but…
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK, KU!
Ahem. Anyway, this championship will provide an extra treat at FantaSci 2023.
Tonight, I’m going to relax before a hard, but exciting weekend of editing!
What I’m Listening To
It’s a Sabaton kind of day, and right now it’s The Art of War, which is a fantastic album interspersing Sun Tzu quotes throughout. I love it.
Quote of the Week
KU has had 8 men’s basketball coaches. One of them has a losing record at the school. That would be James Naismith.
We’ll give him a pass, though, since he invented the game of basketball.
I am sure that no man can derive more pleasure from money or power than I do from seeing a pair of basketball goals in some out of the way place.
– James Naismith
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
Giveaways
A huge week in giveaways, with 5 different ones plus a book swap!
Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg, the third book in the Eldros Legacy. It’s a fun swashbuckling yarn of pirates, murder, and intrigue. Get it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B09X3Q44FR.
And over on the SF side of things. P.A. Piatt just released his 5th! Abner Fortis ISMC book, Diplomacy. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09WTG77S7.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 320.2
Updated Word Count: 134,245
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
While there, we released Keen Edge of Valor. Thanks to all who supported the release and participated in its creation. It’s a great anthology and I’m proud of what we’ve done. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/.
I also got to make two announcements. First, the finalists for the FantaSci Short Story contest were C.M. DeMott, Nathan Balyeat, Jonathan Miller, and Chris Hepler. Chris Hepler, with his story “The Torturer of Camelot,” was this year’s winner. Here’s an interview with our winner: robhowell.org/blog/?p=2645.
Secondly, I announced the theme for next year’s Short Story Contest. 2023 will be Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with. Specifics on the submission guidelines are below in the New Mythology section.
Deadly Fortune
And now we’re five days away from our next release, Deadly Fortune, by Aaron Rosenberg. This is the next Eldros Legacy novel. It’s a swashbuckling take of pirates, murder, and intrigue and a lot of fun.
Then there was Tuesday night, where I did a fun interview with Cursed Dragon Ship on Twitch.tv. You can find it here: twitch.tv/curseddragonship. Many thanks to Kelly Colby for hosting me. I had a great time.
Now for the fun vaguebook part. My sweetie went on a trip last night and there might be some cool fun changes to our life coming out of it.
What a week.
What I’m Listening To
The Eagle Against the Sun, a War in the Pacific documentary. I’m in a WW2 mood today for some reason, and it’s been exactly what I wanted.
Quote of the Week
A brilliant quote from Gordie Howe today.
“All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity.”
– Gordie Howe
The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.
I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.
So much going on in CKP at FantaSci. First, let’s go with Titans Rising, which is a book on the business of writing genre fiction in the 21st century. It includes stuff by Chris Kennedy, Kevin J. Anderson, Toni Weisskopf, and a bunch of other big names. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W8SV9QY.
Then we have Redacted Weapon, a new Four Horsemen Universe novel by Kevin Ikenson and Kevin Steverberry… errr… I mean, Kevin Ikenberry and Kevin Steverson. By the Kevins! That’s it, that’s what we’ll go with. Anyway, it’s another story about the Peacemakers and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W8LYXNJ.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’ve been saving this one for a while. You see, not only is Aaron Rosenberg in Keen Edge of Valor (which you can get here: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/), he’s in the Eldros Legacy.
In fact, he’s got his first Eldros Legacy novel, Deadly Fortune, coming out next Tuesday. It’s a swashbuckling tale of pirates, mystery, and murder and you’re gonna love it.
And he’s pretty awesome too.
Aaron Rosenberg
Why are you here? This includes influences, favorite creators, steps along the way, and dreams down the road.
Aaron Rosenberg
Ha, why are any of us here? I got started writing when I was a kid, and got hooked when I won my school writing fair in third grade (beating out the fourth-graders, I might add). I pursued writing in college—I have a BA in Creative Writing and a Masters in English Lit—and my friends and I put out our first roleplaying game when I was in grad school, around the same time I started having stories and poems in small literary magazines.
Things snowballed from there—I was mostly doing RPGs for several years, then did short stories for various game-based anthologies, then tie-in novels, then educational books and children’s books, then original novels and short stories.
I’m a huge Mark Twain and Jane Austen fan, both of them were brilliant at characterization, setting, and narrative. For the more recent writers, I favor Roger Zelazny, Tim Powers, F. Paul Wilson, David and Leigh Eddings, Raymond Feist, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and Richard Kadrey.
I write pretty much everything, and I like to keep things varied, so I’ll do epic fantasy and then switch to mystery and then SF and so on.
The two areas I haven’t cracked yet and would love to do someday are film/TV and comic books—I’ve come close on the latter a few times, but never had one come to completion. But mainly I just love to tell stories that people enjoy.
Describe your great Lab of Creation? This includes where you work, what do you listen to (if anything), things you have to have in your work environment, and stuff you’ve tried that haven’t worked.
I write mostly at home, particularly in the evenings (I have a full-time job). The corner of our basement family room is my office space, partially walled off by a set of bookcases in front of the desk and a redwood slab along the side.
Bones at Rest
When lockdown started, though, I wound up having to do my job from there, which meant by 5pm each day I was ready to be well away from the basement! So I switched to writing on my laptop in the living room—I sit on the couch right by the window. Now that my day job is mostly back in the office I’m alternating writing up there and back at my desk again.
I don’t listen to music unless there’s too much noise around for me to concentrate otherwise. If I do, it’s strictly instrumental, lots of soundtracks and strings, so I don’t have to worry about the lyrics distracting me.
I don’t really need much to write, just a comfortable chair, my computer or laptop, and my headphones if it’s loud. I’ve written in hotel rooms plenty of times, in airports, on trains, and even at my table at conventions. That last one’s a little tough for maintaining momentum, though, since I’ll pause whenever someone stops by.
What are your superpowers? This includes things you like your creations, specific techniques you do well, and some favorite successes.
I’m big on worldbuilding, probably because so much of my early work was in creating RPGs. I need to know that a world makes sense—it doesn’t matter that the reader only sees the tip of the iceberg, I have to know the rest of it.
That’s especially true with magic—I’ve designed magic systems before, and for me it’s really important that they are consistent, and that there is an appropriate cost.
I’ve gotten into the habit, over the years, of building both a cast list and a glossary for my books—I’ll have those two documents open while I write, along with the manuscript itself and my notes. That way I can keep track of who everyone is, what they look like, their key traits, and also any unique words, place names, etc.
One of the things I’m good at, because I write very fast and can write almost anything, is pinch-hitting. I’ve been dropped into projects last-minute to salvage them when something has changed and they need extra help. It’s a fun challenge, getting up to speed on something quickly, finding the gaps and weak spots, and figuring out how to fill them. One of my first big RPG projects was like that, and I’ve done several novels and children’s books because an editor needed someone fast and good and knew I could deliver.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you? This includes challenges you’ve faced that frustrated you, learning experiences, techniques for overcoming creative challenges, things you’d have done differently, and advice for new writers.
Focal Point
One of the biggest problems with doing tie-in work is that you’re at the mercy of the IP holder. They could decide to change something last-minute, and you don’t get to argue, you just have to adjust your work to match. I’ve had that happen more than once—it can be an interesting challenge, but it’s also really frustrating, especially if happens late in the process (like when you’ve already finished a book and they suddenly change key details).
We’ve all had failures. I wrote a book once—or started to—with a friend, and we thought it was going to combine the best of both our strengths but wound up being the worst of both our flaws instead. That was quite the learning experience!
And not just on my writing strengths and weaknesses but also on working with others. I also made a huge mistake, early on in my career, by biting off more than I could chew and not owning up to it. Now I’m very conscientious about letting my editor know if I have any issues with a project, as soon as an issue occurs.
That’s one thing I always try to tell beginning writers. There’s nothing wrong with turning down a project, and no one will ever think less of you for saying, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do that in the time you need.” What they will hold against you is taking the project and then blowing the deadline, turning in substandard work, etc.
If I could tell my younger self anything about writing? Huh. Probably “Stick with it, tell your editor immediately if you’re going to miss a deadline, and never put off revisions.”
My Kryptonite, though? That’s easy—just ask me to write something but tell me “it can be about whatever you want” and “turn it in whenever you like.” I’ll be paralyzed! Give me a narrow, specific topic and a tight deadline, I’m happy as a clam—leave both wide open and I’m blinded by the possibilities!
Oh, I don’t get writer’s block, though. I don’t really have time for it. I just push through, write that section the best I can, and if I have to go back and toss those pages and rewrite them, so be it—I often realize “d’oh, that’s what needed to happen there!” the next day, but I can’t see that unless I write through it the wrong way first.
Lightning Round
Actor/Actress You’d Like to Play Any Character You’ve Created Jack Black as DuckBob Spinowitz—he’s the lead character in my SF comedy series, a regular Joe who gets abducted by aliens and comes back with the head of a duck
Favorite Muppet?
Rowlf
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of?
The Weepies
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?
Fall, definitely
Favorite Superhero?
Still gotta say Spidey
Best Game Ever?
D&D, of course. 3 or 3.5.
Favorite 1970s TV show?
The Six Million Dollar Man!
Do You Have Pets? (provide pictures if you want)
Yep, one cat, Tuppence.
Tuppence
Favorite Weird Color?
I don’t know about weird, but cobalt blue
Best Present You’ve Ever Received?
A Bag of Holding, Con-Survival Edition, from ThinkGeek. I use it whenever I travel, and it’s the perfect size to carry my laptop and pretty much everything I need for the day.
Favorite Sports Team?
The New Orleans Saints!
What Cartoon Character Are You?
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Your Wrestler Name?
The Gryphon Rose
Your Signature Wrestling Move?
Pinning people on their stomachs and pounding on their backs like I’m typing
What Do You Secretly Plot?
My next book, obviously!
How Will You Conquer the World?
Through my stories. Or my snark.
Best Thing From the 60s/70s/80s/90s? (pick your preferred decade)
Saturday morning cartoons in the 70s
Favorite Historical Period?
Edo period Japan
Person In History (Living or Dead) You Want To Hang Out With?
Mark Twain
Steak Temperature?
Medium to medium-rare
Favorite Chip Dip?
Fresh guacamole
Beverage(s) of Choice?
Unsweetened iced tea—unless I’m down South, in which case it’s sweet tea all the way!
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic?
Matthew Broderick
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round?
What can I get you at the bar? [For me, Gin & Tonic or Rum & Coke)
Editor’s Note: I also enjoy gin & tonics. 53 years malaria free! Along with IPAs, of course.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
If there’s one book you could go back and time and make yours, what would it be?
Rob’s Answer: I’m not entirely sure how to take this question. I mean, if we’re talking books I’d like to re-write or correct something, I’ve got a bunch of those. Some that come to mind are Cornwell’s Last Kingdom books. As a scholar of that exact time period, there are things in there that make my teeth itch. Also, there are a couple of authors who are fantastic in the first 80% of their book, but routinely don’t have that epic ending their story deserves. I like epic endings and I cannot lie.
And I really wish I could have written the Song of Ice and Fire. One, it’d be done. Two, his worldbuilding is fantastic, but his prose gets bloated and the pacing of the story struggles. I would also have split it into multiple series threads so you could keep track of things better.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I’ve got a website, gryphonrose.com, but I’m sometimes bad about updating it.
As far as recent projects, I’ve had two new books already out this year, each part of an ongoing series. Focal Point is an occult conspiracy thriller set in Eastern Europe, part of the O.C.L.T. series from Crossroad Press—think The X-Files meets Mission: Impossible with some Supernatural thrown in.
Bones at Rest is the fourth in my five-book Anime-esque epic fantasy series the Relicant Chronicles from Falstaff Books—basically Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Game of Thrones.
And where can we find you?
I’m going to be at Origins Game Fair in early June, Shore Leave in mid-July, and the GenCon Writers Symposium in early August.
Do you have a creator biography?
Aaron Rosenberg is the author of the best-selling DuckBob SF comedy series, the Relicant Chronicles epic fantasy series, the Dread Remora space-opera series, and, with David Niall Wilson, the O.C.L.T. occult thriller series. His tie-in work contains novels for Star Trek, Warhammer, World ofWarCraft, Stargate: Atlantis, Shadowrun, and Eureka. He has written children’s books (including the award-winning Bandslam: The Junior Novel and the #1 best-selling 42: The Jackie Robinson Story), educational books, and roleplaying games (including the Origins Award-winning Gamemastering Secrets). Aaron lives in New York. You can follow him online at gryphonrose.com, at facebook.com/gryphonrose, and on Twitter @gryphonrose.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
What I’m working on next? That’d be a short story for a pulp anthology, followed by Book Five in the Relicant Chronicles, a Sherlock Holmes novella, and a drawing-room pirate romance-adventure novel. I’m sure other projects will come up, though. J
* * * * *
We are so honored to have Aaron writing at New Mythology Press, and after this interview, I think you can see why. And if that’s not enough, check out his writing.
This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of announcing our winner of FantaSci’s 2022 Short Story Contest, Chris Hepler.
He won with “The Torturer of Camelot,” a story that was so strong it went straight to the top of my list from the moment I read it. It’s not necessarily the happiest of endings, but it is very powerful.
This was, of course, published in Keen Edge of Valor, which was released Friday. You can get Chris’s story, and a bunch of other great ones, here: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/
Here’s an interview with Chris, so you can get to know this amazing writer.
Chris Hepler
Why are you here? This includes influences, favorite creators, steps along the way, and dreams down the road.
I imprinted on role-playing games at a young age. I’ve probably read more D&D products than I have novels. In high school I branched out into Shadowrun and Vampire and rarely looked back. I ended up reading a lot of RPG fiction that wasn’t very good, but every now and then there’d be something that’d fascinate me – a bit of actual near-future tech creeping into a Nigel Findley novel, or the miniature stories in Legend of the Five Rings sourcebooks.
Then my wife (who was my co-writer for years and years) and I left RPGs behind for a while to try screenwriting, and we watched a crapton of television and analyzed the AFI’s top 100 films to really nail down structure and cinematic dialogue. It was only once I was at Bioware that I was among writers who really drilled down into characterization, voice, and narrative in a systematic way. Other than my wife Jennifer, Bioware writers Daniel Erickson and Chris L’Etoile come to mind as the ones who really changed how I go about writing.
I have an abiding love of hair metal and musical theater. The two rarely go together, one being predominately the music of straight white males from the 80s (makeup or no) and the theater having a wide range of diverse voices.
In graphic novels, I thought the initial runs on The Sandman and Preacher stood out as unique voices that were at times funny, poignant, or insightful, dealing with fantasy but also the greater questions like the problem of evil and the stark fact that even if humans aren’t alone in the universe, we apparently can’t rely on whatever higher beings there are to bail us out.
When I was in high school, I had an English assignment one weekend that I wasn’t all that enthused about. Monday rolled around and I had done a cursory job on the assignment, but I’d also written 25 pages of Shadowrun fan fiction. I thought that had to count for something.
Of course, it didn’t.
A year or two later, and I had a few more stories of similar size ready to go, and I was chatting up a fellow theater geek who had written her own 25-page story. I was most impressed, until I realized hers was double-spaced and mine single-spaced. It was then that I figured someday I’d be writing novels. (It took me much more time to figure out that more words were not necessarily better.)
I’m interested in 1) what exists in the world now, 2) what could exist, and 3) what people thought existed but never did. The first informs the other two, and the older I get, the more I find myself writing about it.
But I’ll always love science fiction and fantasy for what they can say as metaphors for the human condition. Science fiction asks “what would the impact be if we made a change here?” Fantasy asks “what would it be like if the rules were different?” I suppose this is why my vampire novel feels more like science fiction rather than urban fantasy: the change to the world is relatively small, but even that is extremely potent.
Describe your great Lab of Creation? This includes where you work, what do you listen to (if anything), things you have to have in your work environment, and stuff you’ve tried that haven’t worked.
I am far too distractible to work in a public place like a coffee shop, though in recent years I’ve been able to do some work even with my son playing video games in the same room.
But there are tasks that require you to lose yourself in the morass of notes you’ve made and come up with lines of final-draft quality, so I do some of my best work at night while everyone else is asleep. The exception to this is plotting – I find it often needs to be run by another human being to see if it passes the “that’s stupid” test.
I don’t listen to music, really, not while working. Music with lyrics distracts me. I’ve used instrumental music before, but these days when I work, I generally work in silence.
I chew sugarless gum and drink black tea to stay awake. I’m a night person by nature, so it is often a struggle to stay awake in the morning hours.
Caffeine by itself will not keep me awake during the day. The gum is the way to go. The tea is there for hydration. I used to try soda, but I hate the taste of diet soda and a friend told me that the HFCS in the non-diet kind is like injecting fat directly into your veins. I still indulge, but not daily, and not just to wake up.
What are your superpowers? This includes things you like your creations, specific techniques you do well, and some favorite successes.
I really like asking the question “Okay, if all these fantastical things exist, how would things really shake out?”
You can mine an immense amount of details out of that one question. That’s how I ended up with Emily Wong liveblogging the apocalypse in Mass Effect 3, the reductionist anti-vampire chants on the National Mall in Civil Blood, and the horror of the VITAS plague in Shadowrun.
I create a lot of fake news. It’s such a big part of modern life that it helps the fantastical parts go down more easily. Humans are terrible at keeping secrets even when they’re motivated to.
Video is going to be around in some form in the future, and it’s ubiquitous now, so if someone got hold of a vampire that sparkles, it would take about a hot second before that crap would be all over the cable channels and that vampire would end up hounded by fans and soldiers and scientists.
Civil Blood is the straight-faced Big Dramatic Book that I meant to write for 11 years or more. In the end, I finally buckled down and finished it rather than letting it sit on my hard drive for eternity. So that was an enormous weight off my mind. It was me showing what I could do with no co-author input, though I leveraged every lawyer, doctor, and beta reader friend I had to make sure its quality was what I wanted.
On the other end of the spectrum was a one-off humorous short story I wrote for an anthology called Unidentified Funny Objects, volume 8. It doesn’t sound like much, but the series has had entries by Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, and of course regular appearances by Esther Friesner, whom I consider the gold standard of fantasy short story humor because she’s written so freaking much of it.
And not only did I get into the anthology, but my story is the first one in the book. I took the idea of “superhero registration” from such Big Dramatic Pieces like Captain America: Civil War and spoofed it. I mean, really, superhero registration is going to be like the DMV, except the waiting room is going to be goofier than that cantina in Star Wars. And I figured they’d have some kind of place to test the limits of your superpowers, which for a regenerating hero, would be agonizingly, humorously painful.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you? This includes challenges you’ve faced that frustrated you, learning experiences, techniques for overcoming creative challenges, things you’d have done differently, and advice for new writers.
I think the most annoying thing about writing is that it doesn’t get easier. Even if you’ve got a list of accomplishments, if your work isn’t scintillating on the page, no one is going to accept it. And only rarely will someone know what’s wrong with it. Most of the time, how to turn that “no” into a “yes” is a guess.
The creative failure that taught me something which comes to mind was when I was writing a Star Wars: The Old Republic quest on Balmorra and was handed an outline that said “you meet a wounded Sith unable to destroy the Republic’s battle droid factory and you go do the job for him.”
I tried a first draft and it sucked. That’s when the lead writer, Daniel Erickson, asked me to think about the quest giver’s character more.
“What’s he like?” Daniel asked.
I said, “Uh, okay, he’s wounded and wants you to finish what he started.”
“Wounded,” he said, “is not a character trait. Anybody can be wounded. It’s how you react to a situation that makes you into a character.”
So I thought about it and made the guy the poster boy for Sith determination. He’s got his ankle blown off, but he’s bent on never giving up, and he tells the player all about his plan to pick off one droid at a time, circle back, hide away, and continue this guerilla campaign he’s worked out in his head to whittle down like forty droids over the course of the next two days before he runs out of food or infection sets in.
And the player’s natural response is “Dude, just let me do it, I still have both ankles.” Which neatly solved the problem of winning the player’s sympathy and characterizing the quest giver with a unique spin at the same time.
My co-writer at Seasun had the opinion that writer’s block was a sign, not a state. It was telling you that you either A) don’t know enough about your characters, or B) don’t know enough about the world they inhabit. Because if you are really in tune with what your characters’ problems are, you will be ready to tell the audience all about them. I’ve found that sitting down and just making shit up about the world and about the characters keeps me busy until I’m ready to go back to the problem at hand.
The big mistake I’d warn writers about is that I’ve been burned a few times by collaborating. Making most anything is a team effort, and often when you become part of a team that you click with and they seem competent, you assume that things will turn out all right. But as the Quality Assurance teams in video games know, anything that has not been tested must be assumed to be broken.
I edited an indie paper-and-pencil roleplaying game in a marathon session, only to have the creator take the final draft to the printer. This was back in the days of physical disks, which he handed over to the printer… with more than one file on the disk. Murphy’s Law being what it was, the printer didn’t use the most recent file, so the first printing of the game was filled with all the errors I had spent three days correcting. Just the sort of thing you want your name on, right?
If you’re working on something inspired by the public domain, but that nobody else has done yet, do it fast. I wrote a screenplay about Achilles that I poured my heart and soul into, but nobody wanted to touch it because Troy beat me to production by a month or two.
I used a Shakespearian phrase from Romeo and Juliet for a vampire novel, and lo and behold, a month after I published, there was another vampire novel with the same title competing in the search engine results. So, if you have an idea, don’t faff around with it, because there can really be such a thing as being too late to press.
Lightning Round
Actor/Actress You’d Like to Play Any Character You’ve Created
The image of Infinity DeStard in my head is pretty close to Krysten Ritter on Jessica Jones. She was a very convincing survivor with pragmatic morals and a “screw-it-the-plan-is-now-shot” attitude.
Favorite Muppet?
Statler and Waldorf. Some of their lines are simplistic, but they also get some of the best.
(“Help me out here.” “Okay, which way did you come in?”)
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of?
The band Apotheosis, who did a techno version of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in the 1990s but promptly got sued for it.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?
I like winter, even when I lived in Alberta and it was nine months long.
Favorite Superhero?
I’ve made a few, but it’s kind of gauche to self-promote, so I’ll say Spider-Man. Why? Because he’s small-scale (“friendly neighborhood”) and is a total amateur, a kid trying to do the right thing. By sheer coincidence, his superpowers/inventions are specifically suited to tying up large numbers of enemies (without even punching them half the time) and leaving them for the cops. The guy was made to be a hero. And it’s really hard to make a character that’s like him that isn’t him exactly. Batman, for example, is a costumed vigilante with some toys, which describes a lot of superheroes – Nite Owl and Ozymandias from Watchmen, the Phantom, Black Widow, they’re all sort of in that same pool of natural heroes with training and a little tech. There’s shrinking guys and rubber guys and lots of flying tough super strong guys. But when you make a wall-crawling web-slinger, it’s 100% certain who the original one is.
Best Game Ever?
There’s only one game in which I can make a time-manipulating wolf-headed pirate that summons ninjas and no one bats an eye. That’s City of Heroes/City of Villains. It’s back from the dead and completely fan-run now, and they eliminated all the inconveniences of subscription MMOs. It used to be that the character creator was better than the game, but over the years, the game consistently improved in gameplay, story quality, player choice, quality of life, and player-created content. I made it my mission to see every new piece of content when I started replaying. Out of 1581 available badge achievements, I have 1580 and the last one is associated with a known bug. Fortunately for my writing career, I’m taking a break from it for a little while.
Favorite 1970s TV show?
Saturday Night Live. I saw most of its reruns on Nick at Nite years later, and from the absurd commercial parodies to the Weekend Update, it filled me in on a time where I was too young to pay attention to politics and pop culture… and it did it with a smile.
Do You Have Pets? (provide pictures if you want)
Yes, a corn snake, a skinny ginger cat, and a tubby white cat. I’m pretty sure if we left them all alone for a week, we would come back and there would only be the tubby white cat.
Favorite Weird Color?
Like octarine or something? I’ll go with the bluish-lavender shade of B-Ko’s hair in Project A-Ko.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received?
When my daughter was five or so, she gave me a piece of art she’d made in school. It was black construction paper with planets glued to it. She said she knew Daddy worked on Mass Effect and made Galaxy Maps. So she made her own, and I put it on my desk at work.
Favorite Sports Team?
I’m not into most local sports teams, but I try to catch the Olympics when they’re on. Of those teams, I think the Jamaican bobsleigh team from 1988 had the most heart and even made snotty little-kid Chris root for them.
What Cartoon Character Are You?
Probably Candace from Phineas and Ferb. I was a snitch as a kid and lousy at impressing the objects of my affection.
Your Wrestler Name?
Hep C. Or possibly that’s my hip-hop name.
Your Signature Wrestling Move?
The leg guillotine. You get the opponent bent over, wrap one leg around their neck, then drop all the way to the mat, crushing their neck and battering their head in the fall. That’s what I thought would be cool when I was 12. I’m not sure it’d be safe to perform in practice, since neck trauma can lead to paralysis if you do it wrong.
What Do You Secretly Plot?
My next novel?
How Will You Conquer the World?
I doubt I can, but while I was on the CIA show The Agency I developed a reasonable plan to take over a nuclear reactor and make it go critical. Didn’t really want to put it on the air, though.
Best Thing From the 60s/70s/80s/90s? (pick your preferred decade)
The best thing from the ‘80s was the end of the Cold War. There was a feeling of hope and reconciliation. Rock bands played at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Some political theorists questioned if we were “at the end of history.” Yeah… not so much.
Favorite Historical Period?
Ancient Greece. They figured out a lot given the crappy tools and brutal societies they had to work with.
Person In History (Living or Dead) You Want To Hang Out With?
Assuming I could get a translator, a librarian from the Library of Alexandria. They would be able to talk about so many lost works.
Steak Temperature?
Medium well. I used to be into medium rare, but it just makes it rubbery. Texture matters to me.
Favorite Chip Dip?
Mild red salsa.
Beverage(s) of Choice?
Black tea or Dr. Pepper. I like my cough syrup with sugar, thanks.
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round?
Best time you displayed valor in your own life, of course! I once saved a kid in a pool who couldn’t swim and was going under. His dad also noticed, so he might have been okay even without me, but I was a little faster.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Best time YOU displayed valor!
Agh. Good question. Maybe it would be the time I was driving in snow and ice and went off the road but brought it back again. The passenger was doing play-by-play because he was on the phone with his sweetie.
At least, he thought he was. The phone call dropped in the middle of me bringing it back out of the ditch.
My day job is working on a game for Mattel163, the mobile games division of the toy company. I can’t talk about my project just yet, though.
I am in the outline stage of Civil Blood’s sequel, but it will be years before I finish the book.
I am trying to sell several short stories… maybe one will land soon.
And where can we find you?
I have not convention plans any time soon.
Do you have a creator biography?
Chris Hepler got his start writing roleplaying games when he was in college, working for such titles as Shadowrun, Earthdawn, and Legend of the Five Rings before pursuing screenwriting. After a stint on CBS Television’s drama The Agency and a Top Cow comic called M.I.T.H., he began work for the Bioware Corp. on such video games as Star Wars: The Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy.
There, he cemented his position as “that writer who actually cares about the science,” creating much of Mass Effect’s Codex, Galaxy Map, and Daily News. His launch-day Twitter event for Mass Effect 3, “Emily Wong Reports Live from UCLA,” made #solcomms the top-trending worldwide hashtag of the day, and yes, that means you can blame him for killing off several beloved characters.
Today, Chris works for various game companies, most recently for Mattel’s video game division, Mattel163. He enjoys dragon boating, herpetology, and as many martial arts as he can get his hands on. He lives in the U.S. with his wife, Jennifer Brandes Hepler, and their two loud children.
* * * * *
Wow, what an amazing collection of experiences. No wonder he gave us a great story!
I’m home after a great time at FantaSci. This con is in the Research Triangle in North Carolina, so it’s a bit of a hike from Kansas City, but it’s well worth it. To put it this way, I have already bought my pass for 2023.
I got to the hotel on Thursday afternoon, and began the hanging out almost immediately. The best part of cons isn’t really the con, though all of it is necessary for my business, it’s the people.
The first afternoon at cons is therefore a great time of re-connecting. Then, Thursday evening we went to Trali Irish Pub for a group dinner. Then, there was drinking at the bar.
I got to bed far too late.
Friday, I had some errands to run for the CKP Party on Saturday night, then I was back for three straight panels.
Keen Edge of Valor
First, we had the release panel for Keen Edge of Valor. In this, we get as many authors who are in the anthology to come to the panel and talk about their story. It’s fun to share all the cool stuff in an anthology, and we had a great time because it’s a great anthology.
Then we had a panel on Killing People and Breaking Stuff, including Mark Wandrey as moderator, Joshua Palmatier, Monalisa Foster, and William Joseph Roberts. This went over how much combat and violence to put in a story. The basic answer is that each of us have to develop a style that works with whatever genre we’re writing in.
Last on Friday night was perhaps my favorite panel on the week, talking about making books into movies. Carolyn Kay did a great job as moderator. Chaz Kemp, Cathy DeMott, and I went over a wide variety of topics and it was a hoot.
I had a bit of a break then before going into a panel on podcasting. There weren’t many people in the hall, but that became a good thing as Ian J. Malone sort of turned it into a roundtable. It was a blast, especially because Nicole Givens Kurtz is a hoot, and very, very sharp. Plus there was Kevin Steverson. Really good panel.
Immediately after, we had a great panel on overcoming Writer’s Block with Mark Stallings and Mark Jack Stoumbos. There are tools we can use, but one thing I want to emphasize is that we need to differentiate between those times when writer’s block has to do with the story and times when it has to do with fatigue, frustration, depression, and other things with the writer.
Then I had another panel on alternate history. I didn’t prepare for this as well as I should as moderator because I didn’t find out about it until Saturday afternoon. This is all on me because it was in the program, I just didn’t notice it.
Anyway, I had a Chuck Gannon and Dave Butler on the panel, along with Jason Cordova and Chris Kennedy, so I didn’t have to do much. They just got to riffing on stuff back and forth. At least I’m smart enough to sit back and let them go.
That was my last panel of the day, but then there was a huge evening of socializing. The Four Horsemen Dining Out that FantaSci hosts is unique, as far as I know, and an amazing experience.
Side note: Nick Steverson started the Dining Out off with a bang.
Anyway, then we had the CKP party, which went well as far as I could tell. All I know is I spent Saturday night chatting and schmoozing until late in the night.
This last part was an issue, because on Sunday morning at 9am I hosted the New Mythology Press year ahead panel. I was really impressed with how many we got to come out on Sunday morning, because I for one wouldn’t have minded sleeping in.
Deadly Fortune
The big announcement was the cover reveal for Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg. This is a swashbuckling private eye novel with swords and intrigue and pirates.
Then there was time to hang out until Closing Ceremonies. I got to announce the winners of the FantaSci Short Story Contest.
The four finalists were C.M. DeMott, Nathan Balyeat, Chris Hepler, and Jonathan Miller. The winner was Chris Hepler, with his story “The Torturer of Camelot.” A great story that was at the top of my list from the start.
I also announced next year’s anthology theme. It will be entitled Bonds of Valor and while the primary theme of deeds of valor remains unchanged, we’re also adding a subtheme of bonds between characters.
This includes characters in a romantic relationship, buddy adventures, oaths sworn to others, and any other bond between characters.
The submission details are:
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point, and 1.5 line spacing.
I’m in the Research Triangle in Raleigh/Durham NC right now for FantaSci. So excited to see people. It’ll be a busy weekend, and tomorrow I’ll do a post about where all I’ll be.
I have to apologize. You all know that Keen Edge of Valor comes out tomorrow, and I have a bunch more interviews to post from the authors, but I simply didn’t have time this week.
It was a huge week for me.
On Saturday, I sent off my edits to A Sundered Throne by Philippa Werner. This is the first book in a new series, and if you’re a fan of Guy Gavriel Kay’s Sarantium series, you’re gonna love this one. I’m really excited to get to be a part of it.
However, I’ve completely buried the lede.
What? FantaSci isn’t the lede? Getting another step closer to a new series from a great author isn’t the lede? Keen Edge of Valor coming out tomorrow isn’t the lede?
Nope. The lede is that I typed “The End” on Tuesday for A Door Into Winter. It still has a goodly amount of editing to go, but it is no longer vaporware.
And I love it.
What I’m Listening To
The sound of the air conditioning unit in my hotel room. Wooooo!! Such a party animal I am.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This is a quote that is actually important for writers, if one considers that “victory” can be in part described by typing “The End.” That is only one part of the path, after all.
“After victory, tighten the cords of your helmet.”
– Tokugawa Ieyasu
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We continue with our interviews of authors in Keen Edge of Valor, coming out one week from today at FantaSci, with Mel Todd.
Mel and I see each other at a number of cons, but it was only this past LibertyCon we had a real chance to chat. She’s got a great sense of humor, as you’ll see in her story “Of Claws and Men,” the second short story in her Small Magics universe.
Interview: Mel Todd
Mel Todd
What is your quest?
To tell the stories I can’t find. To show people ways reality can twist, and how the ordinary person can prove themselves extraordinary.
What is your favorite color?
Purple! Lol – one of the things I love to do is set my desktop wallpaper to random and load different themes. For a while it was Hubble Telescope pictures, then walls of covers from multiple genres, right now it is all “You should be writing” meme’s. I will say Tom Hiddleston’s Loki might have one or two in there.
Cover of No Choice
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Oh, number one – don’t join a romance group and let them read your non-romance sci-fi. You will walk away thinking you are the worst writer ever. Asking for help is great, but make sure they LIKE the genre you are writing in. Hmmm… life. Life is hard sometimes. Finding time to write is even harder. Make it a priority, but be nice to yourself and accept you can only do so much.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Wait you get a holy hand grenade? No fair. AT all. All I have is a Cat of Superciliousness. So on those days I just can’t – the want to suck the thumb and crawl into a ball – those days? 5 minute timer. You only have to write for 5 minutes – nonstop, 5 minutes. Most of the time I’ll decide I can do another 5 minutes. You’d be amazed how much you can get if you just do it for 5, 10, 15 minutes. Otherwise creatively? I talk to myself – a lot.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Miss Piggy! Sexy, confident, and has a tail. How can you not love her?
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. I want my nuts to have substance.
Favorite Sports Team? ….. Ravenclaws?
Cake or Pie? Pie. With ice cream or cheddar cheese if apple.
Lime or Lemon? Yes
Favorite Chip Dip? … salsa – especially good with cream cheese.
Wet or Dry? I didn’t realize this was an X-Rated interview. I’d have to make sure all your readers are over 18 to answer that.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Ohh… I don’t know if I am that obsure of a music person – relatively common Sisters of Mercy and Johnny Horton.
Whisky or Whiskey? Yes
Favorite Superhero? She-Hulk. Sorry I LOVE Jennifer Walters. She is so awesome. No angst, rolled with it, and rocked it.
Steak Temperature? Blood should be dripping.
Favorite 1970s TV show? I don’t recall telling you how ancient I am – but Bionic Woman. Jamie Summers is my idol.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall, dear goddess Fall. I want my apple cider, my fireplace, my smores!
Favorite Pet? Oh my pussy – ha, told you, no X-rated answers. I have 3 cats who all feel like I serve them. So, yeah. I’m owned. I admit it.
Best Game Ever? …. You hate me don’t you. How do you expect me to choose? So… Colossal Cave Adventure all the way up to Planescape Torment to WoW…. And lots in between. Then there is Munchkin and Solitare and Gems of War and LARP and White Wolf and D&D (I’m agnostic sorry) so Best Game Ever – the one I am playing at this moment. Which happens to be called My Creative Brain Hates me.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee in the mornings, iced tea in the summer evenings, and hot tea with spirits in the winter evenings.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes. What? I like to try different flavors. I’m equal opportunity. ~Wiggles eyesbrows~
Cover of Rage
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Well, Rob….. oh.. x-rated.. right. So – dang it all my questions are business related and probably REALLY boring to anyone not trying to make a living at this, so Dragoncon yes?
Rob’s Answer: Well, since this is well after DragonCon I can reliably inform you I’m unlikely to go in 2018. Actually, I did not have a great time at DragonCon last year. It was fun, but not the amount of fun I paid for.
A big part of why is that I love my job. I enjoy being on panels. I like interacting with writers and readers. The bigger a con is the more difficult that becomes, especially since I’m not yet a big enough name for DragonCon to approve me as an attending professional.
Also, I recently moved and frankly needed a fall with few long trips. I go to Pennsic every year where I make money and people know me. It’s only a few weeks before DragonCon and I just didn’t have enough spoons to push to go.
Will I go in 2019? I don’t know. It’ll depend on where my career is to an extent. Ask me at LibertyCon.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
OOOH… Self Promo!!! www.badashpublishing.com we has books, we has blogs and we will be at LibertyCon in 2019 and Dragoncon always. What can I say, I’m addicted.
And where can we find you?
Oh… umm.. I wrote the above before I read this.. um… Moonlight and Magnolias in 2018 and 20booksto50kVegas in 2018. Hmm… otherwise, beg me to come (oops x-rated again) and I’ll think about it.
Do you have a creator biography?
And low the heavens opened and then slammed shut again, leaving Mel standing in the wet dreary California farmland. What shall become of our waif? Tune in to find out.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Hmmm.. name/species/orientaion might have been a good start. Mel Todd – human (maybe), vertical most of the time, except when I’m horizontal.
Thanks to Mel Todd for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Editor’s Note: Hey, look, I finally changed the year to 2022! Go me! And thanks to all of you who pointed that out last week. I do appreciate it. Clearly I need all the help I can get.
I hope everyone is having fun wearing the green (or the orange as the case may be). May the road rise up to meet you and also all the other fun Irish blessings upon you on this day.
The Irish are also really good at curses. Check out the lyrics of Nell Flaherty’s Drake, which is a Irish traditional song here: bellsirishlyrics.com/nell-flahertys-drake.html. The fun part of that song is that it’s supposed to refer to Robert Emmet, and the curses in that song could be sung in different order to form a code. Of course, like I say, they’re just brilliant fun.
“That the eel and the trout they may dine on the snout
Of the monster that murdered Nell Flaherty’s drake!”
Fun that is, unless the eel and trout are biting on your snout.
A good week of work here. Making real progress with The Door Into Winter. I’m at that stage where every writing session is productive because I’m on the downhill part. I did a bunch of bediting the past couple of days, too, and it’s amazing how much that finds.
Deadly Fortune went off to our Advance Reader Team this week. If you’re on the team and didn’t receive it, let me know. If you want to be on future advance teams, send me an email.
I also made big progress with A Sundered Throne. This is a new series by Philippa Werner, who’s an amazing writer. You’re going to love this.
What I’m Listening To
Car tire informercials. It’s efficient to work while waiting for an oil change, but it sure lacks of certain amenities.
Quote of the Week
The interwebz tell me that St. Patrick said this, so it must be true, right? Well, even if he didn’t, this is good advice.
“Never trust a dog to watch your food.”
– St. Patrick
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Today’s interview is with the innovative Mark Wandrey, creator of the Four Horsemen universe. He’s branching out now with a new fantasy series called the Traveling Gods.
It includes a picture from way back when you could see his chin.
Interview Questions
Mark Wandrey
What is your quest?
I strive to be at the top of my genre, military science fiction. I want fans in my cosplay. Lots of them.
What is your favorite color?
I want my stories full of scenes people talk about, characters people hate, and mysteries people want answered..
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
My biggest challenge has been finding time to write in quantity. I learned by quitting the day job as soon as I made enough. Jump in with both feet, take the plunge. If not now, when? If not late, why?
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
My worldbuilding abilities are apparently among the best in the business. I credit that to decades wasted playing role playing games. Wait, maybe they weren’t wasted after all?
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Crunchy or Creamy? Depends if she’s blonde or redhead.
Favorite Sports Team? All Blacks
Cake or Pie? Yes please.
Lime or Lemon? Lemon
Favorite Chip Dip? Jalapeno queso
Wet or Dry? Always use lube
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Meat Loaf
Whisky or Whiskey? Neither, rum
Favorite Superhero? Rogue (comic book, not the crap from the movies)
Steak Temperature? (slightly above room temp)
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) Valiente
Best Game Ever? KOTOR
Coffee or Tea? Tea. Earl Grey, hot.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-fi
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What’s the drunkest you’ve ever been, and what did you do when you were in that state you are embarrassed about?
Rob’s Answer: Well, let’s get straight to the embarrassing part. The drunkest I’ve ever been was at a Pennsic. I actually didn’t drink that much, only seven IPAs in a several hour period, but there were complicating factors. It might have helped if I had actually eaten in the 26 hours previous to the beers.
And what did I do? Well, I said some things in public I should not have. It could have been worse, but I still regret it.
Bestselling author of military sci-fi and zombie apocalypse, Mark Wandrey has been creating new worlds since he was old enough to hold a pen. Author of 14 novels, he has many more coming just this year!
Located in rural Tennessee, Mark Wandrey has been writing science fiction since he was in grade school. He launched his professional career in 2004 with the release of Earth Song – Overture. Now, 12 years later, he has more than 10 books out, including an unbroken chain of 6 best sellers.
Thanks to Mark for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Next on our authors from Keen Edge of Valor is D.J. Butler. Butler’s story Tales of Indrajit and Fix remind me of Fritz Lieber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser.
His story in Keen Edge is “The End of the Story.” It’s titled that because it’s the third of a trilogy of shorts, with one each in Talons & Talismans I and Talons & Talismans II.
And speaking of fun characters, wait until you get a load Dave himself.
Interview: D.J. Butler
D.J. Butler
Why are you here?
What made you a creator in the first place? My parents gave me a copy of the silver jubilee 25th anniversary edition of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was seven or eight. I stayed in bed for a week reading them back to back to back, and I have been attempting to recapture that experience ever since. Tolkien has influenced what I write on every level, from the genres I choose to write in to the themes and subject matter to my obsession with including music as music in my novels.
What are other major influences on you? Other hugely important novelists to me are Mervyn Peake, Patrick O’Brien, and Dorothy Dunnett. My favorite current novelists in speculative fiction would have to be Tim Powers (I love his playful use of history) and Neal Stephenson (I love the fact that he tackles big ideas within rollicking yarns). There are also songwriters who have had an enormous impact on what I write and how I write it; chief among those would have to be Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave.
Are there lesser-known creators you favor? I love to buy art, including writing, by people I know. Some of the lesser-known writers who are my favorites include: L.J. Hachmeister, who writes young adult space opera adventure, including the Triorion Universe books; David J. West (also writing as James Alderdice), who writes terrific pulp fiction influenced by sources ranging from spaghetti westerns to H.P. Lovecraft to Conan to The Book of Mormon (!!!); Thad Diaz, whose Lunatic City launches a terrific noir cop series set on the moon; and Michaelbrent Collings, who writes principally horror, but has also written a delightful middle grade series called the Billy Saga and a reimagined mashup of Twilight and Peter Pan.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
The Cunning Man cover
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop? Yes. Also: airports, airplanes, restaurants, trains, hotels, convention center floors, friends’ parlors, and the shotgun seats of moving cars. I still work for a living (as a corporate trainer and consultant), so I have to write when I can. For a time, I was a full-time writer, and I was very good at systematically writing twelve pages every day, six days a week, but that is unfortunately not my situation now. Now, I will go without writing for a month, and then spend a month trying to write 20 pages a day, however and whenever and wherever I can.
What helps you be productive? Deadlines and contracts. Close association with other writers, who are themselves being productive, inspires me. Reader communication is great—it’s very hard to write sequels if you have no idea whether anyone is reading book one.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
In the Palace of Shadow and Joy cover
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? I’m not as productive as I’d like to be. I have long periods in which I do things in my life that are important and good, but are not writing. I have not been as successful as I want to be at writing every day, no mater what.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Never forget that, as a writer, you are an entrepreneur. You are shareholder, CEO, business development VP, head of manufacturing, salesman, and customer service, all at once. You are not an employee of your publisher or of your agent. Be actively engaged in growing your business at all time.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Dr. Teeth
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Bonnie Prince Billy
Favorite Superhero? Luke Cage
Favorite 1970s TV show? Kolchak: The Night Stalker
In the Palace of Shadow and Joy comes out from Baen Books in July
And where can we find you?
LibertyCon in Tennessee
Dragon Con in Georgia
Do you have a creator biography?
D.J. (Dave) Butler has been a lawyer, a consultant, an editor, and a corporate trainer. His novels include Witchy Eye, Witchy Winter, and Witchy Kingdom from Baen Books, as well as The Cunning Man, co-written with Aaron Michael Ritchey, and the forthcoming pseudofantasy thriller, In the Palace of Shadow and Joy. He also writes for children: the steampunk fantasy adventure tales The Kidnap Plot, The Giant’s Seat, and The Library Machine are published by Knopf. Other novels include City of the Saints from WordFire Press.
Dave also organizes writing retreats and anarcho-libertarian writers’ events, and travels the country to sell books. He plays guitar and banjo whenever he can, and likes to hang out in Utah with his children.
Thanks to D.J. for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This was a discombobulated week. In order to help the sweetie’s parents, I had to drive up to North Dakota and back essentially over the weekend. 13 hours each way plus hotel stays will take a bite out of a week, that’s for sure.
Still, I was productive this week. I sent off a story last week, got it accepted and edited this week. My story is entitled “Chooser of the Slain,” and it’ s going to come out in the Hit World anthology entitled “Valkyries” edited by Marisa Wolf. I had a lot of fun combining a valkyrie with Sam Spade and the crazy fun that is Hit World. That anthology will come out in the summer or early fall, I believe.
I also made progress on some editing. I hope to have the current editing project out the door this week, despite losing essentially 4 days.
And I’ve been kicking butt with The Door Into Winter. All told, I added about 7000 words, though the editing process killed about 2000 of what I had already.
When I write, if I know I’ll need a chapter to do a certain thing up ahead in the narrative, and I don’t really know what to write directly in the narrative at the point where I’m at, I will go ahead and scribble a very rough draft of that scene. Raw material more than anything. I’m at the point where I’m integrating a number of those into the narrative because I’ve gotten that far, which means some of the raw material goes away.
But it’s a great sign when I catch up to those points, because it’s another sign I’m getting close to the end.
What I’m Listening To
Lots of Sabaton this week. It’s been quiet around the house and I’ve wanted high-energy stuff.
It’s hard to pick just one, but one can’t go wrong with Winged Hussars.
Quote of the Week
Today is Chuck Norris’s birthday, and I’m not about to risk a roundhouse kick to the face by not having him provide today’s quote. Besides, I really like this one.
“The only time we fail is when we stop trying.”
– Chuck Norris
We have no current open anthology calls but will have a new one announced at FantaSci.
Keen Edge of Valor is out to the advance readers. Deadly Fortune goes out to the advance readers next week. I’m currently editing something new, and I have to say, it’s awesome.
And this is really cool. Kevin J. Anderson curated a bundle of fantasy novels, and he included the first book in the Eldros Legacy, Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock. You can get this bundle here: storybundle.com/fantasy. It’s a great honor for one of our books to be included and I hope you all take advantage.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 322.4
Updated Word Count: 24,104
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
We continue our interviews from Keen Edge ofValor with the FNG, Nathan Balyeat. He was one of our four finalists for the FantaSci contest, so clearly I really enjoyed his story, especially the twist at the end.
This is, by the way, his first published story, and it better darn well not be his last.
Nathan Balyeat
Why are you here? This includes influences, favorite creators, steps along the way, and dreams down the road.
I’ve always wanted to be an author, but in a classic act of self-sabotage over many years, I have been my own worst enemy. I’ve had a legitimate hesitancy to put words on a page because there’s no way that it would ever be as good as the authors that I love.
But over the years, I’ve spent time with the authors that I love, and they’ve been nothing but encouraging about doing it. Their consistent advice? Just do it.
So, I did. Special thanks to Chuck Gannon, Kevin Ikenberry, Jason Cordova, Mike Massa and you, Rob, for the encouragement.
I could list a dozen favorite authors and have a different reason for why they are my favorite, but I’m honestly over the moon to be in the same anthology as one of them, Glen Cook
Right now, I’m focusing most of my writing efforts on a science fiction novel and series inspired by the life of William Marshal. I do plan on continuing to do short stories set in the Five Kingdoms and the world of the Fellblade as well.
Describe your great Lab of Creation? This includes where you work, what do you listen to (if anything), things you have to have in your work environment, and stuff you’ve tried that haven’t worked.
The biggest challenge to productivity for me if finding somewhere to write that isn’t my desk at home. I have an amazing setup, but I find there’s too many things demanding my attention and that I’m not able to easily switch my mental state from those things to the world in my head.
My best productivity is done with a cup of coffee and noise canceling headphones running a random playlist. There’s a handful of songs I have reserved for writing certain scenes, but telling you what they are might spoil a future surprise.
What are your superpowers? This includes things you like your creations, specific techniques you do well, and some favorite successes.
I’m not sure that I’ve leveled up enough as a writer yet to have a specific style or something that I can claim that I do well.
I have spent my life studying history and got my degree in it, so I’d like to hope that I’m able to bring some of that to life without subjecting my readers to infodumps and walls of text.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you? This includes challenges you’ve faced that frustrated you, learning experiences, techniques for overcoming creative challenges, things you’d have done differently, and advice for new writers.
As I mentioned before, I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to writing. There’s always this little voice that says “it’s too much work,” or “you’ll never be good enough.”
There’s an epic saga I’d like to tell at some point, and I’ve spent decades convincing myself that I’m not skilled enough to tell that story. I’m convinced that I’m right on that front.
So, I compromised with myself and am writing a another saga that’s not quite as epic first. I have a brute force approach to productivity right now where it’s a matter of just sitting down to do it.
Lightning Round
Actor/Actress You’d Like to Play Any Character You’ve Created: Charlie Cox would make a fantastic protagonist… might be taking some inspiration from him for another project.
Favorite Muppet? In my (very small) World of Tanks clan, I’m Sam the Eagle for being so serious. Really though, it’s Gonzo’s chickens. Poor birds…
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Jain. She’s a French singer/performer, singing in heavily accented English, who spent a lot of time living in Africa. She has a unique style, with catchy beats and upbeat lyrics and themes.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? There’s a few weeks in the fall in the Midwest that are just about perfect. You can keep the winters though.
Favorite Superhero? It has been Daredevil since I was a little kid.
Best Game Ever? The one that you’re playing with your friends.
Favorite 1970s TV show? M*A*S*H
Nathan’s Support Squad
Do You Have Pets? (provide pictures if you want) I have three, large, healthy weight cats. Hannibal (Grey and almost 20lbs), his littermate Murdock (orange and fluffy at 15lbs), and the new kid, Peanut that I rescued at 8 weeks old from a diner parking lot last year after two weeks of trying. He’s trending to be around 18lbs, but is still growing.
Favorite Weird Color? French Blue
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A set of carbon steel skillets.
Favorite Sports Team? Sadly, I’m a masochist here and continue to cheer for the Detroit Lions.
What Cartoon Character Are You? I identify the most with Frye from Futurama.
Your Wrestler Name? Bad Grammar
Your Signature Wrestling Move? The Plot Twist
What Do You Secretly Plot? The same thing we do every night, Pinky, to try and take over the world.
How Will You Conquer the World? By accident.
Best Thing From the 60s/70s/80s/90s? (pick your preferred decade) mp3s from the late 90s started making a lot of music that was out of print available again. Those cassette tapes that I lost as a kid could be found once more online. Now I can fit more songs than I can listen to in a year on a drive that fits in the palm of my hand.
Favorite Historical Period? Principate Rome, but I’m using 12th century England as an inspiration for my current project.
Person In History (Living or Dead) You Want To Hang Out With? William Marshal. Coincidentally, from 12th century England.
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare
Favorite Chip Dip? I don’t always dip my chips, but when I do they are corn chips and it is guacamole.
Beverage(s) of Choice? Coffee is kind of a requirement to stay functional and creative anymore, but for relaxation a well made rye old fashioned does the trick.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Nobody should be subjected to that script.
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Favorite Dad Joke… mine is: “Why do seagulls fly over the sea?” Answer: “Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels.”
You can also find me on the new Mythology Press Discord.
And where can we find you?
My 2022 convention plans include attending FantaSci in March and LibertyCon in June. Let me know if there’s a good convention elsewhere I should attend.
Do you have a creator biography?
Nathan is a US Marine Corps veteran who is currently a project manager by day, historian by education, and writer because the voices in his head have become too loud to keep locked up anymore. He currently lives in Michigan where he is working on more stories to share, including a science fiction series inspired by the life of William Marshal.
* * * * *
Just so there’s no confusion, if Nathan doesn’t come through with a fantasy adaptation of William the Marshal’s life, I’m gonna…
Well, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. Can’t kick him in the shins, he’s meaner and tougher than I am. Can’t insult him online, he’s my Pathfinder Gamemaster and I like my character. Can’t not offer him beverages, not in my nature, and besides, he’s actually a skilled mixologist so that wouldn’t be much of a hit.
In honor of the upcoming release of Keen Edge of Valor, I thought I’d provide some interviews of the authors in the anthology throughout March. Today, we start with Jamie Ibson, who actually is one of the reasons I got started with New Mythology Press.
Jamie asked Chris to do an anthology involving altered humanity. That was We Dare, and I have a fun story in there (And a fun story about that fun story). Anyway, others had asked as well, including James Young and his magnificent Phases of Mars series of alternate military history, of which I have the honor to be in all three.
But these other anthologies prompted me to ask Chris, may I do an anthology of fantasy stories? That became When Valor Must Hold, and from that I have ended up here with New Mythology.
OK, enough about that, on to the interview.
Jamie Ibson
Why are you here? This includes influences, favorite creators, steps along the way, and dreams down the road.
Jamie ibson
Kevin Ikenberry and Michael Z Williamson have taught me more, directly, about the craft of storytelling than anyone I can think of.
More generally I grew up reading D&D fantasy like the Forgotten Realms books, SF off my Dad’s bookshelf like Robert Heinlein, Gordon R Dickson, Spider Robinson, and Joe Haldeman.
These days I often find little aspects of gaming I find intriguing – for example, using crystals to power magical effects in the Westlocke stories (ed. note: You can find the first two in Songs of Valor and Keen Edge of Valor) comes directly from a Fridge Horror moment playing Skyrim where I was slaying wolves left and right, charging up my soul gems, and went “wait… doesn’t this make me the Fantasy equivalent of the machines from the Matrix?”
“Creators” is a great non-specific term and some of my favorite YouTube videos are of self-made musicians like Leo Moracchioli, who is an absolute maniac in Norway pumping out a new heavy metal cover song, with video, every Friday. His music often accompanies me as I write. He plays a bajillion instruments, sings, growls, records, produces, edits video, and generally is only not a one-man show when it comes to bringing in guests or going on tour.
I’m also heavily into mashup songs, where an artist will take, say, the Ghostbusters theme song and overlay the Gangnam Style lyrics to it and it’s genius.
Book-wise, falling in with the CKP crowd has been tremendous. With all the foolishness going on in the world, having a regular Saturday night video call with friends literally all over the globe, with conversations that sometimes last 6, 7, 8 hours has been a boon to my mental health.
I became a creator in the first place at LibertyCon 30, when I learned it wasn’t nearly as impossible as I believed it to be. I chose to create because I found my people. Science fiction and fantasy nerds are best nerds.
Fingers crossed, I would like someday, perhaps someday soon, to narrate one of my own works.
Describe your great Lab of Creation? This includes where you work, what do you listen to (if anything), things you have to have in your work environment, and stuff you’ve tried that haven’t worked.
I work at home. Used to be in the attic, now it’s in a room on the 2nd floor of the house. I’ve got two scratching posts to my right, my bar fridge to my left, my RPG gamebooks over my left shoulder and my RPG figures/miniatures in a cabinet over my right shoulder.
I was originally in the attic, but the floor up there is uneven and I found the ergonomics was putting me in for massage and chiropractic more often than I’d like. The floor literally dropped 4” over 15’. (That’s bad.) The floor in here is much more even.
Gizmo Helping (Jamie needs all the help he can get)
As I mentioned above… Leo Moracchioli, Holocene, and First to Eleven for covers. DJ Schmolli, DJ Cummerbund, William Maranci, Bill McClintock all do mashups. When I’m feeling nostalgic I might listen to Soundgarden, Perturbator, Foo Fighters (especially their live stuff, especially Monkey Wrench featuring Kiss Guy), or electroswing like Caravan Palace.
Cats exist in my working environment – Naomi the ninja, Miss Belle, Floofiest Of Her Name, and Gizmo, the new kitten.
What are your superpowers? This includes things you like your creations, specific techniques you do well, and some favorite successes.
I like lots of different cultures in my writing. I currently plan to put each of the four (five?) Myrmidons books on a different planet with a different… Terran Ancestry, if you will. Urbicide was set on Montoya, in La Republica Del Escobar, which gave everything a distinctive South American Spanish tilt. Disavowed will be in & around the hive city of New Athens, in the Hellenic Cluster, so it’ll be Space Greek. Other destinations will include Space Russia, Space Japan, and probably Space Canada.
I think I do my combat scenes well. I’m 40, and since the age of 17 I’ve only had 1 year where I wasn’t wearing an infantryman’s uniform or a redcoat (ed.note: he’s Canadian, so by redcoat he means the RCMP).
I’ve been in fistfights, I’ve trained for firefights, I’m a good scrapper and good with a firearm. I try to keep my fight scenes tight and chaotic but accurate.
We Dares 1, 2, and 3
I’m very proud of the We Dare anthologies. Number Four is in the closing stages right now, and the feedback from them has been great, both from readers and from my contributors.
We Dare 1 was the first book with my name on the cover, and I had no idea what I was doing. Between them and last year’s And Then It Got Weird, I’ve edited more than 70 short stories, have generally had very good feedback from my contributors, and I think we’ve released a really great series of anthos featuring some really great authors.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you? This includes challenges you’ve faced that frustrated you, learning experiences, techniques for overcoming creative challenges, things you’d have done differently, and advice for new writers.
Hah, I am my own Lex Luthor. I struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, impostor syndrome, and have trouble focusing. So I’m not as productive, word-count wise, as I’d like to be.
Speaking of cats…
Sometimes, some very rare times, I can focus like a laser and I can bang off 4000+ words in a night. Others I’m like a cat chasing a disco-ball’s worth of little red laser lights and I’m so scattered as to be useless.
I wouldn’t say failures, so much as sticking points where I’ve gotten jammed up. And in those cases, I have some pretty great friends I can go to with a problem and say “So… how about this?” and they’ll say “Oh, do that” and boom, they can see to the heart of the issue pretty much immediately. I have really smart friends.
I overcome slow points a number of ways. Grind through, sprint, dictate, change the subject… curse Lex Luthor and his inability to focus…
Urbicide
I’d tell new writers, when getting going, find something you want to create for yourself and focus on it like a laser.
To date, I’ve written one 4HU novel co-written with Jason Cordova, another with Casey Moores, one in Christopher Woods’ Fallen World, and Myrmidons Inc: Urbicide. Getting going as a noob is difficult and I likely would have enjoyed greater sales and success if I had, say, written three Myrmidons books first before branching off in some other direction.
Lightning Round
Actor/Actress You’d Like to Play Any Character You’ve Created: Brendan Fraser to voice Bellerophon. He’s brilliant in Doom Patrol and I love him to pieces
Favorite Muppet? Pepe
Belle
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Bill McClintock. (Check out his “Slipshack” mashup of Slipknot and the B-52s, it’s wild)
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer, because we live in the Maritimes now and I have a 9’ pile of snow in my back yard.
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine
Best Game Ever? Horizon Zero Dawn
Favorite 1970s TV show? Lol, I dunno man I was born in 81 and the cartoons I grew up on were pretty great…
Do You Have Pets? Naomi, Miss Belle, and Gizmo.Favorite Weird Color? Michelle has a gorgeous Victorian gown made out of a… I think it’s called taffeta, where it shimmers between brown and green. The effect is amazing.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Michelle gave me a pen as I embarked on my writing journey that simply says “Believe” on it. (See Lex Luthor weaknesses above for why that’s relevant)
Favorite Sports Team? Team Canada Hockey at the winter olympics
What Cartoon Character Are You? Optimus Prime
Your Wrestler Name? The Frozen Hoser
Your Signature Wrestling Move? The Avalanche
Naomi
What Do You Secretly Plot? [Redacted]
How Will You Conquer the World? [Still Redacted but nice try]
Best Thing From the 80s? Weird Al Yankovic, and/or Saturday Morning Cartoons
Favorite Historical Period? The Renaissance. People had style.
Person In History (Living or Dead) You Want To Hang Out With? Robert Heinlein
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare, I guess? I’m not really a steak guy, I prefer BBQ and burgers and pulled pork carnitas and tacos.
Favorite Chip Dip? Ranch
Beverage(s) of Choice? Homemade Nuka Cola with Baron Samedi spiced rum
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Bruce Willis from like, 30 years ago
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Rock, Paper, or Scissors? (ed. note: Me like rock!)
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Of all the stories you’ve published, which one is your personal favorite and why?
Rob’s Answer: So. I gotta pick between my babies? Yeeesh.
My favorite might be either the first or the third of the stories I gave James Young for the Phases of Mars.
More Gizmo, because who doesn’t want more kitten pictures?
The first story is the only time the Muse hit me over the head with a Clue-by-4. I literally can tell you only that it was set in 1908 and nothing else, or it gives the story away. The key to that is the final word, which I used only once in the story, though James quite rightly initially pushed for me to use it throughout as editor.
The third was the only story I’ve written in the time period I’ve actually studied, Anglo-Saxon England. It was a retelling of the Battle of Maldon, with some reconsideration of Byhrtnoth’s “ofermod” and the strategic challenges he faced. Oh, and there’s a plausible way the English could have won.
I could say the story I sent to Jamie for We Dare, but that’s mostly because of the story about the story, which he and I still tell. Just give us a beverage…
There’s the story I gave to Kevin Steverson for his Salvage Title Universe that was totally written to be quirky and fun. Putting in 227 band name and song name references in a short story was a great challenge.
The Ravening of Wolves, frankly the whole Foresters series, proved to me I could do this job.
I’ve skipped over a bunch, and each of them has a particular reason for being precious to me.
I think, though, I have to say A Lake Most Deep. Yes, it’s my first book and it’s flawed for many of the common first book reasons. But I wrote it in a really down place in my life, and I’m not entirely sure where I’d be or even if I’d be if I hadn’t written it.
Next releases include Keen Edge of Valor, and We Dare: Wanted, Dead or Alive
And where can we find you?
Conventions are on hold until we can cross into the USA without needing to invest in covid tests. Generally speaking, I go to LibertyCon, went to FactoryCon last October, and hope to attend FantaScis, Superstars, and maybe LTUEs going forward? We’ll see, that’s a lot of travel from the frigid north.
Do you have a creator biography?
Jamie Ibson is from the frozen wastelands of Canuckistan, where moose, bears, and geese battle for domination among the hockey rinks, igloos, and Tim Hortons. After joining the Canadian army reserves in high school, he spent half of 2001 in Bosnia as a peacekeeper and came home shortly after 9/11 with a deep sense of foreboding. After graduating college, he landed a job in law enforcement and was posted to the left coast from 2007 to 2021. He retired from law enforcement in early 2021 and moved clear across the country to write full time in the Maritimes. He is married to the lovely Michelle, and they have cats.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
What are you doing now, that much-younger-you never would have guessed you’d love?
(Me, cooking/turning into a foodie)
Rob’s Answer: Oooh, great question. For me, it might actually be writing itself. I started this job at 46, having never really written anything other than academic stuff, having never really done anything creative. I didn’t think I could.
Name two of your most-favorite niche genres, whether that’s within SF or Fantasy or Other…
(Examples: Cyberpunk SF, noir mystery, First Contact SF, military fantasy)
Rob’s Answer: Noir/hard-boiled mystery is probably the genre that fits into everything I write, no matter the other genre.
* * * * *
What a fun interview. Many thanks for Jamie fighting through the helpful assistance of his cats and providing me this to share.
This has been my best writing week in ages. I have a short story due on Monday. I’d had it laid out in my mind, and that layout was so spot on, I started this past Monday with 1000 words and four days later have 12000.
As I said, I knew the basic plot after conversations with Marisa Wolf, the editor, at Superstars. However, I didn’t entirely know the tone. Along the way, I discovered exactly what I needed.
Really pleased with this one, and I’ll give details when I can.
But that wasn’t it. I also cleaned up another bunch of The Door Into Winter, adding 3000 to it too.
That’s nearly 15000 since last Thursday. It’s been a long time since I did that.
Apparently, my time with Dudes in Hyperspace is getting some attention. I have not one, but two guest appearances on podcasts in March. One, alongside Mark Stallings, is on the 2nd with Super Geeked Up Future Shenanigans, hosted by Jeff Burns
Join us at 9pm Central next Wednesday, the 2nd, to see Mark and I in a geeky Whose Line game. Find out more, including where to watch, here: supergeekedup.com/about.html.
We’re shenaniganating!
The other is on the 29th from Kelly Colby and 20 Questions for Writers. Their twitch channel is here: twitch.tv/curseddragonship.
I also got the first 100 pages of a novel by a new writer to New Mythology, entitled A Sundered Throne by Philippa Werner.
Folks, this book is amazing. I usually don’t talk specifics about stuff this early in the process, but man, are you going to love it.
Whew! Like I said, one of the best weeks in a while. Time to go do it again.
What I’m Listening To
John Tams, Over the Hills and Far Away. This is the theme song of the BBC Sharpe series, which if you haven’t watched, is amazing. Let me put it this way, the character of Richard Sharpe is so tough, even Sean Bean doesn’t die playing him.
By the way, if you have watched the Sharpe series, John Tams portrays Rifleman Hagman, and you can hear him sing there quite often. Such a smooth voice.
Quote of the Week
Anyway, here’s a lyric from Over The Hills and Far Away.
Then fall in lads behind the drum
With colours blazing like the sun
Along the road to come what may
Over the hills and far away
– John Tams, Over The Hills and Far Away (Sharpe version)
Updated Word Count: 8,089 (March is going to be huge here)
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This has been a productive week following up with a variety of things after the seminar. Lots of emails and instant messages. New plans, such as appearances on other podcasts and many new books. Most importantly, new friends and the amazing energy that brings.
When I’ve had the chance to write, I’ve made great progress in The Door Into Winter. The word count won’t reflect this, as I’m only a little more than 1000 words more than last week, but I’m still excited.
I took Jonathan Maberry’s class on pacing and I’ve been inserting some new techniques in the story. The results look very promising.
One of the main things this has done has forced me to reconsider the arrangement of chunks in the story. I’ve spent a bunch of time moving passages around to make a faster, more coherent narrative. I’m much happier with what I’ve done so far, and it’s already having some productive ripples carrying down the road.
We did another Dudes In Hyperspace podcast this week. We got Kacey Ezell back in time for her to talk about her new release, Skies to Conquer, which will come out tomorrow. I’ll have links for that next week.
We’ve had a great, energetic week on the New Mythology Discord channel. It dawns on me, I might not have mentioned it before, but here’s the invite link: discord.gg/FjdgAShBHU. We’d love to have you join us.
I probably have more to talk about, but I’m still catching up from an amazing Superstars.
What I’m Listening To
The soundtrack of Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris. This is one of my favorite things to listen to when I’m writing fantasy.
Quote of the Week
Andre Norton is one of the authors I grew up reading. I can still remember the moment when Ron Thomas gave me Quag Keep, and of course there was Witch World, Star Soldiers, and so much more. Here’s a quote from her that is true for all of us.
As for courage and will – we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry through trials which may lie ahead.
– Andre Norton
This week we have the conclusion to David Hallquist’s War Angels series, entitled Seraphim. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09S3FCPQ8.
Also, I’m remiss for not posting this link last week, especially since it’s a story I’ve loved for quite some time. My only excuse is I was distracted by Superstars.
In any case, here’s Sharp Steel by William Alan Webb. This is the first story in his Sharp Steel & High Adventure series, and you want to get in on this now, because there’s big things happening here, and maybe even a crossover coming down the road. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09RVCDW2Y.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 323.6
Updated Word Count: 7,375
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This past week, I went to the Superstars Seminar. For those who don’t know, this is a seminar for writers and publishers of all levels and genres. It is designed to help us all level up.
For me, I can tell you it worked. Wow.
To start with, part of the process, and honestly in some ways my favorite part, are the opportunities for publishers like myself to have authors pitch their stuff to us. I really enjoyed this because, without fail, all the authors I spoke to had a great, professional focus. Most won’t get published by New Mythology, but they’ll do well as a group, I think.
While I won’t publish most of them, I did add several new authors to our team. I can’t tell you how excited I am about what they’ll bring to New Mythology and I thought I’d introduce them.
Class of 2022 (L to R: Chris Kennedy, Trisha Wooldridge, Philippa Werner, J.T. Evans, myself, and Brock Kolby)
First, is J.T. Evans. You all might remember him from his story “The Empty House” from Talons & Talismans I. Courage takes many forms, and this story is a perfect, strong example of standing up for what’s important. J.T. tends to darker fantasy, and I have to wonder if the horrific car crash he was in at 15 where they had to to reattach his arm might be one reason. Anyway, we hope to publish a trilogy in his setting starting late fall.
Next is Philippa Werner who you’ re going to love. She has a host of writing experience, so much so, she’s already pushing me to up my game as publisher. She’s written under the pen names of Moira Katson and Natalie Grey. As you can see from those two links, she’s already done a bunch of great stuff and we’re ecstatic to have her.
Her first job, by the way, was at an apple orchard, and she still loves unusual types of apples and goes crazy for a really GOOD cider (none of that pasteurized crap). So, if you’re going to a con where she’s at and you have a great local cider, you might remember that. Just sayin’.
But wait, there’s more! She’s also building up a cool tool for writers called Scribe Count. You can find this here: scribecount.com/
Trisha Wooldridge is next. She, too, is pushing me to up my game. She loves writing awesome characters and then putting them into positions where if she were to meet them in real life, they’d want to throat-punch her.
See? I told you all she’d be a fit for New Mythology.
I have to add, her story about her and her husband’s courtship is hilarious. He proposed to her using a rubber chicken. I wish I’d been smart enough to do that. That’s just wonderful.
Finally, there’s Brock Kolby. He’s very interested in the myth and magic of the Indian subcontinent, which, it turns, is also one of my interests. There’s a good chance he’ll write in Amaranth in the Eldros Legacy, and then also his own setting.
I’m calling these guys the Class of 2022. Obviously, I’m looking for new, great authors all the time, but like I mentioned earlier, there are so many writers at Superstars who are talented pros. I don’t know if I’ll walk away with this much awesomeness each year, but I’m certainly going to try.
Whew. Where were we. Oh, yeah, talking about the seminar, not just the superstars who are joining the team.
I got there on Monday with the intent of helping set up on Tuesday starting at noon. Arrived at the con site at about 12:30 after running errands to find out the others who’d gotten there earlier had already done it all. Marie Whittaker, who ran the con along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, did a fantastic job of organizing things, and this is a perfect example.
So, I was able to nest and relax a bit before socializing that night at Jack Quinn’s, a nice Irish bar. Had a great time chatting with a variety of awesome folk, which also was an example of the week.
Wednesday is Craft Day, and I chose to take the seminars from Jonathan Maberry on pacing and the one on cover art from James Artimis Owens.
In both, I had sort of the best learning experience one could have. I’ve been fumbling along based on instincts and I discovered that many of my instincts are good, they just need to be turned into skills. Also, I was able to find a number of new sets of questions I can investigate, questions I didn’t know enough until taking these sessions to even be able to ask.
I’m already introducing some of Maberry’s techniques into The Door Into Winter and the results are very promising.
Wednesday night was more socializing. The truth is, a bunch of the work that gets done is hanging out with a variety of new people. In this particular case, Eldros Legacy hosted a party, which was a great success. Thanks especially Chris Mandeville for bartending!
I had more than a few great conversations at the party, but the most productive was with Dan Bridgwater. He and I are going to collaborate on the Rick Blaine thread from The Feeding of Sorrows. That thread didn’t get explored in The Ravening of Wolves for the basic reason that his investigation of intrigue and conspiracy in the Galactic Union took too long. Each jump from system to system takes something like two weeks, depending on entry and exit points. In any case, we ran through a bunch of character motivations.
I also gave him a fun idea for a fantasy setting and character. Hopefully, he can find time to write that, too.
On Thursday, there were a bunch of good panels and things to do, but honestly, I really wanted to write after listening to Maberry. Plus, I had some other work so I sat in the main bar area and got words written, the work done, and had a number of great conversations.
Thursday evening we hung out at the hotel bar until very late. Side note: I’m not as young as I used to be and altitude affects things.
Friday was, in many ways, the start of my con. It began with a panel on creating a shared world with all five Eldros Legacy founders. This panel went great, I thought, especially since we presented Kevin J. Anderson with a custom-made Kevin the Unkillable t-shirt. Yes, it said “Kevin,” not “Khyven.”
Lunch was excellent, not the food really, but getting a chance to sit next to Craig Martelle and chat with him. I am very much looking forward to 20Booksto50K this year. He’s an impressive guy who’s got a bunch to teach me.
Then I accepted pitches from a number of new authors during the afternoon. That’s where I started gathering the Class of 2022 I started this post with. Again, I found the authors to be, without exception, professional and talented. They’re going to do some great stuff.
Friday night was the VIP dinner. If you’re trying to build up in this game, the cost for the VIP dinner was totally worth it. It’s a normal process. They put a VIP at each table, then fill the table with others, and that means you have a chance to really talk. In my case, our VIP was Nick Thacker, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better. He’s very impressive.
Getting home from the Pinery on the Hill, a great restaurant, was an adventure, though. Shockingly, the place was on a hill. Great view overlooking Colorado Springs… while the snow fell. The four people riding with me in my car literally gave a great cheer when I drove into the parking garage.
Saturday, I started with a set of pitches, with a second set later in the afternoon. I was also on a panel about writing short stories. I was, by far, the least experienced person on the panel, but I think I did well. At least, one of the others, who happens to be a big part of the Writers of the Future, enjoyed having me there.
Then came closing ceremonies, where they raised a bunch of money for the Dave Farland Memorial Scholarship. This is a huge scholarship, especially given that Superstars is not a cheap seminar, so if you’re interested, I encourage you to apply.
After that, we had a passel go to Oskar Blues. There was the whole class of 2022, Chris, myself, and a bunch of others. It was a fantastic time to get the new authors seeing just how awesome our team really is.
Finally, there was the end of the con hanging out at the hotel bar. I ended up with another pitch session, some more cool networking, laughing and carousing, and wishing for more.
As I said, I leveled up. I’ve been excited about where New Mythology Press is going ever since I took over, but man, this was one of those times that just push that excitement to a new level.
Monday I head to Colorado Springs to go to my first Superstars Writing Seminar. Going to be a chance for me to level up, I think. The teachers include such names as Jim Butcher, Kevin J. Anderson, Jonathan Maberry, Jody Lynn Nye, and the one, the only, Chris Kennedy.
For those paying attention to the Eldros Legacy, I’m the only one of the Founders, including Mia Kleve, our primary editor, who hasn’t been part of the program there, and I rectify that this year. We’ve got a talented group.
Speaking of talent, we’re getting close to setting a firm release date for Deadly Fortune, the next Eldros Legacy novel, this one by Aaron Rosenberg. This is set in Shijuren and it’s go pirates, treachery, swordfights, and murder. What more could a reader want?
If you haven’t read Aaron, you’re in for a treat. He’s a prolific writer with a ton of shared universe credits to his name, including Stargate, Star Trek, and Warhammer 40K. Yeah, he’s a rock star and we’re ecstatic to have him.
Tonight we record our next Dudes in Hyperspace podcast. This one will focus on our writing process.
By the way, we have some very exciting news about Dudes in Hyperspace. Details on this next podcast, which should be available in the next few days. Thanks to all who listen to us, because without you we don’t get to do this big reveal.
I’ve gotten back into the groove a bit with The Door Into Winter. Getting sick and needing to get both Deadly Fortune and Keen Edge of Valor out the door took me away from writing, but I had a good day yesterday. Since it had been a bit, I went in an edited chunks to remember exactly what I was doing.
I also started a new short story this week for Marisa Wolf. This one is set in Bill Webb’s Hit World series, which is yet another fun shared world from CKP.
And I think it’s time to get back to writing. I have a character to kill…
What I’m Listening To
This week it’s Signals by… you guessed it, Rush! Yeah, I’m still on my Rush kick.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 63rd anniversary of the day the music died, so here’s a lyric from American Pie.
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend
– Don McLean, American Pie
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry about not posting last week. I’ve been under the weather since ChattaCon. My turn in the Covid box, which I’ve long expected. To be frank, it wasn’t bad for me, just draining. I’m certainly on the mend now.
I did manage to get the base manuscript for Keen Edge of Valor complete and sent off to the editor. That will be released at FantaSci, and to ensure we have print copies there, we needed it done early. Which it is.
I’ve been working on Deadly Fortune, by Aaron Rosenberg. Due to some need to shift things around, this will be the next Eldros Legacy novel. It’s set in Shijuren (my continent), and it involves piracy, murder, treachery, intrigue, and all sorts of great things like that. To coin a phrase: “Killed by pirates is good.”
Side note: we watched Princess Bride over the holidays again. It’s been a month and I’m still basking in the great quotes, as you can see.
I haven’t really had a chance to do much writing and it’s been gnawing at me. The good news is that once I get my portion of Deadly Fortune and Keen Edge of Valor done, I have February basically open for writing. I do owe a short story by the end of the month, but I will get bunches done in the The Door Into Winter too.
I had planned to do a full ChattaCon AAR, but there isn’t much to discuss. The con organizers did all they could and worked their tails off, but attendance was down. No panel was particularly well attended that I saw. Again, not the fault of the organizers.
I had one panel go really well, and that’s the Iron Writing Panel, which was basically a Whose Line style story creation thing where I kept adding/changing characters and settings and events. Quite fun. Long live the Excalispork!
That will be among the cards in the next version of this game.
Also, part of why I don’t have much to say is that I left early to get ahead of the weather. I’m really glad I did as I had smooth sailing, which wouldn’t have happened had I stayed throughout.
I’m glad I went, especially since I got to hang out more with William Joseph Roberts. He’s a smart man who’s doing real cool things.
Anyway, I think it’s time for me to edit.
What I’m Listening To
Not surprising, but since I was sick and not able to focus on work, I’ve been watching Rush concerts and documentaries, so it’s the current thing on the playlist. I’m mostly listening to it in whole album chunks and I’m currently on PowerWindows. Like always, I hear one of Rush’s albums and two things happen. One, I remember just how good that album was especially since I always hear some intricacy I hadn’t heard before. Two, I remember that particular time in my life in sharper focus. Every new Rush album marked my life like signposts.
Quote of the Week
Fifty-five years since the mission that never flew, Apollo 1.
“If we die, we want people to accept it. We’re in a risky business, and we hope that if anything happens to us, it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life.”
– Gus Grissom
We’re doing some consolidation of the process right now, meaning there will be some special things happening in February. I’ll talk more about that soon.
Two new releases this week, mostly because I didn’t do one last week. The first is A Rupture In Time by Mike Jack Stoumbos, the second of the This Fine Crew series. You can find it here: amazon.com/dp/B09QPJJ7XC.
By the way, these are two recent additions to the CKP stable. Chris is always keeping an eye out for you guys. You want good stories and he wants to give them to you, and here is proof.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 318.2 (Not a typo. I was already trending down a bit and then I got sick and haven’t eaten much. Not ideal to lose that much that fast, and I expect it will creep up some in the next weeks, but it’s still exciting to be under 320)
Updated Word Count: 3,696
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow, I have a great schedule for Chattacon this year!
Friday
5-6pm: When to Argue with an Editor (Wisdom Boardroom)
7-8pm: Websites: References and Tools for Writers (Vision C)
8-10pm: Iron Storyteller (Vision A)
Saturday
12-2pm: Chris Kennedy Book Tour (Vision A)
3-4pm: Ultimate What IF Party (Vision B)
6-7pm: The Art & Craft of Anthology Curation (Vision C)
Sunday
11-12pm: Publishing: Self, Small Press, or Agent (Wisdom Boardroom)
12-1pm: Book Signing (Motivation Meeting Room)
Today brings sad news. David Farland was a legend in the realms of fantasy, with his Runelord series one I loved. He passed away today and all of us at New Mythology Press send our condolences to his family. He was one of the giants upon whose shoulders we stood.
Sigh. I’m of the age where friends and acquaintances pass with awful regularity. It’s the way of life, of course, but I was especially hoping that soon I’d be able to learn from David. I have a number of friends who he mentored and hoped to add myself to that list.
This week I’m in Chattanooga at Chattacon. I have a fairly busy schedule, which I’ll post in a separate blog post tomorrow to make it easy for me to find when I forget where I’m supposed to be.
I made progress in The Door Into Winter this week. Only about 5000 words, but much of that is because I edited a bunch of my notes out. Often, anymore, I’ll make a note that I need to do something and continue onward. This character needs a name, make sure I put the revolver in act 3 in act 1, that sort of thing. By doing this, I get the main thoughts out without always getting bogged down in details, but every so often I have to clear up all those details.
I did take time off this past Monday to watch the CFP Playoff Game. This is just a guess, but I have a sneaking suspicion Kevin Steverson will want to discuss that game on the next Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, which we’ll record next week. We’ll also have Craig Martelle of 20Booksto50K and IASFA fame joining us.
Well, I’m in Chattanooga now. I guess it’s time to go schmooze. I suspect more than a few beverages will be raised in David’s honor.
What I’m Listening To
My normal work mp3 list, which is currently Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers. I’m in Tennessee, so maybe I should just have a Southern Fried Rock weekend.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from David Farland, who encapsulates my philosophy about writing and publishing here.
“I’d like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book, it increases the chance that he or she will look at mine. So there is no competition between writers. Another writer’s success helps build a larger readership for all of us.”
The latest show includes an interview with Bob Sturm of the Athletic and 1310 the Ticket in Dallas/Fort Worth. We talk about the NFL playoffs, which start this weekend.
Currently, the plan for February is to shore up the foundation and make sure we’ve got all our processes worked out. Hence, we’ll have a number of interesting announcements along the way.
New Mythology Works in Progress
We have no current open anthology calls but will have a new one in January.
I’m currently working on The Keen Edge of Valor, which will come out at FantaSci in March.
Giveaways
One thing I like about these giveaways are the cool images they create for banners and I think this might be my favorite one yet. But then, I’ve always liked blue.
This week is another 4HU novel, Tempest Rage by Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy. It’s not just any 4HU novel, though, but rather the conclusion of the epic Guild Wars series after 17 books. See what’s all the rage at: amazon.com/dp/B09PV4B3TX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.2
Updated Word Count: 2716
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
In my opinion, this is the best thing Quincy’s ever written, and if you’ve read his other stuff, you know that’s saying something.
You may have noticed that Seeds of Dominion is Book One of the Legacy of Deceit while Khyven the Unkillable Book One of the Legacy of Shadows. There are five continents on Eldros, and each of the five continents have their stories to tell at the start. If you would like an analogy, think of Marvel with separate stories involving Ironman, Hulk, Thor, and all the others.
We did this, by the way, not simply because the stories demand it, but also because when we really get going, we want to make sure readers know in what order to read all the books.
Major progress this week in The Keen Edge of Valor. I’ll be announcing the list of authors at Chattacon next week in the Chris Kennedy Publishing Year Ahead panel, which happens on Saturday at noon. I’ll post that list the week after.
I will say that I’m blessed to get to work with some of the best in the business.
I made some progress in The Door Into Winter, though I’ll freely admit I didn’t do as much over the holiday weekend as I should have. We got a new reclining loveseat this past weekend. There were bowl games, including the CFP semifinals, plus the NFL. I may have gotten distracted.
Next week will be a little off-kilter, in terms of posting online because, as I mentioned, I’m going to Chattacon. I have a great schedule lined up, which I’ll post next Thursday.
What I’m Listening To
Xanadu by Rush. Because of course I am.
Quote of the Week
Like us all, I’m mourning the passing of Betty White. This is, I think, a fitting quote on the topic.
“People have told me, ‘Betty, Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with old friends.’ At my age, if I wanted to keep in touch with old friends, I’d need a Ouija board.”
– Betty White
Now where’s my Ouija board. “Hey, Betty, I need some help…”
Today’s Weight: 329.6 (Not a typo, been under 330 all week. W0000tttt)
Updated Word Count: 1,954
Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
2021 was the biggest year of my publishing career, but I suspect I’ll write the same exact words next year with all that’s happening. Nevertheless, here’s what I was involved in that came out in 2021:
2021 Mosaic
This mosaic, by the way, doesn’t include stuff that’ll come out in 2022 which I worked on, such as Quincy J. Allen’s Seeds of Dominion, coming out on Tuesday.
By my reckoning, I put out 384,836 total words in 2021. Now, there are some statistical points to be made, out of honesty.
I only wrote 139,340 words of new stuff. That’s 1 novel, and only 6 short stories.
I keep track of my blog posts too, as it’s one way to ensure I’m putting out consistent content. That was 49,811.
The remaining 195,685 is 1/4 of the words in books I edited for New Mythology Press in 2021, 4 anthologies and 5 novels. I agree I should keep some track of that, as if I hadn’t done all that I would have definitely written more. I’m not convinced 1/4 is the right number. I’m thinking I may go to 1/5 in 2022. We’ll see.
Still, any way you want to stack it, that’s not a bad year. Add on to that I spent many hours helping develop the Eldros Legacy and learning how to do a bunch of new things for New Mythology Press, and I would say it wasn’t a wasted year.
That’s especially true since I only count things I’ve finished in a calendar year. This total doesn’t include, for example, the 70k or so I’ve got written in The Door Into Winter nor the editing I’ve done for The Keen Edge of Valor, as they aren’t yet finished.
I’m proud of all the stories I wrote and helped put out in 2021. This is highlighted, of course, by The Ravening of Wolves. This novel really came together, I think, thanks to a bunch of tales given to me by friends who’ve seen the challenges behind the scenes in the military. Much of what went into that book are inspired by actual SNAFUs, because the main universal truth in military history that I can find is: “Shit happens.”
Of my short stories, I tried a number of whimsical things. For example, Careful With That Axe, E.U. Gene included over 200 song and band references hidden within about 9000 words. The biggest result, of course, is The Incomparable Treasure, which comes out at some point in 2022 as part of Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell’s next SF/F noir anthology, No Game for Knights. This is a huge honor for me, and I’m really excited about it.
I certainly learned a ton with New Mythology Press this year. I can’t thank Chris Kennedy enough for the opportunity and I hope I live up to his expectations.
I would say I earned a B- grade for my work as publisher in 2021. I tend to be a harsh grader, but as I look back I see areas I can improve upon. Now, to be fair, the biggest area I need to improve upon is simply experience, and that’s happening, but I could have accelerated my learning curve in places.
Nevertheless, I did learn and improve as the year’s gone on. I’d better, as I have a bunch of things to publish in 2022, which I’ll talk about in another blog post.
I am most proud of Responsibility of the Crown, I think. It was the first novel I’d ever edited, and I think it came out fantastic. It helps that G. Scott Huggins is a great writer, but I do think I contributed.
It was nerve-wracking for me, in some ways, but the results really fired me up. Like many writers (and now as publisher), I suffer from constant self-doubt and seeing the difference between the original draft Scott sent me of Responsibilityand the final draft helps me believe I have some skill in this process. Again, though, it’s not a great story without Scott doing the heavy lifting.
I’m also proud of the Talons & Talismans anthologies. They were a challenge, one that made Chris shake his head and chuckle at my expense a time or eight.
However, those anthologies did much of what I wanted. I got involved with experienced writers I hadn’t worked with before, like Aaron Rosenberg, who I hope to publish a bunch more times down the road. I got a bunch of new writers opportunities, like Michael Gants, who I think you’ll be seeing fairly often in the future.
I also got to rummage around in the process of making anthologies at a much more detailed level. I’d done two prior to Talons & Talismans, but this was more, and I needed it.
On the behind the scenes side of things, I had a couple of hiccups with my mailing list, but I’m pleased with where I’m at now. I started working with the Writers House of Corrections to build that mailing list even more. Long term, I think that list and this blog, not Facebook or other social media platforms, will be my primary forms of interaction.
I learned a ton about how book art gets made. I knew some of it from self-publishing my first six novels, but there’s always more to learn. I’m amazed at what artists like Melissa Gay and Jake Caleb constantly produce.
Most fun of all is getting to know the editing staff of Chris Kennedy Publishing better. Mia Kleve is an amazing bedrock of competence. It was she, in fact, who created the above mosaic of covers, within like 2 minutes. Tiffany Reynolds is incredibly fast and skilled. I didn’t get to work with Beth Agajew as much in 2021, but I’ve had the pleasure before. We brought in Jonathan Miller too. He edited Seeds of Dominion and we have more plans for him.
I also got to interact with the advance readers more. Shawn Carey is a machine. He is an unseen, but much appreciated member of the team. Another is Zach Ritz, who routinely catches a bunch of errors that have slipped past all of our editors, including me. That’s a much less common skill than I think people realize.
A long time ago, I realized writing was about creating a team around the writer. That’s even more true about publishing. If I want to point at any one single thing I’m pleased with in 2021 it’s the creation of a new team around me, one which I’m already blessed to be a part of.
I’m just going to conclude that I’m looking at my shelf of books, the shelf holding books I’ll be selling at conventions. There’s Jon Osborne’s Milesian Accords series, including The House Between Worlds which I helped publish. There’s Khyven the Unkillable, by Todd Fahnestock, first of the Eldros Legacy novels. There are Four Horsemen Universe titles, especially The Ravening of Wolves. And there’s all sorts of titles produced prior to 2021. There’s a lot of titles there, but a bunch more are coming.
Welcome to the final week of 2021. I hope you had a great year and I wish you an even better year in 2022. For me, it was a huge year, and I will do a separate blog post next week about it, followed by one discussing my goals for 2022.
This was not my most productive week, but it was a healthy one. I spent time with the family, enjoyed Christmas, got a some cool things, gave out cool things, and ate a lot. Somehow, I managed not to eat too much that I gained a bunch of weight.
Seeds of Dominion
I owe all of you on my mailing list a bit of an apology. I do have Fleece Navidad ready to send out to you, but I’m trying to arrange a better way of getting it to and that has been a bit of a learning curve. Again, this was something I’d intended to do over the past weekend, but got distracted. I’ll have it sent out to you next week.
I’ll also send out the links for Silent Knight or Under a Midnight Clear, the previous two Nick Patara, PI stories. Again, these are free for those on my mailing list.
Seeds of Dominion releases on Tuesday and we’re really excited. It’s by Quincy J. Allen and over the years I’ve seen a goodly amount of what he’s written. I think this novel is the best thing of his I’ve read, and the advance reviewers agree.
I made a little progress on The Door Into Winter. I’m not entirely happy with what I wrote though. For the first time since I started writing it, i think I’ll need to do a big rewrite of a chunk. It’s normal for this to happen, and I’ve sort of been waiting for it, but I’m really pleased I got this far into the book before running into a messy chunk.
Next week, I’m looking forward to my 7th New Year’s with my sweetie. I’m also looking forward to a goodly amount of football this weekend, which we’ll surely discuss on next week’s Dudes in Hyperspace.
For now, I’m going to some more words written. Have a great New Year’s everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Michigan State v. Pitt. I hope this game is as exciting as the Tennessee – Purdue game that just finished. It ended up at 48-45 in overtime! The last half of the 4th quarter was bonkers, with huge play after huge play.
Quote of the Week
This week’s quote comes from traditional New Year’s song. It is, again, my hope that all of you have a wonderful 2022.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
– Robert Burns
This week’s release is Assault, by Mike Massa, the next in Chuck Gannon’s Caine Riordan universe. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09NZSH7X9.
And remember, Seeds of Dominion is out on Tuesday!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 330.2
Updated Word Count: 383,210
Eldros Legacy Archives: 806 entries (there will be more coming next week from Seeds of Dominion)
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m so pleased with the Talons & Talismans project. We put out 30 great stories encompassing over 260,000 words. It included some of the biggest names in the industry like Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Partlow along with a number of authors who published their first story like Rich Hailey and Elowyn Fahnestock.
It also jumpstarted the Eldros Legacy, New Mythology Press’s shared fantasy setting.
In short, these anthologies did everything I wanted and I’m so thankful to all who were a part of it, from authors, editors, artists, and especially, the readers of New Mythology Press. Special thanks to DJ Butler for giving me a two-part story, one for each anthology.
But writing never stops, or at least it shouldn’t. I made good progress with The Door Into Winter, though the number of words added won’t seem like much. I realized I needed to tighten up a number of plot holes, which took some time. I’m much happier with where I’m at right now and I expect I’ll crank out quite a bit next week.
I’m also about to start a couple of short stories. One, of course, will be my next Nick Patara, PI story for all of you on my mailing list. Then I have a chance, if I can meet the deadline, for a really cool project. Not to mention immediately after The Door Into Winter I have promised two more short stories and I finally will bring you all a new Edward mystery.
I love that I have so much I get to write. And with that, I better throw some words at the page.
What I’m Listening To
Rush in Rio. Great album to write to.
Quote of the Week
Happy Veterans Day to all who served. Thank you very much.
“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”
– Thucydides
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Talons & Talismans II comes out next Tuesday, the 9th. Already heard back from some reviewers and they’re excited, not just about the window into the Eldros Legacy. Here’s the great cover done by J. Caleb Designs. A Manticore, a Goblin, and a Unicorn, oh my!
Speaking of the Eldros Legacy, our first monthly newsletter went out last week. That’ll be the fourth Thursday each month and you’d like to join, go here: https://www.eldroslegacy.com/contact/newsletter/.
Khyven the Unkillable, by Todd Fahnestock, the first Eldros Legacy novel, goes out to advance readers late next week. They’re gonna love it.
Showed the Eldros Legacy Founders J. Caleb Design’s art for the 2nd EL novel, Seeds of Dominion, this week. Ooohs and ahhhs from all, especially Quincy J. Allen, the author.
Didn’t write as much this week as I wanted to, mostly because I was recovering and re-adjusting to home after the trip. This is not surprising. In fact, it’s something I’ve come to expect and plan for. I normally work two or three half-shifts a day to let my mind refresh. I allowed myself a couple days of only one this week to recover.
But I’m completely back now and excited to go. So I better toss words on the page.
What I’m Listening To
Stuff overhead at Brewbaker’s. Speaking of which, I’m going to have something fun to announce about this place coming soon.
Quote of the Week
Happy 142nd to Will Rogers! He has so many quotes. Here’s one, and, well, I know which category I fall into.
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
– Will Rogers
Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy
Khyven the Unkillable
Talons & Talismans II has eight Eldros Legacy stories, and the advance readers have already shown their enthusiasm to me.
I’m currently working on Seeds of Dominion, book 2 of the Eldros Legacy. It’s getting there. After that, I’ll be turning toward Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker, book 3.
I’m also starting work on something that will, I hope, occupy a large chunk of our production schedule of 2022. Let’s just say I finished the first novel in one night because I couldn’t put it down. How’s that for vaguebooking?
It’s a double week at CKP, with new stuff in our two biggest franchises.
First, there’s It Takes More Kinds, an anthology in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe. This is the follow-up to It Takes AllKinds, which included my story “Careful With That Axe, E.U. Gene.” Like the first anthology, It Takes More Kinds is an anthology of new alien races in this universe. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KPF57JN.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m home! Yesterday I drove back from Coinjock, NC to Kansas City. Was a heck of a drive, made all the more enjoyable to have fellow Eldros Legacy contributors, Mark Stallings and Jamie Ibson as co-pilot and bombardier.
The House Between Worlds
The House Between Worlds came out on Tuesday! This is the fourth in Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords series. Some books are challenging to edit, but this was not one of them. It was a joy to be a part of it because it’s so good.
I didn’t expect anything else, because I’ve long enjoyed Jon R. Osborne’s writing. He has a calm demeanor that comes through in his writing and sometimes you don’t realize until the end of a major action sequence just how much you’re on edge until you reach the end. And then you’re breathless as you try and catch up with the power of his prose that’s was driving you, even if you didn’t realize it.
For myself, I worked a goodly amount at FactoryCon. A bunch of it was publisher work, but I managed to write about 6000 words, including sharpening up the first four chapters into what I’d guess are basically final form. So far, no lockups wondering what I need to write next, which is what I was hoping for, though my primary lockup section is the third quarter of the book. We’ll see, but it’s promising.
And now, I’m signing off. Lots to do, including another nap after getting home. Long drives take it out of me more than they used to and that was a hike, but I’m really glad to be home with sweetie, dog, and kitties.
What I’m Listening To
Senjutsu, the new Iron Maiden album. I’m odd because I thought Book of Souls, their last album, was perhaps their best, top to bottom. I’m still just learning this album, so I’m not ready to make any grand pronouncements yet.
But I will say this, one of the things I loved about Book of Souls was that these musicians have had a lifetime to get better and they have. It shows here too.
Quote of the Week
A crew of us closed out FactoryCon by watching Dune in Elizabeth City. I really enjoyed it. It’s hard to make a definitive judgement, much like I couldn’t really make a definitive judgement of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers until after Return of the King had come out.
But I can say this. So, so good. So really good. At the very least, it has the big sweeping scale that Dune should have and it’s well worth seeing in the theater for that very reason.
This is a quote that has resonated with me for quite a while, and one that I think of quite often when making my choices.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
– Frank Herbert
Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy
Talons & Talismans II went out to the advance readers this past week! That means we’re getting close to its release on 9 November.
Why do I include this here instead of immediately below? Because there are Eight Eldros Legacy stories in here, including one from each founder plus Elowyn Fahnestock, Jamie Ibson, and Sam Witt. Also, two future contributors, Aaron Rosenberg and Courtney Farrell provided other stories.
Basically, this is a chance for you to dip your toes in the oceans of the Eldros Legacy. Come on in, the water’s nice.
Today’s Weight: No clue. Scale needs a new battery.
Updated Word Count: 287,091
Eldros Legacy Archives: 797 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m currently at FactoryCon looking out over Currituck Sound at the Outer Banks on a lovely evening.
Not a bad place to work. I didn’t get much done on the drive out here, but I’ve been making up the time with some great days so far. Talons & Talismans II is ready to go, plus a number of other projects with more to come.
Speaking of Talons & Talismans II, we decided to push it back a week to balance the releases a bit better. The scheduling conflict that pushed The House Between Worlds to release next Tuesday, the 26th meant we’d be cramming in all that promo stuff into one week. This felt tight to me, so we’re giving that one two weeks and then three weeks before Khyven the Unkillable. I’m still sorting out the pacing with New Mythology, which surprises me not at all.
The House Between Worlds
Oh, by the way, T-minus 5 days to The House Between Worlds by Jon R. Osborne. This is the fourth in his Milesian Accords setting. I always know a book is great when I finish my editing in about half the time I usually take. This is one of those.
I’ve been plugging away at The Door Into Winter when I can, but it’s been a challenging week to write because of the drive. After clearing the decks, starting Monday, I suspect I’ll get some major jumps in word counts as I’ve got what I want to do in my head. Will probably do another sprint tonight, in fact.
Tomorrow, FactoryCon proper starts with the goings on. Tonight, there’ll be hanging out, though. There’s already been a bunch of that, but to be honest, driving three straight days takes it out of me and the last couple of days have been work followed by enjoying playoff baseball, a rare treat for me these days.
I also get to announce today that I’m adding a new feature to my mailing list, giveaways. I’ve got my two Santa Claus, PI stories set up on a couple of promo sites to help broaden my reader list. What that means for you is that if you haven’t already downloaded these, you have another chance. I’ll be adding my next one in December, working title of Fleece Navidad.
With that, I better get to writing.
What I’m Listening To
Decided this was a week for productivity, so that means Rush. Currently listening to Clockwork Angels. I’m different in many ways, but I’m the rare Rush fan that’s been around for the long haul who thinks this is their best album ever. It’s truly majestic.
Quote of the Week
Today is Ursula K. Le Guin’s birthday. The Wizard of Earthsea was one of my foundational stories. I still read it periodically.
One of the things I fight against in my writing is trying to explain too much. A book is really a collaboration between writer and reader. My goal is to create a foundation for the reader to something awesome. Here’s a good reminder for me when I overexplain.
As you read a book word by word and page by page, you participate in its creation, just as a cellist playing a Bach suite participates, note by note, in the creation, the coming-to-be, the existence, of the music. And, as you read and re-read, the book of course participates in the creation of you, your thoughts and feelings, the size and temper of your soul.
– Ursula K. Le Guin
Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy
Talons & Talismans II has eight new Eldros Legacy stories. There’s one from each of the founders plus three more from Elowyn Fahnestock, Sam Witt, and Jamie Ibson.
We’re less than two months from Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock and I am so excited for what’s coming.
I’m currently working on Seeds of Dominion, the next Eldros Legacy novel by Quincy J. Allen. He’s a really creative guy and you’ll get to see all of his talent in this.
This week’s new release is a new story in Chuck Gannon’s Murphy’s Lawless series by Griffin Barber. I’ve been a fan of his since he and Kacey Ezell did a great noir style story called Second Chance Angel and of course there’s his stuff in the 1632 series. This book is Infiltrationand you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JLGBXW7.
Two releases this week! The second is another P.A. Piatt’s Abner Fortis, ISMC series. It’s called Fresh Fruit and Ammo and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FS7QR4M.
Not yet released, but on the way, is Jon R. Osborne’s excellent The House Between Worlds. Look for links to that on Tuesday.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.8
Updated Word Count: 285,556
Shijuren Wiki: 797 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Been a great week here. Of course, we’ve been pleased with the response for Talons & Talismans I. It includes stories from a passel of great authors like Kevin J. Anderson, Rick Partlow, and D.J. Butler, of course, but I’m especially pleased with the stories from our open call. The story by J.T. Evans might be my favorite of the 15 stories, but the story by Scott Huggins about a medusa is right up there.
The House Between Worlds
But that’s not all. I got to reveal the amazing cover of The House Between Worlds on Monday. This is the fourth in the Milesian Accords series by Jon R. Osborne, and it comes out on the 26th.
This cover, by the way, was done by Alexandre Rito. Absolutely gorgeous.
I’ve made a bunch of progress this week on The Door Into Winter, my next Shijuren novel. This will release in April.
Why that far away? Because Shijuren, as I’ve mentioned a time or two, is now part of the Eldros Legacy shared universe. The first novel in this world will be Todd Fahnestock’s Khyven the Unkillable and it’s fantastic. That comes out on the 7th of December.
But if you want more content in that world sooner, you can get a bunch of Eldros Legacy stories in Talons & Talismans II, which includes stories from Aaron Rosenberg, Quincy J. Allen, Todd Fahnestock, and a special story from D.J. Butler that follows his story in Talons & Talismans I. That anthology comes out on the 2nd of November.
As you can see, it’s an exciting time for me with all sorts of things happening.
What I’m Listening To
Peyton’s Places, Peyton Manning’s show about football. It is an amazing show, even, I suspect, for people who aren’t football fans. It’s so much about the people, not the game.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. This is a special day in Calontir, the SCA kingdom that includes Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and a part of Arkansas. This is, of course, my home kingdom, so I can’t post an update today without quoting the song Calontir is most famous for singing, though ironically it was written by Malkin Gray (Debra Doyle) and Peregrynne Windrider (Melissa Williamson), who are not from Calontir.
Still, these words are special to us.
Draw up the spears on the hill-top at Hastings,
Fight till the sun drops and evening grows cold,
And die with the last of your Saxons around you,
Holding the land you were given to hold!
– Malkin Gray (Debra Doyle) and Peregrynne Windrider (Melissa Williamson)
I’m currently working on Quincy J. Allen’s new Eldros Legacy story, Seeds of Dominion. This is a full-length novel starring Rellen of Corsia, who many of you saw in both When Valor Must Hold and Songs of Valor. I know a bunch of you read those stories, because there were a number of people asking for more with Rellen. Well, on 4th of January, you’ll get it.
Rob’s Works in Progress
The Door Into Winter (16,981)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.
If you haven’t read the earlier books in that series, by the way, Aaron has also released an omnibus version which includes all four stories in one efficient package entitled Time of the Phoenix. You can find this here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HZNP6MP.
Next we have book 3 in the the Luna Free State series by John E. Siers. This one is entitled Valkyrie’s Daughter, and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FR8ZXF9.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 332.0
Updated Word Count: 284,475
Shijuren Wiki: 797 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Talons & Talismans I is alive! Maybe, with these two anthologies about beasts coming to life, I should start going by the name Dr. Robenstein? No, probably not.
But I’m really proud of getting to be a part of these anthologies. I get to work with the best in the business while at the same time getting to push along the careers of newer, but very talented authors.
Talons and Talisman I
There are a bunch of fiddly bits that go into making an anthology work, more than in a novel, but it is so worth it when it gets published. There are heroic stories, tragic stories, and stories where we get to see monsters and beasts in a different light. I think you’re going to love it.
Meanwhile, I’ve been making progress in The Door Into Winter. This is my next novel. I’m about 10k in, and things are starting to take shape. Again, I’m trying a new framework idea using the Save the Cat structure. The real success of this framework will come in about a month, when I start running into challenges of too many trees to see the forest. But, so far so good.
I’m also starting to get real excited about FactoryCon. Going to be a great time. Today, I’m sitting at my car place getting the oil changed while getting my weekly update written.
What I’m Listening To
Really bad car videos that are incredibly boring. But, I’m getting work done while getting the car maintained. I can at least console myself that I’m being efficient.
Quote of the Week
Today is Neils Bohr’s birthday. Obviously a brilliant scientist, he had an underlying acceptance of the weirdness of quantum theory that allowed for a great deal of thinking outside (Schroedinger’s) box. Here’s an example.
“We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct. My own feeling is that it is not crazy enough.”
– Neils Bohr
Also this week is a new 4HU novel by Casey Moores and Jamie Ibson entitled Unshackled. Knowing these two, I daresay this will be a really fun book. Also, it will get weird at times. It is their idiom. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HGR1JCM.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.8
Updated Word Count: 284,476
Shijuren Wiki: 797 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Tuesday! Yes, I mean the next one. October 5th. Talons & Talismans will be released to the public. There’s so much you’re gonna love in this and I can’t wait for you all to get a chance.
Talons and Talisman I
But what about tacos? Hey, I gave you the book. I suspect we all have our favorite taco place where you can get the tacos of your persuasion, pull out your copy of Talons & Talismans, and you’ll soon be in your happy place.
Speaking of happy places, I have just found out today is International Podcast Day. Happy Another Day of Being Awesome to Ian J. Malone, Kevin Steverson, and our awesome fans on Dudes on Hyperspace. I’ve been so pleased to be a part of this. Thanks for having me!
This was not my most productive week. I don’t often get sick, but Friday and Saturday were complete losses and much of Sunday. Feeling better and I’ve gotten lots done the last few days, but it’s catching up.
The big thing this week for me was to really get into gear with The Door Into Winter. I’m trying something new, and it’s a modicum of plotting. (Don’t fall over dead of shock, Quincy J. Allen). Actually, it’s more like Rich Weyand’s theory of river crossings.
Todd Fahnestock pointed me to the book Save the Cat Writes a Novel. Basically, it lays out 15 beats that all good novels need and this week I built myself a beat sheet for The Door Into Winter.
In one sense, I’m doing this to fix a particular thing. I always struggle getting from 50-75,000 words. Somewhere between there, I have a huge slowdown as I don’t know what to write. This will help.
In another, it’s because I’m getting close to leveling up again. In general, my way of doing things has been to jump in, screw up a lot, learn, get better, find new mistakes to make, get better. Lather, rinse, repeat until I feel like I can actually understand the thing enough for manuals and instruction stuff to be really effective for me.
One could say, it’s part of my transition from journeyman to master. I can’t really understand the stuff until I’m a journeyman but I can’t be a master without understanding the stuff. I’m in that point where I can work on that process with my writing, and it’s exciting.
Also, from a pantser’s perspective, this process is actually surprising useful so far. I’m simply jotting down ideas, and I can already tell nothing on the Beat Sheet is locked down. However, I have already realized how mutable and adjustable it is as I discover how I can make the novel better.
That’s why I’m a pantser, by the way. I always find ways to make a novel better during the writing process that can change my entire story. This allows for that, so I’m giving it a try.
Speaking of which, I’m going to go write!
What I’m Listening To
Happy people at Brewbakers. The music is wretched, but for some reason people seem to be really enjoying their conversations today. Honestly, that’s usually the case here, but for some reason it’s the dominant vibe I’m enjoying here today.
Quote of the Week
In honor of today’s international holiday, I’ve decided to give you a quote from Dudes in Hyperspace.
“Man, I totally screwed that up.”
– Me, in just about every show 🙂
There is, fortunately, a response every time.
“Don’t worry, I can edit that out.”
-Ian J. Malone, which is why my quotes are in the outtakes 🙂
The House BetweenWorlds, fourth in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series, goes out to advance readers this weekend. Email me at rob@chriskennedy.com if you want to be a part of the advance team.
Rob’s Works in Progress
The Door Into Winter (7,717)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.
This week we have more great stuff in Charles Gannon’s Terran Republic universe entitled Watch the Skies. This is a braided novel that includes the great Gannon himself, Kacey Ezell, Kevin Ikenberry, and William Alan Webb, which is a heck of a lineup. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GW3CJM7.
Out this week on audio is an anthology I contributed to, Gates of Hell. It’s another 4HU anthology and my story follows-up with Rick Blaine chasing down those who’ve attacked the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters. You can find it on audio here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087T7FW9M.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 332.0
Updated Word Count: 283,858
Shijuren Wiki: 797 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Oh, hey, where did last week go? I looked up and suddenly it’s Thursday. The next Thursday.
Sorry about missing an update, but it’s been a really good time around here.
The big news is the release of It Takes All Kinds, an anthology in the Salvage Title universe created by Kevin Steverson. It includes my story “Careful With That Axe, E.U. Gene.”
My, what an interesting title, and clearly obvious to Pink Floyd fans where it came from. In fact, I put 232 intentional band name and song title references into the story (Not lyrics, that goes against copyright laws). I also put in an occasional historical rock reference.
Here’s the deal. The first person to send me a list of all 232 correct references will receive a free gift copy of all six of my fantasy novels. Yep, that’s right, I’ll send all six to your Amazon account for free (can’t do other accounts because of KU restrictions).
To enter, track the references in my story and send me an email to rob at rob howell dot org. You find all 232 references and you get 6 free novels. If, after 15 October, no one has found all 232, the person who’s send me the most will win, so if you only found 226, send it over. Who knows, you might be the one.
I might have had a little fun writing that one.
Last week, with the help of Chris Kennedy, we got Talons & Talismans I in the can. I’m even starting to get some things back from the advance reviewers and they like it. I’m not surprised.
I finished a story last week, which of course I’ll talk about at the right time.
I’ve been working on The Door Into Winter, which is starting to shape up. That should be done at the end of December. This is my first entry in Eldros Legacy / Shijuren, starting a new series entitled the Legacy of Legends. This will be a four book story arc and, with the help of Mark Stallings, Marie Whittaker, Todd Fahnestock, and Quincy J. Allen, will culminate with big doings in Ertha (the new world name as opposed to the continent of Shijuren).
In the meantime, I’ve been hammering away at New Mythology projects, which I’ll touch on soon.
What I’m Listening To
Perry Mason episodes. The sweetie is working from home and it’s one of her favorites.
Quote of the Week
It’s the anniversary of the Battle of Flamborough Head. What else could today’s quote be, but:
“I have not yet begun to fight!”
– John Paul Jones, from the deck of the Bon Homme Richard.
Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy
Khyven the Unkillable is about to reach the final editing stage. This is Todd Fahnestock’s first in his Legacy of Shadow series. That comes out in December.
Quincy J. Allen has been hammering away at Seeds of Dominion, the first in his Legacy of Demons series. Expect that one in January.
New Mythology Works in Progress
Talons & Talismans I is in the can. Go Team! Not only that, but check out this amazing cover art!
Talons and Talisman I
Talons & Talismans II is in the final editing stage. I’ll show you that cover in a couple of weeks.
The House Between Worlds, book 4 in the fantastic Milesian Accords series by Jon R. Osborne, is almost done. I’ll be looking for advance readers next week.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This is one of the most important updates I’ve sent out. I’ve said many times that big things are happening in my world and we’re ready to spill the beans of the sooper-seekrit project.
What is the Eldros Legacy? It is an expansion of Shijuren, which is only one of five continents in the world of Ertha. Quincy J. Allen has created the continent of Daemanon, Todd Fahnestock brings us Noksonon, Mark Stallings with Drakanon, and Marie Whittaker with Pyranon.
The characters you’ve grown to love in the earlier Shijuren series are still a part of the Eldros Legacy. Irina, Ausartxango, and Geirr have to complete tasks unfinished in None Call Me Mother. Edward has many more cases to solve in Achrida and the Empire of Makhaira. However, they’re now part of a larger, more vibrant world.
Starting in December with the release of Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock, you’ll get an action-packed story on the first Tuesday of each month.
Yes, we are serious about giving you a novel or anthology a month staring in December 2021 and that means we’ll need help. This is a huge shared world project that will include many other authors before we’re done. You’re going to love what we’ve got planned.
Welcome, fans of the Eldros Legacy. And congratulations, fans of Shijuren. You got in on the ground floor of something special.
Thanks to Quincy, we’ve built a brand new website, and we will have a newsletter for fans just of the Eldros Legacy. It’s here: https://www.eldroslegacy.com/.
Or, even better, if you’d like to get a free collection of short stories to get a taste of the Eldros legacy while joining the mailing list, go here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qabsr57lq3+.
Man, have I been wanting to talk about the Eldros Legacy for a long while. The five of us started working on this project in January so we could make sure we’d be able to deliver what we promise. Khyven the Unkillable is essentially in the can (expect an artwork reveal soon), and Seeds of Dominion by Quincy, Embers & Ash by Marie, The Forgotten King by Mark, and The Door into Winter by myself will follow in succeeding months.
Whew. Time to take a breath.
Because I’ve got lots more going on. The first Talons & Talismans went out to the editor today. The second is almost complete and should be ready at some point next week. I’ve got a story in that called The Shield of the Innocent.
Lots more stuff about New Mythology below.
I’m still playing with stuff for The Door into Winter, which now you all know is not only another Shijuren novel, but also an Eldros Legacy novel.
I’ve got a short story coming out in a few weeks as well in It Takes All Kinds, an anthology of stories set in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe. It’s titled: “Careful with that Axe, E.U. Gene,” and when we get to the release date, I’ll spill the beans on its special feature.
With that, I think it’s time for Jack Stack’s BBQ (Mark Stallings’ favorite place) with my sweetie.
What I’m Listening To
Been a good day of music at Brewbakers. Also a bunch of the regulars. Something about seeing the same faces. There aren’t many theme songs like that of Cheers that get the human condition quite so well.
Quote of the Week
Today, in 1964, Alvin York died. This is a fairly famous quote, but I love it.
I had orders to report to Brigadier General Lindsey, and he said to me, “Well, York, I hear you have captured the whole damned German army.” And I told him I only had 132.
― Alvin York.
Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy
The final edits for Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock are in process and we’ll be showing of the amazing cover art by Rashed AlAkroka soon.
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
I’m currently working on The House Between Worlds, the fourth in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series. This is going very quickly because Jon’s a great writer.
Also, as mentioned, I sent off the first Talons & Talismans to the editor. You can expect the cover reveal for that in next week or so. The cover is by Jake Caleb, who did the great covers for When Valor Must Hold and Songs of Valor.
Rob’s Works in Progress
The Door Into Winter (1,043)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
SOTI (7,948) (Formerly MON)
Upcoming Events
FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The first thing I want to announce is… Wait for it… An Announcement!!!
Yes, I’ll be making a special announcement next week. It’s the soooper-seekrit project I’ve been working on and we’re ready to talk about it.
Having announced the announcement, let’s talk about a good week of editing with a little writing.
All of the first Talons & Talismans anthology is out to the authors and most are back and in the can. The second anthology is mostly done and back to the authors. By the end of this weekend, I suspect we’ll be down to mostly fiddly bits.
On the editing side, I’m turning to The House Between Worlds next. This is the fourth book in Jon Osborne’s great Milesian Accords series. Target release date is October.
Writing wise there’s been some work on a short story and a few words on The Door Into Winter. Not much, thought, as the editing/publishing side of thing has taken precedence for about a month.
Still, it all counts and thus was a very productive week here.
What I’m Listening To
Not much. I’ve been working in the office with my sweetie today as she gets one of her treasured work from home days, so we didn’t play music or anything.
Quote of the Week
I am a big believer in this week’s quote.
“We must trust to nothing but facts: These are presented to us by Nature, and cannot deceive. We ought, in every instance, to submit our reasoning to the test of experiment, and never to search for truth but by the natural road of experiment and observation.”
― Antoine Lavoisier, Elements of Chemistry
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
As you can see, it’s a great pair of lineups and I’m honored to be a part of it. I’ve spent the past week editing and all the stories of the first anthology will be sent out tonight. I’ve also made progress in the second anthology. By next update, I hope to have all the stories edited and back to their authors, if not in the final document.
The covers for these are in progress and I’m excited to say they’ll be by Jake Caleb, who did the fantastic covers for When Valor Must Hold and Songs of Valor, among many others.
I’m really looking forward to the next project, too. This will be The Door into Winter, and it will continue the stories of Irina, Ausartxango, and Geirr. I should also mention big changes are coming to Shijuren which I’ll talk about next week.
With that, I have to finish another short story of my own, which will come out in the fall.
Lots of projects here, which is just the way I like it.
What I’m Listening To
No Rain by Blind Melon on the overhead at Brewbaker’s. That’s a surprisingly good album, with No Rain being an example of a good song that earned radio airplay but not close to being the best one on the album. Tones of Home is that for me, but I’ve talked with others who picked something.
Also, I’m listening to Todd Fahnestock blather along. He’s in town for Planet Comicon and we’re writing together.
Two writers at one table. This bodes ill…
Quote of the Week
The Second Jacobite Rebellion, or the 45, started on 19 August 1745. It’s Charles Stuart’s attempt to regain the throne for James Stewart.
From this came a song we still sing at SCA events. Here’s a chunk from Robert Burns’ version.
What makes heroic strife, fam’d afar, fam’d afar?
What makes heroic strife, fam’d afar?
What makes heroic strife?
To whet th’ assassin’s knife,
Or hunt a parent’s life
Wi’ bluidie war.
― Robert Burns
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
And there’s a heck of a giveaway going on including a couple of CKP titles. Go here: https://scifibridge.com/ and get yourself in the drawing for a slew of stuff.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 334.6
Updated Word Count: 183,244
Shijuren Wiki: 753 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m sitting in my booth on a beautiful day at Armistice. Indeed, the weather has been exceedingly pleasant. Truly beautiful weather.
Right now, I have three very talented musicians playing medieval songs across the courtyard on viol (I think), recorder, and hurdy-gurdy. The breeze is just enough to give the air a nice feel. And all around me are the wonderful sounds of a medieval marketplace enjoying itself.
First, this week, is a poll from Chris Kennedy himself. He’d like to know what readers want. You find the poll here: https://joesolari.typeform.com/to/joz29tie. This will help us get you what you want. Better yet, if you fill it out, you’ll be able to enter a drawing to win one of three $100 gift cards at the store of your choice or $100 cash sent to your PayPal or Venmo.
Most of what I’m doing when customers aren’t here are reading through the submissions for Talons & Talismans. I can confirm now that there will actually be two anthologies because I got so much cool stuff. One will come out in October and the other in November. I’ll announce the full lineups a week from today.
I submitted a story to Three Ravens Press on Monday for an anthology. I got to redshirt a good friend in there, as well as having fun with zombie tropes, something I’ve never done before.
My current short story is my story in Talons &Talismans. It’s about Rabah and Jaime Muniotz, two characters earlier in Shijuren’s history, whose actions shape some of the foundation of what I did with Ausartxango Belatz in Brief Is My Flame and None Call Me Mother.
In the next couple of days, I’m going to start a new novel that will be entitled The Door into Winter. Sometimes, the perfect title comes to you that not only fits your plans but seems like the perfect mold to write a story around. This one will start a new series in Shijuren following Irina, Ausartxango, and Geirr after None Call Me Mother.
I do have some disappointing news to report. Due to circumstances outside anyone’s control, I was forced to cancel my appearance at DragonCon. I want to thank all the volunteers, especially Cisca and Regina, for all their hard work. Also, we will still have a major announcement that weekend, however, so stay tuned here.
Been an eventful week, but for now, I’d better get back to selling.
What I’m Listening To
Hurdy-gurdy and recorders in the courtyard accompanied by the occasional rasp of a bowyer shaving bow staves. Quite ideal, I think.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Mobile Bay. It is entirely likely that means today’s quote is apocryphal. However, like many such quotes, it’s too fun not to believe it happened.
“Damn the torpedoes!”
― Admiral David Farragut
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
I’m currently working on Talons & Talismans. Starting in September, I’ll be editing the next Milesian Accords novel from Jon R. Osborne. Really looking for that.
I am so excited for what’s coming, and I can’t wait to really give you a full schedule.
Rob’s Works in Progress
MON (3,211)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
CSC (1,283)
Upcoming Events
FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry for being late this week. I arrived in Pennsylvania later than anticipated on Wednesday, so I couldn’t post my update early. And then yesterday and Thursday were devoted to setting up my booth and camp here at Armistice.
Armistice is being held at Cooper’s Lake Campground where Pennsic has been held since the early 70s. They have developed this to an really nice place to relax in many ways, even if you’re not camping here for an event. The changes in the 20 years or so I’ve been coming here are truly astounding.
I knew this spot of the world was important to me but not how much until I got here to check in. In the line, a old friend of mine, who happens to be one of the people who attended the first SCA event ever in 1966, came up and gave me a hug. Not an abnormal way we greet each other but I nearly cried.
It is incredibly good to be home again.
Anyway, this will be a fantastic week for me. I’m set up with a little office as part of my booth, so I essentially have full functionality to write as if I was at Brewbaker’s or something like that at home. If people aren’t here, I get to write. In the past, this has been a fruitful week and I expect no different.
I will be finishing a short story today and tomorrow for a fun little anthology. Today is also the deadline for stories for Talons & Talismans, and I’m excited with what’s come in. You’re going to love these.
Given the schedule, I anticipate providing you all a full list of participants in the anthologies on the 15th or so. While I have no limitations on my writing, there are some limitations on getting out to print stuff. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m going to have to give a number of finalists a thorough, proper read through. I already know it’s going to be tough because there’s some great stuff.
With that, it’s time to start selling.
What I’m Listening To
People chatting and enjoying the fantastic weather so far at Armistice.
Quote of the Week
Dusty Hill of ZZ Top passed away this week. Some of ZZ Top’s music, especially the earlier stuff, is truly amazing. Today’s quote is from a song where Dusty was the singer.
I been bad, I been good,
Dallas, Texas, Hollywood.
I ain’t askin’ for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I’m just lookin’ for some tush.
― Dusty Hill, ZZ Top, Tush
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This time next week I’ll be setting up camp in Pennsylvania for Armistice. I can hardly wait. I’ve been, as you can tell by the title of this post, antici… pating it for a while.
There’s been a number of general projects I’ve had to clean up while I prep for the trip. Some of that is my hatred of coming home to my work areas completely messy. So I clean more than normal, even though I have less time for that sort of thing. This includes yardwork, and the yard needed a bunch. There’ll be more done this weekend, including making a new thing for my booth at SCA events.
Also, this week I had a number of important things to do with various projects. Things are looking great for Talons & Talismans, especially as I read more and more stories for it.
I’m working on two short stories concurrently and this was a great week for both, though both will be smaller numbers in my list below.
I seem to find that in short stories I often have to write 2-4000 words that I need to put on the page but which aren’t required for the actual story. At some point, then, I figure out what the soul of the story is and then know which parts I need and which I don’t.
It’s a standard thing to get past, and I got past that on both of them. This is when the stories start really flowing, and I’ve already seen that starting to happen.
Finally, some changes will be coming to the mailing list in the next few weeks. Good ones for you, I think.
Tonight, though, it’s date night. It’s actually going to be my real birthday dinner. We’re hitting a Brazilian steakhouse. Meat for the win!!!
What I’m Listening To
The Rangers getting beat by the Tigers. We knew the Rangers didn’t have enough talent this year, but it’s been a horrible sequence since the All-Star break. Not a win in sight. Ah well, bad with the good, and there’s something soothing about the sounds of a baseball game anyway.
Quote of the Week
Alex Trebek would have been 81 today. Interesting how he became such a part of our lives by forcing us to ask questions. Philosophically, I think we should question everything, especially the things we know. Here’s another philosophy I can get behind.
“I think more people should include silliness as part of their daily routines.”
― Alex Trebek
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Again, this was not my best writing week, but it was productive nonetheless. A bunch of editing done. A major bit of procrasticleaning that had to be done. Packing for Armistice. Plus dealing with a number of family issues.
I’m getting more and more excited about Talons & Talismans with each new story. There’s some great stuff in these and in only a few weeks you’ll all get to see the final lineups. Going to be a lot of fun.
I’m really looking forward to Armistice as it’s a return to Cooper’s Lake. I’ll talk more about that later, of course, but it’s always a really productive time for both writing and selling. And fun.
Over this weekend I hope to finish a bunch of the editing for Talons & Talismans so I’m ahead of the curve when the final rush hits.
So I guess I’d better go actually get my own story done for that 🙂
What I’m Listening To
Beneath, Between, Behind by Rush. Yes, this is one of the 232 intentional band and song references in “Careful With That Axe, E. U. Gene,” my Salvage Title story coming out in a couple of months.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of Alex Karras, who did an amazing number of things. Hall of Fame player in the NFL, actor, wrestler. Today’s quote is from my favorite role he played.
“Mongo only pawn… in game of life.”
― Alex Karras as Mongo in Blazing Saddles
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Hey! It’s Friday! What the heck happened to the week?
I have noticed that the weeks after long trips tend to be sort of timeless in that I completely lose track. Given that I have about one big trip happening each week for the next few months, I need to get used to travel fatigue again, but for now, I’m just recovering this week.
Anyway, we’re about halfway through the year. Go us!
I had another story accepted this past week! I am going to be part of the fun space opera setting of SalvageTitle. This one is called “Careful With That Axe, E.U. Gene.” I’ll talk more about this story when we get closer to release date, but you can probably tell by the title it’s a bit whimsical. This will probably always be one of my favorite stories because it’s just fun. Space battles, gunfights, and archaeology oh, my!
I’m in the midst of two other short stories that I want to have finished by the time I leave for Armistice, so about three weeks. One will be for Talons and Talismans, and it will return to the characters of Rabah and Jaime Muniotz, the founders of the Order of the Fortress of Rabah in Shijuren.
As for the rest of the anthology, it’s proceeding well. I have 3 stories edited and in the can, with several more close. I have a couple of nice surprises to add as well, some neat things happening with that project.
Can’t wait to see all the submissions. My Armistice is going to be busy as I pick the winners. I’ve got five right now that would be excellent choices, so the competition is going to be fierce.
With that, I better get to writing. There’s adventuring to be done!
What I’m Listening To
I’m at Brewbaker’s. Currently, they’re playing a Kiss song. I’m really not a fan of Kiss’s music. I find it boring, frankly. However, they were one of the headliners who helped bring Rush along way back when, so I will always have a bit of a soft spot for them.
Quote of the Week
Samuel Eliot Morison’s 14-volume set of the US Navy in World War II was one of my foundational texts. I read it in the Wichita Public Library multiple times, and it inspired my love of naval history and through that, my love of naval-themed books, including Forester and the space versions by Weber and others.
Today is his birthday, and this quote, while written for historians, is true for all writers.
A few hints as to the craft may be useful to budding historians. First and foremost, get writing!
I’m currently working on reading Steven Johnson’s Heart of Ice, the second in his Arthurian trilogy. I’m also pounding away at getting a head start on the lineup for Talons and Talismans.
This week’s release is the next Four Horsemen anthology, In the Wings. 15 more short stories in the 4HU which, by the way, easily surpassed its goals in the Kickstarter for the role-playing game. You can find this anthology here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098SGZZGZ.
Today’s Weight: 339.2
Updated Word Count: 171,184
Shijuren Wiki: 746 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I know it’s only been four days since my last update, but it’s been hectic, fun, and productive.
Tuesday was Lasers and Lagers at the Lie’brary on Beck. It’s a cool bar that is book-themed. My sort of place, right? I’d be in trouble if I lived within walking distance.
The event itself was basically a bunch of CKP authors chatting with people local to Panama City. We donated books to the local library and held raffles to raise money for that library as well. We had such a great time, we never had a chance to record a Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, which was part of the plan.
We also got to surprise, Sheellah, Chris’s wife, with a pre-birthday party. I won’t say what birthday. I’m not that crazy.
It was a great night, though exhausting. Then I had two travel days to get me to Indianapolis to InConjunction. I’m set up in the dealer’s hall with Mark and Joy Wandrey to the right of me and Jon Osborne to the left of me. I’m doomed!!!
I’ll also be on panels. Here’s my schedule:
FRIDAY
4:30 p.m: Meet New Mythology Press – Rob Howell, John Osborne – Panel Room
6 p.m: Anthologies: Creating and Writing – Mark Wandrey, Rob Howell, T. Lee Harris – Panel Room
8 p.m: Writing in a Shared Universe – Mark Wandrey, Rob Howell – Panel Room
SATURDAY
2:30 p.m: Pantsing Prep – Rob Howell, Sara Marian – Panel Room
Hope to see some of you all there.
Of course, this is the end of the second week since The Ravening of Wolves came out. I’m really pleased with sales. They’ve continued far longer than most of my previous books, and I really appreciate all of you who’ve taken the time to review the book already. Those reviews have kept the momentum going. Also, thanks to all who’ve read the book. Without you, I don’t get to do this job.
Speaking of new stuff, I just sent off a story. It’s a short story in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe. Hopefully he’ll accept it. It’s one of my most whimsical pieces to date.
Next week, I’ll be organizing more and more of the anthology stuff. The deadline for submissions is 31 July and I want to be ready for the final push. In early August, I’ll put out the final list of all authors in the anthology and the winners.
There’s been some great submissions so far, so keep them coming.
With that, I think I’d better go do some writing.
What I’m Listening To
Xanadu by Rush. I’m getting one of my favorite poems *and* my favorite band, all in one swell foop!
Quote of the Week
Sixty years ago on this day, Ernest Hemingway died, so it’s a good time for one of my favorite quotes from him. This is one of several things he said I try to live up to.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.
― Ernest Hemingway
I’m currently working on Heart of Ice, the sequel to Keep of Glass by Steven G. Johnson. This is a fun take on the Arthurian legends.
The big news, however, in the CKP world, is CKP International. We’re in the process of translating our books into German, French, and Japanese, with perhaps some other languages coming.
This will include New Mythology’s titles, of course, and I look forward to announcing those release dates.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Here’s my update from last week, now that I have time to breathe. I’m sitting at Juana’s Pagodas in Navarre Beach, Florida. I’ve had worse views as write.
I’ve been working on a story for Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe. This is probably the most whimsical story I’ve ever written and it’s mostly done.
Of course, the reason I’m writing last week’s update on a Monday is things have been wonderfully awesome and crazy in my world. This weekend was ConFinement in Nashville. That went very well, I sold lots, but more importantly, I loved feeding off the enthusiasm so many writers have for New Mythology Press.
In truth, that’s been the best part of taking this position. The energy thrown my way from fans and writers has been amazing. I can’t wait to have some of this stuff turn into fruition to reward everyone.
Of course, my big thing last week is the release of The Ravening of Wolves. The first week has gone very well. In fact, I hit 40 reviews and ratings today. 40! That seems really fast to me. Thanks to all who’ve read and reviewed. I really appreciate it.
Why am I sitting at a bar in Florida, you ask? It’s because tomorrow I go to the Lie’brary at Beck for Lasers and Lagers. Thanks to Ian J. Malone for organizing this and I’m glad it worked out that I could come. I’ll be posting from there tomorrow. Also, we’ll do our Dudes in Hyperspace podcast from there, so expect some special awesomeness.
But for now, I’d better write.
What I’m Listening To
Songs they’re playing overhead. Been a nice mix, but of course, there’s Jimmy Buffett so that has to be the quote of the week.
Quote of the Week
And of course, that means I *have* to quote from Margaritaville.
I blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home
But there’s booze in the blender
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on
― Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville
As mentioned, I’ve been blown away from the response of so many with New Mythology. I got 4 new stories over the weekend, plus a couple of novel-length submissions. Can’t wait to dive into those.
The reviews to John Siers’s The Moon and Beyond have suggested it’s reminiscent of Heinlein. I look forward to testing that suggestion. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097QMN7PJ and test it yourself.
Today’s Weight: 334.2
Updated Word Count: 160,689
Shijuren Wiki: 733 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This was, in many ways, my least productive week of 2021. There were reasons, which is okay, but also some general fatigue. It was one of those weeks where little things cropped up, like extra construction or my sweetie left her phone at home. A week of shifting sands, hence the title of this post.
The reasons included some family stuff that had to get done this week. That includes two new pets into the house. They’re very cute, but of course that takes time and effort. We took them to the vet today. Oh, and then there were several funky computer issues with my bank and insurance company. Joy.
I did get a few words written this week on a short story due at the end of the month. It’s going well, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun. It’s a tad more whimsical than my norm, but it’s always good to shift gears a bit.
I also did quite a bit of prep work for the big sooper-seekrit project. We are getting more and more excited as more things get checked off our to-do list.
The big news this week, and talk about burying the lede, is that I was accepted for an anthology edited by Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell. It’s a Baen anthology focused on the noir, hard-boiled detective. Perfect for an Edward story. The anthology will be called No Game forKnights, and my story is entitled The Incomparable Treasure. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Larry. He knows a ton about the craft that I am just scratching the surface.
Oh, I did one other thing this week. I added another con: Salina Comicon. You should check my con list as it’s growing. I have a plan for February too that should be a lot of fun if we can make it work. Glad to be getting back into the groove.
Hopefully, things will get calmed down by Monday and next week will be much better.
Of course, a week from tomorrow will be most awesome. The Ravening of Wolves goes live next Friday and I’m excited. I think this is my best novel ever, which I should always think of course, in part because I should always be getting better.
However, there are a number of things I aimed for specifically and if the ARC reviewer comments are anything to go by, I achieved a number of them.
What I’m Listening To
The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky by Primus. I’ve never seen Primus live, and that was something I was on the verge of doing when the pandemic hit. Worse, this was the tour where they would play the entirety of Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in honor of Neil.
However, it has been rescheduled and the new dates fit my timeline to a T. I am so looking forward to seeing Les Claypool in all his intricate and strange glory.
Quote of the Week
A weird week deserves a weird quote, and since it was the song I was listening to and it inspired the title, here’s a bit of the weirdness of The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky.
Skin moves toward malignant
Worshipping the sun
They clamber over corpses
To be the chosen ones
― Primus, The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky
i started reading some of the early entrants and I think you’ll be pleased. We’re at the early stages, but the response has already been good.
I can also tell you I’m excited at the story that Aaron Rosenberg submitted. You’ve probably read his stuff and not realized, as he’s written in a ton of different properties, but this story is completely his. It has the kind of hero I wanted to see win, and I think you’ll love it.
It’s possible, by the way, that there will be a Talons & Talismans *and* a Talons & Talismans Two. So many people loved this prompt, which of course is gratifying and exciting. That’s especially true since it’s been pretty good stuff so far.
This week’s new release is the third of Jamie Ibson’s We Dare series. This one is entitled No Man’s Land, and every story has a female main character. It also includes some of the best female authors out there like Kacey Ezell, Marie Whittaker, and Joelle Presby. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096DSW1VK.
The next week is going to be a big one for CKP. Chris will release the conclusion to his Progenitor’s War series tomorrow. There’s another Hit World novel coming out on the 14th. Then, of course, a week from tomorrow is The Ravening of Wolves. Plus there are things coming out on audio. So much is happening I don’t have time to list it all.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a great week. Lots of stuff getting done, including a number of things I’m really proud of. I look forward to talk about them, but for now, just know I’m excited.
In many ways, that’s this week in a nutshell. Lots of work done, but the kind of foundational work that won’t show up for a bit, but without which, nothing ever gets done. Simply plugging away.
Right now, I’m focused on a number of short story projects. I’ve got several short stories in progress right now. Also, I’ve started going through the stories for Talons & Talismans, and it’s going to be amazing.
In general, things are starting to ramp up with New Mythology Press. I’m excited with the reception that Responsibility of the Crown has gotten. Scott Huggins wrote a great book and I’m honored to be a part of it.
My convention schedule is also starting to pick up. We’ve added a really fun con, FactoryCon, which is essentially Chris Kennedy Publishing’s yearly party. However, it’s expanded into something really cool. It’ll be October 22-24 in Coinjock, NC.
My next novel will be a new Shijuren novel, starting a new series. There’ll be some returning characters you’ll remember and it’s going to be something pretty cool. I get to expand into some of the story ideas that I’ve hidden in the first six novels.
Peyton’s Places is a truly amazing show. Basically, it’s Peyton Manning talking about football with various people involved in the NFL somehow. It’s incredibly charming and light-hearted. Plus it’s really interesting for someone interested in history.
For example. Did you know no one actually knows where the first Lombardi Trophy actually is right now? Carroll Rosenbloom had it, but it disappeared at some point in the 80s. Probably in California somewhere.
How fascinating is that?
Quote of the Week
Today is Chuck Barris’s birthday. Here’s banging a gong in his honor. He actually gave us a great quote about the challenge of creating stuff. I think every author, artist, musician, and all the rest can identify with this quote.
“If you stick in the business of being creative, you get hurt. And creative disappointment seems so much harder to take than any other kind. But if you’re not prepared to get hurt like that, life can be pretty boring. I think I’m going to keep on going.”
― Chuck Barris
Bonus quote from Peyton Manning in his show that goes out to Conrad: “You do a lot with your middle finger. You’d be a good Eagles fan.”
New Mythology Works in Progress
I’ll be changing this up a bit. I have started to post on chriskennedypublishing.com/blog. This is where I’ll do all of New Mythology’s announcements going forward.
My plan is to link to these announcements on that blog, as must as anything to make sure this email (which is long already), doesn’t get too long. The current items are two anthology calls.
This gives me space to say things about other projects. Benjamin Tyler Smith is working on a Necrolopolis novel, which will be the first novel, and follows a bunch of great short stories. This is around October.
Then Jon Osborne is getting me another Milesian Accord novel in the fall.
Also coming in the fall will be Released, the third in the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
The first new release is We Shall Rise. This is an anthology in the Black Tide Rising universe from John Ringo originally published by Baen. Why am I mentioning it? Well, Baen does a lot for us, which we appreciate. John Ringo’s been a great guy to deal with at cons. Most of all, though, it’s got a bunch of friends of mine in it. Jamie Ibson, Kacey Ezell, Jason Cordova, just to name a few. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982125586.
I already talked about Shadowsby Bill Webb, a Murphy’s Lawless novel in the Caine Riordan universe. However, it’s worth another plug, so here you go. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095W2BCJF.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Tonight, at midnight Eastern, The Ravening of Wolves goes live. It is my best novel to date, which is as it should be. I should be getting better each time and I think I am.
But I’m as sad as I am excited. Someone who I really looked up to passed away earlier this week. Ron was someone who helped show me what it is to be a man, fostered my love of fantasy, and made me think in long discussions over all sorts of challenging topics. I was often wrong, and he usually showed me how and why I was wrong, but I was never ashamed of being wrong. It was something he expected me to grow from. And, quite often, I did.
Still, he was as pleased as anyone at my growth as a writer, and now as a publisher. So I will celebrate The Ravening of Wolves by listening to Black Sabbath. He’s the one who first introduced me to them, after all, and I have, for forty years now, associated them with Ron. For all that they have done for the music world, Black Sabbath benefited from the connection.
Anyway, this was a moderately productive week. I started major edits on a novel in a sooper-seekrit project. I started editing some stories for Talons & Talismans. I got another manuscript to edit. This one is the sequel to Keep of Glass by Steven G. Johnson. It’s entitled Heart of Ice and it’ll be out in the fall.
I also pounded away at three short stories I have to have done by the end of July. This includes one for Kevin Steverson in the Salvage Title universe, a story for William Joseph Roberts, and my own story for Talons & Talismans. Lots of good progress on those, and I’m excited about pushing myself with something special in each of them.
My story for Talons & Talismans, by the way, is a story of Rabah and Jaime Muniotz in Shijuren. I’ve only written one story involving them, and they’re from a far earlier time than my novels in the world of Shijuren. They’re the founders of the order of chivalry that Ausartxango belongs to, and it’s time for them to build up that order.
Tonight, though, it’ll be a night to remember those who helped shape me.
What I’m Listening To
The Sign of the Southern Cross by Black Sabbath.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from Kipling’s If, which is something I think about quite often. There’s always another thing to learn in it, another way to improve what I am.
As mentioned, I’m currently editing a number of short stories that will appear in Talons & Talismans. These are from the authors whose name will appear on the cover. Early in August, I’ll give you all a complete rundown of the lineup. Trust me, though, it’s got a bunch you know about and appreciate.
It’s been about a month, but I’m still ecstatic with the response to Scott Huggins’ Responsibility of the Crown. This is book one of the Endless Ocean series. How do I know it will be a series? Because Scott has already sent me an outline for book two and it’s got even more action and adventure than the first one.
As mentioned, I’m also in the process of editing Heart of Ice by Steven G. Johnson. This is the sequel to Keep of Glass. Expect that in the fall.
In general, I’m blown away with the enthusiasm and excitement shown by authors in and around Chris Kennedy Publishing. New Mythology Press is about to explode with constant content, good content. That explosion will begin in the fall and then who knows when it will ebb, because the tide is rising and lifting us all.
Okay, that’s cheating a bit. Let’s get back to what all came out this week. We start with Robert Krog’s Shank, the fifth in the Hit World universe. Why do i highlight fifth? Because if I’m doing the math right, they’re putting out at least a book a month in that world. That’s the way to do a shared world, in my opinion.
For all my talk about beginnings, this week is the end of Chris Kennedy’s trilogy of trilogies. The Progenitor’s War is the conclusion to humanity’s battle for survival across all of time and space, and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096WRN6TY.
Today’s Weight: 336.2
Updated Word Count: 159,863
Shijuren Wiki: 733 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, there are a bunch of new faces here thanks to Dave Butler’s May Giveaway. Thanks for signing up. A quick tour. In this first part, I chat about what I’m doing and what I’m planning. Then there’s a bit on what I’m listening to. Basically, it’s a chance to comment on something cool around me. Then there’s a quote of the week for the same reason. That’s followed by some stuff particular to New Mythology Press, for which I’m the publisher. Then I list my works in progress and events I’m planning on going to. Finally, there are new releases, some by me, most by people I know and appreciate. Then there’s the usual promo stuff at the bottom.
By the way, most weeks, I’ll send this out on Thursday, but I literally got home last night and basically went straight to bed for 12 hours sleep.
Again, thanks for joining up. I hope you like it here. You get to start with me following up from an amazing time at FantaSci. Wow, what a week that was. Here’s the After Action Report to prove just how awesome it was: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2314.
Running my first ever New Mythology Publishing panel. Starting this fall we’re going to be pumping out stuff consistently. My goal is a book every other Tuesday. We might end up doing more. Exciting stuff.
Getting to host the Songs of Valor panel with Larry Correia, David Weber, Dave Butler, and the rest of an amazing cast.
Getting to announce J.P. Chandler as the winning of the first FantaSci anthology. The Hill to Die On is simply brilliant.
Most importantly, I got to see my con family. I’ve missed them, something terrible.
After that I spent a couple of days working with Chris Kennedy. We finalized the processes we’re going to use for New Mythology Press going forward. We also went over a bunch of plans. This is really exciting for me, and it’ll be exciting for you because there are a bunch of great stories coming.
After that was the long drive home, but I at least got to have dinner with relatives in Rocky Mount.
Overall, this was a weird combination of exhausting and reinvigorating. Those two things shouldn’t go together, but though my body reminds me 18 hour drives aren’t as fun as they used to be, my mind is excited about the challenges ahead.
With that, I’d better get to work.
What I’m Listening To
It’s Motown day on the Pandora at Brewbakers. You know all the great songs. For me, it’s also so nice to get back into the home groove.
Quote of the Week
So many fun exchanges at FantaSci. This is something from Jon R. Osborne, when someone suggested dinner at an Irish place on Sunday.
“You had me at pub.”
― Jon R. Osborne
New Mythology Works in Progress
We now have TWO anthologies with open calls.
1. Talons and Talismans
Deadline: 31 July
Release: October/November
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
We will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. They will earn an equal share of the revenue as all the other authors. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
2. FantaSci 2022 Contest
Deadline: 30 November, 2021
Release: FantaSci 2022
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving an artifact or named item. This can be an item of legend, such as Excalibur or the Philosopher’s Stone, or an item of your creation of any type. Feel free to make the artifact or item intelligent, and you can even make it your protagonist or villain. No matter what, the artifact or item must be a central part of the story.
Again, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. They will earn an equal share of the revenue as all the other authors. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Also released last week is my co-conspirator with the Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, Ian J. Malone along with the big boss, Chris Kennedy, giving us a new Four Horsemen novel. You can find Street Survivors here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094281KRC.
And since I am late off the mark this week, you get a bonus release: Shadows, a novel in the Caine Riordan universe by William Alan Webb. Bill Webb is a great writer, and you should check him out in general. And, of course, you know this universe, founded by Chuck Gannon. You can find this book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095W2BCJF.
Also, the big sale this week is a collection of Military SF curated by the amazing Kevin J. Anderson. This actually includes one of my stories, “Here Must We Hold,” in Trouble in the Wind, edited by the awesome James Young. You can find this collection here: https://storybundle.com/scifi. It’s a heckuva collection, including Cartwright’s Cavaliers, the first in the Four Horsemen Universe. If you were considering jumping in, this would be a great way to start.
Today’s Weight: 341.0 (I tried, but didn’t do a great job of eating during the trip. Color me surprised. But only 5-8 pounds, so not a huge step back)
Updated Word Count: 146,422(I finally decided to give myself 1/4 credit on things I edit/publish once they get released, so I got credit for Responsibility of the Crown. I have had too many people tell me I should get some credit.)
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, thanks to Joel Lyons, the Lyonesse, and all the FantaSci staff (especially Yvonne Jacobs) for making this happen. We needed this, and it was brilliant.
The con started on Thursday, which is often some of the most productive moments of a con as people network together. This was no different. We had an “interesting” drive to dinner on Thursday, a group dinner including a bunch of us. You might say that the Lyons *nailed* it, in more ways than one. There is physical evidence. And also video evidence. Trust me, the physical is much nicer to see.
My panel schedule started at noon on Friday. From about that point on, I was about too busy to breathe until just about now.
That first panel was one about pantsing. The way this was set up was for me to talk about how I write, what techniques I use, and how I take advantage of what pantsing can do for an author.
Ironically, I prepared quite a bit for this panel, and as I did I realized I actually do a bunch of things to help my pantsing work. These involve character ideas and sketches, even if I don’t write them down, my notes using Wikipedia’s random article function, and my use of a variety of contemplative moments to pre-build the story before I get close to a keyboard.
Then I had a couple of hours to set up in the Author Flea Market area. This was a neat idea the FantaSci folks had. Basically, the set up a few empty chairs in the covered part of the courtyard and said they were available for any other to sell their stuff. I knew I didn’t have much time for this sort of thing, but I got a couple of hours, and it made it easier for me to have my books handy for the reading.
More importantly, I had a chance to chat with a few people, especially Barbara V. Evers, the writer of the Watchers of Moniah series. I really enjoyed this series and hope she’ll write more. However, I’d not met her in person. That’s fixed now, and she’s awesome. Don’t worry, I’m already nudging for more stuff from her.
At 3pm, I had a book reading. I read from The Ravening of Sorrows, coming out on June 18th. More on this later. Anyway, I read the scene where Hu’s Hawks, loaned to me by Quincy J. Allen, held the spotlight. It’s action-packed, but also sort of a separate unit.
Joining me at this reading was G. Scott Huggins, who read from his freshly released Responsibility of the Crown. This is such a fun story from a great writer who’s only going to get better. It already has 14 reviews, and they are all 5 stars because, well, it’s a 5-star book.
At 4pm was a panel entitled Herding Kittens. It was about what’s involved in getting an anthology to work. It was actually a wonderful learning experience, as it always is when I get to listen to Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books. She has forgotten more about the book business than I have learned so far. By a lot. Anytime you can get Toni in a place to talk about the craft of writing, much less the business of writing, it will behoove you to sit down, listen, and learn.
Then I had a small break, giving me just enough time to eat a little, rest a bit, and refresh myself for the 7-9pm panel on Songs of Valor. Let’s get this out of the way, I did not do a good job with this panel. It was the first panel I’ve ever moderated that was scheduled for two hours and I didn’t pace it well. Therefore, I didn’t have enough good questions and it was only David Weber’s ability to provide wisdom that saved the panel from about the 1 hour mark onward. Again, like Toni, it is always smart to listen to him talking the craft, something Chris Kennedy is benefiting from right now in the collaboration.
After that, we held the Chris Kennedy Publishing party. This went off very well, I thought, in part because of all the help I received from the 4HU Merc Guild. This, by the way, is the fan group of the Four Horsemen Universe. If you like the books, you should look for a merc unit in your area.
I will take this moment to thank Nick Steverson. He stayed up to the end of the party, which actually ended up happening both Friday and Saturday night, and made sure everything got picked up. I simply didn’t have the energy to do it, and he did a great job. We always like keeping the hotel happy.
My Saturday started at noon again, and it was even more busy than Friday.
I should take a moment and thank Yvonne Jacobs, who did a stellar job with the programming at FantaSci. She got the ball thrown to her at almost the last moment and there was a bunch of good panels and a great mix of stuff. She also worked me hard, given that I was involved in 10 panels. I can’t thank her enough for doing that. I might be exhausted today, but I know I had all the opportunities I could have hoped for.
Anyway, my day began with the New Mythology Press panel. This went really well, as opposed to the Songs of Valor panel. This one, I had timed out and paced correctly, though, of course, part of that is having good pros to work with.
We went through the various series currently going on through the imprint and what’s coming up in the year. There’s a lot coming up. We also gave a small teaser of a major announcement coming at DragonCon. You’re going to love that one.
At that point, I rolled into a panel on podcasting hosted by Ian J. Malone. It also included Kevin Steverson, our partner on the Dudes in Hyperspace, as well as Jim Curtis, a YouTuber. I’m still a n00b when it comes to podcasting, so I did the best I could, but mostly I listened and learned, just like the crowd did.
Theoretically, I had a break in the schedule then, but I had a bit part to play in Dave Butler’s panel. He kindly invited me to join him in his most recent book giveaway and we drew two of the names. I will mail the other three books on Friday.
Then we rolled into the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel. Man, Chris has got a lot of stuff going. My big thrill, of course, was the opportunity to see the cover to The Ravening of Wolves, which comes out on the 18th of June. Seeing the cover is always cool, because it’s one step closer to another book becoming a reality.
And I’m really excited about The Ravening of Wolves.
At 4pm I had a panel on Mystics and Magic. We voluntold Lydia Scherrer to be moderator on Friday. By the way, if you’ve never met Lydia, she’s a sharp cookie who is really good at getting things in order, as well as a great writer. This was a fun panel, especially with the brand new novelist G. Scott Huggins sitting next to me.
Whew. Reading all that makes me exhausted, but I did get to treat myself. I had a break to shower and change for the Four Horsemen Dining Out. This event makes FantaSci unique. It’s a formal banquet with everyone in their 4HU uniforms. Those in the military will understand the power of the Rules of the Mess.
After that was Chris Kennedy Publishing Party 2.0 where we brought out the coolers and *tried* to empty them. Chris and I both tend to buy too much for parties. Ah well, I’m sure someone will drink the beer. Eventually.
I went to bed fairly early Saturday night, as I had done on Friday. I was out of spoons.
Side note here: The Dogfish Slightly Mighty IPA is a huge hit with me. It’s tasty enough, low-carb, and lower alcohol (4.0%) as opposed to most IPAs which are 6+. These Slighty Mightys made a good session beer for me.
Sunday was a “light” day at the con for me. I only had one thing on my list, the Kaffeeklatsch at 9am. A Kaffeeklatsch is basically sitting around chatting about stuff with authors and fans.
But Sunday didn’t end there. I rolled immediately from that to a quick impromptu Dudes in Hyperspace podcast live on-site with Ian J. Malone and Kevin Steverson. We rambled a bit about the con, lassoed Christopher Woods as he passed by, and I got wet-willied by Jonny Minion. As you do.
Then there was a bit of networking/socializing before Closing Ceremonies. At Closing Ceremonies, we announced that James Chandler won the short story contest with his story The Hill to Die On. Really a brilliant story. Congrats to him. Now he needs to write more in that world.
Speaking of more writing, I took advantage of the moment to announce the next Libri Valoris anthology to be released at FantaSci 2022. Here are the details.
Deadline: 30 November
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving an artifact or named item. This can be an item of legend, such as Excalibur or the Philosopher’s Stone, or an item of your creation of any type. Feel free to make the artifact or item intelligent, and you can even make it your protagonist or villain. No matter what, the artifact or item must be a central part of the story.
Anyway, after Closing Ceremonies, there was the milling about and chatting. At first glance, this might not seem terribly worthy of inclusion in an AAR, but in truth, so much gets done here. Everyone is tired, but still excited and enthusiastic so ideas are getting fired at people left and right. Great stuff.
My most important conversation was the time I had to sit and chat with Terry Maggert. This guy is something special. Pick his brain when you can, he is amazing.
After that was more socializing. A bunch of us went to Tra’li, a great Irish pub. We’ll go back there again.
Sunday night, I thought I would be too tired to really party, but humorously enough, I stayed up late and had a great time. It meant for a slow-moving Monday, but I’m glad I did. Got to let my hair down a bit and chat with some people I’d really not had a chance to chat with before like Chris Smith, who’s a really smart dude.
Overall, this was a really productive and wonderful convention. I feel like I did all a publisher and author could hope to do at a con. I got to promote books, learn about writing, meet and encourage writers, and build both my own personal brand and that of New Mythology.
I also got to be with my people. How cool is that?
FantaSci is here and it’s an abbreviated update because things are already going apace.
Here’s my official FantaSci schedule:
Friday 12pm: Pantzing in Camellia
Friday 3pm: Book Reading in Oak
Friday 4pm: Herding Kittens in Camellia
Friday 7pm (2 hrs): Songs of Valor Anthology in the Main Room
Friday 10pm: CKP/NMP Party in the Courtyard. Come a little early if you want to help set up.
Saturday 12pm: New Mythology Press in Rose
Saturday 1pm: Radio Waves: Podcast/Live Feeds in Rose
Saturday 4pm: Mystics and Magic in the Main Room
Sunday 9am: NMP Kaffeeklatsch in Camellia
I’ll be around for a number of other things throughout the weekend.
For those of you who are fans of the Foresters, I’ll be debuting the Foresters dress uniform at the Dining Out on Saturday evening.
With that, I’m off to go work. I’ll give a complete AAR next week.
Con season is fast approaching and I can’t wait to be in among my tribe. Last night, we recorded a Zoom panel for the Virtual LibertyCon. This one was about the Four Horsemen Universe and it was great. Really cool to be a part of that whole project.
Of course, one of the things I talked about is The Ravening of Wolves, which is scheduled for June 18. I hope to have these for the ConFinement 2.5 the week of Virtual LibertyCon. If not, I’ll have them for Armistice.
By the way, note that new addition to the schedule! Confinement 2.5 is 25-27 June in Mount Juliet, TN. More information here: https://www.confinementcon.org/.
However, the big news is FantaSci. A week from this moment I’ll be ensconced in the Raleigh-Durham airport Doubletree getting ready for an amazing weekend.
But it starts now!
Well, at 7pm Central tonight. That’s when this giveaway starts:
If you go to FantaSci, your chances are even higher of winning! We’re reserving two of the five winners for people who are there, to celebrate them coming and seeing Dave Butler and I person. (You foolish mortals).
Thanks to Dave Butler for organizing all this.
This week, as you can expect, has been focused on preparing for the trip. However, I’ve been plugging away at a sooper-seekrit project that I’ll have done by June 1. Then I finish a different sooper-seekrit project which will be done July 1.
But don’t worry, I’ll be posting some hints of a *third* sooper-seekrit project before any of that happens.
Lots of great stuff happening in Rob-land, even if I have to keep it all somewhat vague at the moment.
What I’m Listening To
Blood of Bannockburn by Sabaton. This is one of my songs I listen to when I’m walking. It’s impossible not to go fast with this song.
Quote of the Week
Today is Roger Zelazny’s birthday. I can’t let that pass without this quote. I may read more from e-books than physical ones these days, but I, too, feel right when I’m surrounded by books.
I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me. I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows.
― Roger Zelazny, Nine Princes of Amber
New Mythology Works in Progress
Open call for the next New Mythology Anthology. We’ll take the top four submissions.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry for being a day late. I had a busy day yesterday. Our parents are coming down this weekend for Mother’s Day and I spent it frantically cleaning the house. One of the strangest things about the pandemic is that we host people often enough our house gets cleaned regularly. Those didn’t happen for a year, and we had some catching up to do.
Side note: I’d never have had the chance to do this job without my mom’s help. Thanks, mom!
I had a big thrill this week. I got to interview one of my favorite sportswriters and radio guys, Bob Sturm, for the Dudes in Hyperspace podcast. If you like football at all, you want to sit and chat with him for hours. Well, he gave me about an hour, which is about twice as long as I intended. We were just going over a bunch of neat stuff.
I haven’t written much this past week. Mostly, I’ve been doing those projects around the house that we’ve put off. Made a lot of progress on those.
Also, I got an opportunity to write something really cool that went straight to the top of the line. We’ll see how that goes, but then I’ll get back to my other short stories. Looks like I’ll write 4-5 short stories in the next couple of months before turning to another Shijuren novel.
Finally, my FantaSci schedule is live! Here’s where I’ll be in a couple of weeks.
Friday 12pm: Pantzing in Camellia
Friday 3pm: Book Reading in Oak
Friday 4pm: Herding Kittens in Camellia
Friday 7pm (2 hrs): Songs of Valor Anthology in the Main Room
Friday 10pm: CKP/NMP Party in the Courtyard. Come a little early if you want to help set up.
Saturday 12pm: New Mythology Press in Rose
Saturday 1pm: Radio Waves: Podcast/Live Feeds in Rose
Saturday 4pm: Mystics and Magic in the Main Room
Sunday 9am: NMP Kaffeeklatsch in Camellia
With that, I had better go write a bit.
What I’m Listening To
Wolf Totem by the Hu. Mongolian Folk Metal is fantastic stuff.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from Gene Wolfe, one of the great SF/F writers ever. He was born on this day in 1931.
“You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you’re writing.”
― Gene Wolfe
New Mythology Works in Progress
Open call for the next New Mythology Anthology. We’ll take the top four submissions.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
The big new release is, of course, Eye of the Storm, by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey. This is the latest in the main line of the 4HU. So much going on. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093NXYC7C.
Today’s Weight: 333.6
Updated Word Count: 115,848
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Another great week in Robville. I sent The Ravening of Wolves to Chris Kennedy on Sunday. I’m really pleased with how it turned out. It’s got more one-liners and humorous bits than most things I’ve written, along with a heavy dose of fighting. I re-read novels a bunch of times during the process. This one didn’t get old.
Responsibility of the Crown
We also revealed the cover for Responsibility of the Crown. As you can see, it’s gorgeous.
Scott wrote a great story, and it was an honor to be a part of getting it released. You’re going to love this story.
Since the novel went to Chris, that means I can start on a new project. It’s a short story in a universe I’ve not written in before. I told the anthology editor I planned on writing something a little whimsical, more whimsical than anything I’ve written before. This will qualify, and yet it’ll be a good story.
That’s it for now. Tonight and tomorrow, I’ll be watching the NFL Draft on Zoom. If you want to join me, hit me up with an email or on Facebook and I’ll send you the link.
Monday, we record our next Dudes in Hyperspace, so if you don’t join me tonight, I’ll go over my thoughts, along with Bob Sturm of 105.3 The Ticket and the The Athletic.
Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Leadup to the NFL Draft
Quote of the Week
I don’t have the exact quote, because I’m like one of the two fans of the movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, but this is a paraphrase of a quote from Driftwood. There’s a kernel of truth in this, but man, I do love the draft.
“No, I entered the military draft and went to Vietnam to get away from the league’s draft. Those guys were animals.”
― Driftwood, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
New Mythology Works in Progress
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
This week, there’s a new Caine Riordan-verse novel from Kevin Ikenberry entitled Desperado. Great combination of talents here, with Kevin writing in Chuck Gannon’s universe. You can find it here: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/desperado/.
Also, there’s a Bookbub deal. You can find Bill Webb’s Trashmanfor $0.99 for a few more days here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SVZF2HF. This is book one of his fun Hit World series.
Today’s Weight: 337.8
Updated Word Count: 114,981
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Ian J. Malone restarted his Dudes in Hyperspace podcast this week and invited Kevin Steverson and I to be his co-hosts. We released our first podcast together on Tuesday. We’ll be going every other week for the time being.
What are we talking about? Well, we’re talking about books. Since we all write for Chris Kennedy Publishing, and the fact that Chris Kennedy is our sponsor, you can expect a bunch of conversation about stuff from CKP and New Mythology Press.
However, we’re talking about all of our projects, our thoughts on writing, and other stuff related to our work.
Then we’re branching out into topics we find interesting. This week we did a preview of the NFL Draft. Our podcast the first week of May will have a recap of the Draft along with a special guest, Bob Sturm of the Athletic and 105.3 The Ticket, my favorite sports radio station, which happens to be in Dallas – Fort Worth.
But we’ll talk about more than sports. Music, for sure. Books we like. Movies. Grilling. Good food and beverage in general. Whatever strikes our fancy down the road. Please check us out.
Been a good week for editing. I’m at about 75% through my final edits in The Ravening of Sorrows. It’s all fiddly work that I never can estimate correctly, so even though I’m not quite done, it’s gone well.
This book has some of the best one-liners I’ve ever written, and there are a bunch of them. I am constantly laughing at my own jokes. Okay, let’s be honest, I’m always laughing at my own jokes. Someone has to, after all. However, these are actually funny. Either I’m wronger than normal about this, or they really are funny.
And now it’s time to finish off a few more chapters.
What I’m Listening To
Actually watching the Angels at the Astros on YouTube. More and more sports are getting broadcast via the internet. Since live sports are literally my only reason for contemplating cable or satellite TV, this is great for me.
Quote of the Week
Today we have a quote from something near and dear to my heart. Beer! The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot we always think of was put out on this day in 1516.
Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, market-towns and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.
― Bavarian Reinheitsgebot of 1516
New Mythology Works in Progress
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s a really exciting time for me. I have completed the first draft of The Ravening of Sorrows! Well, almost. I decided today to add one more battle scene, but I should get that done this weekend, along with major progress on the editing. I hope to have it off to the editor next week.
The last bits tend to go fast because it’s a series of event to event that’s been set up. In this case, the reason I want to add a battle is to punch up the tension one last time, to make it that much more of a hill to climb, but it’s really the cherry on top. Of course, since this is military science fiction, it’s the extra explosions on the top.
Next will come a short story for Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe, with a couple of stories for New Mythology anthologies to follow. Then another Shijuren novel, and there are big doings there.
This week, David Lucas was gracious enough to have me on his Writer’s Wrap Up interview series. Here are the links, in case you missed it.
On the publishing side, it was a slower week, but that’s because Responsibility of the Crown is on it’s way and I’m already done with it.
Of course, there’s also the release of Accepted, by Kevin Steverson and Tyler Ackerman, which was Monday. This is a fun series, full of slightly twisted fantasy tropes, action, and heroes you’ll root for.
What I’m Listening To
Right now, nothing except the computer exhaust fans. I don’t normally want quiet, but for some reason, I do right now.
Quote of the Week
Some days are the anniversary of few interesting things. April 15th is not one of those days. Lincoln dies (1865). The Titanic sinks (1912). Sacco and Vanzetti’s robbery (1920). Beginning of the Teapot Dome scandal (1922). Insulin becomes available (1923). First flight of the B-52, which they intend to use at least up to 2050 (1952). McDonald’s opens (1955). And more besides.
But I’m a baseball fan, so this is always the day that Jackie Robinson took the field as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1947 so I’ll take a quote from Jackie that is really important to me. When I’m down and depressed, this quote pushes me to get back going.
“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”
― Jackie Robinson
New Mythology Works in Progress
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m not a big fan of April Fool’s Day, but MLB’s Opening Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Currently watching one of my favorite players, Joey Gallo, hit against the Royals.
It’s been a great week of writing. I had expected The Ravening of Wolves to be done by this point, but then I expected it to run short. Instead, I’m going to end up around 100k after all.
And it’s wonderful. I really liked where I was going, but this entire last section has been way stronger than I anticipated. I got 8k or so written this week, plus I went through and backfilled a couple of story lines to make the overall story much stronger.
It’s close, and I’m excited.
I’m also excited about Responsibility of the Crown. This is the updated title of what had been Across the EndlessOcean. I’m doing the final read through to make sure no major issues cropped up in the editing process. Thanks to Mia Kleve for all her excellent work.
What I’m Listening To
Nick Solak getting an infield hit for an RBI. Go Rangers!
Quote of the Week
Gotta have a baseball quote. Take it away, Joltin’ Joe.
“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”
― Joe DiMaggio
New Mythology Works in Progress
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy writing, I completely lost track of days. I somehow lost Wednesday completely.
Obviously, the big news this past week was the great release of Songs of Valor. It got an orange tag almost out of the bat. Many thanks to our readers who made it number one within four hours.
If you’re curious what’s in Songs of Valor, you can go to my blog post where I gave story sketches. You can find that here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2268.
Also, the great news is that I had a great week of writing in The Ravening of Sorrows. Over 10k new words, about a third of the early stuff edited, and a bunch of formatting and cleaning up.
Progress made in some editing too.
And I started a new project yesterday that we’ll be talking about soon. It won’t be a ton of work, but it promises to be a lot of fun and very productive.
So a great week of productivity, even if I can’t look at a calendar.
What I’m Listening To
Mark Stallings showed me there’s a linguistics Youtube. Currently, I’m listening to a history of the Ainu language. Yeah, because I get distracted easily. Perfect for a week where I forgot what day is what. I’ll remember Mark in my upcoming curses, believe me.
Quote of the Week
As I’m sure you all know, today is the 670th anniversary of the Combat of the Thirty. You remember, that time when French and English knights, bored with the progress of the Hundred Years War, decided to halt the war to have a fight between thirty prestigious knights and squires on a side.
Therefore, today’s quote is just as obvious. It’s Geoffroy du Bois giving Jean de Beaumanoir some advice after Beaumanoir had been wounded in the fight.
“Drink your blood, Beaumanoir, your thirst will pass”
― Geoffroy du Bois
New Mythology Works in Progress
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
We’ll start with last week’s Sundownby Kacey Ezell. It’s another addition to Charles Gannon’s Caine Riordan universe. You can find it here on the newly updated Chris Kennedy Publishing website: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/sundown/.
It was released at the same time as Songs of Valor (Book 2 of the Libri Valoris anthologies with Larry Correia, David Weber, Glen Cook, Dave Butler, and Sarah Hoyt). You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z7Z3KT1.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Songs of Valor came out on Friday, and boy, do we have a bunch of readers to thank. We hit number one new release in a couple of categories and were top ten overall in some categories as well. A worthy start to a great book.
As part of the lead-in to release date, I did some story sketches, along with some fun nicknames for our authors. I thought it’d be cool to gather those sketches together. Plus, I didn’t do the nicknames for the initial three authors, because it sort of happened in that post and then a number of people enjoyed them.
So here we go:
The first story is by the Grand Admiral, David Weber, and is called The Dragon and the Drunkard. Such an honor to work with David, and this was one of his first stories ever. It’s perfect for a release this week, as this story involves a leprechaun, a dragon, the Rainbow Bridge, and an interesting legal situation. And scotch. Lots of scotch. I like scotch, by the way.
Next is the Beerzerker, Jon Osborne. This story, Smoke and Shadow. is another from his really cool urban fantasy Milesian Accords series. In general, I love stories that mix mythologies and look at them in new ways. This is something Jon does really well. Also, spoiler alert, buy some jellybeans. You’ll find out just how important they can be in this story.
Third is Benjamin Tyler Smith‘s On a Wing and a Train. Side note here, one possible name is the Shirker, because he clearly planned for their baby to be born on the same day as Songs of Valor just so he didn’t have to help promote everything. Clearly. Some people will do anything to get out of promo work.
Anyway, Benjamin’s real nickname is Speaker to Dead Things because I love his fantastic Necrolopolis series, and this is another story in that series. The elevator pitch: The mean streets of the City of the Dead are no place for an honest necromancer, even if he is drinking buddies with the God of Death. Especially when he has a partner who really puts the fatale into femme fatale. By the way, this is the first of five stories in the anthology that are winners of the FantaSci short story contest. Also, he says he’s got a Necrolopolis novel on the way, and I’m really excited to see it.
Next comes from the Big Boss, Chris Kennedy himself. This is a great coming of age story called The One You’d Least Expect. I love stories where someone grows into the challenge. This is one of those, and it’s especially interesting because of the nature of those in question. Also, just saying, this is an *origin* story, so maybe one day I can nag him into a full-length novel. Or series. Because he’s not busy doing other things, of course.
Next, the Bright Newbie, Melissa Moroney Olthoff. I call her the bright one because she’s so cheerful and enthusiastic. Even so, Oathbreakeris a tough, gritty story of love, strength, and courage. It will leave you wanting more, as it did for me. This was the second of the winners of the FantaSci short story contest.
Who else could the Crusty Old Sergeant be but Kevin Steverson? Changesis a story in his Balance of Kerr universe, and I really like it because it gives him a chance to expand that world and add some really cool characters with his normal fast-paced sort of adventure. It will come as no surprise to those who gamed with me in the RPGA back in the 90s that Londar is my favorite character.
Captain Mohawk is, of course, Quincy J Allen and he wrote another Rellen story entitled What the Eye Sees. This is high end swords and sorcery stuff, with a hint of noir. Spoiler alert. I foresee huge things for Rellen in 2022. Huge with a capital huge.
Next is Songbirdby the Mountie, who is obviously Jamie Ibson. Now he wrote this story while he was still living in British Columbia and hadn’t yet leveled up to New Brunswick in Atlantic Canada. Even so, this is a great origin story of a guy finding his magic, and more importantly, his purpose. The third winner in the FantaSci contest.
Following that is Backupby the Renaissance Man. Dave Butler is annoying talented. Reads like 80 languages. Is a musician. Has a law degree. Is now a teacher. And he writes stuff. Great stuff, in fact. This is another Indrajit and Fix story, and I think these are modern versions of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, which are, not surprisingly, some of my favorite characters ever.
Side note: I almost chose the Mustachioed Loomer for Dave, but I figured that was too obvious.
Dama Quixote, Sarah A. Hoyt, gave us One More Flight, a story about old soldiers trying to make their way after their service time should be done. But sometimes, old soldiers have to get back in the saddle, and stand up to mighty foes.
Next is the Evil Eyebrow. On second thought, maybe I should have called Casey Moores the EEEEVIL Eyebrow. If you’ve seen him, you know what I mean. Anyway, his story A Quaint Pastime is also about an old soldier. This one is trying to find his place in the next war. With a twist. Lots of aerial action and dogfighting in this one, and this is the fourth winner of the FantaSci contest.
Next is a story by J.P. Chandler, the Legal Beagle. The third of three in a row about old soldiers, this story is about a warrior who has fought and fought and fought and he’s done. He’s got a last stand left in him, though. And it turns out there are others ready for that stand. This is the fifth of the stories that the FantaSci crew are going to have to pick from.
Chandler’s story hit me in *all* the feels. I cried when I read it the first time, the second time, the third… well, you get the idea.
Next comes the Arrogant Editor. Let’s just say today’s launch success didn’t make me any less arrogant. My story in this, Magnum Opus, let me delve into Katarina, one of my favorite characters in the Edward series. What happens when evil has to be the good guy?
Then is the Ancient Master. Glen Cook‘s not really ancient but he sure he is a master. I’ve loved his stuff for years and was very happy to have a Black Company story here. Cranky Bitch has all the cynicism and War weariness you’ve come to expect from that series.
And finally, the Accountant of DOOOMMMM. Larry Correia‘s The Dregs is fantastic, full of action, and with a cool twist at the end.
What a great lineup that was, and they gave me fun stories. I was honored to get to edit all this.
I’m also proud at being a part of the FantaSci short story contest. They are going to have a heck of a time selecting from the stories from the winners.
Thanks to all involved in what turned out to be an awesome project.
Songs of Valor got released at midnight Eastern on Amazon. This is a great anthology of fantasy stories including a bunch of amazing authors. David Weber, Larry Correia, and Glen Cook are the biggest headliners, but there are so many more.
I’ve been running a little encapsulation of each story on Facebook and MeWe this week. Don’t worry, if you’re not on Facebook or MeWe, I’ll gather them together this weekend for a blog post.
I had a pretty good week of writing with The Ravening of Sorrows. The word count won’t entirely show it because I finally figured out the exact soul of the story. This is common for me. I get to this point and I finally grok the story arc that really fits. In this case, that meant going from the start in a pass that tweaks a few things to make the breadcrumbs lead where I want them. Nevertheless, I’m over 70k with a bunch waiting to insert. Getting there.
Making progress on a number of other projects, too, so another all-around productive week.
What I’m Listening To
Saucy Sailor by Steeleye Span. They have such an amazing version. It’s one of those I have to listen to a few times whenever it pops up on my media player. Also, if you haven’t listened to Steeleye Span, you should check them out. They’re an interesting melding of rock, English folk, and traditional stuff.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of Vinegar Joe Stillwell, US general. Now, he didn’t invent this phrase. It’s attributed actually to British army intelligence early in the war. However, Stillwell like it and used it frequently. Also, it’s the perfect phrase for those valorous ones who face whatever bastards try to hold them back.
“Illegitimi non carborundum”
― Joe Stillwell
PS: It really doesn’t mean “Don’t let the bastards down.” It doesn’t actually really translate to anything. So go with what you know it really means.
New Mythology Works in Progress
New Mythology Press Anthology Announcement
New Mythology is pleased to offer another open call for four spots in our anthology scheduled to be released in late October.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Quincy Allen double-dips this week, as he has a story in Songs of Valor *and* he has a new release with Marc Alan Edelheit called Forging Destiny. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YY1LNBJ.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big news this week? Well, I took some time off to spend some time with the sweetie. We drove over 600 miles on Saturday, all the way from KC to Hebron, NE and back. Along the way, we visited 9 quilt stores as part of a quilt shop hop.
After the 9th opportunity for my sweetie to buy fabric, I decided she might be in a good enough mood to say yes. And she did. We’re engaged. The ceremonial stuff will happen in 2022, but we’re one step closer to becoming “official.” 🙂
As you might imagine, I didn’t do any work over the weekend and I was still a bit distracted on Monday. So, I really only got 3 days of writing in, but I still managed over 2k per day on The Ravening of Wolves. I’m now over 70k, counting snippets waiting to get put back in. The first four sections are essentially complete (though I will probably pull some stuff from Part V back into earlier sections), and all I’m writing now is the big epic battle.
It’s military SF, the big epic battle should be 20-30k words. Or more. I’m having, if you will pardon the pun, a blast writing it.
I also made progress on another book for New Mythology. We’ll probably announce the details late this month.
Next week is Songs of Valor, come out on the 19th. This is a fantasy anthology of heroic deeds and valorous acts. It includes stories by Larry Correia, David Weber, Jon Osborne, and many more.
There’s also an Indrajit and Fix story by Dave Butler. If you haven’t heard me gush about those stories, they remind me of a sharper, more colorful Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
However, my favorite story in there is from a series I’ve loved for a long time, from one of my favorite writers. I will say I bounced up and down a bit when Glen Cook sent me a Black Company story. It’s all there, too.
So, yeah. Big names. Check. Great series. Check. The five stories from our short story contest. Check. Epic deeds. Check. Swords, spells, and intrigue? Check, check, check. And yes, this is the second of the Libri Valoris, the Books of Valor, so it’s got people standing valorously against foes they cannot hope to defeat, but still must try.
You’re going to love it.
What I’m Listening To
Speaking of valorous deeds, I’m currently listening to Sabaton’s The Last Stand. If you’re interested in historical-themed symphonic metal, this or The Art of War are the albums to start with.
Currently, it’s playing Shiroyama, which is about the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877. You may very well have seen something about these events, as The Last Samurai is loosely based on the Satsuma Rebellion, of which Shiroyama was the final battle.
The Sabaton version is much more accurate than the movie, which isn’t a surprise, but nonetheless, I really enjoy both.
Quote of the Week
Today happens to be the birthday of Douglas Adams. He’d be 69 today.
You might think this is an awesome person to provide today’s quote. And you’d be right, except for the fact there are too many snippets of sheer genius in his corpus of written works. The number is almost as mind-boggingly big as is space which, as we all know, is much bigger than the walk to the chemist’s.
However, it does seem like there’s one in particular that’s eminently suitable for today’s update.
“This must be Thursday,’ said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. ‘I never could get the hang of Thursdays.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
New Mythology Works in Progress
I mentioned this last week, but it never hurts to announce it again a few times.
New Mythology Press Anthology Announcement
New Mythology is pleased to offer another open call for four spots in our anthology scheduled to be released in late October.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Lots happening this week. First, Luck is Not a Factor, an anthology in the 4HU, is available for free on Kindle for a little longer at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K2BKLR9/. This includes my story “A Sword for Striking,” about the battle on Peninnah between the Foresters and the Zuul.
Quincy and I, by the way, are working on a sooper-sekrit project right now.
I’m also working on a sooper-sekrit project with Todd Fahnestock. He normally writes fantasy, but he spent a goodly amount of time walking the Colorado Trail and then writing a book about it. You can find Ordinary Magic here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y64MZQH.
Finally, this was the release week of Redacted Vice by Kevin Ikenberry and Kevin Steverson. Of course, it seems like you all know that already. It went straight to the top of the new release chart by 4am on release day. Wow! Anyway, if you haven’t gotten your copy, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XX1R1YX. At this rate, Amazon might run out of e-copies, so you might want to hurry up 😉
Whew, what a week.
Today’s Weight: 339.6
Updated Word Count: 11,020
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big news this week is, of course, the release of Watchers at War, the thrilling conclusion of The Watchers of Moniah trilogy. While I almost cannot type “conclusion” without putting “thrilling” in front of it, I have to say I think it fits here. I really enjoyed this series and hope Barbara will be sending me more.
The next big thing is the announcement for submissions for another anthology in the New Mythology Press below.
However, this was not my best week ever. For a variety of reasons, I had several nights of poor sleep. That, of course, makes it hard to be terribly productive.
I did what I call maintenance level work. A little of this, a little of that, enough to make progress on a variety of tasks, but not enough to be entirely pleased with the week. Of course, this happens on occasion.
The good news is that I did manage quite a bit in The Ravening of Wolves. I added about 6k while also cleaning out and clearing up the first 60 percent of the novel. I’m at a stage now where I’m tossing battle ideas on the page and things are progressing well, even if I’m not at my best.
What I’m Listening To
Baba O’Riley from the Who. I remember the first time I got my hands on Who’s Next. Obviously, I’d heard this song, which leads off the album but it is such a powerful, strong, creative album. Fantastic stuff.
Quote of the Week
Orbis Imago 1538
Today is the birthday, in 1512, of Gerardus Mercator. If you don’t recognize the name, you may recognize the image here.
Mercator is the one who created the flat 2D representation of the globe that we’re generally used to with longitude and latitude lines. However, this map is his first attempt, made in 1538.
This will probably come as no shock, but I love old maps. So, today’s quote is what Mercator wrote top middle of his first map of the world.
“Let America, Sarmatia, and India bear witness, Dear Reader, that the image of the world you see here is newer and more correct than those that have been circulated hitherto. We propose with regard to the different parts of the world to treat, successively, particular regions more broadly, as we are already doing with Europe, and you may soon expect a universal map, which will not be inferior to that of Ptolemy. Farewell. ”
― Gerardus Mercator
New Mythology Works in Progress
New Mythology Press Anthology Announcement
New Mythology is pleased to offer another open call for four spots in our anthology scheduled to be released in late October.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Just Released: 1 March: The Watchers at War (Book 3 of the Watchers of Moniah Series by Barbara V. Evers)
19 March: Songs of Valor (Book 2 of the Libri Valoris anthologies with Larry Correia, David Weber, Glen Cook, Dave Butler, and Sarah Hoyt)
12 April: Accepted (Book 2 of the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
21 May: Across the Endless Ocean (Book 1 of the Endless Ocean series by G. Scott Huggins)
Today’s Weight: 340.8 (Weeks of bad sleep always bring my weight up.)
Updated Word Count: 9,614
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It was a much nicer week after last weekend. It was as cold as I’ve ever seen it in KC. We have the occasional day of negative Fahrenheit, but not five days in a row with a several more days from 0-10. It got so bad we started figuring the temp in Kelvins.
But, like usual, Kansas then turned around and gave us days over the norm. I was grilling in sandals on Monday.
I had a good week of writing on The Ravening of Wolves. It won’t show in the word count though, as I pulled a number of chunks to put back in later. If you’ve been reading these for a while, you know this is normal when I get to the 60k mark. I’m in that area, but not exactly sure. Since I anticipate this will be shorter than most of my other novels, probably less than 90k, I’m pleased with where I’m at because I am in the fight scene after fight scene portion of the process.
I also spent time this week working on a newspaper article about the basics of writing as a career. I’ll let you all know when that gets published.
Progress is going on a number of other projects which, while they’ll not come to fruition until the end of the year, really make me excited. I’ll probably have some more conversation on that over the summer.
I am also trying to set up my fall event schedule. It looks like I’ll be on the road quite a bit, as cons and SCA events try to make something work this year. It might be a grind, but it also might be a really efficient set of trips. We’ll see, of course, how things lay out.
What I’m Listening To
Sign of the Southern Cross by Black Sabbath. Heaven and Hell is such a great album.
Quote of the Week
Tomorrow is the 10th year anniversary of Maerwynn and Ashir elevating me to the Order of the Laurel. For those not in the SCA, this is a great honor on par with knighthood, but for endeavors in the arts and sciences.
My first foray into writing was medieval-esque poetry for the SCA, especially with scroll texts. I had the great honor to write the lower-level scroll texts for Maerwynn and Ashir. Since Ashir’s persona is Mongol, all of those texts were in a Mongol style, and this is one of my favorite passages.
This is one of the texts given out to those they elevated as fyrdmen during their reign. I had a lot of fun hearing this one in court.
“You have made Our foemen’s hearts empty.
You have cut out parts of their liver.
You have made their beds become empty.
And you have made an end of their descendants.
For this, We Ashir and Maerwynn, Qan and Qatan
Join your spear to Our ranks of spears”
― Rhodri ap Hywel, for Their Majesties Maerwynn and Ashir
New Mythology Works in Progress
Monday, Monday, you’re so good to us.
Why? Because the Watchers at War, book three of the Watchers of Moniah trilogy by Barbara Evers comes out. Here’s the series page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TV9L1J5. This is great stuff, with a twist on traditional fantasy tropes.
Here’s the rest of the upcoming schedule:
1 March: The Watchers at War (Book 3 of the Watchers of Moniah Series by Barbara V. Evers)
19 March: Songs of Valor (Book 2 of the Libri Valoris anthologies with Larry Correia, David Weber, Glen Cook, Dave Butler, and Sarah Hoyt)
12 April: Accepted (Book 2 of the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
21 May: Across the Endless Ocean (Book 1 of the Endless Ocean series by G. Scott Huggins)
I’m currently editing the next book, which will come out in May, featuring a new author for us. It’s more military fantasy, which is a subgenre I’ll be encouraging.
For another day or two, you can get The Reluctant Druid, the first book of Jon Osborne’s Milesian Accord series is $0.99. This is fun urban fantasy with currently three novels and two short stories with hopefully more to come. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07716V2RN.
Finally, the second Hit World novel, A Bullet for the Shooter, by Larry Hoy and William Alan Webb comes out tomorrow. This is action-heavy genre gumbo. Good stuff.
Today’s Weight: 337.8
Updated Word Count: 8,624
Eldros Legacy Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Fun and productive week here. I made significant progress in The Ravening of Wolves. The first round of edits on Across the Endless Ocean are done and it’s in the system. More on that later. Progress on other plans made, with more coming today.
The Ravening of Wolves, as I mentioned, is making progress. I hope to have a full draft done in March, and that seems increasingly likely to be middle as opposed to end.
Then I’ll be starting on some new fantasy. I have two fantasy books planned for the rest of the year. One, I’m aiming for late fall release, and the other to be released in May-ish.
That’s on top of New Mythology stuff, of course.
What I’m Listening To
Sabaton’s Heroes album. There are few more inspiring bands to write to than Sabaton for me. Amazing stuff.
Quote of the Week
Today, in 1977, the Enterprise, the Space Shuttle test vehicle, flew its first test flight. That led, of course, to Columbia. The members of Rush were at STS-1, the first launch of the Columbia, and they wrote a song about that day.
It’s especially cool to think about this with the landing of Perseverance on Mars today. It really is a magic day for the bright stuff of dreams.
“Circling choppers slash the night
With roving searchlight beams
This magic day when super-science
Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams”
― Rush, Countdown
New Mythology Works in Progress
Two new additions to the upcoming schedule!
1 March: The Watchers at War (Book 3 of the Watchers of Moniah Series by Barbara V. Evers)
19 March: Songs of Valor (Book 2 of the Libri Valoris anthologies with Larry Correia, David Weber, Glen Cook, Dave Butler, and Sarah Hoyt)
12 April: Accepted (Book 2 of the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
21 May: Across the Endless Ocean (Book 1 of the Endless Ocean series by G. Scott Huggins)
In addition, I just started editing my second accepted submission. This one is more mil-fantasy, which is something I plan on expanding in New Mythology Press. I know a bunch of our readers love mil-SF, including me, and I also love the mil-fantasy genre, so I’m going to make sure we get more read.
We have a couple of titles this week. First, there’s the Trashman, first in the Hit World series by William Webb. What is the Hit World series? Well, it’s what I call genre gumbo. A little of this, a little of that, add action for spice, and let simmer for a while. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SVZF2HF.
Then there’s Kade, a full novel about Matthew Kade from the Fallen World series by Christopher Woods. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WK3B861. I warn you, the Fallen World is addictive.
Today’s Weight: 339.8 (first time in the 330s since around 2003)
Updated Word Count: 7,538
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been an exhausting but productive week. I went on a fairly small trip this past weekend that proved far more productive than expected. Then, however, my ongoing weirdness with my Achilles flared up. We think it’s because I’ve lost so much weight that it hasn’t really adjusted. In any case, I didn’t get much sleep so I’m running around in a more whimsical mood.
But, as I said, despite the lack of sleep, especially yesterday, and the recovery from the trip, it was a very productive week. Got more written on the The Ravening of Wolves and I expect that to proceed quickly over the next couple of weeks.
I also worked on a number of projects for New Mythology. These are going at the speed I’d anticipated. This included accepting my second submission. Want to know the first submission? Well, read on, my friends, I will make the announcement in the New Mythology Press section below.
And with that, it’s time to spend time with the sweetie.
What I’m Listening To
Tyr’s Excavation. Tyr is a Faroese Band that does Norse-themed metal. This particular song was a big hit among re-enactors some time ago because it had a great video. It wouldn’t have mattered if it wasn’t a great song. It’s one of my hit repeat songs.
Quote of the Week
Rene Descartes died on this day in 1650, and my black-humored soul can’t resist.
“Non cogito ergo non sum.”
― Descartes as he’s dying, probably
New Mythology Works in Progress
The first submission I accepted was a really cool story about a half-dragon involving an intricate magic system, dragons, and aircraft carriers. It’s also filled with excellent political intrigue and lots of great action. It’s called Across the Endless Ocean by G. Scott Huggins.
Some of you may be familiar with that name. He was the winner of Baen’s yearly fantasy award in 2020 and was runner up in 2014, so he’s clearly talented. I’m honored to bring him on board with New Mythology Press. You’re going to love this story.
As mentioned, we’ve several projects in the queue besides that one. The next two novels are the third of the Moniah series by Barbara V. Evers and the second of the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
But we know you want more and I’ve got more coming. Tune in next week for another announcement.
This week we have another BookBub special as well as a new release. Redacted Affairs, by the Kevins (Steverson and Ikenberry) is available for at least a little longer for $0.99. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W5S55JD.
But wait, we can even do better than that! Watchers of Moniah, the first of the Moniah trilogy, is now available for free as part of this month’s IASFA promotion. You have 3 more days to get it for $0.00. Which, let me just say, is a price you just can’t beat for a great story. You can find this one here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRJTHHC/.
We also have a new release from Tim C. Taylor, The Fall of Rho-Torkis. This is mil-sf and I’ve been waiting on this. Taylor’s a fun writer, and I’d say that if he hadn’t invited me across the pond to share pints at a pub. You can find this here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VRL8H27.
Today’s Weight: 341.8
Updated Word Count: 6,734
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This was one of those weeks where I went to bed every day quite happy with my productivity, but it’s hard to quantify. These kind of weeks make weeks with a number of things going out the door happen, but I can’t talk about it all just yet.
Songs of Valor Cover
The big news is that the Songs of Valor cover was released. I might have mentioned I’m excited about this project, and every cover makes authors know their work is about to be real.
I cut out some of The Ravening of Wolves, which is a step back, but then had three good days of writing. The cut stuff will probably show up later when I find the right place for it, but in the meantime I am really having fun with this story.
I sent my edits off to my first accepted novel. You’re really going to like getting a little Responsibility in your life. More to come soon.
I’m already starting to figure out how to be efficient with slush pile stuff. That being said, I think it’s incumbent on me to provide some sort of feedback to authors. It’s extra work, but I know that’s what I want when I have people read my stuff. Anyway, I sent a couple of those back this week.
Side note, I’m getting faster at reading again. I used to devour books, but since I started writing it’s been a challenge to read new stuff. When it’s for work, oddly enough, I find I’m enjoying just reading again.
Anyway, I’ve got a busy weekend planned so I’m going to stop here.
What I’m Listening To
Won’t Get Fooled Again by the Who. Such a great album.
Quote of the Week
We’ve been watching Firefly again, so you get another Firefly quote.
“Terse? I can be terse. Once in flight school, I was laconic.”
― Wash, Firefly, War Stories
New Mythology Works in Progress
The next release from New Mythology is the third of Barbara Evers Watchers of Moniah series, which will complete the trilogy. That comes out 1 March.
Then Songs of Valor on the 19th.
Following that, Kevin Steverson’s Accepted, sequel to Burnt, is on the way, though there’s no set date. Then there are two awesome novels in the pipeline, both of which will come out hopefully by the end of May.
This week, we see Mike Massa’s Shakes, first book in the Murphy’s Lawless series, is $0.99 on a Bookbub promotion. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0861F23KH.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’ve been focused on getting new stories out. I have a new writer that I can’t wait to publish. I’ll finish my edits tomorrow.
There are several other stories coming in soon, plus a cool new project that we’re making progress on.
However, the biggest news is the first New Mythology Release since I became publisher, the second in Barbara V. Evers’ Watchers of Moniah trilogy: The Watchers in Exile.
I made some progress on The Ravening of Wolves, but not as much as I’d hoped. Nevertheless, I got over 40k this week, so it’s getting there too.
What I’m Listening To
You’ll know the show I’m watching when you read the quote.
Quote of the Week
“I don’t believe there’s a power in the ‘verse can stop Kaylee from being cheerful.”
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds
― Firefly
New Mythology Works in Progress
With the second of Barbara V. Evers’ Watchers of Moniah trilogy, The Watchers in Exile coming out on Monday, those of you with sharp eyes might suspect a third book is on the way. And it is! March 1st, the trilogy will be complete and I’m looking forward to seeing the bad guys get what’s coming to them.
The next release is Songs of Valor, the second of the Libri Valoris anthologies. You’re going to love it.
Following that is the next in Kevin Steverson’s Balance of Kerr series, called Accepted, follows up his great novel Burnt. Then the queue is starting to stack up. Exciting stuff.
This week’s spotlight is on Barbara V. Evers’ The Watchers in Exile. I might have mentioned that came out on Monday.
Also out is Mark Wandrey’s Sword ofMinerva, next story in the Four Horseman Universe. The Guild Wars is getting good.
Finally, the factory boss’s story, A Gulf in the Past, came out in audio form this past week. This is the second book in Chris Kennedy’s Progenitor’s War series.
Today’s Weight: 345.8
Updated Word Count: 5,106
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
A really productive and exciting week in Rob-land. Lots of projects happening, and I spent a bunch of it world-building. I don’t want to get too much into this, only it’s going to be something amazing down the road.
I didn’t get as much actual writing done as I hoped, but I did make progress in The Ravening of Wolves. I also laid out several chapters ahead of time, cleared out a bunch of deadwood, and set myself up for some fun explosions.
That’s about all from my personal side of things, though I have quite a bit in the New Mythology section.
What I’m Listening To
Van Halen’s Dance the Night Away on the overhead at Brewbaker’s Bar & Grill in Lenexa. This is my standard writing bar and they take great care of me.
Quote of the Week
Today is Edith Tolkien’s birthday. She’d be 132 today, or a year old than Bilbo Baggins when he crossed the sea to the West.
She died a couple years before JRR did, and he wrote this after her passing. It’s a powerful quote about love.
“I never called Edith Luthien – but she was the source of the story that in time became the chief part of the Silmarillion. It was first conceived in a small woodland glade filled with hemlocks at Roos in Yorkshire (where I was for a brief time in command of an outpost of the Humber Garrison in 1917, and she was able to live with me for a while). In those days her hair was raven, her skin clear, her eyes brighter than you have seen them, and she could sing – and dance. But the story has gone crooked, & I am left, and I cannot plead before the inexorable Mandos.”
― JRR Tolkien, Letters of Tolkien
I’d suggest jumping into this quickly, because the third book of the trilogy comes out on 1 March. If you’re one of those who wants to wait for a series to be finished before getting the first, you might as well get Watchers, because the final story’s going through the mill right now.
Next after that will be Songs of Valor, the second of the Libri Valoris series of anthologies. It’s chock full of great stuff, and that’s coming out 19 March.
After that, we have several in process, including the next Kevin Steverson and an excellent submission we’ll announce soon.
New Mythology Schedule
25 January: The Watchers in Exile (Watchers of Moniah, Book 2) by Barbara Evers (At the Advance Reader Team)
1 March: The Watchers at War (Watchers of Moniah, Book 3) by Barbara Evers (Note this will complete the trilogy)
The big release this week, however, is Bill Webb’s The Trashman, the latest novel in his Hit World universe. This is the first of this series to come to CKP but won’t be the last. It’s a universe that includes a little bit of everything, and that makes it a fun sandbox for writers and readers to play. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SVZF2HF.
Today’s Weight: 347.4 (I guess I weigh 347, as I’ve weighed in the 347s for 5 straight days).
Updated Word Count: 4,458
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, I want to thank all of you who’ve joined the mailing list this past week. Not surprisingly, a bunch of people are interested in New Mythology Press. Can’t blame you, we’re doing some good stuff.
Anyway, you’ll see I add a few things besides simply tossing business stuff at you. This first section is what I’m working on or things in my life. Then I’ll add what I’m listening, which will sometimes flow right into the Quote of the Week. I love aphorisms, by the way, so if you’ve got some fun ones, send them my way.
After that is when I’ll get into the meaty part. There’s a section on what’s happening with New Mythology. Then a list of my works in progress. If it’s a novel and I’ve got a title, it’s listed. Then there’s the various short story scraps that I’m messing with. These don’t always change, but I like to remind myself what I’m doing.
Speaking of what I’m doing, I then have my schedule listed. Right now, it’s basically just FantaSci, LibertyCon, and DragonCon, but I have hopes to add a number of others later in the year. As we all know, we’ll see what happens.
Next comes the New Releases section. This includes not only my own new releases, nor also New Mythology’s, but I’ve been blessed to be a part of a cool and productive writing crew and I like to brag about them too.
Finally, there are a few counters. I like to keep track of my weight, and I might as well do it here. Then there’s my updated word count. I’m still waffling on how I’ll count edited works, as that will be more and more common, but I have goals I strive for each year. Finally, there’s a list of the number of entries on Shijuren wiki page, which tends to shoot up in bunches as I’m working on a new Shijuren story.
I’m actually working on a new story in the Four Horsemen Universe right now, the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows. This one’s called The Ravening of Wolves, as the Foresters work with the Zuul to strike at those who’ve been attacking both units for years.
It’s a bit of a truncated week, as things get shifted around, but I’m excited where I’m going with a variety of projects and I think you guys are going to love the explosions and swordplay coming down the pike.
What I’m Listening To
Hemispheres, by Rush. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been picking albums by Rush and just playing them over and over. It’s reminiscent of getting a new cassette and sticking it into the player on my 1969 VW Bug. Slug bug orange, by the way.
Quote of the Week
I still remember the first time I heard these lyrics. I immediately loved the way Neil Peart twisted and wove these words around into such a neat pattern. It was about this point, I started to love poetry.
Let the truth of love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility, armed with sense and liberty
With the heart and mind united in a single, perfect sphere
“Hemispheres”
― Rush
New Mythology Works in Progress
As we’ve posted in a variety of places, New Mythology Press is accepted submissions. Here are the guidelines.
Novels of 80 to 120k words
In .doc or .docx file format
Times New Roman, 12pt
1.5 spaced
Can be fantasy of any type, epic, urban, high, whatever. Needs to have heroes doing heroic things, just like you’ve come to expect from all the books from CKP.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve accepted one of several submissions and I’m about 30% through my editing pass. This is really exciting, and I can’t wait to share this great story and the others in this series. You’re going to love Responsibility.
There are currently three books on the schedule from New Mythology Press. They are:
25 January: The Watchers in Exile (Watchers of Moniah, Book 2) by Barbara Evers (At the Advance Reader Team)
1 March: The Watchers at War (Watchers of Moniah, Book 3) by Barbara Evers (Note this will complete the trilogy)
19 March: Songs of Valor (Libri Valoris, Book 2)
There are a number of other projects in the works, including a couple of sequels in existing series and the first glimmerings of some other awesome projects.
Again, I’m honored with the opportunity that Chris gave me here, and I can’t wait to get you a bunch of cool stuff to read.
This week’s spotlight is still on This week’s spotlight is on Christopher Woods and William Joseph Roberts, who put out their own take on the Salvage Title universe with Smuggler’s Run. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S71RJP5. They get spotlighted twice because of the change in mailing list days.
Also, Jon Osborne’s A Tangled Fate, the third in his Milesian Accords series, is now out in audiobook form. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Fate-Milesian-Accords-Book/dp/B0833DWSSS/.
Finally, Chris Kennedy decided to give some unknown guy a little help and wrote a book with him. The other guy? Oh, just David Weber. They just released Into the Light, the second in their Out of the Dark series. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BKLY24N.
Today’s Weight: 347.8
Updated Word Count: 3,602
Shijuren Wiki: 724 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Well, this has been a wonderful and eventful week for me. On Wednesday, Chris Kennedy gave me the opportunity to become lead dog on New Mythology Press, his fantasy imprint. This means I’ll be taking submissions and guiding the accepted books through the process of publication.
This is incredibly exciting and I look forward to bringing you all a bunch of great stuff to read.
I’ll be adjusting some things related to my weekly email as part of this. I’m going to start sending them out Thursday to better flow with Tuesday releases for New Mythology Press. I’ve added a New Mythology Works in Progress section where I’ll discuss what’s going on there. There will be more changes as I adapt to this amazing new opportunity.
Thanks again to Chris.
By the way, if you’re interested in submitting a novel to New Mythology Press here are the basics:
New Mythology Press Novel Submission Guidelines
Novels of 80 to 120k words
In .doc or .docx file format
Times New Roman, 12pt
1.5 spaced
Can be fantasy of any type, epic, urban, high, whatever. Needs to have heroes doing heroic things, just like you’ve come to expect from all the books from CKP.
However, this does not mean I’ll stop writing. Not at all. I actually had a great week of progress on The Ravening of Wolves, getting about 6k done despite not writing at all yesterday because it was my sweetie’s birthday. It’s good to get back into the groove.
With that, I better get working. I’ve already got submissions to read. Exciting stuff!
What I’m Listening To
Rush, all of it. Neil died a year ago Thursday and I’m not over it.
Quote of the Week
I’ve probably used this quote before, but it’s too powerful not to use again. It comes from the last song on the last album by Rush. Neil nurtured one hell of a garden.
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned
In the fullness of time
A garden to nurture and protect”
– Neil Peart (1952 – 2020), “The Garden” from Clockwork Angels
New Mythology Works in Progress
Songs of Valor is basically complete. It goes to the editor this weekend. I’m really proud of how this turned out and you’ll want to get it when it comes out in March. Here’s the list of fantastic stories and ridiculously good author list, along with a note if they’re part of an existing series:
The Dragon and the Drunkard by David Weber
Smoke and Shadow by Jon Osborne (Milesian Accords series)
On a Wing and a Train by Benjamin Tyler Smith (Necrolopolis series)
The One You’d Least Expect by Chris Kennedy
Oathbreaker by Melissa Olthoff
Changes by Kevin Steverson (Balance of Kerr series)
What the Eye Sees by Quincy J. Allen (Rellen series)
Songbird by Jamie Ibson
One More Flight by Sarah Hoyt
A Quaint Pastime by Casey Moores
Backup by D.J. Butler (Indrajit and Fix series)
The Hill to Die On by J.P. Chandler
Magnum Opus by Rob Howell (Shijuren series)
Cranky Bitch by Glen Cook (Black Company series)
The Dregs by Larry Correia
I’m still amazed by this collection of talent. Truly an honor to be a part of it.
This week’s spotlight is on Christopher Woods and William Joseph Roberts, who put out their own take on the Salvage Title universe with Smuggler’s Run. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S71RJP5.
Today’s Weight: 345.8
Updated Word Count: 2,396
Shijuren Wiki: 725 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Overall, this week has been fairly leisurely. I’ve taken some time off to spend with my sweetie. Been doing some reading. Truth be told, it’s been my laziest week in months.
I did get a number of things done. I have finished the new read through on A Lake Most Deep and it’ll be renewed over the next week or so. I also started with my read through of The Eyes of a Doll. Overall, I’m aiming to refresh all of the Edward books by the end of the month. Those of you who’ve purchased it already will get the new version automatically.
I started Lord of the Rings again last night. I read through the initial foreword to the 50th anniversary edition and I had to laugh. Tolkien never stopped trying to fix all the errors he found that crept in from faulty work and decisions made by editors thinking they’d be “helping.”
Makes me feel a lot better about my progress as a book creator, which is different than a writer.
Anyway, I also did some more research on effective advertising techniques. If you’ve seen my name popping up here or there a little more often, it’s not an accident as I’m prowling through the best way to do things.
This, by the way, is one reason I’m updating A Lake Most Deep. I’ve got new tools to get it in front of people. Generally, to this point, I’ve relied on you all talking about my books. You’ve done a great job, and I thank all of you who’ve given me a review and pushed my stuff on your friends. Actually, I can’t thank you enough, but I’ll certainly try.
I did get some new words written on The Ravening of Wolves and I’ve thought through some of the blocks that have been holding me up. I really want to get it done quickly because I have another Edward book demanding to get written.
What I’m Listening To
It’s a great day for football! I actually got a 7-day free trial of Fubo in order to watch football this weekend.
Quote of the Week
Here’s the verse of Auld Lang Syne that seems apt this year.
“We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin’ auld lang syne.”
― Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Now that 2020 is in the mirror, it’s time for me to review my output for the year and give myself a grade.
I only published one novel, None Call Me Mother. It was an important novel and a big challenge as the third of a trilogy. I learned a ton of things writing that series and I’ll never do that the same way again.
I published another Foresters story. Actually, I published another Rick Blaine story. I think, long-term, that’s where my 4HU future really lies. I got 30k into The Ravening of Wolves and it will be as straightforward a novel as I’ve ever written. At this point, it’s about arming up too damn quickly to fight a desperate fight. The physics of the 4HU means that Blaine has to be separate.
There was another story in the We Dare series. It was a prequel to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms.” I like where that universe is going and I might very well do something with it down the road. Hence, I’m calling those the “On Opportunity’s Trail” universe. There’s stuff there, once I get a chance to write in it.
I had the great honor of being the guest for the Scribblers Corner anthology Dragons and Dribbles. My first time as a “guest star.” Thanks to William Joseph Roberts for the opportunity.
I wrote several fantasy short stories in 2020. I wrote one in late 2019, “What’s in a Name,” that came out in When Valor Must Hold. I wrote another Edward-ish story for Songs of Valor. My story in Dragons and Dribbles was another Shijuren story. I also dabbled in something that’s specifically Conan-esque.
While much of the fantasy stuff I wrote will only come out in 2021, I was pleased to really start pushing more short fantasy. I’ll be doing more of that in Shijuren to fill in some of the blanks.
I did my second Nick Patara, PI story. That world is really coming into view, and I actually got about 1k written in next year’s story.
Overall, I published about 200k worth of fiction. This is lower than I want, as it only included 1 novel and 5 short stories. There were also three introductions/prefaces. I also have a couple short stories that are in upcoming anthologies. I also had about 70k on my blog, so all told I counted 268,072 words.
This isn’t enough. I’ll give myself a C here. Had I written another novel, I’d give myself an A. Missed it by 70k.
However, I will adjust my overall grade up a bit when I consider what else I’ve done. The way the schedule worked, I did most of the work for both When Valor MustHold and Songs of Valor in the 2020 calendar year.
So, while I only wrote about 20k words in those two total, they were two full-sized projects that I’m not counting in the above 200k. I’m not quite sure how to count editing work in my word count, so that’s something I’ll have to figure out.
I also had to rebuild the wiki for Shijuren in 2020. That ended up over 100k words of worldbuilding, record-keeping, and foundational work. This made it much easier to write my story for Songs of Valor, and is really pushing another Edward story.
Also, re-doing the wiki made it much easier for me to re-edit I Am a Wondrous Thing and Brief is My Flame. That took time too. I’m in the midst of re-editing the Edward books, and by the end of January, I expect them to be fresher and faster.
I did start learning how on-line publicity works. I’m still not doing it well, but making progress. It’s not something I’ve done a ton of, and I think I’m missing some opportunities there.
Actually, now that I think of it, I did quite a bit of research during the year to turn some instinctive things into known things that I can consciously call on instead of relying upon their appearance. I’m definitely getting better.
Overall, that extra work brings my grade up to a B-. I didn’t do awful, but I’m sure I could have done more. I’ll do another post next week about my goals and plans for 2021. Next year, I’ll try and do better.
Your Christmas gift, Under a Midnight Clear, will be in an email immediately following this one. It’s a 5.9Mb Zip file with the story in .pdf, .epub, and .mobi formats. That should cover most, if not all of you, but if you need it in another format, let me know. My e-book creation software can let me do just about anything.
Also, if you have any issues receiving that email, including not getting it at all, problems with a file that large, or anything else. Let me know, and I’ll make sure to help you. I’ll assume, by the way, that you’ve checked your Spam directory, which it might shunt to for a variety of reasons, of course.
My sweetie and I opened our presents last night and snuggled on the couch watching Youtube videos of Rowan Atkinson, Monty Python, and Victor Borge. We also tried the gluten-free low-carb pork rind panko breading on Buffalo strips. Delicious.
Today we’ll be doing some Zoom calls, like I suspect many will do. I’ll do some more re-editing on A Lake Most Deep as well. Then we’ll have steak and a fixings for dinner. Yeah, it’s not traditional, but even a small turkey and ham and all the rest is too much for me. At least now. There were days in the past, though…
This was not my most productive week, but I did stuff I needed to do. Stuff that consolidated and organized a bunch of things. I cleaned up my file structure on my computers, which needed straightening up. This has the benefit of double-checking all my backups. I did, of course, finish Under a Midnight Clear and get it ready to deliver.
Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic day and holiday season.
What I’m Listening To
Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I’m really a fan of Christmas music, especially hard rock and metal versions. TSO is the best of this, having made a living melding genres into something spectacular.
Quote of the Week
This seems like an appropriate quote after 2020. I think we all need a little extra, and that means we all need to try and do a little extra for each other.
“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”
― Charles M. Schulz
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,784)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
I spent the week cleaning up a few mistakes on the wiki. I did add one new page, though. Interestingly, research for that one page gave me a bunch of new ideas because I stumbled across a fable sunken city. Heck, yeah, I’m gonna use that someday.
This week’s spotlight is on Nick Steverson, who has jumped in with both feet. This week, he releases his second novel in the Salvage Title universe, Action. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R7T6DP5.
Today’s Weight: 348.6 (Not a typo)
Updated Word Count: I’ve decided I need to keep track of wiki entries better. My new backup process allows me to track how many words I use on the wiki, but that is someone misleading because that includes a variety of things like “BOX(width=”250px” align=”left” float=”right” bg=”#1f2e52″ style=padding: 10px” which shouldn’t really count.
However, given some of the feedback I’ve gotten, the wiki *is* contributing to Shijuren’s readership so it should count for something, especially since part of the reason I keep these word counts is to reward myself when I do work. Hence, I’m going to start counting the Wiki word count at 1/4th. I did over 100k words, or a full novel of exposition that isn’t dragging down the stories.
Anyway, here’s the updated total: 293,605
Shijuren Wiki: 724 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I hope your holiday season is going well. We’re not doing much this year, which is a bit of a holiday in its own right. We love decorating and that sort of thing, but I for one am going to appreciate not having to carry all the decorations back to their spot upstairs in January.
And that has meant more time to work on things.
Like releasing last year’s freebie for the mailing list on Amazon.Silent Knight, with new artwork from Cedar Sanderson, is now available for those who aren’t on the list on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QYWB7C9.
If you read it and liked it, please leave a review. Those always help, no matter the book.
Also, those of you on the mailing list will get Under a Midnight Clear on Christmas Day. I’ll send it out in .mobi, .epub, and .pdf formats. In this one, Alley, Nick’s intel guy, is trying to help a relation of someone he once fought alongside. Nick knows there a case there, but he’s struggling to figure out just what he can do and for whom.
I’ve been cleaning up a number of other projects as well. I arranged None Call Me Mother in a more streamlined fashioned than my previous books. I may have mentioned how I updated the electronic versions of I Am a Wondrous Thing and Brief Is My Flame prior to None Call Me Mother’s release. I just finished updating all the paperback setups as well, a process that involves a lot of futzing with Amazon.
I have started another edit in my copious spare time of A Lake Most Deep, with the intent to provide fresh versions of all the Edward books in early 2021. This includes fixing all the links in the e-versions. The wiki is now mostly current, though I keep finding things I should have put in from earlier books and finding fun world-building ideas. It was always meant as a work in progress anyway and it’s serving its purpose as a font of ideas for the next Edward novel.
My next release will probably be the second in the Libri Valoris series of fantasy anthologies. Songs of Valor is basically ready to go, once I write the preface. It’ll come out in mid-March.
I’m also working on The Ravening of Sorrows. I’m at about 28k and if that number seems low, it’s because I realized what I have are two separate stories, one centered around the Foresters and Stalkers, and one centered around Rick Blaine. Rick’s storyline simply takes too long because it requires a goodly number of Stargate trips, which in the 4HU are 170 hours gate to gate plus the time to get from gate to planetary orbit. The Foresters are going to be in battle within three months of the events on Maquon.
What it really means is that you’re going to get two novels! When I finish them, of course. Updates on timing on those when I know more.
I’m going to leave you with a teaser. There are a number of things coming together in January that will be fun to announce.
And now, have a great week and a happy holiday season.
What I’m Listening To
Cygnus X-1 by Rush. I’ve been listening to Rush almost exclusively of late and probably will for a couple more weeks. I’ve set it to not shuffle, by the way, and I’m having fun listening to the albums in album order.
Quote of the Week
If you ever wondered, this is why my cars are always named Rocinante.
“I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the Rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies,
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery”
– Rush, Cygnus X-1
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (27,982)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Not much this week except a bit of playing around on the wiki.
This week’s spotlight is on Barbara V. Evers, who is showing us all how to do a trilogy right. The first book in her trilogy,
, comes out today. I believe all three of the books are in the can and they’ll come out monthly. Not stupid slow, like the way I did it. Anyway, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRJTHHC.
Today’s Weight: 351.2
Updated Word Count: 262,221
Shijuren Wiki: 723 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It was a bit of a down week, though some of the reason why it feels down is that I pounded away at a bunch of details that need to get done, but which aren’t necessarily the big stuff like new words.
I got my released version of Silent Knight ready to go. Under a Midnight Clear is almost done *and* I started next year’s. Also, new artwork in this series from Cedar Sanderson.
I’ve got some stuff working on improving the Edward novels with the anticipation of another Edward book coming soon. Finishing None Call Me Mother has really opened my mind to some great plans in Shijuren.
Speaking of plans, the Shijuren wiki is now virtually rebuilt. I have ten or so entries to add that have been mentioned in the books, and they’re all minor. These will get added next week and then I’ll be laying groundwork for some future series. I’d like to have a bunch of the worldbuilding already done before I start the next series.
I think 2021 will be an amazing year for Shijuren and it will catapult into something special. I’m really excited here.
Songs of Valor, the FantaSci anthology, is *almost* done. Just waiting on a few things.
Finally, I turned my focus back to The Ravening of Wolves, the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows.
When you lay all that out, a *down* week for me right now is still pretty darn productive. It was just a bit scattershot and I certainly took more time off this past week than I have in the previous few months. Not a bad week at all.
What I’m Listening To
NFL pregame shows. It’s a Sunday morning after all. Sorry I’m a little late from last week, mostly because I got distracted the past couple of days. Just fort that I’m giving you a quote from one of the greats of NFL history.
Quote of the Week
I think a George Halas quote is especially apt right now. I’m finally in the career I should have been in all along, though it took me to 2015 to realize that. I certainly would rather not be doing anything else.
“Nothing is work unless you’d rather be doing something else.”
– George Halas
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (33,182)
CB (8,418)
UAMC (4,785)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
A bunch more wiki additions. Starting next week, there’ll be new worldbuilding content that might give hints at future plans.
This week’s spotlight is on Kevin Ikenberry, who is an incredibly smart guy. He’s the driving force behind the 4HU’s Peacemakers, which has become a great thing in its own right. Dereliction of Duty is in a different series, the Imprint War. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q44Q6SZ.
Today’s Weight: 352.0
Updated Word Count: 261,189
Shijuren Wiki: 723 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Alright, time to get back to editing. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Rush’s Xanadu. Such a great song. It was the song that really got me into the depth of Rush because I already loved the poem.
Quote of the Week
Might as well do a quote from Xanadu, by Coleridge. Let’s do one of the deeper portions. I love Coleridge’s sense of rhythm and word choice.
“A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight ‘twould win me”
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Xanadu
This week’s spotlight is on Charles Gannon and a collection of rogues, who released Murphy’s Lawless, an anthology of stories in his Terran Republic universe. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PG4N2FS.
Today’s Weight: 354.0
Updated Word Count: 261,189
Shijuren Wiki: 678 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’ve been pleased to receive a whole slew of short stories for the FantaSci anthology. All told, we received 37 entrants, which seems like a good number to me. Chris and I are still discussing the ones we’re going to choose, so I’m not going to talk about results just yet.
However, since it’s fresh on my mind, I thought I’d go over some of the things I saw in this process. At this point, I’ve read a bunch of short stories over the years, written a dozen or so, and am in the process of editing my second anthology. There are many out there with more experience than I, but this contest really helped coalesce my thoughts on short stories to something more concrete, so I’m going to post on this as much for me to remember as to help you all.
Let me lay down one overarching principle: “Only *this* story matters.” There’s your TL:DR of this post. Only this story matters and anything that’s extraneous drags it down.
First, let’s talk about exposition. The vast majority of stories that got put straight to the bottom of our list explained too much. There’s little that’ll bring a story to a screeching halt like a sizable infodump near the start.
Yes, readers need to know stuff. They’ll get frustrated when something isn’t explained. However, you want to only explain what you have to explain for *this* story, even if you have plans for that story being a part of a larger setting.
If you plan to compile a collection of connected short stories into a novel, you can come back and add exposition later if needed. But that’s part of that process, not this story.
Readers don’t always need to know technical details or the physics/metaphysics underlying a universe. They need to know only if the plot twist turns on it. Most of Asimov’s robot stories turn on the Three Laws, so the reader has to know them. But details how robots work? Not as much.
It’s really easy to throw in details the author thinks the reader needs to know. It’s rare, especially without more experience, for an author to limit that exposition to actually what is needed for *this* story. Believe me, I’m as guilty of this as anyone, and it’s a major part of my editing process to cut that sort of thing out of my own stuff.
For Songs of Valor, authors had 7-10,000 words to strike with. And I mean strike! Short stories work best with action, in my mind, not explanations of this and that. That especially includes a bunch of stuff about what the character is thinking. Show, don’t tell, the character as much as possible.
Now I don’t mind a character parsing through tactical choices a bit. “I did this to learn this and then did that to get this reaction.” This is, I think, especially useful in first person noir style stuff.
But even that’s a balance. For None Call Me Mother, a novel which needed more tactical discussion than a short story, my editor told me I’d gone overboard and I cut back on them dramatically to get a faster, sharper story. Editors are nice like that and the 148k original draft that seemed bloated ended up as a 124k sleek creature I’m pretty pleased with.
Tell us what we need to know and nothing else. And whenever possible, weave it into conversations and side notes in the story and avoid a major infodump.
But that brings up an obvious question, how do you know what the reader needs to know?
For me, short stories have a soul. This is true of all stories, long or short, but I think it’s more important with shorter stories because you have to focus on that soul and nothing else. With novels, you want to have some misdirection, extra plants, and some additional frippery. There’s simply not enough time for much of that in shorts.
The problem is that “soul” is such an amorphous term. I’m a pantser, especially with short stories. It is extremely rare that I know the soul of the story when I start it. It’s happened once, with my story “Far Better to Dare” from Those in Peril, but that’s it.
Most of the time I write at least 4-6,000 words before I realize what the soul of the story really is. Then I realize that much, if not most, of what I’ve written so far is not actually relevant to the soul of *this* story. Maybe I had to write it out to know the character well enough, or the events underlying the story, or whatever, but all that stuff is just background and I have to cut some, if not nearly all, of what I’ve written.
This is hard. You have to be ruthless with your own writing and take extra stuff out. Don’t delete it, of course, you may use it later elsewhere, but not here.
Of the stories we received that I thought had potential but weren’t in our top 4 and thus a part of the anthology, I would say nearly all of them suffered from too much exposition that didn’t matter to that story’s soul. In some cases, this exposition was the kernel of the story, and hence the author thought it had to be in the story. However, that’s not always the case, and took away space for action without adding as much as the author realized. That chunk mattered, because it drove the character, but the reader didn’t need to see all of it, just hints of it.
Let me give you an example from my story from this anthology. Its POV character is Katarina, the chaotic evil crime boss from Achrida who Edward has to deal with far too often. I initially started with a thread of her comparing people around her to those she’s murdered in the past. Number twelve, number two, number 47, etc. It’s a fun thread for this character and I had to have it in mind as I was writing from Katarina’s point of view as the most unlikely/reluctant hero I could think of, but those words were wasted in this story.
Don’t worry, I have all those murders saved and listed.
But what’s the soul of the story? That’s hard to determine and it could be really far afield from where you started.
When I started writing “Here Must We Hold,” my story about the Battle of Maldon in Trouble in the Wind, I wanted to write a version where Byrhtnoth’s decisions weren’t because of “ofermod,” or hubris, but rather from smart strategic thinking that gave up a tactical advantage. That’s there, of course, but in the end, it became about something else, a pure redemption arc I won’t spoil by describing here. That forced me to change the entire structure of the story, remove some particulars, and add others.
My story in We Dare, “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms,” is a version of the Finnsburh Episode & Fragment, or Romeo & Juliet if you prefer, set on Mars. That was all, but in the end, it became more of a story about the hero in the Wanderer or the Seafarer, two of my favorite Old English poems. That, too, forced a series of changes, cuts, and tweaks. I didn’t realize that until I reached the absolute end of the story and needed the extra gut punch.
I could describe the journey of each story I’ve written, but I think you get the point. Be open to finding a soul of the story after you’ve written it, then shaping the story around it.
Whatever I’m writing, I constantly think about Raghunath Rao. He’s a character from the Belisarius series by Eric Flint and David Drake. He is fond of saying, “Only the soul matters in the end.” Not a bad thing to remember when writing short stories.
Returning to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms,” I mentioned I thought it needed an extra gut punch and that’s because I think short stories need a twist. Something at the end that forces the reader to think and want more. I get this philosophy from one writer in particular, my favorite writer of short stories ever, Randall Garrett.
He was about as flawed a man as he could be, which is why many of you have never heard of him. He wrote only when he needed drinking money. However, he was so good he could go to John Campbell and ask for an advance on a story and get it! What a crazy thing, especially in the era of the pulp magazines of the 50s and 60s.
If you ever see a copy of The Best of Randall Garrett paperback in a used book store, get it. Even if you already have a copy so you can gift it to someone. There’s an e-book on Amazon with the same title, but it’s not the same as the paperback, though the two are linked. Here’s the link for the paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Randall-Garrett-1982-01-01/dp/B01K3JZWX2. Again, the e-book version is not the same.
That paperback has the single best collection of SF/F short stories I’ve ever found. Every story in here is absolutely amazing and powerful. And they all have a twist at the end, some which have never stopped resonating with me since the first time I read this collection in the early 80s. I would never suggest anyone emulate Garrett’s life, but his skills as a writer of short stories are hard to match.
So I try to have all my stories have some sort of twist at the end. It could be just a subtle thing like the last word in “Far Better to Dare.” It could be big like the gut punch at the end of “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms.” The twist in “What’s in a Name” is the word “Deor,” which is an odd word in Old English, but which added a neat addition to the redemption of Edward, provided the title, and shaped the soul slightly.
Doesn’t really matter what the twist is, nor is it necessarily a requirement. However, I think we can all understand that a story that hits you at the end with something extra is likely to be more memorable than without. In an anthology where you’re surrounded by great stories, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. And if you’re in a muddle of 37 stories for a competition, it’s even more important.
Finally, I’m going to touch on something that’s important, but which *can* be overcome, and that’s the use of language.
This is a fantasy anthology. We got a variety of definitions of fantasy, which was great, but of course some of it was medieval fantasy. There were a few of these submissions that suffered because the language was too modern for the setting. Imagine, if you will, Gandalf saying, “Well, hindsight is 20/20.” Wait. What? That totally throws me out of the story. So does “OK.”
Likewise, if you’re writing an urban fantasy or SF and the characters speak in a Shakespearean style, the readers are going to wonder what the heck is going on. It might work, like David Weber’s Jiltanith character from his Mutineer’s Moon series, but it has to be explained.
It may seem cool, but that exposition might take the place of action later on or confusing the soul of the story. In other words, getting in the way of the story’s power.
Now, sure, an editor can go through and edit all of the modernisms out of a medieval fantasy story, or whatever other oddnesses might be there, but in a contest, it’s a factor from the editor’s point of view. It means your story has to be clearly one of the winners. In a tie or close race between two stories, it will matter more. It’s quite literally part of the discussion Chris and I are having right now.
So to sum up, here you go.
Only *this* story matters right now.
Exposition only as needed for *this* story.
Only the soul of *this* story really matters, in the end.
Find a twist to give *this* story extra punch if you can.
Use only the language that makes *this* story work.
Yeah, sure, these targets are amorphous and difficult to hit. I’m also not perfect at hitting them. However, I know that when I have these principles in mind, I write better stories. I also know that those stories submitted for this anthology that matched these principles got noticed more.
Again, you’ll find others out there with more experience than me, and also more success. You should absolutely pay attention to them. Also, there’s one true way of writing, and it’s whatever works for *you.* Still, I would say you wouldn’t go wrong at least considering these five things as you write short stories.
What a great week here, what with Thanksgiving and the release of None Call Me Mother. Thanks to all of you who’ve supported me along the way. I really appreciate it.
It’s great to have it finally finished, in part because it’s like finishing three books at once. Here’s the whole series, by the way:
As I’ve said before, I’m really pleased with how this story turned out. I’ve re-read them all in the past week and they still entertain me and make me care about the characters.
This week I’ve been going through some of my writing notes, talking about some of my processes. I do this with every novel released, because each one teaches me something new or, at the very least, hammers in a point more than before. I touched on this in this blog post: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2163.
Then finally, at least for this week, I will talk about the evolution of Shijuren’s magic system tomorrow on both my blog and on Mad Genius Club.
Honestly, I should get back into the habit of doing a Monday Ramblings post. I have lots of thoughts, and often these posts help me think through them all.
Also this week, I basically finished two short stories. Both just need their print and read editing pass. Both turned out well, I think. You on my email list will get to see one for free on Christmas Day. The other will come out in the anthology.
I’ve also started cleaning up the Edward books to match my new improved arrangement. That’ll take whatever time it takes. I’ve found of late I can use the verbal editing pass as a good way to relax before going to bed, oddly enough. I read through a few chapters and my brain is done for a bit.
*And* on top of all of that, I keep adding to the wiki. This has become a relaxing process as I start playing with world-building ideas. I have more series to write in the world, and I’m about to do some more Edward stories, so it’s really giving me ideas.
What I’m Listening To
Lost in Germany by King’s X. I can remember the exact moment I first listened to King’s X. A buddy had suggested it and I picked up their CD Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. This is a fantastic album, and the first song, Out of the Silent Planet, just blew me away. If I have to pick a Best Rock Band Ever (Non-Rush Category), they’re in the running.
Quote of the Week
Here’s a taste from Upon a Midnight Clear, the free story I’ll be sending out to those on my mailing list. If you want to get it for free, just go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form on the left.
An embarrassed elf stood at my door amid swirling snow.
This wasn’t as uncommon a thing for me as it was for many people, but it’s never a good thing for your intel guy to look embarrassed.
Today’s Weight: 355.0 (A bit of a step back, but Thanksgiving will do that)
Updated Word Count: 250,745
Shijuren Wiki: 543 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m going to continue with this thread of posts going under the hood of my writing process with None Call Me Mother and the now-completed trilogy, The Kreisens, with a discussion of my magic system and what thoughts went into its creation.
By the way, if you want to see the first two of what is becoming a series, here they are. On Monday I talked about improving my production process at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2163. On Tuesday, I went through my thoughts creating three of the characters in this series at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2166.
Anyway, back to this topic. I’m quite pleased with my magic system. I wanted to have a system that was easy to write, made every mage a little different, and forced wizards to make choices. It also had to have limitations and it couldn’t be pure handwavium. At the same time, I wanted to have something that connected with traditional magical depictions and expectations.
The roots of this system go all the way back to 1980 when I first played D&D. I was always a guy who enjoyed breaking things down and I had always wanted to design a magic system that was plausible and powerful.
The first challenge to me came from looking at the huge spell lists of various RPGs. From the standpoint of a game, discrete spells are a great thing. They allow for the kind of immediate choice needed for any turn-based system.
But I don’t like them from a writing point of view. I’ve enjoyed various game-related books over the years like DragonLance and the Forgotten Realms books, but I’ve always struggled a bit with the prose describing these discrete spells in action.
So my system had to be a little more free-form from a writing point of view. On the other hand, that vast list of spells does includes just about every magical effect one could want, so I had to consider it.
I also didn’t want to break things down the same way as D&D. The divine/arcane magic system works great from a game point of view, but I just sort of think magic should be defined by its processes, not its source.
So what are the processes of spells? Not the idea of components, but how does a spell do the thing it does?
The first, and possibly most important, set of spells I broke down were the cure spells. I started with them because there has to be healing, if only because I tend to hammer my characters.
Now, hit points are a simple concept that handwaves over a bunch of stuff. Is a person harder to kill as they gain skill? Undoubtedly. Does the amount of physical trauma required to kill that person increase dramatically as their skill rises? Well, that’s a different question. I don’t want to dive into that philosophical discussion, but it’s useful to remember this question here.
The easy thing, and first to come to mind, is the concept of Life Magic. From a healing standpoint, it’s obvious. But it’s just as easy to harm. Excellent. I’ve now got a starting point for magic to be just a tool to be used as a character wants, good or bad.
But “life” is such a huge word, and I started spinning off idea after idea. I still do, by the way. Magic traditionally assigned to druids like controlling animals and plants, for example, is easy.
Yet there’s even more. I said I wanted something that made each wizard a little different, and Life Magic ended up being about variable as them all. Some cure well, but can’t hurt and vice versa. I’ve got Life Mages who really can’t do either, but can do other things really well. One essentially talks to bees. Connection to a single animal like a familiar. Some plantlords.
And I’ve got fun ways I can describe all of this. One of my standard things is for healers to step in and stop the bleeding and minimize the chance of infection. Obviously, they don’t have the same basis of medicine that we do, but people have known about infected wounds long before germ theory.
I also use Life Magic in a forensic way, having some Life Mages specialize in tracking traces of evidence off bodies. This is great for my Edward books, which are fantasy/mystery/PI hybrids. Again, they won’t know DNA per se, but they can track bits and pieces that give some clues. Great from my perspective.
Every aspect of life has its own calling, so I’ve hit on one magical process that works great. Life Magic works with life in every form but is individual to the mage. It can’t, however, deal with inanimate objects unless it can get a life form to do something to it, like say having a tree push its roots to destroy a rock.
That’s a great start, but clearly, I needed more types of magic.
Again, the question of cure spells guided me. How does one increase morale with magic? I’ve seen it happen with a group singing a song or following a banner. With speeches and theater. With rewards and gifts.
All of these things had effects as symbols greater than their intrinsic value as things. Magic, then, could push these symbolic effects to even greater heights and we’ve got so many traditional things to draw from here.
Bardic spells, so music and song. Religious ceremonies. Any kind of ceremony, actually. Runes and arcane scripts. Banners. Flags.
These things can influence just about any endeavor. I have never come up against a limitation of what symbolic magic could do. Heal, harm, teach, warn, refrigerate, heat, attack, whatever I wanted.
That’s a great thing, but from a story standpoint is a problem. All of the wizards had to have limitations, and so did Line Magic, which is what I ended up naming symbolic magic.
Fortunately, the limitation for Line Magic is fairly obvious. Symbols and morale *are* limited. You can be Rudy all you want, but you still have to have a certain level of size, speed, and skill to make the NFL. So Line Magic became the most versatile, but least powerful of all my spell types.
The next spells I looked at were Fireballs and the like. They don’t really fit with Life or Line Magic, but we need something like this.
I don’t talk about it much anymore, because I’ve integrated it so fully I don’t really think about it at this point, but I have a physics layer underneath my magic system involving Shijuren’s geodynamo.
Now, I handwave a jump or two, like the old cartoon with a math equation that has in the middle, “and then a miracle occurs.” However, it’s important that I keep it in mind and make sure those miracles aren’t too miraculous.
This concept of a layer of physics underneath the magic provided the answer to the fireball. I created a magic process that is basically e to m and vice versa. A fireball is just liberating a tiny fraction of energy from matter.
But again, this gave me a whole slew of possibilities. Heat, sound, light, and so much more. Stones that warm things or refrigerate them. Stones that create light or lock doors. Listening to mountains.
So now I have Land Magic. Here’s where I made the most handwavium decision in the whole process, though. One could make the argument that since living creatures have mass than Land Magic could affect them just as easily. I decided Land Magic could only work against inanimate objects. That life, for whatever reason, resists this sort of manipulation. Yeah, it misses a bit on the logic, but it creates a distinct limitation that works well to differentiate mages.
By the way, yes I went through and came up with “L” words for each type of magic. Stupid maybe, but it seemed like fun at the time.
OK, so what am I missing? Let’s look at charm spells. To a great extent, these rely upon manipulating emotions. Love Magic! Perfect. Magic that manipulates emotion can be extremely powerful, but only with humans and some more intelligent animals.
I’ve extended this a bit as I’ve gone along, by the way, to the study of the amygdala and how humans create emotions. It’s a strange process that we don’t really understand as far as I can tell, but that’s perfect for my purposes. I can adapt as needed.
I’ve also used this as forensic magic in the Edward books, as emotions presumably spike during murders and such, leaving a residue that can be tracked.
For ease of description, I say emotions flow from a person in tendrils. Then I use Pluvchik’s Wheel of Emotion to give me guidelines. To step from one emotion to another is one degree of difficulty, as does going up and down in intensity.
From a magic standpoint it’s fairly versatile. From a writing standpoint it’s fun to describe. However, this magic system tends to lead to fewer differences between wizards since there’s only so many different emotions. There are some differences, though, as each Love Mage has their own preference. Some work best with love and some with hate. So far, this has seemed to be enough for my purposes and I’m coming up with more, like those specializing in forensic magic.
That’s a pretty good collection of magics, but I got to this point still thinking I was missing a process. Living things, non-living things, symbols, and emotions don’t allow for what D&D calls the divination school. Also, we really don’t have a that traditional long-bearded knows-everything iconic wizard. I mean, you could have that from each of the four we’ve described, but knowledge itself should have power.
This was especially important to me as a historian, by the way.
Lore was an easy L-word to use here, but it took me a while to figure out how to make Lore Magic work.
Somewhere along the way, I stumbled across the Greek concept of kairos. This gave me a kernel of an idea, especially when I considered the concept of how so many wizards in other stories often don’t do D&D style magic but instead just happen to be at the right place at the right time and do the right thing.
So maybe I have something here. The more you know and research, the more you can pick out those kairoi, which means you can influence them to come out the way you want. A Lore Mage, then sees a series of kairoi as butterfly points of potentialities. They then shape the potentialities to fit the desired result.
Wow! What a fun concept, though I will say it’s been proven hard to write with. How do you shape potentialities on the fly? This magic has to work over time, not really in the heart of a conflict. To shape a battle, a Lore Mage has to anticipate the fight then put themselves into a stronger position to win.
OK, this actually isn’t so bad from a writing perspective. I now have a way for bad guys to shape a plot and I have ways for good guys to respond. Best of all, each Lore Mage is limited by what they’ve studied, so there’s a differentiation built into it from the beginning. Plus, not every Lore Mage views how to manipulate kairoi in the same way. Veikko, for example, manipulates kairoi not be using his magic to change them but to put people in the place where they can change it for him. Nebheshu has a much more direct and arrogant approach.
In the end, Lore Magic became the single most powerful magic one can do in Shijuren. It can do just about anything. However, it requires time, often lots of time. I’ve had mages create spells that are centuries long. Of course, the shifting of kairoi can be undone by the shifting of other kairoi by an opposing mage.
Lore Magic is the hardest to write, but the most fun, when I get it to work.
We now have my Five Streams of Magic, each with limitations and options.
I then decided that those humans capable of magic could only do one of these types. I did allow for a very few exceptions, though, in part because it fits some of the hidden backstory of the world, but these are incredibly rare, in part because they are extremely powerful. Their ability to mesh magical concepts means they can do more with each because of synergistic effects.
In any case, this means that mages in Shijuren have a very limited toolbox. They essentially have a hammer and they have to figure out how to make that hammer work in the situation they face.
This has been awesome for me as a writer. I’m constantly trying to figure out ways to do this or that, based on the tactical situation and the wizard’s set of skills.
More importantly, my spells haven’t really broken down into routine from wizard to wizard. They’re not all blasting away with a fireball or healing with cure light. Sure, an individual wizard might do the same thing multiple times, like Egill and his runes, but each has a flavor and an individuality, just as I had hoped for.
There’s my system. It might not be perfect, but it’s been magical for me and my stories.
Speaking of my stories, I will take this moment to talk about None Call Me Mother. Did I mention it came out on Tuesday? No? Well, hey, just to let you know, it came out on Tuesday!
Todd Searls mentioned that he liked seeing under the hood yesterday, and when I thought about his comment, I realized I love that from my favorite creators too.
One of my basic principles is to be the author I want be a fan of. Write the stuff I want to read and interact the way I want to be interacted with. So I’ll do some more of these posts, especially now while None Call Me Mother is new and fresh in my mind. In this one I’ll discuss some of the things I thought of while designing a few characters.
Irina Ivanovna
Irina Ivanovna is probably the most important character I’ve ever designed, not simply because she is the key to this story, but also because she shaped the entirety of Periaslavl and hence, much of the entire world.
I love Star Wars, but as I’ve gotten older, the Luke Skywalker character gets really boring. It’s a common fantasy trope, of course, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. How could I create a character than had all that “destiny” but knew a ton, yet didn’t know anything? That’s a thought exercise, let me tell you.
What if the character’s been sheltered? What if their limitation is that they’ve been focused on something else, not living in the world. And that led to the idea of the velikomat, or Great Mother, of Periaslavl. I won’t get into some of the reasons behind why Periaslavl made sense for this because it’d be a spoiler, but I had here a vehicle to make sure that the Great Mothers lived for a looooong time.
During the events in None Call Me Mother, Irina is 140 years old but her body is still that of a teenager. M-a-a-a-gic. If it’s a fantasy world, I should darn well use it.
Making her a ruler with all this experience and power meant she knew all sorts of top-end things. How much food an oblast would need to make it through the winter. How many troops Periaslavl could support. What was the Empire going to do? Or Svellheim. And so on.
Yet, of course, she’s never really been a person. She was chosen at 16 to be the Great Daughter, and for 124 years her life has been nothing but ruling Periaslavl. It’s a great set of experiences for a character, but it’s also a great set of non-experiences. I had a ton of fun playing with those things she never experienced or, more importantly for one kinetic reason, didn’t remember.
So there’s my callow character of “destiny.” I really have a problem doing the easy thing, don’t I?
One last note about Irina. My mom’s mom’s name was Irene. Yeah, I’m shallow, but I loved making that connection as the “Great Mother.” You should all expect this, by the way, because my mom’s dad’s name is Edward.
Eleonore Drechsler
The second character I’m going to look at is Eleonore Drechsler. I’ll start with her name. I use a random generator on Behind the Names. It’s a fantastic site, one of the most useful on the internet. I had to laugh at this name when it came up, because one of my favorite basketball players ever is Clyde Drexler. Ha! I slay myself.
Anyway, in many ways she draws from the same sort of fallen paladin ideas I often love. In some ways, she’s a hard-edged version of Edward. Sometimes it’s fun to write a good guy doing bad things. Really bad things.
Eleonore had to be a great warrior. More important, a skilled leader. I needed to inject a bit of skill into the cesspool that is the Kreisens anyway, and Demmenkreisen, as one of the largest and most powerful Kreisens was a good place for it. That it was in the exact right place (thank you, Adam, which I might touch on in a different post), was a bonus.
Part of the reason that it was important to me that she was a leader is that I needed that to be able to break her down. She has to take a path, not an easy path, but the one that seems easiest for someone who’s enraged. I think most people get enraged not on their own behalf, but on behalf of those close to them.
Her character arc, then, is to screw up but then spend the rest of the series overcoming her mistake. In many ways, this is my favorite arc because it’s something we all do. Her part of the epic battle is perhaps the most subtle, as she cannot win her fight. She can, however, slow the magic that’s attacking her and thereby give the others a chance to win. I probably make this too subtle in the book, because as a set of actions it’s not terribly active, but I, at least, know what battle she faced, and it’s one that I rather enjoyed.
Etain Muirghein
Many of you know the story behind a bunch of characters that appeared in Brief Is My Flame. These were a bunch of redshirts as part of a fundraiser for a great guy who had some health issues.
Obviously, I won’t go into these characters’ origins, because if you know the person redshirted, you’ll catch the references and if you don’t, you won’t care. However, I did want to touch on a few ways these redshirts helped shape Shijuren and the story.
Etain Muirghein was a character I mentioned briefly in I Am a Wondrous Thing. As the Thalassocrat of the Western Isles, she had a part to play in the political maneuvering between realms. However, I didn’t say anything else about her at the time.
Then I was asked to redshirt someone I really respect who helped shape Calontir. Etain suddenly became a great vehicle for that, and so I put in all of her I could. Feisty, tough, awesome. I even added her dog, sort of. It’s named Madra Te in the books, which is a great pun for those who know her.
Anyway, that meant I had to put Etain into some of the action. I hadn’t anticipated that I’d do anything really involving the Western Isles or anything on that end of the Kreisens, but in the end it became a fantastic vector to get to the end.
Plus, I got to write fantasy ship battles using another redshirt, and have both die gloriously. Man, that worked out well, and it’s all because I had to fit this redshirt somewhere and Etain was the absolute right place.
So there you go. A bit of a sketch behind three of the most important characters in the series. There was some serendipity involved in these characters, but at least I was smart enough to recognize it when it hit me upside the head. Serendipity’s got a punch, let me tell you.
I keep talking about how much I’m excited about this release, and it’s all true. I have scaled this mountain.
There were times I doubted I’d make it. However, it’s here, and it’s good. One of the reasons I think many people become authors is that they want to write the stories they want to read. I have re-read all of this series in the past week and it’s my kind of story.
Anyway, I thought I’d take a moment and talk about some of the things I discovered while writing this series. This series, more than anything else I’ve written, changed my processes.
First and foremost, I screwed up at the start of all this. I’m a pantser, meaning I write by the seat of my pants.
For the Edward stories, this works great. However, part of that’s because everything in those stories comes from the single window of the first person POV. The author can have a more limited view because both the character and the reader have that same limited view. We all expect certain things to happen off screen.
The Kreisens has a completely different structure. Yes, I want the character and the reader to have limited views, but for those limited views to mesh at the end required me to know everything behind those views.
I didn’t do this well.
I came close. I didn’t have to retcon anything important. I don’t see any huge plot holes, and neither did my editor. However, I missed opportunities for fun plants and hints in I Am a Wondrous Thing that I really regret. I also have great plot ideas that in the end I couldn’t use because to do so would have required major retconning I wasn’t willing to do.
So the first thing I will change the next time I write a multi-book story arc will be to either plot significantly (unlikely), or write all of it at once and release the trilogy (or whatever) in sequence with little need for change. A series is one kind of animal. A trilogy is another.
Second, my production process was flawed. Some of this was experience. I’ve gotten better at writing blurbs, for example. It’s its own craft and one I continue to practice.
However, I’ve never been pleased with myself in my original release of I Am a Wondrous Thing. A Lake Most Deep suffers from a number of issues, but that doesn’t bother me as much because it was my first book, and first books *always* have issues. Live, learn, get better.
But I Am a Wondrous Thing was book three and I just simply didn’t do a great job producing it. Of all my books, it had the most typos/mistakes. I would have made a much more active cover. It had the most extraneous words. The blurb wasn’t great.
It’s especially frustrating now because I see these things so clearly and at the same time I see a great story.
The good news about being an independent writer is I can fix some of these things relatively easily. Live, learn, get better, after all. I Am a Wondrous Thing made me do all three.
The biggest change was to add a verbal read-through editing pass. I now print off the entire book or short story and read it out loud (when the cats let me). While my editor does a great job, this pass lets me catch some things simply because I’m reading the page differently. Also, it helps me see words that aren’t necessary. Most importantly, I think, is it shows me when I’ve arranged a sentence badly, something I am wont to do. If I can’t read it out loud smoothly, then it needs to be rephrased or cut.
This one thing has dramatically improved the quality of my stuff, and I’ve done it with everything I’ve written ever since.
As part of the None Call Me Mother release, I wanted to make sure both I Am a Wondrous Thing and Brief Is My Flame matched.
So I did a verbal read-through editing pass on I Am a Wondrous Thing. It’s much stronger now, much sleeker. As I said, I didn’t retcon anything major, but I did add a few hints and plants that mesh better with the events in None Call Me Mother. In many cases, this was literally changing one word to another, even to the point of changing an “and” to a “but.”
Along the way, I also realized my method for novel organization had flaws. I like having a section where I can discuss the people who helped, things about the current book, and that sort of stuff. That’s why I wrote a Foreword in the first place. However, that gets in the way of the reader reaching the story. so I changed it to an Afterword.
All three novels now have the same internal structure on the electronic versions. There are some challenges to making that true for the print versions, but those will be completed by the end of the week, I think. All three will look and feel the same inside, except of course for the story itself.
Side note: This may or may not show up yet with existing readers by the way. There’s supposed to be an update feature with Amazon so you get the latest version. However, it’s not working on my copies, so I’ve sent them a message to ask what’s going on. Also, this obviously doesn’t change the physical copies. Keep those. They’ll be collector’s items someday.
In the past, I have put dates and locations on each chapter. I have also gotten feedback that this distracted the reader without really adding anything. Some of you will prefer having those details, and I will continue to make sure the time continuity works on my initial drafts, but they make the story ponderous at times.
A third thing getting in the way of readers were the wiki links.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the wiki is a great thing. For me, it’s a place to do my world-building, serves as my bible, and gives me a bunch of story ideas. For readers, it allows them a chance to really grok Shijuren. Again, my basic philosophy as a writer is to provide the content I want from those authors I love.
However, the links *in the prose* got in the way of some readers. Hence, I’ve done a compromise. The story itself has no links, but the appendices do. It’s all in the wiki, and you can go directly to it from the appendices, but there’s no link distracting the reader in the middle of a sentence.
Readers are, after all, what’s important in all of this. All of these changes are based on comments made to me by you guys and I haven’t even touched on my changes to my prose. I continue to work toward streamlined, faster prose because again that’s easier to read, but I also strive to produce the books well. I’m getting there.
But I have scaled this particular peak. As of tomorrow, The Kreisens is a complete unit, freshly touched up, and fully annotated in a revamped and improved wiki. Best of all, I love it.
I’m really excited to complete this series. It’s been a long, educational, and stressful road, but it’s finally done. And it rocks.
There’ll be a number of posts this week about the release, along with a blog post on some of the changes in my production process.
As part of this, I am updating both I Am a Wondrous Thing and Brief is My Flame in order to match some of the new production values. If you have those, I’ll let you know to look for updates on your Kindle.
So it’s been a busy and really productive week around here.
I also started my yearly freebie story for people on my mailing list, the second in the Nick Patara, PI stories. This one is entitled Upon a Midnight Clear.
By the way, the one I wrote for last year, Silent Knight, will be released on Amazon in December. So, if you’re not on my mailing list, you can still read this story, which I have to say is really fun.
Of course, if you want it free, along with the new story on Christmas, just join my mailing list. You can subscribe on my website at: www.robhowell.org.
What I’m Listening To
A wretched hive of scum and villainy. Worse than the one you’re thinking of 😀
Quote of the Week
Robert Feldacker has written a number of fantastic songs. He graciously allowed me to quote one of my favorites in None Call Me Mother, because it fit perfectly with one tiny change. I suspect you’ll figure out the word I changed when you compare the title to the quote I used.
“Tall and mighty towers by the coast of the sea,
Raise their dark empty spires in forlorn misery.
Crumbling grain by grain to the cold ocean spray,
And cursing the Northmen as they wither away.”
– Robert Feldacker, Cursing the Normans
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (32,068)
ACP (10,077)
Upon a Midnight Clear (1,812)
CB (8,418)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Lots more Wiki additions, now up to about 500 entries.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a really productive week here in Robland. I finished my read-through of None Call Me Mother, and I’ll have all the tweaks and details finished on the manuscript no later than Monday. Probably tomorrow. That’s even with taking time off today to game.
It was actually the swiftest verbal read-through I’ve had so far, in part because I kept wanting to read more. I still cry at the spots I want to cry at and I get excited in the battle scenes. One of the reasons I think writers start writing is they want the kind of fiction they want to read themselves. I love this series. I’ve hated writing it at times, but now it’s something I’m really proud of.
I also had time this week to finish another Shijuren story, this one set in Achrida involving Edward and the characters there. It’s a twist though. Let’s just say, I chose the most unlikely, most reluctant hero I could think of for my entry in the anthology. Anyway, it needs editing, but it’s not vaporware.
Speaking of which, I got completely caught up on that, too. What a week. We even decided upon a title. The title of Libri Valoris II will be: Songs of Valor.
I did some work on the wiki, too, of course, though a lot of it was to create links and placeholders to finish a hyperlinked version of the manuscript. That’s what I’m going to be doing today.
I stacked a lot of productive days this past week and it’s time for me to start on next week.
What I’m Listening To
Songs from the Wood by Jethro Tull. It should come as no surprise that I really enjoy Tull’s weird combination of music. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day is in my top 10 ever.
Quote of the Week
This week’s quote comes from the Ruriksaga. What’s the Ruriksaga? Glad you asked. It’s the story of how Periaslavl came to be in Shijuren. I thought it was time to use my poetry skills again so I added part of it to the story.
Volodomyr spoke, son of Rurik
Here my father fell, fated for Woden’s hall
Our ring-giver gifted great feast for ravens
His spear shattered his sword sundered
In the flickering of flame’s glory
We shall remember rightly of his deeds
Now feed to fire’s wrath my father’s life-house
And here a hall high shall we raise
He shall be called king in mind-songs
– Ruriksaga
The first new release is from a very old friend, Kirsten Tautfest. I remember us not quite being of age drinking at Kirby’s, still one of the coolest bars ever. Anyway, she just released the 15th in her Red Tales series, called Red Tales: Compartment Syndrome. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N5L1Q6J/.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My big news is that I’ve been confirmed as an attending pro at DragonCon. Yes, it happened last year and rolled over, but it’s still nice getting confirmation.
It’s been a week of multiple steps forward and several steps back on my anthology short story. I know the starting and I know the end, but I’m having trouble making the path work. Getting closer, though.
None Call Me Mother is almost done. I’m in the part where I read it out loud, and I’m over a third done with the read. I’ll have the draft done this next week, except for any changes my advance readers suggest.
I also started working on my freebie story for readers on my mailing list. I introduced the main character, Nick Patara, PI in Silent Knight, last year.
Basically a week of various projects. The kind of week where I know I made progress on many things, but don’t have finished products yet.
So I better get back to work.
What I’m Listening To
The live version of Cygnus X-1 by Rush from Different Stages. There’s so much wonderful about this song. Yes, this my be why my cars are always named Rocinante.
Quote of the Week
Today is Marie Curie’s birthday, so here you go.
“I am among those who think that science has great beauty.”
– Marie Curie
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (32,068)
KAT (5,503)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Much more progress on the Wiki. Up to 271 entries now and I’ll have more done later tonight.
Also this week, if you don’t already have A Fistful of Credits, the first Four Horsemen Universe anthology, there’s a Bookbub promotion going on right now and it’s only 99 cents. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073HXKZXN/.
Today’s Weight: 354.6
Updated Word Count: 241,581
Shijuren Wiki: 301 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My editor has returned None Call Me Mother so we’re in the final stretch! Hence I can announce that I’ll be releasing it on the 24th of November! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
I’m incredibly excited to be at this point. It has been a heck of a road, but not only did a learn a ton, I made a story that makes me weep at the end, which is always a great sign.
I also made nice progress on the anthology this week. Several stories are done, edited, and ready to go. It’s going to be great.
I’ve been working on my story for it, and it’ll probably be done next week. I really like where it’s going, with a main character I never expected would ever be a main character.
Now to get None Call Me Mother to the advance readers. By the way, if you’re interested in being an advance reader, let me know. You get to read my books ahead of time after all.
Hope you all have as a great a day as I am having.
What I’m Listening To
“Nocturne” by Rush. This is actually the perfect song for the moment.
Quote of the Week
It’s perfect because it’s about dreams and what they mean to us. This particular quote describes writing a novel perfectly.
“Set off on a night-sea journey
Without memory or desire
Drifting through lost latitudes
With no compass and no chart”
– “Nocturne,” by Rush
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (32,068)
KAT (3,743)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
A ton of new wiki additions. It’s making huge progress.
New Releases
This week’s spotlight is on the 4HU, with Mark Wandrey and Marisa Wolf giving us Night Song. I will not make any puns about Marisa’s last name. None at all. Despite the fact, this one stars some Zuul. You know, the aliens who are very Wolf-like? No, I’ll not make any real puns about her last name. Not because I’m generous. No, it’s the simple truth that my last name is, in this context, not without risk.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Second, I was able to reveal the great cover for None Call Me Mother. Isn’t it lovely? Thanks to Patrick McEvoy for doing another great job. You can find some of his other stuff at https://www.megaflowgraphics.com/.
This has been a wonderfully productive week, as well. I haven’t written a ton of new stuff, but I’ve been doing a bunch of pre-production for None Call Me Mother. Much of this has been focused on getting the wiki and thus the links ready for the release.
In general, I’ve been working on expanding the Shijuren wiki to provide more information and yet streamline it. To do this, I’m using wiki headers much more, as well as expanding my understanding of wiki formatting. The wiki is already much stronger and faster than it ever was, and the foundation is much better. You can find it here: https://shijuren.org/tiki-index.php.
I’ve also started some of the serious editing for the new anthology. You’re going to love it, assuming of course you want action, adventure, magic, and intrigue. If you want boring stuff, read elsewhere.
While I focused on other things, I did manage to get several thousand words written. As sometimes happens, though, the first story I intended for the anthology didn’t really work. Oh, it’s interesting back story for Ragnar and Zoe, and you’ll see it all eventually, but let’s just say I’m writing about the most unlikely hero in all of Shijuren.
Well, back to work. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Sabaton’s Panzerkampf. I love Sabaton’s operatic metal fused with historial themes. It’s like they said, let’s make our band just for this weird guy in Kansas.
Quote of the Week
The cover to None Call Me Mother includes one of the people I red-shirted for Mar’s fundraiser. Hence, I decided that I’ll give you all a snippet from the novel where truth becomes fiction, so to speak.
“’Huh’,” said Donnghal.”
– None Call Me Mother
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (32,068)
CB (8,418)
RAZ (3,446
KAT (1,515)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
I went from 77 entries on the wiki to 104, so there are a ton of changes. I also cleaned up a number of underlying issues and added in more headers and header links. You’ll see that number jump up through the end of the year.
David Alan Jones has a new release in the Salvage Title Universe. If you like space opera, Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title, which is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B07H8Q3HBV. Then you’ll binge all the way to Jones’s Salvage Mind, which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5TXNGY.
Today’s Weight: 360.2
Updated Word Count: 238,798
Shijuren Wiki: 104 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
My story in the anthology is set in Shijuren and is about the foundation of the Order of the Fortress of Rabah, the order of chivalry that to which Ausartxango had sworn his life. It’s actually about oaths challenging Rabah and his brother Jaime.
It’s also only 1000 words long. That was the prompt. Write a fantasy story with no more than 1000 words. I managed, but it was tough. It was, however, a fantastic exercise, and one I will do again.
I also wrote the introduction. They wanted something to encourage writers, so I basically expanded on the basic point I often say in panels: There is one true way of writing and it’s what helps you get words on the page. Doesn’t matter if it does or doesn’t work for whichever big name you love, it only matters if it helps you get words on the page.
Coming up on Tuesday is the audiobook release of the The Feeding of Sorrows. James Patrick Cronin did the narration and did a fantastic job. It’s on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K9DX13G/.
As mentioned, it’s on pre-order for Audible now and released on Tuesday. It is also, of course, available at the same link in both e-book and paperbook form.
A week of releases is always a good week, even if I didn’t make as much progress on more words on the page myself. I was kind of bleah all week long, and far less productive than normal. It happens, and it only really matters if I get mad at myself for it.
So, I’m not. Easy to say, but I think I’ll be able to avoid getting the downs. A good week will make a difference, and I expect to be productive. Also, I did quite a bit of pre-production stuff for None Call Me Mother. At some point next week, I’ll do the cover reveal.
What I’m Listening To
“Round and Round” by Ratt. I still like this song, though it has faded somewhat during the last 30 plus years. It’s no longer a song I’ll listen to over and over. That being said, I can watch the Geico “Ratt Problem” commercial repeatedly and still laugh. They get me with that entire series.
Quote of the Week
I’ve always loved the Old English term word hoard. Such a neat way to express the concept of vocabulary. Every time I write, I feel like I am playing with the greatest wealth there could be, the words that I have hoarded from Tolkien, Forester, and all the rest. So today’s quote is from Beowulf, where he replies to the coast guard.
I’ll only do the two lines here, but if you want a great paraphrase of what Beowulf says in the poem, go watch the part of 13th Warrior where they have just landed in Hrothgar’s land and are met by the herald.
Him se yldesta ondswarode,
werodes wisa, wordhord onleac:
Him the eldest answered
With his kin’s wisdom, unlocked his wordhoard
– Beowulf, lines 258-259.
Something you probably would expect more from one of my normal crew is Relations by Brisco Woods. This is set in Christopher Woods’s Fallen World universe, which is a lot of fun and continuing to grow. It’s here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KY55PCQ/.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s about 55 here and sunny. In other words, my favorite weather. And there’s something about fall days like this that are better to me than spring days with exactly the same temp and sunshine. I don’t know why I prefer fall, maybe it’s the leaves changing as they are starting to do, but this is my favorite time of year.
I got to see a bunch of that as I drove to Virginia to meet up with Chris Kennedy and a bunch of other authors last week, which is why I never got to do my update last week. Normally, we brainstorm story ideas at cons, which we haven’t been able to do, and there’s no substitute for doing that in-person. Zoom is great and all, but not terribly conducive to creativity.
I’m in the midst of writing a couple of things right now. I’m flipping back and forth from The Ravening of Wolves, where I got a number of great ideas from my conversations in Virginia, and my story for the upcoming fantasy anthology.
This anthology is going to rock, by the way.
Also, I’ve been working on production stuff for None Call Me Mother. The cover art is almost done and it’s my favorite cover so far. I’m wrestling with the blurb, as I always do. Blurbs are so much tougher than writing a novel.
In only 11 days, The Feeding of Sorrows comes out on audiobook. I’ve listened to the proofs and they are excellent. James Patrick Cronin did a fantastic job.
Well, time to make dinner and then go get my sweetie some ice cream. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The .mp3s for The Feeding of Sorrows. James Patrick Cronin is fantastic.
Quote of the Week
Speaking of audiobooks, I listened to John Lithgow’s From Song of Myself on the trip. This is an amazing collection and introduction to poetry. Basically, it’s him and a bunch of friends like Helen Mirren and Gary Sinise wallowing in their love of poetry. Morgan Freeman’s rendition of We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks is worth the price of admission alone.
Anyway, since I’m in a poetic mood on a fine fall day, here’s Longfellow’s poem Autumn.
“Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain,
With banners, by great gales incessant fanned,
Brighter than brightest silks of Samarcand,
And stately oxen harnessed to thy wain!
Thou standest, like imperial Charlemagne,
Upon thy bridge of gold; thy royal hand
Outstretched with benedictions o’er the land,
Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain!
Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended
So long beneath the heaven’s o’er-hanging eaves;
Thy steps are by the farmer’s prayers attended;
Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves;
And, following thee, in thy ovation splendid,
Thine almoner, the wind, scatters the golden leaves!”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,674)
CB (8,418)
RAZ (938)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
New Releases
This week’s spotlight is on a few things. First, Nick Steverson released his first novel last week, entitled Hesitation. It’s part of the Salvage Universe series, which is a lot of fun. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JV1WRDD/.
Coming out this week is Steven Johnson’s Operation Reaper. This is a fun series involving WW2 GIs fighting all sorts of supernatural creatures. You can find this one here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFZ64G8.
Today’s Weight: 361.0 (I was actually down to 358.8 before the trip and came back at 365.2, but it’s settling back down)
Updated Word Count: 239,585
Shijuren Wiki: 77 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This was a solid week, but not my most productive. I had to fight through my usual case of fall allergies, so I haven’t slept well all week. Also, since I was traveling back from Tennessee, I lost a day.
Still, I’m over 80% done with this round of editing on None Call Me Mother. All that’s left is the final section. Admittedly, this is a huge section, with a final battle scene worthy of a trilogy, I think, but I intend to send it back to my editor next Friday at the latest.
I’ll be turning my focus more and more on the new fantasy anthology. Stories in that need to be done by 30 November, so if you’re still interested in submitting a story, please make sure it’s by that date. Also, pay attention to the submission parameters.
The next long-form I’ll finish is The Ravening of Sorrows. I had some great discussions with Mark Wandrey about fitting it properly into the 4HU, and will do more with both Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry soon. I am excited about some of the pathways they’ve suggested for the Foresters, the Stalkers to the Stars, and Rick Blaine.
Speaking of the 4HU, I had some great news. The Feeding of Sorrows will be available on audiobook on 13 October. You’ll be able to find it on Audible and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T3B8BGB. Perfect timing, as I’m sure listening to it will help me keep the flow and voice of The Feeding of Wolves.
Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The climactic crescendo of 2112 from Live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978. That’ll get your blood pumping.
Quote of the Week
Every once in a while, I’ll watch the Beethoven’s 9th flash mob video from Italy. It’s brilliant. You can watch it here if you’d like, and if you haven’t watched it before, I heartily suggest it. That moment when the chorus comes in and it explodes from something fantastic to incredibly majestic is possibly my single favorite musical moment.
Beethoven also said a number of great quotes. For me, this is one that I try to put into my writing.
“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets; art deserves that, for it and knowledge can raise man to the Divine.”
– Ludwig von Beethoven.
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,837)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Nothing this week.
Upcoming Events
Nothing, but maybe something in February. Such a strange time.
New Releases
Ian Malone has another out in his Mako-verse. It’s called Detron City Vice and it’s heavy on the action. While it’s set in a universe with three other books, this is a stand-alone story. You can find it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J6K3HBT/.
Today’s Weight: 360.6
Updated Word Count: 238,747
Shijuren Wiki: 77 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Today is Neil Peart’s birthday. 2020 has been an awful year for everyone, and I’m not trying to minimize anything for anyone else, but for me, the loss of Neil has been the hardest thing to accept.
It is unlikely at best that I would have ever met him. I doubt he would have ever read any of my stuff. In truth, I am not appreciably less likely to have a personal interaction with him now than in December.
But I miss having him in this world.
Anyway, I’m wearing my 40th Anniversary of A Farewell to Kings shirt today. I’m doing it as much for Neil as for the small convention I’m at. As you probably all know, I wear Rush shirts when I’m at cons, in part so people will know it’s me, and in part so other Rush fans will talk to me. I’ve had a couple of such conversations today and it helps.
I’m over halfway through editing None Call Me Mother. I apparently added more fluff to this first draft than I usually do, as I’ve already deleted nearly 13k from the story. I’m quite pleased with the result, though, as it’s a lot sharper and faster. I think, in retrospect, I knew the problem existed but it wasn’t entirely clear until I finished the full draft and had my editor confirm it.
Now, though, it’s rocking along and I think you’ll love it.
Next week, I’ll also be editing for the Corner Scribbler’s release, than I wrote the introduction for. It’ll be call Dragons and Dribbles and I’ll let you all know the release date when I know.
I have also made some progress on The Ravening of Wolves, my next 4HU novel. This has been more along the lines of a few sentences here and there and some plotting and planning. Again, I’m pleased where it’s going.
For now, I better get back to talking about my books.
What I’m Listening To
Various Rush songs have been playing in my head all day, though I’m not in a place to listen to songs. The one that comes to mind right now is “Lessons.”
Quote of the Week
“Sweet memories Flashing very quickly by
Reminding me Giving me a reason why
I know that My goal is more than a thought
I’ll be there When I teach what I’ve been taught
You know we’ve told you before
But you didn’t hear us then
So you still question why
You didn’t listen again
Sweet memories I never thought it would be like this
Reminding me Just how close I came to missing
I know that This is the way for me to go
You’ll be there When you know what I know”
– “Lessons” by Rush
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I was very productive this week… when I could work. I lost Tuesday and Wednesday to because I wasn’t feeling well. Not anything big, just my body will occasionally shift out of place and I’ll have, in this case, a dislocated ankle. Worst I can remember. Knocked me for a loop. I guess I’m getting old.
Anyway, on Monday I submitted a short story called “An Oath’s Other Edge” to a Corner Scribblers anthology. I also got to do the introduction. Really nice of them to invite me to join them, and I hope you guys check them out on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/The-Corner-Scribblers/e/B082YQWLCZ.
Then I got into editing None Call Me Mother. I may have mentioned that my editor said it started of slowly, but by the end of it she lost track of working because she fell into the story. That’s a great compliment, of course, at least for the second half.
So I went into editing with the goal of streamlining and cutting. It’s much stronger already. I’ve already cut over 7000 words and I’m only about 150 pages in out of about 520. It’s actually about 10-15% shorter in those pages now, but definitely faster and more powerful.
It’s an odd thing. I’ve spent years fighting this book to get to the end, but I’m loving chopping major chunks out of the draft. Useless. Gone. Gloat. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Next week the sweetie and I will be out on a trip to Clarksville, TN and we’re having a few people over on Monday for Labor Day. That means I’ll only have 3 days or so in the next week to really hammer at it, but I expect finish this pass middle of week after. Then I’ll do one more editing pass to make sure I haven’t chopped something important (which I will have and will miss but my editor will catch).
By the end of October I’ll send it back to the editor for line editing and proofreading. Then I’ll do my print and read out loud pass. Then it’ll be ready. I expect the artwork to be done early October. Overall, it’s looking like some point in November and it’ll be live.
Getting there.
What I’m Listening To
The Cardinals playing in Wrigley Field against the Cubs. There’s something very soothing and right about this matchup, even without fans. Call it the Harry Carey Battle, given that he actually announced for the Cardinals way back when before ultimately going to the Cubs.
Quote of the Week
And since Harry was such an interesting guy, we might as well use one of his quotes. No, I’m not going with the low-hanging fruit of “Holy Cow!” Instead, I’m going with something thoughtful. Yes, by *that* Harry Carey.
Odds are I won’t write for 54 years, though I can hope. Still, I hope I always remember this quote by him. I’ll never master this craft so much that I can’t learn something new.
“I’ve only been doing this 54 years. With a little experience, I might get better.”
– Harry Carey
Robert E. Hampson is an incredibly smart man. Like an actual real genius. A brain surgeon working on cool stuff like artificial memory. Not only that, he’s got the best initials evah!
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
A week of things projects as much as writing. Only 3 real writing days, but still productive. Still getting over 2k per day done on The Ravening of Sorrows.
We finished a major project here that’s been something we’ve been stepping around for months, but it’s now to the finish work stage. We’re really pleased to have that done.
We spent a lot of the week dealing with stuff. Neither of us have gotten great sleep for a while because one of us has had to sleep with the cat that was wearing a cone of shame. The cone of shame is off as of today and everything seems back to normal.
I’ll be editing a short story next week and adding to The Ravening of Sorrows a bit. Then I’ll be switching to editing None Call Me Mother. Getting close on that.
And with that, I’m going to go watch a movie with the sweetie.
What I’m Listening To
Good friends on a Zoom meeting call. It’s good to see friends, even if only virtually.
Quote of the Week
Today is Mary Shelley’s birthday and here’s a quote from one of the founders of science fiction and fantasy. This is a perfect quote for writing SF/F.
“Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos.”
– Mary Shelley.
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,837)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Didn’t have a chance to work on anything else this week.
Upcoming Events
3-7 September, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA https://www.dragoncon.org/
Digital stuff coming, more information soon.
Also, we have a couple of entries on Bookbub this week. A Time to Die by Mark Wandrey is today. Tomorrow will be Jon Osborne’s A Reluctant Druid. Both are 0.99 cents. The Bookbub links are awful, so click on the titles to go to those specials.
Today’s Weight: 364.4
Updated Word Count: 234,350
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Generally, it was a good week. It’s fascinating to me how easy it is writing the The Ravening of Wolves after beating against None Call Me Mother for months. I’d power through 1k and be exhausted. Right now, I’m putting out about 2.5k per writing day, so I’m quite pleased.
However, I haven’t had as much writing time as I’ve wanted because of a couple things getting in the way. Still, I wrote more than 10k this week despite it all, along with setting up a number of chapters that should go quickly.
None Call Me Mother is still at the editor, which is to be expected. I suspect I’ll get the edited back in the next week or two, then do my second pass, then get it back to her. At this point, I’m targeting some point in late October as a release date, but that all depends on what suggestions the editor gives me.
In the meantime, I have a story to send off in the next week or so. It’s basically written, I just have to do a polish run.
I’ve also been working on some of the early submissions for the FantaSci anthology. I’ve been pleased, in general, with the ones I’ve gotten. I can’t wait to see more. If you’re writing fantasy short stories, send a submission over before the end of November and see if you get selected.
This week I also did a number of wiki additions. The important entry is the one for Periaslavl. It’s large and is the new template for other major nations. Yeah, I world-build as a hobby, so it’s fun creating historical events in Shijuren.
That’s enough for now, time to go throw more words at the page.
What I’m Listening To
“The Garden” by Rush off Clockwork Angels. The last song on the last album. It’s the perfect ending, really. An amazing song. I’ll pick something for the Quote of the Week, of course, but really, its entire lyrics are worth the read. You can find them here: https://www.rush.com/songs/the-garden/.
Quote of the Week
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned”
– Rush, “The Garden”
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Well, it was a very good week around here until tonight. One of our cats had a problem and she’s at the emergency vet. She’ll probably be OK, and hopefully there’ll be no long-term issues, but it sucks.
The big news, of course, is the release of We Dare: Semper Paratuswhich includes my story “Nor War’s Quick Fire.” This story is a prequel to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms” from the first We Dare Anthology.
William is an eccentric billionaire who loves Shakespeare and is determined to establish a colony on Mars. Just as the colony is about to become fully self-sufficient with all of his first-stage colonists in place, the Earth is engulfed in nuclear flame. Please take a look. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FQY6QFD/.
On the writing front, I only had four days I was able to write, but I got 12k new words in the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows. I’m currently calling it The Ravening of Wolves. I like tying titles in a series together, but that might be too close. We’ll see when we get closer.
I am really pleased with where it’s going. I like the challenges that jumped out at me. The Foresters and the Stalkers in the Stars are not going to have an easy time of things.
But that’s it for now. Heading back to the vet to get the kitteh. Will let you all know next week how she’s doing.
What I’m Listening To
Watching the Rangers at the Rockies. My birthday present from my sweetie was MLB TV. I gave up on live/cable TV for now since really all I watch is sports. I already have NFL Gamepass, which allows me to watch games over and over, though I can’t watch them live. Still, I don’t know if I’ll get anything ever again because I’m really enjoying this.
Quote of the Week
This one fits the day. Also, happy birthday, T.E. Lawrence.
“He was old and wise, which meant tired and disappointed…”
– T.E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (12,004)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Nothing this week.
Upcoming Events
3-7 September, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA https://www.dragoncon.org/
Digital stuff coming, more information soon.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Somedays I never thought I’d be able to say this, but I just sent a full draft of None Call Me Mother to my editor.
It’s raw, and I will be adjusting my process so I never take this long to write a series again, but I cried at the end. That’s always a sign I like the story.
It was actually a fantastic week here, not just because I wrapped up a draft. I participated in my first DragonCon panel on Wednesday, and you’ll be able to see it as part of the virtual DragonCon package. I don’t know all the details about virtual DragonCon right now, but I’ll be posting that when I do.
I have already started to shift the notes from The Feeding of Sorrows around to begin The Ravening of Wolves, its sequel. Expect to see that appearing in the word count within the next couple of weeks.
Next week I will be cleaning up a short story, starting another short story, and start reading for the sequel anthology we’re putting out for FantaSci. We already have three submissions for the contest and I can’t wait to dig into those.
Tomorrow, I’ll be presenting a section of Brief Is My Flame in an online reading of a bunch of local authors. I thought about a chunk of None Call Me Mother, but all the snippets I can think will be fun to read are too long for my 15 minutes.
Here’s the link for the KC Writer’s Fair. You’ll need to register to watch the Zoom meeting, so plan accordingly. Thanks to William Mitchell for all his hard work getting this going.
There’s a bunch of work yet to do on None Call MeMother, of course. However, this is one of the best points in the process.
What I’m Listening To
Survival by Yes. What an apt song for the moment.
Quote of the Week
None Call Me Mother is wrapped around a riddle written in the Old English style. I’ll post it here and see if anyone figures it out. I wrote it to be challenging and obscure, which it is, but you can figure it out, even if every riddle is frustrating.
I am a wondrous thing though I am truly nothing Brief is my flame but mountains rise and fall Ere my warmth fades and winter fills its place Gold is given for me but such gifts buy me not I have many children but none call me mother Swans carry my grace but grow and fade without me Some turn to the sun but never tame me in the light Dogs may soar for me but daunted, they return sharply So ere you your successor name say what I am called
Also, there’s a new main thread Four Horsemen novel out! You can find Gale Force here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F9TX11V. Thanks to Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy for creating this huge, crazy sandbox for all of us.
Today’s Weight: 369.6 (I held the same weight as last week, which I’m actually quite pleased about since I was too focused on finishing the draft to actually cook)
Updated Word Count: 231,733
Shijuren Wiki: 67 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
If things had gone to plan, I would have spent Monday evening trying to live up to the lyrics of the song Come and Be Welcome by Emer nic Aiden. I’d have hosted my yearly bardic circle at Pennsic, then taken my hungover self to the trim shop and done whatever setup we’d needed.
I’d have spent this week and next talking to people about my books and finishing None Call Me Mother. It’s the best workplace around, actually. I get to work, be really productive, and then afterwards I get to go sing and hang out with great people I only see this time of the year.
Ah, well. Time for me to focus on the things I can change, which has been my general philosophy for quite some time.
Finishing None Call Me Mother is something I can change. Emer has been one of those waiting patiently for me to finish it. I’ll have a draft to the editor by end of next week. Lots of little issues smoothed this week and it’s almost there.
I can also look ahead to future projects. Next big WIP will be the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows.
Even more exciting to me is the upcoming anthology I’m editing for Chris Kennedy. It’s the sequel anthology to When Valor Must Hold and I am incredibly amazed at the authors who’ve signed up to be a part of it. David Butler, Larry Correia, David Weber, and Sarah Hoyt are all in, and there are some big names still to announce.
I am incredibly honored they all decided to join in and appreciate Chris Kennedy giving me the opportunity.
I look forward also to all the other writers who submit for the FantaSci prize. The top four will be in the anthology, with one getting chosen by the con as the best.
And with that, it’s time to go bring my sweetie some ice cream. Have a great day.
What I’m Listening To
Basil Poledouris’s excellent Conan soundtrack…. again. It’s one of the best things to listen to while writing fantasy.
Quote of the Week
“Come from the forest and sit ’round the fire
Come from the fields and enter our hall
Come drink from the guest-cup
Come join in our circle
Come and be welcome ye bards one and all”
– Emer nic Aiden
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Finally! Today is the full opening day for baseball. They’ve had a couple marquee games already, like they do these days, but the first full day of baseball, which is usually packed from noon to after midnight is one of the great days of the year.
Interesting is, of course, the word to describe this year. Generally, a full-time hitter can expect to bat about 700 times in a given year. That might seem like a lot but it is still not enough to eliminate all the statistical biases of a small sample size. You need about 1100 to bring the plus/minus aspect down to small levels.
In 2020, a full time batter can expect about 300 times to bat. They’ve done some fun examples of what could happen in only 60 games, including batting averages not just above .400, but well above .400, even well past Nap LaJoie’s .426 in 1901.
So, yeah, expect some statistical anomalies.
And overall result anomalies, especially with 16 playoff teams. The playoffs are essentially about luck, as even the best team only slightly better than the worst playoff team in a single game. It will only take 2 coin flips out of 3 for the number 16 team to beat the number 1 team.
Fun stuff.
Made good progress on None Call Me Mother. Word count doesn’t really show much difference, but that’s because I’m cutting some of the dross as I go.
This last battle was always going to be a hairball, which is what I wanted. I’ve written several chunks and plotted a number of others, but it’s a balance to get it all to flow smoothly. That’s most of what I’m doing right now.
The blocking is tricky, but to a certain extent, that’s what I have an editor for.
I think I’ll have the final draft next week, though, so I’m excited.
What I’m Listening To
Landslide, the Smashing Pumpkins version. Great version of a great song.
Quote of the Week
I don’t know that I’ve had a Casey Stengel quote here lately. Casey doesn’t get enough credit, I think.Yeah, he had a bunch of great ballplayers like Berra, DiMaggio, and Mantle, but even so he was a fantastic manager.
He’s certainly one of the great quote machines. This is what he said after getting fired from the Yankees, having ‘only’ won the pennant in 1960.
“They told me my services were no longer desired because they wanted to put in a youth program as an advance way of keeping the club going. I’ll never make the mistake of being seventy again.”
– Casey Stengel
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I had a very productive first half of the week, but got distracted by my birthday on Thursday. We had the electrician over for a variety of small things. Then my birthday present to myself was to clean out and organize a closet we could now get to after moving everything around.
Oddly, that was extremely satisfying.
Anyway, I want to take a moment to thank the nearly 400 people who went out of their way to say happy birthday. I tried to thank them all individually, but if I missed some, thanks very much.
On Friday, my sweetie and I actually celebrated by going to the Hoffman Mill in Enterprise. It sells heirloom turkey red flour that she can eat without normal gluten issues, so we came back with bags and bags of it.
Yes, we could just order it online, but then we wouldn’t have had the fun of driving here and there in small town Kansas. This is something my dad showed me could be a lot of fun. Found a cool bookstore/bar/coffee shop in Baldwin City, among other things.
We also stopped at the Coneburg Grill and Pub in Peabody. They make a delicious black and blue steak salad. While there, we stopped at the Peabody Sausage House.
As for work, I made good progress on None Call Me Mother on Monday and Wednesday, but Tuesday morning I woke up and had to write something else. It may never see the light of day, but I wrote 2k in a brand new universe idea I have. It’s one of those “nobody is writing exactly what I want to read so I’ll do it” sort of projects.
Also, I spent some time organizing the sequel anthology to When Valor MustHold. This one is going to include some huge names, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
More importantly for right now, I want to pass on the contest that we are doing in conjunction with FantaSci, where the anthology will be listed. The gist is where offering four slots to any aspiring writer and FantaSci will pick one as their winner, but you can find the details here: https://mailchi.mp/e0ad89095250/announcing-a-contest-for-writers-everywhere.
I hope to get a bunch of submissions. For now, though, I’m back to seeing if I can save Irina.
What I’m Listening To
“No Sleep Till Brooklyn”
It’s fascinating to me how well the Beastie Boys have stood up over the years. I wouldn’t have guessed that in the 80s, but I still love them.
Quote of the Week
My birthday is the 16th, which of course was the date of the first atomic bomb explosion in 1945. Most are familiar with Robert Oppenheimer’s quote from the day about becoming “death, the destroyer of worlds.” However I much prefer this quote by him:
“In battle, in forest, at the precipice in the mountains,
On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows,
In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame,
The good deeds a man has done before defend him.”
– Robert Oppenheimer
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Things didn’t go exactly to plan this week, but in many ways that was a good thing. Since the stepdaughter-type creature moved in with her beau, we decided to condense my sweetie’s sewing, quilting, and weaving stuff.
Condense. Seems like an interesting word to use for stuff that fills 4 separate rooms. Ah, well, she’s worth it.
Anyway, that included a bunch of moving around of boxes, furniture, and all sorts of things. We’d been planning to have movers come in and do the work, but we sort of expected that would be down the road.
Instead, Mike Hammer Moving got us on the schedule on Wednesday and we were able to get nearly everything moved either to its new spot in the house or to the curb for the trash guys on Tuesday. What a wonderful thing. The house feels so much more empty and comfortable.
Side note: I did sort of chuckle at the movers’ name. There were no smoky alleys, no down-on-their-luck, treacherous hoodlums, no femme fatales. Heck, it was even sunny and bright on Wednesday.
Anyway, while I got all the way through Part 8 of None Call Me Mother, I didn’t get as much into the final battle as I’d hoped.
But the moving/cleaning/re-arranging was well worth it. I even improved my office, with the help of a new TV. Right now, I have a Cowboys game going on with Tengger Cavalry providing a soundtrack.
I also have a cat sitting on my monitor ledge, limiting my view of the monitor, but that’s to be expected around here.
I’m taking off today because I get to game again, but will be aiming to get Part 9 finished this week, or at least really close.
Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Rush’s Main Monkey Business. A tremendous instrumental from Snakes and Arrows.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 60th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird. I love both book and movie, but I have to admit Gregory Peck is so fantastic as Atticus Finch I can’t read the book without hearing his voice. And this is a great quote.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
– Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (127,474)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (7,378)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Moved instead of blogged
Upcoming Events
8 August, Olathe Writers Zoom Event
3-7 September, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA https://www.dragoncon.org/
CANCELED (Much sadness)
There might be on-line things happening. Stay tuned.
Also, I should mention Chris Kennedy has added a new imprint. This one is called Quillcraft Press and it’s specifically for books by writers about writing. I don’t know the release date, but the first title will be Have Keyboard, Will Travel, by Bill Webb.
Today’s Weight: 378.4
Updated Word Count: 80,992
Shijuren Wiki: 39 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The big work this past week is closing in on the final draft of None Call Me Mother. There are nine parts to it, chosen very specifically as the readers will see when they read it. Seven are locked down. Eight is coming along, and nine is sketched out, though I have yet to really do the epilogue.
In other words, getting there. I know I keep saying it, but I’m trying to eliminate as many loose threads as possible. This is more challenging than I anticipated because I’m collecting threads from both I Am a Wondrous Thing and Brief Is My Flame. This is a disadvantage to being a pantser and I suspect one reason GRRM never finished the Song of Ice and Fire.
Anyway.
Today is July 4th and I wanted to take a moment and wish you all a happy holiday. My sweetie and I are not doing too much different, thought we are going to liberate a carpet from a floor and put down bamboo in the next few days.
Next week, I’ll be trying to finish these last two parts in None Call Me Mother and get that ready for the editor. Because of my delays in production, I have no idea when the editor will get a chance to look at it, so I don’t have a release, but I’m going with baby steps right now.
If I need to step away from that for a day, I’ll be throwing the initial words down for The Ravening of Wolves, the next Foresters 4HU novel. I need to get serious words going on that, though I know where I’m headed with it.
With that, I’m going to finish another chapter. Have a great and safe 4th.
What I’m Listening To
A perfectly appropriate song for the 4th, Pantera’s Cowboys from Hell. I came to Pantera late, long after Dimebag had been shot, but they’re a standard for me now.
Quote of the Week
I’m not going to paste the entire Declaration of Independence here, but I find it’s a useful thing to read every now and again, as is the Constitution and its amendments.
(Note: I’m changing this to New Releases, in part because I know so many good authors now that I want to support, but also so I’m not constantly posting new releases on my social media. That would get annoying quickly.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
You might know that portmanteau is a great word, but do you know just how wondersational it really is?
In medieval French, portemanteau meant “the “court official who carried a prince’s mantle” as of about the 1540s. This is fairly easy to see. “Porte” is the imperative of porter, which means “to carry.” Hence we get porter. “Manteau” is simply mantle.
In other words, “Hey, you, go carry that cloak.”
In the 1580s, it shifted to the more modern meaning: “traveling case or bag for clothes and other necessaries.”
While that’s still a current meaning of the word, it’s the not the one I find most fun. My favorite meaning is, of course, the combining of parts of two or more words to form another. Motel is a mashing of motor and hotel, for example.
The technical definition of a portmanteau in linguistics is: a single morph that is analyzed as representing two (or more) underlying morphemes. This means words like starfish or foreshadowing are compounds using two full words are not actually portmanteaus.
Now that we’ve got the boring linguistics stuff out of the way, lets get to the true magic of the word.
Did you know you can say tigons, ligers, and bears and be right? A tigon is a male tiger crossed with a female lion. A male lion and a female tiger is, obviously, a liger.
How fun is that?
OK, maybe I’m easily amused.
I bet eating a turducken with a spork is really difficult, but maybe delicious with a Cambozola cheese on the side. That actually sounds really gouda… (Sorry, I can’t help making cheese puns, even if they are a non sequitur).
Did I mention easily amused?
Anyway…
Here’s a portmanteau you probably use quite often. “Velours” is French for velvet. “Crochet” is French for hook (which is useful to know if your sweetie crochets everything). However, if you attach one to the other, you get Velcro. (Attach. See what I did there?)
Very easily amused, am I. Very.
Unlike most words, we have a specific time when it was first applied to this usage. The first person to say portmanteau in this way was….
Wait for it…
Humpty Dumpty.
No, really. Totally was.
OK, fine, it was Lewis Carroll having good ole’ Hump (as he’s called by his friends) speak to Alice in Through the Looking Glass. He said, “You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”
“Slithy,” by the way, is a portmanteau: slimy and lithe. “Mimsy” is one too: miserable and flimsy.
Speaking of amusement, now I’m wondering how many of you will spend hours scouring Jabberwocky for all the portmanteaus you can find. Bwa ha, bwa ha ha. For mine is an evil laugh.
But here’s the best part of it all.
Now when you use your Garmin (Gary and Min founded the company) to find a motel in Texarkana (or somewhere in Eurasia) and then undo the velcro holding something in your luggage, you can now let your mind drift to Alice in Wonderland and Lewis Carroll’s imagination.
I’ve had a good couple of weeks since the con in Georgia.
Writing-wise, I wrote a draft of a really short story I’ll return to in July. It’s set in Shijuren, but centuries before the time of Edward and Irina. It’s for an anthology of flash-fiction I was invited to headline getting released in the fall from the Corner Scribblers. You can find some of their previous anthologies here: https://www.amazon.com/The-Corner-Scribblers/e/B082YQWLCZ.
Many thanks to them for inviting me.
I also made a major step in None Call Me Mother this week. I needed to split the various threads apart to make sure I had them working. This week, I re-assembled them and started editing them. I’ve finished 4 of 9 parts, though parts 7, 8, and 9 will need serious revision. Still, it’s an entire novel now.
I dabbled with another project. I don’t know if it will ever turn into a novel or anything, but it might. Right now, it’s just some scraps that are more coherent than most. I’m calling it Cynewulf and I’ll be playing with it every couple of weeks.
I also played around with a couple of snippets from The Ravening of Wolves, which is my tentative title for the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows. Long way to go, but it’s started.
As for other projects, we’ve completed a bunch of stuff. We had a room that needed new trim and new casing. Thanks to a buddy of mine, it’s now finished and my sweetie is now arranging things.
Actually, the house is in the midst of a major shuffling. The step-daughter moved in with her boyfriend and we’re claiming her room as more space for the sweetie’s crafting stuff. That will probably be the sewing room, as opposed to the quilting room to one side or the sitting room with looms to the other.
Thank goodness we have a big house.
We’re really excited with what we’ll have when we’re done, but there’s lots to do, including replacing carpet in yet another room with bamboo. Fortunately, we’ve gotten pretty good at that.
Oh, and we had a major victory. We changed the front door deadbolt and handle assembly together without cussing at each other. Relationship win!!!
This week I’ll be working to get a full draft of None Call Me Mother finished. I doubt I will by next Friday, but it’s getting close enough it’s not out of the question.
Also, I’m trying to get back into a normal daily routine. These past months have sort of shifted me into a more withdrawn state, as I’m sure many can relate. However, between the con two weekends ago, major progress on None Call Me Mother, and ticking off projects around the house, I’m starting to build back up.
And with that, I’m off to drag some bricks into the house for a project.
Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
“Closing Time” by Semisonic. Not a great song by any stretch, but enjoyable nonetheless because it does a great job of capturing that moment.
Quote of the Week
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
– Closing Time, Semisonic
Yeah, it’s pithy. Yeah, it’s obvious and corny. Yet, for all that, it’s an easy sentiment to forget. Just because the good times have ended at one place doesn’t mean the next step in our lives won’t be better. Just gotta keep our chins up and make every day a step forward. Even a small step forward is useful.
I’ll be aiming for 5-10 new wiki entries a week. It’s a reasonable goal, and if I don’t have some target number I sort of forget about it sometimes. You all should know I’m easily distracted.
Today’s Weight: 381.4 (Note, the bad news is last time I accidentally typed 376 instead of 386. The good news is that I am still losing weight, and 381 is getting there.)
Updated Word Count: Will update next week
Shijuren Wiki: 34 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m in Dalton, GA at ConFinement, the mini-convention to replace LibertyCon. It’s been fantastic to get out and see people. Since I’m on the road and lots of things are going on, this is a bit abbreviated.
And I’m clearly not the only one. We’re having a great time.
While it’s much, much smaller than LibertyCon, it’s been especially nice to actually get to talk to some people I’ve been aware of, but haven’t really gotten to konw.
I’m still making progress with None Call Me Mother. It is almost not vaporware. Finally.
Too much is going on here. Having a great time. Will talk more later.
What I’m Listening To
The Baen Road show is happening on the other side of the room. The Baen people talk about what’s coming, give out books, and generally have a hoot. Most LibertyCons I can’t go because I’m usually scheduled against it, so I’m really happy to to get to watch this time.
Quote of the Week
“There is one true way of writing, and it’s whatever helps you get words on the page.”
– Me, to many new writers. Keep writing everyone.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Clearly, I have been losing track of days of late. It’s been four weeks since my last update and I barely even noticed. What have I been doing in the last month?
Glad you asked.
I wrote and sent off a short story for one thing. It’s to a publisher I’ve not worked with and I’m excited about the opportunity he gave me. Publication date hasn’t been set, and I can’t tell you much about it right now, but it’s a lot of fun.
I also made a lot of progress on None Call Me Mother. I know I’ve said that over and over, but it’s been tough sledding at times. This is the first time I’ve ever written a trilogy, and there are things I would definitely do differently. Of course, I’m a better writer than I was when I wrote I Am a Wondrous Thing, and I already do some of the things differently now out of habit.
I completed a number of small projects here and there. As I look around the house, we keep getting more and more done. Currently, we’re focusing on the back yard. Also, I keep adding a bit here, a bit there to get the Wiki back to its updated and improved form.
Also, I got interviewed by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. It’ll get published on Sunday and you’ll find it here when it goes live: https://www.nwaonline.com/features/whatsup/
The writer, Becca Martin-Brown, has been a buddy of mine for a long, wonderful time, so this is definitely a case of it’s good to have friends. I really appreciate her and this interview.
Next week I go off to a small mini-con designed to replace some of LibertyCon’s functionality. I am so looking forward to getting on the road again. I’m a wanderer by nature and it’s time.
Speaking of LibertyCon that wasn’t, this week sees the release of Give Me LibertyCon, the anthology including a bunch of big names written to celebrate the memory of Uncle Timmy with all the proceeds going to charity. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-LibertyCon-Christopher-Woods-ebook/dp/B087H4BM3R/.
Well, that’s enough for now. I’ve got writing to do. And I’ll try to be more aware of the passage of time going forward.
What I’m Listening To
AC/DC Thunderstruck.
Side note: If these talent shows always had performances like this one that is sure to “brighten” your day, I’d watch them more often. Of course, this is *Australia’s* Got Talent… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO1bGlyHDNU
Quote of the Week
The song immediately after Thunderstruck was Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle. How appropriate.
“Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future ”
– Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (About 110k)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Sheesh, not a damn thing except adding items to the wiki.
Upcoming Events
12-14 June, Emergency Holograph LibertyCon, Dalton, GA
This week’s spotlight is on Give Me LibertyCon, an amazing anthology just released by Baen. Basically a bunch of big names decided to celebrate the memory of Uncle Timmy, founder of LibertyCon, with an anthology. Side note: The profits go to charity.
You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-LibertyCon-Christopher-Woods-ebook/dp/B087H4BM3R/
Today’s Weight: 376.4
Updated Word Count: No clue, will pass that on next week
Shijuren Wiki: 33 entries (which actually includes probably more like 100 of the old pages as I have condensed a number of pages to make it easier to navigate).
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry about not getting out an update last week. I should just plan for that weekend to be empty, because the NFL Draft is one of my favorite events of the year. This year I actually got to wallow in it more than normal, which was a lot of fun for me.
Building a team, whatever the sport, is fascinating to me. It’s like multi-dimensional tetris with amorphous, changing parts. The best players don’t always fit, and this is especially true in football. More than any sport, football is a team sport, and fit is incredibly important for players.
It’s one reason why the hit rate on draft picks is so low. If the fit isn’t right, and you can’t always know until the attempt is made, then the player may never succeed. Conversely, if the fit is right, then that same player may become a Hall of Famer. It’s that much of a tightrope.
I love that sort of puzzle. It’s why I love tracking minor-league prospects as well.
Anyway, back to my work. I’ve spent this week hammering on a project that’s a bit of a change for me. It’s for a publisher I’ve not worked with before, and it’s a task with a number of interesting constraints. I have to match the editor’s specifics, which is making me work extra hard. Kinda neat, actually.
It’s sort of like writing certain kinds of poetry. Drottkvaet, for example, requires a slew of things including specific syllable counts, alliteration, and rhymes (preferably interior half-rhymes).
This particular project is something I’m having a lot of fun working on, but with the restrictions and the desire to impress a new editor, it’s been interesting.
In the end, though. I think you’ll like this story when I can tell you about it.
Speaking of stories, I had a new release this week. Gates of Hell, the newest Four Horsemen anthology, hit the virtual shelves yesterday. My story is “Fire from Fire Quickened,” and it’s a follow-up from The Feeding of Sorrows.
This is the 50th book in the Four Horsemen series. I am so proud to have contributed the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters to that universe, and will be writing the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows as soon as I finish None Call Me Mother.
it’s a tough day to work, as it’s beautiful outside, but gotta get words on the page. Have a great day.
What I’m Listening To
“Schism” by Tool. Tool is such a great band to write to. They are intricate, powerful, and get my mind going.
Quote of the Week
“A man, a horse, and a vicious kidnapping and murder saved me.”
– A Lake Most Deep, by me.
Why this as my quote? A Lake Most Deep turned 5 this week and this is the first line. I love that story, though I wince at times at my writing. I am so much better now than I was back then. I’m supposed to be, of course, but I wouldn’t have gotten here without A Lake Most Deep.
So glad I took the risk and dived into the deep end.
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (PAGES)
CB (8,418)
TSK (7,563)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Been working on the Wiki. Finally overcame a number of weird issues and I’m making good progress now.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
What a really busy and productive week. Most of this week has been focused on my story for the sequel anthology to We Dare, Semper Paratus.
I’ve actually had a number of issues with this story. The most important one is that I didn’t fully read the submission expectations. Let that be a lesson to everyone.
But the first draft had issues anyway. I didn’t like the pacing and flow. Like in many things, having one problem is a problem, having two and they might solve each other.
I’m re-writing it this weekend and I’m already much happier with it. It’s a story, now, or at least will be.
Second note. Always communicate with your editor. They can help, and Jamie Ibson has helped a ton. Also, if the story gets bigger than expected, you can ask for permission. This story is already larger than I anticipated, and I have a new ending and a battle scene to write.
Here you’ll find physical copies of all of my books. For electronic or audio versions, you’ll still buy them through Amazon. However, if you want signed copies, you can get them through this site.
Also, I’m adding a variety of used books and science fiction and fantasy magazines that I have available. The magazines are ones I have multiple copies of and I’ve been winnowing down my books as I convert to e-versions.
I’m really excited about the potential of this store for me. Please take a look.
What I’m Listening To
One of my favorite shows ever is Burn Notice and I saw all seven seasons on Amazon Prime. Time for mojitos, spy tricks, and extra violence.
Quote of the Week
There’s so much great writing in this show. I especially enjoy Michael Westen’s voiceovers.
“A hitman is like a plumber, a dentist or a mechanic. Everybody is always looking for a good one.”
– Michael Westen, Burn Notice
This week’s spotlight is on aescandthorn.com/store. You can get all of my novels and the anthologies I’ve contributed to, along with a variety of used items. I will add more items each week.
Today’s Weight: 397.4
Updated Word Count: 49,935
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow, what a major week of procrasti-projecting. I built a new bookcase for my SF/F magazines and spent part of the week not only shifting them around, but also organizing them. I now know just what treasure I have with those. It was so much fun.
Also, that led to organizing everything. So many small projects that I had just never gotten around to.
I now have a video camera on my computer. Well, I’ve had it for a while, but not actually plugged it in. I’ll be doing some FB Live stuff or YouTube things when I figure some things out.
I got a new color laser all-in-one. I’ve needed that functionality for a while. I rearranged the office and my printing setup is much more organized.
I organized my inventory. I now have a standard loadout for small events. I’ve needed this for a while as well.
I also made huge progress on my next short story. I may even finish the first draft tomorrow, giving me all week to polish it.
I had some great news, and a neat vote of confidence given to me.
Oh, and I made major progress on something I’ve been needing to do for a long time. I’ll expand on that next week.
Now I’m sitting with my sweetie enjoying a relaxing night. We’re watching Hercule Poirot and puttering around. She’s knitting a sock and I’ll be playing a game after I send this out.
Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Hercule Poirot, the Triangle at Rhodes episode. I love David Suchet and his +4 Mustache of Smiling.
Quote of the Week
“‘I belong to the world, Madame,’ said Poirot dramatically.”
– Agatha Christie, The Murder on the Orient Express
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (a bunch)
CB (8,418)
HM (6,374)
NWQF (4,125)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Spent the week puttering around instead of being on the blog.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a really productive week here. I’ve been getting off my butt and doing projects around the house. I had some leftover lumber from a project and built another 6-board chest. It’ll be finished tomorrow or Sunday. I’m down to touching up the paint, adding the hinge, and putting in the handles.
I also started a new bookcase that is explicitly designed to hold my collection of Analogs, Amazings, and other SF/F magazines. I may have to build two, but this all came out of lumber I had in stock with the exception that I’ll need to buy a sheet of 1/4in plywood cut the right dimensions to match the back.
I also decided to buy something that I’ve been looking at for some time. I have never had an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier because I get so little call for such thing. However, it’s happening more and more. Also, I’ve had very little need for a color laser, but it wouldn’t hurt to improve my signage at events. Color laser all-in-ones have come down to under $300 so it was time.
Writing also went really well this week, especially today. I’ve been pounding at one thread in None Call Me Mother for months. I have to get one person in the thread to the final battle and every attempt I made just felt forced. This snarl was worthy of Order of the Stick.
I finally came up with an answer.
And today was one of my most free and relaxed writing sessions in ages. I knew what had to be done, but this snag has literally held me up for a month.
Of course, last week was the release of When Valor Must Hold and I’ve am pleased with the response. I’m not surprised that all of our reviews and ratings so far have been 5 star, because I knew it was that good, but it’s pleasing nonetheless to have that confirmed once it got released into the wild.
As I mentioned last week, I have another short story coming out on 1 May. It’s entitled “Fire From Fire Quickened” and it will be released in the next Four Horsemen anthology entitled Gates of Hell.
Currently, I have two more short story projects in the works, one due in the middle of April and one at the end of May. Next week I’ll write the draft for the first one, which is a prequel to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms” from We Dare. I’m working with Yvonne Jacobs on this one and we have some fun ideas. As for the second one, I have some ideas coming already, though I need to wallow in a particular style before writing it.
It’s been a busy week around here.
What I’m Listening To
Weird Al’s Angry White Boy Polka. Al is really a national treasure. If you’ve never seen him live, I suggest it, even if you’re not a huge fan of his parodies. He and his band are actually extremely skilled musicians. His schtick would never have worked this long if he and his guys hadn’t actually been good.
Side note: I’ve won a number of fantasy leagues with the team name: Weird Albuquerques.
Second side note: You know, that’s not only a great team name but a fun title for an update…
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is incredibly apt right now. Weird Al is not only skilled, he’s prescient.
“Look
If you had
one shot
to sit on your lazy butt
and watch all the TV you ever wanted
until your brain turned to mush
Would you go for it?
or just let it slip?”
– Weird Al, “Couch Potato” from Poodle Hat
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (a bunch)
CB (8,418)
HM (6,374)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
I actually dropped the ball on blog posts this week. I kept getting distracted.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
When Valor Must Hold came out today and it has already earned an orange tag as number one new fantasy anthology. This is so cool, it deserves a screenshot.
I’m really proud of what we did here and I think you’ll all like it.
The final battle scene of None Call Me Mother is going to be epic and I’m loving how it’s shaping up. It’s been my primary focus this week. I also added a bunch of foundational stuff to make that battle even more powerful.
Incredibly powerful wizards, great heroes with flashing swords, and brothers fighting each other. It’s a lot of fun.
Wednesday I also got into a bit of a mood and wrote a couple thousand words on the next Edward novel. I’ve been re-reading Spenser and watching Spenser for Hire on Amazon Prime. Makes sense that I want to write some on my Spenser character.
Speaking of Edward, if you get When Valor Must Hold, you get to read how Edward and Deor met along with a bunch of great stories from all the other authors.
Also, I signed the contract for Gates of Hell this week. This is the next 4HU anthology and has my story “Fire from Fire Awakened.” This continues the Foresters’ saga with Rick Blaine working on a loose end from The Feeding of Sorrows.
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
The Atlanta Falcons in Dallas to face the Cowboys in 2009. Man, Romo when he was healthy was so good.
Quote of the Week
When I asked the authors to participate in When Valor Must Hold, this was what I told them I wanted. I wanted them to tell me of the days of high adventure!
“Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to bear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
– Akiro the Wizard, Conan the Barbarian
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
When Valor Must Hold comes out in 2 days! I’m very excited. Today’s interview is with Christopher Nuttall. His story is “The Game’s Afoot” and it sort of a fantasy Guns of Navarone. I think you’ll all like it, and I’m honored that he participated.
Interview: Christopher Nuttall
What is your quest?
Christopher Nuttall
I try to write the sort of books I like to read – action and adventure, mainly; almost all science-fiction and fantasy.
What is your favorite color?
Too many things to count, really. I like decaying empires and how they can -sometimes – flourish into something new. I like exploring the use and abuse of magic, and how politics can interact with science to change the world.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I’d like to do a really big story – something akin to the Night’s Dawn or Game of Thrones books – but I find them a little annoying. In my view, each novel should be at least partly a novel of its own – that’s what I’ve tried to do with the Schooled in Magic books – but that’s difficult to maintain. I have these ideas that are basically AMERICAN CIVIL WAR WITH MAGIC or GREAT WAR IN SPACE that would be huge, but force me to write in a format I don’t like or narrow the story too far. No room for character development if the stories are small, you see <grin>. The only person who did that in a single book was Tom Clancy – Red Storm Rising – and only a handful of his characters were truly 3D.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
The series I like the most, I think, is Schooled in Magic. It draws on so many of my hobbies – history, alternate history, etc – and lets me have fun. Ark Royal was an astonishing success, in so many ways – I’m proud I got so much out of it.
How do I write? I come up with the plot, I sort it out and then I start writing.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? [Insert politician’s name here.]
Favorite Weird Color? Black. You can’t go wrong with black.
What Cartoon Character Are You? I like to think Bugs Bunny. More likely … Millhouse.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A stack of books …
What Do You Secretly Plot? I have ideas for stories that will probably never be written.
Right now, I’m not due to attend any conventions. My health is a constant issue right now – and I have kids!
Thanks to Christopher for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Like many of us, this is a discombobulating time. Events canceled like Gulf Wars, FantaSci, and March Madness. Concerns over family friends. And people will be talking of the Toilet Paper Rush of Ought-20 like they did the 1849 Gold Rush.
There are silver linings, though. One, I get to use discombobulation again and again. It’s one of my favorite words.
Two, I’ve seen people in various communities band together to help their friends and neighbors. It’s not unusual for these people to do that sort of thing, but it’s more obvious right now and that’s comforting.
But it’s still a discombobulating time.
As a writer and someone who works from home, I have some nice advantages. Obviously, if I have food, water, and electricity, I can do my job normally. Without electricity, I have to hand write things, which I can do, though my hand problems make that challenging. Still, I can get through a reasonable time and still do my job. That’s comforting too.
But it’s not without dangers. I am an only child and a tendency to get too withdrawn.
Worse, the cancellations and the discombobulation exacerbate my tendencies to hermit and dwell on things far too much. I ponder where things go and game scenarios out in my head. It’s a great trait as a writer, of course, but can often send me down the road to thinking too many bad thoughts. That’s what cost me September, along with fatigue.
Today I’m writing from Brewbakers. I suspect, I’ll be here most days during this discombobulation as long they can stay open. I need to get out and see the world and not simply through the lens of social media.
My suggestion to you all is to do the things you’ve been putting off because you didn’t have time. I’m going to throw myself at None Call Me Mother and work on some projects around the house.
I also suggest everyone look for cool things to do for other people. Discombobulations bring stress. The word is fun to say, but the experiences are often not. The more nice things we do, even small ones, the better we’ll all be when we get back to our normal rat race.
The best thing about doing nice things for people in a discombulated time? It has a tendencies to combobulate all involved.
Made a goodly amount of progress on None Call Me Mother. I have one thread just about completed, a second that’s close, and a third that needs tightening up.
I also made progress on the final battle, which is pretty complex and I’m mapping it out. The best part about it is that I *finally* get to use some of the plants I placed in I Am a Wondrous Thing years ago. I’ve been waiting for some of this the whole time.
My word count actually went down this week as I’ve been clearing out some chaff, too. I’m in the 107k range, though it’s scattered among several files right now as I make sure the threads are complete and tight.
In two weeks, though, you’ll get some new Shijuren stuff for the first time in a while. My story, “What’s in a Name” is in When Valor Must Hold, and it’s how Edward meets Deor. It’s a story I’ve wanted to write for a while, as it’s in my head every time the two of them interact.
Tomorrow, I’m off to quilt stores with my sweetie. She’s got this quilt store quest and I’m driving her about to spend time with her. I’ll actually get some editing done as I sent one thread to my phone and I’ll read it on my Kindle. As I’ve mentioned, it’s great for seeing things in a different way.
Have a great weekend everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Blood Sacrifice Shaman by Tengger Cavalry. The Hu have gotten more popular of late, but these guys were the first Mongolian folk metal band I heard of. Unfortunately, their lead guy died last year. He was a hell of a musician and they’re well worth listening to.
Quote of the Week
John Herschel was born on this date in 1792. This quote from him is true of just about every endeavor.
“Every student who enters upon a scientific pursuit, especially if at a somewhat advanced period of life, will find not only that he has much to learn, but much also to unlearn.”
– John Herschel
This week’s spotlight is on Bill Webb, whose story in When Valor Must Hold is “Island of Bones” and it mixes old school horror and fantasy. You can find my interview of him at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2032
Today’s Weight: 398.4
Updated Word Count: 46,597
Shijuren Wiki: Rebuilding
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
This week’s interview is with Bill Webb, whose story “Island of Bones” is good old-fashioned pulp fantasy. Heroes, ancient evils, horrifying monsters. All the good stuff.
Interview: Bill Webb
Why are you here?
What are your influences? I’m heavily influenced by history, even in my fiction. At the end of the day stories are about characters, and most of my characters are humans. Since human nature is unchanging, and it is, the fun part becomes using those personality types in a new setting.For example, at its heart my series The Last Brigade is about the power of the individual to affect great events. This theme carries through in other stories like The Sting of Fate and The Moles of Vienna.
Who are some favorite other creators? That’s a very long list. Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, Robert A. Heinlein, Karl Edward Wagner, all writers in the Four Horsemen Universe, John Babb, Fritz Leiber, Michael Connelly, Randy Wayne White…the list is nearly endless.
What made you a creator in the first place? It was probably the desire to emulate what I liked. I still have a ‘comic book’ that I started one day during High School Spanish class. I had colored pencils and everything, and drew it on ruled paper. My earliest known fiction story grew as a direct result of reading Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser’ tales.But the actual compulsion to create came from somewhere out in the ether. I’m probably the worst person to guess what that means, because I have no idea why I first felt the need to share stories. Maybe I’m an insecure showoff who needs the validation of others to feel good about myself, or maybe I just like the idea of creating something new. If either one of those is true, I’m not the one to tell you which it is, because I don’t know.
Why did you choose to create what you create? I’ve always thought the things I create chose me, but I guess there are lots of my creations jumping around and waving for my attention like children. And by writing a particular story, I’m choosing which one to pay attention to…okay then.It’s all very random. As a diehard pantser I always only start with a vague idea, and it’s always whatever seems appropriate at the moment. Oddly enough I do plan out which books I’m going to write when, so in that regard planning is important to me. But the actual creative process is about as haphazard as it gets.My rewrites almost always add substantial words to my first draft, so the choice of what to include and what not to lasts far beyond the point it does for most writers. In my experience, most writers pare down their first draft instead of expanding it.
What would you like to create someday? An alternate WW2 history series is one thing I want to create, which is actually coming later this year. I also would love to create an alternate Civil War series, Punic War series…and a space novel that I would really like to fit into the Four Horsemen Universe, but so far haven’t been able to make that work.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop? Home. I can work elsewhere, but I’m usually not as good at producing things. My office is a disaster, there’s paper everywhere, books, the usual detritus of a writer, and my desk has coffee stains everywhere. One limiting factor for me is that laptop keywords are too small for my hands, so I keep hitting the wrong keys.
Do you listen to music? Yes, 99% of the time it’s hard rock, and 95% of that time it’s my favorite band, Status Quo, or bands that grew out of Status Quo’s example, such as Piledriver or Predatür.
What other things exist in your productive environment? A TV. When not listening to music, the TV is on. I get some of my best dialogue from Jerry Springer. (Truth)
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? Outlining. If it works for other writers, God bless ‘em, but it sure doesn’t work for me.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? Everything I write has some element of the power of the individual to affect events far beyond the scope of what one person can generally be thought to influence. I also love to play around with the role that Fate plays in great historical events. The Sting of Fate, for example, posits the difference that one wasp could have played on the history of the world, had it used its stinger at a critical moment.
What are specific techniques you do well? Some would argue, there are none. But I think I do a good job of putting my readers into the moment. I am often told by readers they can picture what I’m describing perfectly, despite the fact that I live by Roger Zelazny’s dictum of never using more than two descriptors. I’ve also become pretty adept at tell a scene, battles in particular, from various POVs.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? The way I was taught to write was my biggest obstacle, the one that took decades to purge. Being more or less a Creative Writing major in college, I learned how to write literary fiction. My teachers wanted me to emulate Faulkner, or James Joyce, and the word ‘genre’ might earn you an ‘F.’ I did learn to write beautiful sentences, but they went nowhere because the prose was the point, not the story. Out of sheer frustration I quit writing fiction in 1996 and didn’t try it again until 2014. By then I had gotten out of the habit of ignoring story and was able to write prose that people actually enjoyed.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? Trying to get an agent. The whole process is backward and ridiculous. Fortunately, I figured out that the whole concept of an agent is no longer important to me, or any writer that’s paying attention.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons? Boy do I. Whole filing cabinets full of them. I have one novel in which I combined hard SF with sword and sorcery. The concept isn’t impossible to pull off, some have done so, but it’s hard. I took this novel to a small press, this was in the 1980s, and they agreed to publish it, even naming an amount for an advance. But editor wanted me to expand a 70k word book to 120k. Keep in mind, this was before computers, so everything was written on a typewriter.I did it. It took two years, but I did it. However, I had not insisted on a contract, and when I finished the editor told me they weren’t publishing fiction anymore. He couldn’t pick up an phone and call me, even though we lived in the same city, he let me work for two years first.Needless to say, the bloated book read like a bloated book. I have since reused parts of it, but there are literally thousands of edited pages of that book still in my possession.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block?I have two methods. First, I don’t believe in writer’s block, I think that’s an excuse. It is for me, anyway. So if I get stuck at point, I either write another sentence no matter how bad it might be, and keep writing until the story starts flowing again, or I jump to a different scene and write that.If neither one of those works, I go to something different. It’s not unusual for me to work on 3 or 4 different projects in the same day.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Wasting time trying to get an agent so you can publish traditionally. The whole thing has become a farce. There are agents who actually charge for you to pitch to them at a conference. That’s indefensible.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? Listen to your own instincts. Attend writing classes, conferences, conventions and seminars, but write the way you like to read.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Miss Piggy.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Status Quo.
Favorite Superhero? Ben Grimm.
Favorite 1970s TV show? The first season of MASH. Marcia Strassman was hot.
Favorite Weird Color? Teal.
Favorite Sports Team? Memphis Tigers.
Best Game Ever? Chess.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? It’s X-rated.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Johnny Quest.
Your Wrestler Name? Wham-wham William.
Your Signature Wrestling Move? Pulling a Colt 1911.
What Do You Secretly Plot? To buy Jamaica.
How Will You Conquer the World? In my dreams.
Best Thing From the 80s? My kids.
Favorite Historical Period? World War Two.
Most Interesting Person In History? Winston Churchill.
Steak Temperature? Medium well.
Favorite Chip Dip? French onion.
Favorite Cereal? Raisin Bran.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Bacon cheeseburger with fries and chocolate shake.
Beverage(s) of Choice? Unleaded: Diet Pepsi. Leaded: mojito.
Do You Have Pets? Yes, seven dogs.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? If we was younger, Donald Sutherland. I once got a free meal by pretending to be his brother.
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? What book have you re-read the most?
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What’s the best answer you’ve gotten to one of these interview questions?
Rob’s Answer: Probably Quincy Allen’s “Don’t let the naysayers win.” This isn’t an easy job, especially since it tests one’s confidence daily and we all deal with imposter syndrome. That’s the serious answer, but I’ll admit there’s been some fantastic Lightning Round answers. Those are often my favorites in a given interview.
Standing In Righteious Rage, The Last Brigade Book 5, is scheduled for release in early May. High Mountain Hunters, a planned book in the 4HU, should be delivered by mid-May. Also, I have agreed to a World War Two alternate history trilogy with Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press, titled A World Afire. It’s a great year for me to be stoked!
And where can we find you?
I’m a Special Guest at Tupelocon, the first weekend in March
Midsouthcon March 20-22
Libertycon in June
I’m also doing a signing at Fort Knox in July.
Do you have a creator biography?
Born and raised by a family of nomadic badgers in West Tennessee, Bill Webb wrote his first stories in grade school, terrifying all who knew him, and that was before he found comic books and science fiction. (He is still angry at having a copy of X-Men #53 ripped out of his hands during 11th grade Spanish class.)
The release in 2016 of his Last Brigade series changed his career path by actually giving him a career path. The Time Wars and Sharp Steel and High Adventure series’ soon followed.
By age 25 he’d read all of the classics…Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Robert Heinlein, Michael Moorcock and Roger Zelazny. Later influences include Larry Niven, Jerry Pournell and Larry Corriea. Indulging himself in a double concentration at the University of Memphis of Creative Writing and History, college felt more like a long party than school.
After multiple careers in various industries, he much prefers writing books and stories to any sort of actual work. His idea of punching a clock these days is a coffee maker that finishes brewing its magic five minutes before he gets up in the morning.
Snippet from Bill’s new fantasy story, titled Beyond the Dead River.
The crocodile wanted to submerge, but she pulled back on the reins and kept the tired reptile swimming. The thrusts of its powerful tail had slowed, as had its paddling feet, but her stance astride its back allowed direct use of the spurs on her bootheels to keep it moving forward. At last it reached the river’s far shore and hauled the entire enormity of its bulk onto the mud flat. Rolling out the tethering chain, she looped it around the bole of a giant tree and scanned both ways for potential predators.
The dense jungle didn’t intimidate her. Vines with thorns and thick, oval leaves hung from trees taller than a castle’s keep, while a nearby stream emptied into the muddy river. Despite her knowledge of the rain forest, the dense undergrowth and deepening twilight left her dreading the need to travel in darkness deeper than the perpetual shadows of the rain forest. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed a light breeze for the scent of any nearby predators, and one eye twitched at a musky smell she knew belonged to a python. She would have to be very careful.
She had the lean, muscular physique of a warrior. Her limbs didn’t have the soft curves of a city born woman, but instead had muscles that appeared roughly cut from stone. Yet no one could mistake her for being a man. She had chosen her raiment specifically for travel through in the jungle. She had tucked loose trousers of well-worked animal leather into calf-high boots of snake-skin, with a leather shirt stretched tight across her chest. Two longs knives hung from a simple belt around her waist. Thick, curly black hair fell past her shoulders, held in place by a rawhide thong. A stained, short-brimmed hat protected her head from the countless overhead threats that inhabited the country through which she had to pass to achieve her mission.
Thanks to Bill for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Been a pretty good week here. Not much in terms of word count, but that’s because I was putting the final touches on “Fire from Fire Quickened,” my next installment in the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters. I sent it off to CKP today and I hope it’ll be accepted for the next anthology.
I love this story and let me just say, things are getting worse for the Foresters before they’ll get better. If Roosevelt Edmonds were to ever meet me in real life, he’d bop me in the nose. Or worse.
I also managed to finally break through on some technical issues related to the Shijuren wiki. I’ll hopefully be able to get it back up soon, though it’ll take a bit to learn the new version.
Today I began the final push on None Call Me Mother. I’m at that stage in the writing where I have to separate each thread and make sure I follow them to the concluding battle. I have a lot of the concluding battle scribbled in notes here and there, but this will help me block the scene properly. Also, this will help eliminate some redundancies that have cropped up as well as plot holes.
Getting there.
Tomorrow, I’ll pop on over to St. Louis and watch the second Battlehawks home game. The first one was a ton of fun, and I will do my writeup on both weekends on Sunday.
What I’m Listening To
Iron Maiden’s Back in the Village. Not one of their more well-known songs, but like Rush, Iron Maiden’s B-sides are often better than the hits.
Quote of the Week
“I liked working with smart people.”
– Katherine Johnson
I’ll bet that’s what people said about working with you. Godspeed, and thanks for helping us reach the stars.
This week’s spotlight is on D.J. Butler, whose story “No Trade for Nice Guys” reminded me so much of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, I went back and started reading those again. You can find my interview with him at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2021.
Today’s Weight: 396.8
Updated Word Count: 42,769
Shijuren Wiki: Rebuilding
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a strange week where I know I got lots done but I don’t really have a great way to show it. My 4HU short story is about 1000 words larger, but that’s the only word count I can point to. If that were it, I’d be frustrated about this week.
Fortunately, it’s not it. I spent the week clearing up a variety of details on this and that, including finalizing my taxes.
One of the best things I can report is the advanced copies of When Valor Must Hold went out to readers this week. Each one of these steps makes it that much more real. That much less vaporware. The authors are excited, the publisher is excited, the readers are excited, so guess what? I’m excited too.
While I only show 1000 more words in the 4HU story, I edited out a couple of thousand and cleaned up what I got. I’m now at the point where I see the whole pattern and it’ll be done on time and it’ll be good.
This weekend, I’m going to an SCA event and then the first home game of the St. Louis Battlehawks. More excitement. Going to be a great weekend.
What I’m Listening To
Various big band jazz songs at Shameless Grounds, a coffee shop owned by a couple of friends in St. Louis.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 104th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Verdun. More people think of Gandalf when they think of this phrase today, but here’s General Petain at Verdun.
I might have mentioned this before, but my grandfather enlisted at the age of 14 to fight in WW1. He never got to the trenches because they knew he was too young, so they had him cut trees and that sort of thing, but he saw more than a 14-year-old should. I still have my copy of Arthur Guy Empey’s Over the Top which he gave me.
““Ils ne passeront pas!” – ‘They shall not pass!’”
– Henri-Philippe Petain, during the Battle of Verdun, 1916
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (108,716)
CB (8,418)
FSS (6,808)
RQS (1,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Rob’s Ramblings: I didn’t do one this week, didn’t have anything to ramble about.
This week’s spotlight is on Jon Osborne, whose is one of the cover authors in When Valor Must Hold.
Today’s Weight: On the road, didn’t check today
Updated Word Count: On the road, didn’t check today
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
This week, the interview is with Jon Osborne, who I think is a rising star. His story in When Valor Must Hold is called “The Errand” and you’ll love it.
Interview: Jon Osborne
Jon Osborne
Why are you here?
My early science fiction influences are Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, George Lucas, and Gene Roddenberry. My fantasy influences, which came later, were Charles de Lint, Randall Garrett, Steven Brust, and Gary Gygax. More contemporary inspiration comes from the likes of Eric Flint and Kevin Hearne.
I was a gamer before a writer. I started off as a Dungeon Master because I had the rules, and storytelling became addictive. I learned from an early age that characters will not do what you expect, nor do they care about your pre-conceived plans.
The Milesian Accords wasn’t a story that had been bouncing around for years. It coalesced while I was driving every week between Indianapolis and Chicago to deal with my parents’ estate. The beginning and ending of the story formed right away, and the rest filled in as I wrote the story.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
I do 95% of my writing in my home office on a sprawling, cluttered desk. When I played MMOs, I spent the bulk of my time parked in front of this corner desk, and when I transitioned to writing, I remained parked here.
I use YouTube for my background music. By and large, I listen to soundtracks. The most notable exception is the Mongolian heavy metal band The HU, and the funk band Here Come The Mummies.
I’m not a coffee drinker, so the coffee shop doesn’t hold an appeal for me. I’d rather have a whisky or beer in the comfort of my home rather than sit in an establishment full of strangers.
What are your superpowers?
Based on feedback, it appears I do dialogue well. Disney, if you’re reading this, I can help you out with that next Star Wars movie – you need it. I like to think I’m good at world-building – although my editors might say I get carried away – another trait from my background as a game master.
One of the things I had to overcome was my training – I majored in journalism in college, so I was taught to keep sentences short and my writing concise. Once I tried my hand at descriptive fiction, I found out I sucked at complex sentences – especially commas use. The way it sounded in my head was the opposite of how I should write. Fortunately, my publisher was a great mentor and patient with me.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
Superman has kryptonite, and I have squirrels. Staying focused is a huge challenge for me. In fact, I’m filling this out when I should be finishing a book. I’ve found I should keep my phone out of arm’s reach, as a quick checking of e-mail or social media turns into half an hour.
One thing I regret was never learning to type. Despite majoring in journalism in high school and college, I didn’t take typing classes. I mostly use my index fingers. If I typed faster, maybe I could keep up with my brain.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? The Hu
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Favorite Weird Color? 633fcc
Favorite Sports Team? The Colts
Best Game Ever? D&D
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? When I found my missing cat on Christmas Day
What Cartoon Character Are You? Scooby Doo
What Do You Secretly Plot? A 6 book RPG Lit series
How Will You Conquer the World? Sounds like too much work
Best Thing From the 80s? You expect me to pick one? Those were my high school and college years.
Favorite Historical Period? It depends on what Wikipedia page I’m looking at.
Most Interesting Person In History? See above.
Steak Temperature? Medium
Favorite Chip Dip? Nacho cheese
Favorite Cereal? Captain Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch (but it’s like eating peanut butter flavored gravel and will shred your mouth)
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? A bacon-wrapped fillet, french fries, and chili at the Ale Emporium
Beverage(s) of Choice? Beer
Do You Have Pets? No
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? If you wrote under a (different) pen name, what would it be?
What question(s) would you like to ask me? What was the hardest book/story to write and why?
Rob’s Answer: So far, that clearly has to be None Call Me Mother. I’ve been working on it for two years now, and it still isn’t done. I’m getting close, but man this one hasn’t gone smoothly.
Jon R. Osborne is a veteran gamemaster and journalism major turned science fiction and fantasy author. The second book in the Jon’s The Milesian Accords modern fantasy trilogy, “A Tempered Warrior”, was a 2018 Dragon Awards finalist for Best Fantasy Novel. Jon is also a core author in the military science fiction Four Horseman Universe, where he was first published in 2017.
Jon resides in Indianapolis, where he plays role-playing games, writes science fiction and fantasy, and lives the nerd life. You can find out more at jonrosborne.com and at https://www.facebook.com/jonrosborne.
Thanks to Jon for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve had to fight through getting words on the page. I’ve averaged just at 1000 words, but it’s been slow going despite staying at the keyboard.
I did make good progress on my next 4HU short story, and I’m approaching the main battle scene. I’ll have that done next week, though I’ll probably have editing yet still to do.
I also made progress in None Call Me Mother, though this was a bunch of re-arrangement. I have a thread I need to include in the final battle and getting the character there has been challenging. I *think* I have it now, but we’ll see. My word total went down, but as I’m at 108k, that’s fine.
The sweetie requested some small short stories for a project she’s working on. I got a draft of the first one of those written today. That one, at least, came out smoothly and easily.
I also wrote a draft of the Preface for When Valor Must Hold. In other words, it was not a week of legend, but I made progress.
Hopefully, the words will jump off the page next week. If not, I’ll keep plugging away.Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Cinderella Man by Rush off of Different Stages. A Farewell to Kings is a fantastic album and one I listen to frequently.
Quote of the Week
If there’s ever a quote an author should here, especially in a week where the words don’t come out easily, this is it.
“Cinderella Man
Hang on to your plans
Try as they might
They cannot steal your dreams”
– Rush, Cinderella Man
This week’s spotlight is on Christopher Woods, whose story “Darkness Before the Dawn” inspired the cover of When Valor Must Hold. You can find that interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2007.
Today’s Weight: 396.4
Updated Word Count: 30,443
Shijuren Wiki: Updating
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today I’m interviewing Christopher Woods. His story Darkness Before the Dawn was a bit of new thing for him. He hadn’t done much fantasy writing before, but he’s a great writer so he gave me a great story. Also, it had a dragon and an ice wizard in it. If that sounds like the cover for When Valor Must Hold, it’s not a coincidence.
Interview: Christopher Woods
Christopher Woods
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Most of the influences for my writing came from reading umpteen million books over a thirty year span. You can probably see different things as you read my work that remind you of other writers of days gone by. I’m not even sure if I can identify most of the particular places where this can be seen because there were so many. The biggest influence I have in my life is always my wife, Wendy. She makes me a better person and keeps me going when I feel like quitting. Her heart is big enough that I have trouble understanding how it all fits in such a tiny person.
Who are some favorite other creators? I have a long list of authors I dearly love, some living, some gone. Louis L’Amour may have been the best story teller I have ever read. Edgar Rice Burroughs told stories of heroes, with good and evil at odds with one another. Heroes triumph in the end. David Weber was the reason I got into Military Sci-Fi by writing his Honor Harrington series. Later I met the man and he is one of the nicest people I know in the industry. I have to give props to Chris Kennedy, who turned a writing career into a very successful publishing career. There are a slew of writers I have read that could be added to the list but it would take a novel to list them all.
What made you a creator in the first place? I have always written short stories but nothing that was intended to see the world at large. An active imagination and a lot of comic books had me writing stories in various comic universes. I don’t even know where those stories ever got too. The things I have published are much more recent. They sprang from a time when I was basically living in the attic room at my dad’s. I had gotten divorced, had my home foreclosed on, and gone through bankruptcy. The economy had just tanked and I was working a factory job that only gave us three days per week. I had a great deal of time and very little money, so I wrote a book.
Why did you choose to create what you create? The first book, Soulguard, came from a dream I had three nights in a row. Seemed like a good place to start so I did. I have several things I want to do. I want to continue from several of the short stories I have done over the last year. The fantasy, Darkness Before the Dawn is one of them. Traitor’s Moon from the Salvage Universe of Kevin Steverson begs to be continued. There are three more Soulguard books to finish out that series. I would like to do a western as close to the style of Louis L’Amour as I can manage. In fact, I would like to write several.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
When Valor Must Hold
Where do you work? Mostly from home. Sometimes I work away from the house and I write there after the work is done, but most of my writing happens in my office.
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples. I am a huge fan of Heavy Metal. Five Finger Death Punch, Seether, Stone Sour, and Godsmack, to name a few. Lately I have found Shaman’s Harvest and really like their music.
What other things exist in your productive environment? I work in a roomful of stuff my wife has procured to give away at the conventions. There is also a stupid cat that seems to like walking across my hwfwfguwfgwfjjffrncusjuq28 keyboard.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? I’ve tried to write when I was physically exhausted and it doesn’t work very well. So now I try to write in the mornings before I go to work. It seems to work a lot better for me.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I want a happy ending. Sometimes it will be laced with loss but my heroes win in the end.
What are specific techniques you do well? I’ve been told my dialogue is very good and the humor is enjoyed.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? Becoming a published author is probably the greatest success I can think of aside from finding Wendy. I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find her but I do know how I became a published author. She kept telling me “just do it, people will love it”, until I did and I found out she was right.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? I can never seem to get the work done where I can just focus on the writing. I had planned to be done by the end of 2019 and I still have a month or two ahead of me.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons? Readers may not follow you to another series. Sometimes they won’t even follow you to another character in the same series. There is no guarantee people will read the “next” book. The lesson is to just keep going, even when the readers don’t follow. At some point you will get new readers, you just have to keep doing the work.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? Sometimes I will take a break and play some video games. Sometimes it will be wood working. Music helps jar me out of any writer’s block too.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Don’t give up too soon. There may be a time when you feel like you just aren’t good enough. When that happens, try to learn what the problem is and rectify it. Don’t give in. I wrote Fallen World and it sat doing nothing for close to two years. I decided to approach it from a different angle and put it with Chris Kennedy where we opened the world to other writers. It’s now selling and growing. Don’t give up. Look for a different approach.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? Start sooner.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Shaman’s Harvest
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine
Favorite 1970s TV show? Dukes of Hazzard
Favorite Weird Color? Candy apple red
Favorite Sports Team? Not a sports guy
Best Game Ever? Skyrim
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Wendy
What Cartoon Character Are You? Grape Ape
Your Wrestler Name? Fat Boy Slim
Your Signature Wrestling Move? Run around screaming with my arms in the air
What Do You Secretly Plot? Conquering the world
How Will You Conquer the World? Can’t let you in on the secret… Yet. Soon.
Best Thing From the 80s? Hair bands
Favorite Historical Period? Old west
Most Interesting Person In History? The first guy to literally strap a rocket to his back and go into space. That guy would be interesting, I believe.
Steak Temperature? Med Rare
Favorite Chip Dip? Sour cream and ranch
Favorite Cereal? Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Something loaded with carbs
Beverage(s) of Choice? Diet Pepsi
Do You Have Pets? A fat dog and a retarded cat.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Kevin Smith or Jack Black
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? You got it covered.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How goes the book writing on your end? What have you got coming up?
Rob’s Answer: I’m in that drudge stage on None Call Me Mother where I’m juggling 110k and turning them into a story instead a random collection of words held hostage. I’m also writing my short story for the next 4HU anthology and soon will right a prequel for my story from We Dare.
Give Me LibertyCon (co-edited with Toni Weisskopf)
Freedom’s Challenge (Soulguard Book 6)
Dogs of God: Science Fiction According to Chris (anthology)
Co-authored book in Fallen World with Chris Kennedy (as yet unnamed)
New story in Salvage Universe anthology number 2, Farmer’s Accord (The Fallen World)
Traitor’s Moon novel (Salvage Universe)
And where can we find you?
FantaSci in Durham, NC March 20 – 22
LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN June 12-14
DragonCon in Atlanta, GA Sep 3-7,
Do you have a creator biography?
Christopher Woods, teller of tales, writer of fiction, and professional liar is the author of multiple series. His popular Soulguard series, the Legend series in the Four Horsemen Universe, The Fallen World, and Traitor’s Moon in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Universe. He has written nine novels and been featured in several anthologies. As a carpenter of thirty years, he spends his time building, whether it be homes or worlds. He lives in Woodbury, TN with his wonderful wife and daughter. To see what he is doing just go to www.theprofessionalliar.com .
Thanks to Christopher for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This past weekend was the first weekend of the XFL. For many years I have been hoping for a spring pro football league and the XFL has been my best hope for while.
I would like a spring league not only because it’s more football, although I always want more football. It could also serve as a developmental area, because NFL teams just don’t have time under the current CBA to really do a bunch of developmental work on down-roster players. This is especially true for quarterbacks and offensive linemen who need full-speed repetitions to improve.
It is also an area to develop other aspects. Referees and coaches can also get more experience. If done right, it could be an place for innovation and experimentation.
The XFL held this promise, despite the fact that the AAF, which was announced at about the same, failed like every other competitor to the NFL.
Why do I think this will succeed when none have before? Vince McMahon is no idiot, and he wouldn’t try this again if he didn’t think he could make it work. He also made it clear he wanted innovations, not gimmicks. Where the AAF rushed to get their product to market, the XFL took an extra year to devise new ideas, test them for effectiveness and player safety, and make sure all the financial foundations were in place.
Now, we finally got to see the product. One of the major innovations was a radically re-designed kickoff system. Those who have been watching the XFL come together have been very curious about this one change in particular.
It was a huge success. So much so that I’d be surprised if it doesn’t become the norm for kickoffs within the decade.
And it’s emblematic of the innovations in the league. They promised a faster pace and they got it. Two specific rule changes were made to achieve this. One, 25 seconds between plays instead of 40 in the NFL. Two, there’s an official whose sole job is to spot the ball between play. A little thing, one might think, but I watched the officials make ready for play with an efficiency the NFL currently can’t even dream of.
The extra point has been revised, with 1, 2, and 3 point options. This has a ton of potential, though it’s clear coaches don’t yet understand all the possibilities. Punts have to be inbounds, but coverage guys can’t leave as quickly. We also didn’t see the double forward pass play used yet, but I see a bright future for it.
The closest thing to gimmicky was the immersive coverage. Cameras can basically go anywhere. There was one play yesterday when Jordan Ta’amu had to avoid a cameraman on the field. Players who made a big play, either good or bad, were interviewed almost immediately. It’s rough on the player to have to look into a microphone after a big mistake, but it’s fantastic TV.
And the broadcasts can let us all listen to everything that’s being said by the coaches and the officials via their radios. We can hear play calls as they’re being called. Amazing. When there’s a replay, we can hear the officials talking through the play and see them looking at their screen.
This last thing is huge, by the way. Everything is reviewable in the XFL, but reviews are quick, quick, quick. And we can hear them doing it. Sure, they pause the game, but not for a commercial. Instead, we’re seeing them adjudicate the play in real time and that’s a game-changer. Replays stop being boring and become entertainment in themselves.
Plus, let’s mention that having replay officials inherent to each game means they’re on the ball. Again, quick, quick, quick.
If the NFL doesn’t adopt the XFL’s replay system, and soon, they’re missing the boat.
And that’s exactly what I always wanted from a spring league. Opportunities for players like Ta’amu to practice his craft for a while and add innovation to the stodgy hide-bound NFL that sometimes gets too high and mighty.
Of course, none of this matters if it’s not good football. Fortunately, it was. All of the players were 90-man roster types, practice squadders, or even tail end 53-man roster capable. The NFL, by the way, has 90-man rosters at the beginning of training camp. By the end of camp, they have a 53-man active roster and a 10-man practice squad, which leaves 27 players to fend for their careers. That’s more than enough to fill XFL rosters.
Also, the difference between the 90th player and the 30th player is a lot smaller than many might think. Oftentimes it’s a question of opportunity, especially if a player gets hurt.
I suspect that many players might choose the XFL over an NFL practice squad in years to come. A practice squad player gets few reps, few opportunities to improve. An XFL starter gets a bunch.
In any case, the football this weekend was NFL-fast, fast-paced in terms of plays per minute, and filled with quality play. Sure, there were mistakes, but week one of the NFL season is filled with similar mistakes. QBs threw dimes. RBs made moves. WRs made great catches. Defenders made great plays. The offensive lines struggled a bit, but that’s to be expected and is exactly what we see in the NFL in week one and their struggles were often miscommunications, not a lack of ability.
And I’m not the only one to be impressed by the XFL. All across Twitter, people were talking about in. The vast majority I saw were impressed, including every NFL player, current or former, who I saw comment.
I’m excited because this will make football at all levels better and safer.
It didn’t hurt that the St. Louis Battlehawks, predicted as a major underdog, went on the road and won.
In any case, I’m hooked. I’m so glad we got season tickets this year. Go Battlehawks! #ClearedToEngage.
It’s been a good week. Last weekend was the final of several postrevels I hosted for the local barony. Weather severely impacted two of them, and the last one tends to be small and relaxed, so this year’s postrevel sequence wasn’t as epic as others have been. Still, in this one a bunch of people had a great conversation, we played Cards Against Humanity, I got a chance to talk late into the night with a baby laurel who I helped spring the surprise upon.
Then I got back to writing. I wrote about 5k on None Call Me Mother with finally connecting two large chunks together. Today, I started writing a new short story following up on The Feeding of Sorrows.
Speaking of which, my publisher informed me that The Feeding of Sorrows just surpassed a million page reads on Kindle Unlimited. How cool is that?
Side note: I actually just re-read The Feeding of Sorrows to make sure I had the voice right and to remember all the details. I hadn’t looked at it since July, and I discovered, to my amazement, it was pretty darn good. This is a bit of surprise. Normally, I look at my stuff from months ago and cringe a bit because I’ve gotten better in the intervening months. Either I haven’t gotten better, or it was pretty good to start with. I think it’s the first, though, because I know several specific things I worked on over the fall as part of editing When Valor Must Hold.
While that’s good news, it means I have to keep working at the craft so I can sustain pretty good.
Anyway, the short story I started today is going to the next 4HU anthology and ties up a loose end in The Feeding of Sorrows. I was not going to cover that lose end in its sequel, but it’s a good mystery and will allow me to add a twist I’ve been contemplating to that thread. Fun stuff.
This weekend I’ll be watching some football. Yes, the Super Bowl was last week, but this week is the XFL. I’m excited about this league. I think it has a chance to succeed because unlike the AAF and others, it has a good financial base, McMahon learned from the previous version, and it’s already injecting new ideas into football. I think some of these things will eventually filter into the NFL, once we see how they work in games. I’m excited about that because I think the NFL needs some shaking up.
With that, I’m going to go toss more words at the page. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Far Cry by Rush. There will come a day when I stop listening to Rush nearly exclusively. Today is not that day.
Quote of the Week
Far Cry has a great message about life.
“One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on”
– Rush, Far Cry
This week’s spotlight is on Quincy J. Allen, a fantastic writer with a great story in When Valor Must Hold that read something like Eddings’ Sparhawk as written by Raymond Chandler. You can find his interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1992.
Today’s Weight: 399.4
Updated Word Count: 27,649
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
This week’s interview comes from Quincy J. Allen, a fantastic author who’s already made a name for himself though I think he’s still a rising star. His story is a Fistful of Silver, set in his Guardians of Pelinon universe, and it’s something as if Raymond Chandler wrote Sparhawk instead of David Eddings. Needless to say, I loved it.
Interview: QJ Allen
QJ Allen
Why are you here?
What are your influences?
Jullian May, Robert Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Keith Laumer, Jack Chalker, Kenneth C. Flint, Poul Anderson, Steven Brust
Who are some favorite other creators?
Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Frank Herbert (Dune), Olaf Stapledon (Last and First Men), Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek), Jon Favreau (EVERYTHING)
What made you a creator in the first place?
Seriously, though, I wrote my first fiction story in the 3rd or 4th grade. I’ve always written. Writing got me through primary, secondary, Bachelors, and Masters education. It was always there in every professional job I ever had. And when I got RIFed in 2009, it made more sense to just try and be a professional writer.
Why did you choose to create what you create?
As a boy, I read the Jupiter Jones mysteries and loved them. A few years later, my older brother handed me his copy of “The Science Fiction Hall of Fame,” and I was hooked. There was no going back, and I devoured science fiction and sci-fi crossed with others from there on out. I read fantasy, but my staple was science fiction. When I discovered Julian May’s “The Many Colored Land” series, which is pure cross genre between sci-fi and fantasy, I truly fell in love. So, I’ve written what I love as much as possible.
What would someday like to create.
The entire Blood War Chronicles series of six books is a setup so that I can write Skeeter’s story as a 30-year-old airship privateer captain gunslinger sorceress engineer. So, that will be a thing. I also plan on writing a three-book series set in that same universe that connects the three great fires of the 19th century via a Jesuit witch/demon hunter. I’ll be writing a powered armor series as well as a new fantasy series involving druids. But I have to get my current commitments behind me, and that’s no mean feat.
Blood War Cover
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop?
I take my laptop everywhere when I travel with my wife. She travels for her job, so I sometimes get to tag along for free trips. She has mad hotel and airline points. My actual workspace, however, is in our two story shop in the back yard. It triples as her sewing room, my actual work shop for carpentry, repairs, leather working, and whatnot, as well as a three-monitor workstation where I used to also run a small book design and author collateral marketing business. I spend most of my waking time out in a shop so I can open the doors in the summer and use the kerosene heater in the winter.
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples.
I’ve never been able to work without music. It drove my old man crazy when I was a kid, but that part wasn’t negotiable. The first thing I do when I get into the shop is fire up Pandora. As to my music tastes, they’re more expansive than anyone I’ve ever met, and they can be quite eclectic. On any give day, you can hear Pentatonix, Joe Bonamassa, The Hu (Mongolian death metal), Steely Dan, Steam Powered Giraffe, Bach, Mozart, Five Finger Death Punch, electronica, daft punk, techno, Celtic—pretty much everything except modern country twang and most rap. Those two are a hard no, Bob.
What other things exist in your productive environment?
Cigars and my tobacco pipe. I work better with them. Oh, and COFFEE. Always coffee in the morning. And whenever I can manage it, fresh air and the sound of birds. Our house is surrounded by trees here in North Carolina. I come from Colorado, where there aren’t many trees until you get to the mountains. Here, it’s pretty much a friggin bird sanctuary, and I love it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the Carolinas.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked?
Romance writing, for one. I don’t have a knack for literary fiction either. That stuff bores the shit out of me. I’ve written variations on just about all of the genres, however. Science fiction, mystery, noir, fantasy, steampunk, horror, speculative… most of my stories mix at least two of those.
Enforcer Cover
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations?
I’ve been told (and I agree) that I do three things fairly well. Fight scenes, dialogue, and descriptions. I’ve also been honing my skills with world building, and I think I’ve finally gotten pretty good at that. If I had to pick one, though, it would probably be hand-to-hand fight scenes. I used to train in martial arts pretty heavily, even with a marine and a Green Beret. I can see a fight in my head, and that seems to translate pretty well to the written word. That’s the rumor, at least.
What are specific techniques you do well?
I’ve done it on three separate instances, and in all of them, the process was smooth and the output worth the effort. I’ve gotten pretty good at outlining as a result of those projects, although my outlines become a mix of bullet points and dialogue. I’ve also gotten pretty good at popping up prose with a more active voice. There are hiccups from time to time, but I’ve mostly broken myself of the passive voice devil.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome?
One certainly was passive voice. Also, as a result of working with Marc Edelheit, I’ve gotten much better at flowing from one scene into the next. Looking back, I think there were pieces of a story that I skipped over. The result wasn’t jarring, per se, but what I’m doing now is much smoother as one reads through my prose. Also, I think I’ve gotten at least competent as capturing a single, targeted emotion that I want the reader to experience by the end of a story. Most of the time, especially in my short fiction, I strive to make the reader “feel” something very specific. Be it honor or sacrifice or duty or whatever, I’ve learned to write entire stories so that most of the prose leads to that experience.
Reclaiming Honor Cover
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you?
The first is sticking with a writing career when sales are lackluster or even worse. A perfect example is the Blood War Chronicles. They’re good books, with good reviews, but they haven’t created the revenue stream I’d hoped for. In fact, I’ve been at this game for ten—make that eleven—years now, and I can’t say that I earn a living with my writing. I think that’s the hardest part for most writers: sticking with this game even when you’re not selling. I often joke with a writer friend of mine, Aaron Ritchey, about how we’re “living the dream.” But that dream is the joke. We keep writing, we keep not selling the way we would like, and yet we keep writing. I think the other is that I’m really proud of at least a few short stories (Family Heirloom, Salting Dogwood, Jimmy Krinklepot and the White Rebels of Hayberry, and a few others, that I think are exceptional short stories, but they’ve never really been acknowledged for what I “think” they are. Granted, I have a bias, but I believe those stories are truly noteworthy.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons?
From a monetary perspective, I think you could call everything I ever wrote in the first nine years of my career (except one story I wrote for Larry Correia’s MHI franchise) as failures. None of them came close to providing an ROI on the time I’ve invested in them. However, that’s hasn’t slowed me down. And that’s the lesson, one I think most writers could learn from. If you keep going and keep getting better, eventually you’re bound to gain momentum. My work in recent years with Marc Edelheit, Kevin Ikenberry, and CKP are a testament to that. Last year and this year are seeing actual returns on my investment of time. The trick is to keep going and always hone your craft.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block?
I take Eric Flint’s advice. There is no writer’s block. You keep writing, because it’s your job. Either you are a writer and you write, or you’re a hobbyist who doesn’t want to earn a living at this mad career choice.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making?
I’ve said this at cons and in panels dozens of times: “Don’t let the nay-sayers win.” I grew up hearing the phrase, “What? You want to be a starving artist the rest of your life.” As a young man, I listened to this “advice.” If I had started in earnest at 20 what I ended up starting at 43, I’d already be earning a living at this game. It just takes time and determination, so long as you keep getting better. So, to any writer who hears/reads this, when someone questions your desire to become a writer, just tell them to fuck off. Keep going, make sure your bills are paid, keep your bills low, and DON’T QUIT.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be?
See above. That’s the best advice anyone in this crazy game could receive. Writers have enough doubt and imposter syndrome without getting it from outside sources. Find ways to kick the nay-sayers to the curb.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal, of course. Oh, and Sam the Eagle.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Ian Moore and Joe Bonamassa.
Favorite Superhero? Both the Punisher and Deadpool in a perfect tie.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Monty Python
Favorite Weird Color? Teal
Favorite Sports Team? Sidney Swans
Best Game Ever? Halo, OF COURSE. That and Mass Effect.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? I fucking HATE snow and delight when it dies.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? My 2016 Moto Guzzi Audace. Vicki got that for me for my birthday last year. Nothing else compares.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Did they make Roy Batty into a cartoon? If so, him. If not, I guess I’d have to say the dog Marc Antony in the old Warner Brother’s cartoon “Feed the Kitty.” Ask Vicki, she’ll tell you.
Your Wrestler Name? Wrath
Your Signature Wrestling Move? The Smash. A single fist to the crown of someone’s skull. REALLY hard.
What Do You Secretly Plot? Convincing Vicki that we need an AR-10 and a Marlin .357 lever action rifle in the house.
How Will You Conquer the World? By eliminating deceit everywhere.
Best Thing From the 80s? 11:59:50 pm on 12/31/1989 — the nightmare was over.
Favorite Historical Period? The Renaissance and dawn of looking to the stars as stars, not “the Heavens.”
Most Interesting Person In History? The alien that gave humans blue eyes.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare… or I’ll cut you.
Favorite Chip Dip? Really good 7-layer dip.
Favorite Cereal? As a kid, Honeycomb. Now, Honey Bunches of Oats topped with sliced peaches rather than milk.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Pad Thai made by Vicki’s son, and it was REALLY good. We’re all cooks around here.
Beverage(s) of Choice? Arnold Palmer, Costco flavored seltzer, Tennesee Mules, Margaritas, and COFFEE, lots of COFFEE.
Pachy
Do You Have Pets? He was Vicki’s dog before I moved in, but he’s my dog too, and he’s the best hound I’ve ever known.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Rutger Hauer when he was younger and not dead?
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Favorite food(s), nemesis, favorite vice, Commandments broken or Deadly Sins enjoyed.
Upcoming Projects: “Forging Destiny” – Book 2 of The Way of Legend with Marc Edelheit, “Scourge” – Book 2 of Hr’ent’s tale with Kevin Ikenberry, “Blood World” – Book 4 of The Blood War Chronicles, a Vorwhol novel for Kevin Steverson in his Salvage universe, and a novelization of the short story “Cradle and All” in Jamie Ibson’s universe.
And where can we find you?
ConCarolina
SAGA conference
LibertyCon
DragonCon
Do you have a creator biography?
National Bestselling Author Quincy J. Allen is a cross-genre author with a growing number of published novels under his belt. His media tie-in novel Colt the Outlander: Shadow of Ruin was a Scribe Award finalist in 2019, and his noir novel Chemical Burn was a Colorado Gold Award finalist in 2010.
Blood Oath, book 3 of his Blood War Chronicles series, debuted in February of 2019, and he is working on the fourth book in that six-book fantasy steampunk series, entitled Blood World, due out in 2020.
He co-authored the fantasy novel Reclaiming Honor with Marc Alan Edelheit in their Way of Legend series, released in October of 2019, and he is currently working on book 2 of that series. In November of 2019, he and Kevin Ikenberry published the novel Enforcer, which is set in the Four Horsemen Universe and is part of Ikenberry’s Peacemaker series. He is currently working on a novel for Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe based upon the short story “Vorwhol Dishonor.”
His short story publications are numerous, including a pro sale appearing in Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter: Files from Baen, published in October of 2017 entitled “Sons of the Father,” as well as several pro-sale novelettes appearing in Chris Kennedy Publishing’s mil-sci-fi anthologies in and out of the Four Horsemen Universe. He also has two short story collections in his Out Through the Attic series, and he continues to add to his short-story credits with each passing year.
He works out of his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and hopes to one day be a New York Times bestselling author.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I only work alone or do I have a support mechanism? What keeps me going?
Then I’d answer that Vicki is my anchor and more supportive of my writing career than anyone else in my entire life.
Thanks to Quincy for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Yesterday, I did a live thread on Facebook during the Super Bowl. Today, I’ll distill those comments and expand upon a few. If you want the original complete thread, you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/rhodri2112/posts/10158095267396085.
Before the game, I predicted the Chiefs to win 34-27, so I wasn’t far off. I kind of rooted for the Chiefs, in part because someone in my house had to and the stepdaughter is a huge 49ers fan, and in part because the petty Cowboys fan in me wanted Andy Reid to win for someone other than the Eagles.
Overall, I thought Patrick Mahomes was mediocre until the very end, Reid outcoached Shanahan by a lot, and Nick Bosa was the MVP.
The day started with some awkwardness. The Chiefs almost bungled the coin toss and Bill Vinovich, rightly in my opinion, saved them. He overrode a player who tried to say “We’re kicking” by saying, “You’re taking the ball” until the Chiefs finally agreed. The Chiefs lost the toss, the 49ers deferred which means they get the choice to start the 2nd half. Had the Chiefs chosen to kick there, the 49ers would have chosen to receive in the 2nd half, meaning they would have gotten it to start both halves.
After the Cowboys almost botched it earlier, the NFL either needs to streamline this process by asking if the team winning the coin toss wants to get it first or second half, or these special teams coaches need to brief their players better. I go with the first, because KC’s teams were really good and well-coached all year long. The reason, by the way, for the confusing option is to allow teams to take the wind, but with fewer and fewer games affected by weather, I think we should make that option one they actively have to choose.
One reason that didn’t turn into a hullaballoo, I think, was the great Jake from State Farm commercial with a new Jake which immediately followed. Great way to use all the old humor while adding more. My second favorite commercial for the night actually.
The opening kickoff gave us the first questionable decision, and that was Mecole Hardman choosing to return the ball from 5-6 yards into the endzone. Even for the best returners, this is an iffy decision. He got to the 26, so it turned out OK, but the risk/reward there between coverage, penalty, and fumble vs. long return just isn’t there.
Side note, the the 49ers teams played really well overall, and so did the Chiefs. Almost a great day for the Chiefs if Byron Pringle, who had a great game, could pull that ball out of the end zone on the punt with about 2 minutes remaining in the first half.
Patrick Mahomes made several mistakes right off the bat. He was clearly amped too much and I think that pretty much lasted until the 49ers gave him a coverage gift in the long throw to Tyreek Hill in the 4th. We’ll get to that in a bit.
Then we got to the first mistake, the fumble on the punt return. The 49ers got really lucky that the ball bounced their way, because Pringle fought through a double-team block to get there. Like I said, I thought he was great.
Then the 49ers took the ball down the field for a FG. This is how I thought the 49ers offense would look all day. Lots of great, intricate running plays with tons of misdirection and the occasional pass to take advantage of gaps in the zone provided by KC having to play zone.
Side note one here: We’re witnessing a revolution in the running game. Analytics is clear that passing is better than running. The average pass play, counting sacks, incompletions, and scrambles gets about twice as much as every called running play. The revolution has made running much more effective, but requires constant motion and misdirection.
I am unsure what defenses will need to do to adjust, but my guess is a dramatic change in actual kinds of defenders, moving to some sort of 2-4-3-2 kind of thing. The 2 are down linemen. The 4 are hybrid edge defenders. These will vary from a big ones to play a normal DE, to heavy safeties who will be faster than LBs but still can provide good run support. The 3 are CBs to defend the 3rd wide receiver (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR is the most common offensive formation now), and the remaining 2 are more safeties. I guess, now that I write it down, I think safety hybrids will become more and more valuable.
Anyway, back to the game. Whenever the 49ers offense ran first they controlled the Chiefs defense. I’m not surprised. The Chiefs defense is better than many prognosticators said, but so is the 49ers offense. 49ers 3-0.
At least, they are when their coach doesn’t play to lose.
I think it’s at this point we got the first Tide commercial. Man, I thought those were awful. Bland humor at best repeated ad nauseam. Overall, I thought the commercials were pretty weak. The ad creators tried too hard and rarely hit the mark. I’ll mention a few highlights along the way, though.
Then came another play not to lose decision by Shanahan. On the Chiefs’ second drive, they ran a 2nd and 2 play which was incomplete but the Chiefs also had an ineligible man downfield. Had the 49ers accepted the penalty, the Chiefs would have been 2nd and 12. They declined it to go to 3rd and 2. Amazingly, one of the best offenses there is managed to get 2 yards on the next play on the way to a TD. Amazingly.
Later on the drive came a real interesting play: (2:22 – 1st) P.Mahomes scrambles right end to SF 3 for 12 yards (J.Ward). FUMBLES (J.Ward) ball out of bounds at SF 5. SF-J.Ward was injured during the play. His return is Questionable.
Ward had a great and legal hit there. What’s fascinating with this play, though, is his hit turned it from a 12 yard gain and a 1st down into a 10 yard gain and a 4th down.
Andy Reid is a great coach, and he showed it time and again in this game. He went for it. Absolutely the right call, as I said before the Chiefs converted it.
And that doesn’t even touch upon the great play call on a play yoinked by Eric Bienemy from the 1942 Rose Bowl. True story. I’ve seen the replay of the 1942 play and it’s exactly the same. It’s a small misdirection to change the direct snap that gives the defense a small hesitation and on short-yardage plays, that’s all you need. They got 4 yards and a 1st and goal from the 1.
Side note: Eric Bienemy should be a head coach next year. Should have been one this year. He may not end up being a great one, but he’s definitely an offensive wizard.
Which showed on their scoring play. They scored on 2nd down with a brilliant play. I predicted a play-action pass. What I got might have been better. It was a play fake dive just like the play-action to create exactly the same crunch of defenders in the middle. However, Mahomes then went wide with an RB at his side for an option play. Two on one against the CB. The CB can’t win that, and he didn’t. Beautiful stuff. Chiefs, 7-0.
After that was the Tom Brady Hulu ad. That was cold and cruel. Patriots fans lost their souls for about ten seconds.
Bashaud Breeland was an early contender for MVP in my mind. He made a couple of great tackles on WR screens and he took advantage of Pennel’s great hit on Garoppolo to get an interception. It’s a real shame he got dinged in the 2nd quarter for a bit.
The Chiefs got a FG on the ensuing drive, though I thought Reid’s play calls were iffy in the red zone this time. His offense focuses on horizontal passes and yards after the catch, but sometimes you need to have at least one receiver going over the top. This has happened to him before and will again. It’s not a question of aggressiveness, just style. Anyway, 10-3 Chiefs.
Now the 49ers get the ball and have a chance to get back into the groove. One play they used on this drive was the push pass. This is essentially an end around/jet sweep from the shotgun. However, it’s technically a pass because the “handoff” is a forward toss. This is such a smart thing. First, it pushes the defense to be keeping to their jobs. Second, if there’s a problem with the exchange and the ball falls to the ground, it’s an incomplete pass, not a fumble. Great stuff, and Deebo Samuel is the perfect style of WR to use it.
Samuel, by the way, had a very good game and the 49ers could have used him more.
This drive ended with a 15 yard TD to Kyle Juszczyk. Juszczyk has been fantastic this year, and he was great in this game. 3 catches on 3 targets with a bunch of great blocks. He scored one of the 49ers TD and set up the other.
Now we get to a series of mediocre decisions.
First, Hardman took an end around on 2nd and 8 and lost 6 yards. At the end, he meekly went out of bounds. Awful. Even the Chiefs struggle to get a 1st on 3rd and 14. They didn’t. With less than two minutes left in the 1st half, if he stays in bounds, he forces the 49ers to think about a time out.
In any case, the 49ers should now expect to get the ball and expect to have a good chance to score. However, Shanahan didn’t think of it in those terms. He coached not to lose. The following play was a screen pass for only 1 yard, meaning at 1:53 left on the clock it was 4th and 13 for the Chiefs. You take a time out there if you’ve got 2 or 3 remaining. He had all 3.
But he didn’t take a time out.
This is astounding to me. If you take it there, you get the ball back with about 1:45 left and 2 time outs. Any competent NFL QB can look at that as an opportunity for points. Apparently Shanahan doesn’t think Garoppolo was competent. He basically rolled over and played dead.
Then, with 14 seconds left, the 49ers got to about their own 45. They could have been there with about 1:20 or so and still with 2 TOs even with the same play calls. At that point they’re really likely to score something. Instead, they are forced to try their only deep attempt to Kittle which he clearly pushes off to get a correct OPI call, but would have given them a chance at a FG.
So many opportunities for the 49ers to at least get 3 points. All squandered. And this ends up biting them in the ass.
We go to halftime. I’ve grown to dread halftime shows. They’re all boring and canned. This time had one highlight for me, a snippet of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir which then went into a Middle Eastern style dance song. Other than that, I thought Shakira and J-Lo looked great for a combined age of 93. And meh.
To be fair, meh is a step up for many halftime shows. Prince, who I’m not really a fan of, is clearly still the best one. He gave so much emotion and soul to that performance. Clearly not canned. Clearly a great musician doing his thing. Most of the time, they lack soul. As did this one.
Anyway, we get to the second half. The 49ers came out and ran the drive they should have at the end of the first half. Lots of easy passes to receivers schemed open. They get a FG and are back on top 13-10.
In this commercial break we get the best commercial of the evening in my opinion, the Sam Elliott dancing commercial. It started kind of dumb, at first, but then got really funny really fast. The horse shaking his head, declining to dance, was a great touch.
Mahomes was bad in the 3rd quarter. Not much you can do to suggest otherwise. He had a couple of moments to start this drive, but then Nick Bosa took over the game for a while. He ended up having 12 pressures which is a ton. On this drive he gets a strip sack which Mahomes was lucky to corral.
Whether that bothered Mahomes or not, the next play he threw an awful pass made worse by the coverage and got it picked off.
Then Garoppolo leads another drive, this time for a TD. The 49ers have now shown they can run and they can pass effectively. In these two drives, he’s 8-9, 97 yards. The Chiefs are out of whack at this point, but from now on, the 49ers will sustain almost no offense. One reason is better Chiefs defense, but another is that Shanahan didn’t take advantage of his run game enough.
Anyway, at this point Mahomes goes through a sequence of awful throws. Every one is off target, at least a little bit, even the ones that are completed. This drive concludes with an off-target pass not getting caught by the receiver, bouncing off his hands, and then a great catch by Moore to get the interception. Hill would say he should have caught it. Perhaps. However, the throw was well behind him and it should not have been that difficult of a catch. I remember thinking that there wasn’t a reason not to lead Watkins on the throw, no reason for Watkins to sit down on the route, no obvious miscommunication. Just a bad throw, and Moore makes Mahomes pay.
At this point, there’s 12 minutes left in the game and 49ers are up by 10. This high win probability territory. The 49ers could have slammed the door here.
I didn’t like the play calling here. They start well, getting a nice run to Mostert and a pass to Kittle. That’s when I thought they’d rely on the run for a bit (as did Aikman). Running is one of their strengths, after all.
Mostert got 1 on a run. I am not watching the replay, but I seem to recall this was a basic run. Either way, the next play is another pass. I don’t mind them throwing to Kittle here, but I would have preferred a good misdirection run, maybe even another Deebo sweep.
For that matter, early in the game, the use Deebo as a decoy on a play and never come back to him as the primary. This despite Deebo getting essentially free on the first play. This is the point of the game where you can put a stake in their heart and that’s exactly the time to take advantage of the plays that you highlighted from the first half. Why they didn’t, I’ll never know.
Anyway, so the Chiefs get the ball back at their 17 with 9 minutes and things are dicey. Mahomes is OK at the start of this drive, but not great. He makes the good decision to scramble. He throws an off-target pass that Hill catches. Then he throws an awful pass to Hill that gets overturned because Hill trapped it. Really bad throw to a wide open receiver.
Now is when the magic happens, and it’s all because the 49ers have a coverage breakdown. Mahomes connects with Hill for 44 yards. This was an awful throw, I thought. Hill had to wait for it and had Mahomes hit him in stride it’s a TD. I’d have to see the All-22 to confirm, but I think he was two beats too late on the throw and only an awful coverage scheme left Hill so wide open he could sit and wait on the throw.
Sometimes you just need a spark.
This was it, and Mahomes was much better after that. He throws a seam route that Moore (the defender who caught the tip interception) butchers on the coverage. It’s clear pass interference. He impedes the receiver and never gets his head around, so he wasn’t playing the ball. Obvious call.
First and goal at the 1 and the Chiefs score easily. 20-17 Chiefs and I said on Facebook: “Is the wind in the Chiefs’ sails?”
Spoiler Alert: It was.
First play of the ensuing 49ers drive is a 5yard run by Mostert. Derrick Nnadi makes a real good play to get off the block and I think it’s overlooked. Mostert had a huge gap after Nnadi and if he breaks through he’s going to get 15+. That makes a huge difference in the timing of the game here.
Anyway, the next play is a ball batted down by Chris Jones, who suddenly came alive. If he doesn’t, Kittle has 15 and again we’re talking about stake in the heart kind of time. Also, Deebo was wide open in the flat on that play. This play worked really well, in other words, but only a great defensive play stopped it.
The next play wasn’t as good. It was a pass, which isn’t bad on 3rd and 5, but I’d have been looking for one of my speed guys, Kittle, Deebo, Mostert, or Breida. The last one in particular was a mistake by Shanahan. Breida wasn’t targeted a single time in the game, and he’s a really nice player with great hands and a lot of speed. I am positive that Shanahan could have schemed one of them open instead of a contested throw to a backup TE.
This is a drive of wasted opportunities by the 49ers and just enough by the Chiefs to force a punt.
Here’s another subtle moment in the game. I criticized Hardman for taking the opening kickoff from deep out of the endzone. However, here he makes a great decision to fair catch the punt. As the punt was coming down, I thought he might have a lane, but the 49ers coverage closed the gap almost as the ball got there. Had Hardman been too aggressive and tries to run, I think only bad things happen for the Chiefs.
Anyway, this Mahomes finally on his game. His throws are on and 2:26 later Williams catches his pass for the TD. This is the questionable TD where we’re not sure if Williams breaks the plane or not. I *think* Williams broke the plane but it was close. A number of others said they thought he hadn’t, but it was close.
The referee called it a TD on the field. It was too close to criticize a ref for making a decision on the field. He called it a TD. No replay gave anything close to something that showed the actual result. Slow it down all you want, and it’s still “I think.”
And so, replay came back, rightfully, “Call Stands.” No matter what the ref on the field called, replay wasn’t going to overturn it. It’s a big thing, because otherwise it’s 4th and goal at the 2-inch line. I think Reid goes for it, so probably scores anyway. It’s irrelevant, though, and the Chiefs now up 24-20.
This is where the stupidity at the end of the first half really costs the 49ers. If it’s 24-23, then the 49ers have 2:44 with all 3 time outs to get into FG range. There’s no desperation. Also, they don’t *have* to succeed the first try. If they go three and out, with 3 TOs and the best defense in the NFL, they can reasonably expect to have another opportunity with something like 1:45 and 1 TO left.
In other words, the Chiefs would have had an advantage, but not a great one. Needing a TD changes that equation significantly, especially the time part at the end.
The 49ers get to midfield with 1:56 left to play. They then throw 3 incomplete passes. At this point, the still have 3 TOs. It’s 4th and 10. I believe it’s the right call to go for it here, but I didn’t like the play call.
I said in my notes before this drive the Chiefs should throw the house at Garoppolo. Even if the 49ers manage a long TD, the Chiefs offense would have had time with 3 TOs of their own to get into FG range. They didn’t, except on this play.
And I think Shanahan should have expected that. The throw he called took too much time. Again, I haven’t seen the All-22 to see the coverage, but I think he should have gone with a five steps and throw immediately sort of play. A fade to Deebo. A seam to Kittle. A wheel to Mostert. One of those sorts of things. They’re quick, take almost no time off the clock, and have a good chance if the defense is aggressive there.
Instead, Garoppolo is sacked and the Chiefs get it at the 42.
There’s an interesting sequence here. I don’t think I was completely correct on my math but I still think Williams makes a mistake here, albeit an understandable one.
Play 1, 1:25 on the clock: Williams runs for 4, 49ers take their first TO.
Play 2, 1:20 on the clock, Williams runs 38 yards for a TD.
Now, there is 1:12 left on the clock here. I think he should have downed himself at the 1 or 2 yard line.
By scoring, he gave the 49ers 1:12 with 2 TOs and a not inconsequential chance of a TD with a 2point conversion, an onsides kick, and a FG attempt. It’s not likely, but there’s a chance.
Also note how different that would have been with 3 points at the end of the first half.
Now consider if he goes down on the 1. This forces the 49ers to take a TO, so already you’ve depleted the 49ers chances. Let’s look at the following sequence.
Play 1: Chiefs kneel. 49ers take their last TO. There’s about 1:10 on the clock.
Play 2: Chiefs kneel. 49ers have no TOs. 40 seconds run off the clock, leaving about 30 seconds.
Play 3: Chiefs kneel, game over.
Yes, the Chiefs defense makes a great interception and they’re barely able to run out the clock, but even that was harder than it could have been because the 49ers had one more TO.
Williams going down at the 1 ends the game, period. By scoring, he extended it. Frankly, he ends the game by going down in bounds anywhere after getting the first down. The math is that simple.
Anyway, the Chiefs win and Andy Reid did a fantastic job. He pushed the action and depended upon Mahomes to be great. Mahomes wasn’t, for most of the game, but I think we all knew that he’d get on a streak at some point.
Shanahan was awful. He’s a great coach, but this game doesn’t show it. He consistently overthought things. He’ll do better next time, I have no doubt. I’d guess Reid’s experience from his previous Super Bowl appearance helped him a ton.
Williams was a good player in this game, but not great, I thought. I say that not even criticizing him too much for the last TD. Few players aren’t going to score there. Too much excitement.
He does end up with 2 TDs and over 100 yards on the ground, and there’s a case to be made for him to be MVP. This is especially true since Mahomes didn’t have a great game.
There’s been once in Super Bowl history where a losing player won the MVP. That happened in Super Bowl V with Dallas’s Chuck Howley. I think it should have happened here with Nick Bosa.
No other player dominated the game like him. He had those 12 pressures and a strip sack. However, he also dominated Eric Fisher time and again on running plays. He made the Chiefs work for everything start to finish.
The scary part is that he was a rookie this year and he’ll only get better. I’d be shocked at this point if he doesn’t have a Hall of Fame career. The only thing that will stop it will be injuries, so knock on wood because he’s a joy to watch… playing against anyone other than your team.
Congratulations to the Chiefs. I said in the FB thread: “I’m really happy for Reid. I’m sad for my stepdaughter, a big 49ers fan. I’m sad for me, because this city is going to be insufferable all year.”
Well, go be insufferable, your team earned you the right.
OK, that’s way too many words on this. Time for me to go make dinner then start a short story in the 4HU.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today’s interview is with RJ Ladon. Her story in When Valor Must Hold is called “Ogre’s Brownies” and it too is a story that isn’t in one of my normal subgenres. Again, though, the story was so good I had to take it.
Interview RJ Ladon
RJ Ladon
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Gary Gygax was a huge influence. He bought our horse ranch when I was nine and introduced my siblings and I to Dungeons & Dragons. I didn’t understand who he was, it was the idea of playing/acting out stories. Not just any stories, but my or my brother’s stories, that was the influence.
Who are some favorite other creators? Terry Pratchett, Neil Giaman, Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, Walter Farley, Octavia Butler, and so many more. My bus ride to and from school was 60-70 minutes, I read both ways, going through 2-3 novels in one week. I started on non-fiction in my senior year (no car).
What made you a creator in the first place? See the first question in this series. Plus, my family tends to be on the creative side of things – art stained glass, sewing, painting, sculpture, carpentry, etc. My day job is on the creative side of things -computer aided design.
Why did you choose to create what you create? Sometimes it is love – love of a character or location. Other times it is a challenge. My first acceptance into an anthology was for Sha’Daa Toys. I had never written horror before. Challenge Accepted! I would like to try my hand at romance, this is a bit scary for me. Another challenge to conquer!
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? My middle son, graduated, joined the Navy, quit, and came back home. Joke’s on him – I turned his bedroom into a writing and design studio, and I’m not about to give it up! A friend gave me a rolltop desk and, as of this Black Friday, I have a brand-new gaming computer to write and draw. I’ve been putting in 2-3 hours of writing everyday – some days more, some less.
Do you listen to music? Sometimes If I do, it will be Audio Machine or Two Steps from Hell. Both are known for their movie and videogame soundtracks.
What other things exist in your productive environment? Lots of reference books on mythology and science. ART created by others or myself. Sketchpads and drawing utensils including electronic drawing, sketching, photoshop and map making. Thank you, to Worth1000 and this mouse picture to inspire a scene in The Ogres Brownies – found in When Valor Must Hold.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? Writing in front of TV. Helping my daughter with homework and trying to write – no good. Trying to keep cats out of the room or off my desk, etc – they are noisy, just let them in and let them sleep in your lap.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I’m a nature nut. So, I add anything animal, vegetable, or mineral and hopefully it will be educational to boot. I also enjoy mythology, as my pen name can attest – RJ Ladon. Ladon is the name of the dragon/hydra Hercules had to defeat to obtain the apple from the tree of wisdom.
What are specific techniques you do well? I don’t know – I suppose I have thick skin and take critique quite well. (probably not what you meant.) I’ve been told I weave backstory in smoothly without disruption of the narrative.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? My biggest struggle is against myself. Self-doubt is a bitch. My biggest success is due to the persistence of others. Friends told me they would drag me kicking and screaming to the writer’s conventions and get me published. And they did.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? When I first joined a writer’s group, there was no direction for improvement, only vague comments like “this is bad” or “doesn’t make sense”. Eventually I went to a different group and that one was better, more instructive. Some friends have encouraged me to start my own group – now the mentor. Some things have stayed the same – I still have a lot to learn.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? My day job is computer aided design. I come up with designs, show them to engineers, and customers and within minutes I am told my design is wrong. While this sounds like a failure, the design is only wrong because “they” imagined it another way. Most of the time my design would work fine. Other times, I missed an important specification or component within a requirement, that is a failure. When a mistake is pointed out, it is not a failure it is a learning opportunity that will improve your design, (or book) next time.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? I draw. I create a map of the area I’m writing about. Or draw the character. If you can’t draw use models. Pinterest is quite helpful in that arena. I will “become” the character mentally and imagine how I would react, what would I do or say if I was that person/animal/rock/vegetable…
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Don’t give up. The beginning is always the hardest. This piece of wisdom came from a fortune cookie – but it is so true. Also – It is only too late to start when you are on the other side of the grass.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? My mother was negative about anything I did. She told me I’d never get published. I would tell my 20-year-old self “Don’t listen to your mother – or anyone else who is negative!”
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Sweetums.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Pretty much anyone at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
Favorite Superhero? Today? Megan, Daughter of the Wolf
Favorite 1970s TV show? Ya, know I revisited some 70’s shows and they were horrible. Plot line? What plot line? I suppose I’ll go with The Muppets – Alice Cooper 😊 or Steve Martin.
Favorite Weird Color? All of them but not all at once.
Favorite Sports Team? SCA Heavy Weapons – no specific kingdom though.
Best Game Ever? Life!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? All of them for different reasons.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Someone believing in me – Looking at you Scott, You Jerk! (Kicking and Screaming)
What Cartoon Character Are You? Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Your Wrestler Name? Broadzilla – my husband gave me the name.
Your Signature Wrestling Move? You see that? I can break it, without trying. If I can’t break it – I will probably hurt myself in the process. I am stronger and klutzier than anyone has a right to be. Couch, broke it. Window, nods affirmative, foot, yup that too, Torque the head off a bolt? Sigh, do I have to answer that one?
What Do You Secretly Plot? Ways to make the world better.
How Will You Conquer the World? One soul at a time.
Best Thing From the 80s? It isn’t around anymore, oh wait, it is 60 years in the future… Hum, now you got me thinking.
Favorite Historical Period? Most of them for different reasons – here’s hoping the future is even better.
Most Interesting Person In History? Professor Peabody
Steak Temperature? I’d rather have chicken.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Don’t plan on dying, I’m taking over the world, remember?
Beverage(s) of Choice? Hot Tea – Mint
Do You Have Pets? 7 cats 1 dog and 20 or so chickens. Way too many pictures.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Sweetums 😊
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Can’t think of one. Perhaps one I ask you?
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
When did you realize you could put more than two words together and be entertaining?
Rob’s Answer: Ummm, not sure. I didn’t write when I was younger, though I learned somewhere along the way how to tell stories. I have some idea I’m making progress because of increasing sales and improving opportunities. Nevertheless, I still don’t know if I’ve put words together until someone else looks at it. I’m still a work in progress, that’s for sure.
Who was your mentor? Must be someone you met not just idolized from afar.
Rob’s Answer: The closest thing is probably Chris Kennedy. He’s certainly given me opportunities and taught me a bunch. Again, I started writing at 46 and did so in a hermit sort of way. I researched a bunch and went to LibertyCon to listen. I learned a ton, and owe so many people thanks for taking the time to toss stuff at me. However, it all started with me trying to dig myself out of a hole.
Are you active in the SCA? In what capacity?
Rob’s Answer: Not as active as I used to be. I got to about an event a month, and I sell at a lot of them. Pennsic and Gulf Wars are two great events for me. I make money and get to hang out and sing. I’m a laurel for wordsmithing and Anglo-Saxon research, which I have to say might answer your first question. I guess I learned I could do something when I saw people crying happily at the scroll texts I wrote for them. Now I just socialize and sell, though fighting will happen again.
Bloodstone – Written in Stone, urban fantasy, new adult. First in a series. To be available soon. Published through Three Ravens. Waiting on cover art and edits.
Sha’Daa Novella one of four in a book on War. My section is on the Revolutionary War. My hero is French Navel Captain Nicholas Guidelou, a privateer for America, who disappeared after an encounter with the English – Or did he???
And Bloodstone – The Wolf Awakens will be released at the end of this year.
RJ Ladon is a nightshift writer (by choice) and a dayshift design engineer (by necessity) to pay for the afore mentioned writing addiction. She is a self-proclaimed tree-hugger and animal-lover. If she is not in her garden, pasture, or woods you can find RJ watching movies or reading books. Documentaries, thrillers, comedies, science fiction, fantasy, and even romance can be found in her book and video library. She lives with her husband, children and a variety of farm animals on a farmette in Wisconsin.
Thanks to RJ for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
ChattaCon has come and gone for 2020. It was, as usual, a great time. I really enjoy the Chattanooga fan scene. It’s a bunch of smart, fun people and I’m glad I get to go there twice a year.
As usual, Lani gave me a nice busy schedule. Actually, it was brilliant this year because it was front-loaded, which I appreciate.
I’ll get to that in a moment, but one of the most important parts of cons these days is the Thursday before con networking. This time, I had a chance to sit down with Brian Cooksey and lay out some plans for getting the Shijuren RPG off the ground.
Side note: Brian will be a Special Guest next year at ChattaCon because of his game design skills. I’m honored he’s helping me out.
We spent a couple of hours agreeing upon overall goals, a general breakdown of responsibilities, and that sort of thing. I had given him some ideas I wanted to try and he gave me his opinion on them.
One thing I think is good about our partnership is that we have different perspectives. While I have a lot of gaming experience, it’s mostly in one tree, D&D/Pathfinder. Brian, on the other hand, knows a ton of game systems and he has a lot of different things to bring into the conversation.
Our basic philosophy is this: We want a game system that allows for a ton of flexibility and options in character design. I want players to play the character they want. At the same time, we want a game system that streamlines the process to minimize checking rules during the game because all the information a player needs is on his character sheet already.
I’ll expand on the game system plans as they get going. I’ll be posting process updates consistently both here and on the wiki when I get it updated.
Suffice to say I’m really excited as it starts to get off the ground. I’ve always wanted to be a part of an RPG and I think we can do some cool stuff here.
The actual convention started at 5pm on Friday with my Martin Koszta panel. As usual, people enjoyed it but I am more convinced now that I need to retire it for a few years. I’ll actually come back to it at some point, I’m sure, but I’ve presented it too much. What I really need to do is pick a new historical event, maybe run through bits and pieces of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or go through Old English poetry.
That was at 5 on Friday. Immediately after was a world-building on the fly panel by Brian Cooksey that was a lot of fun. He structured it with 4-5 things that had to be in it and 4-5 things that had to *not* be in it, then let us riff off the combinations. That’s a process I might just try for the next Shijuren series as I come up with different characters and storylines.
At 8pm was a similar panel, and had I been thinking, I would have pulled from Brian’s.
Of course, had I been thinking, I would have noticed I was the listed moderator and been prepared to direct things. We muddled out some things, but it needed more direction and audience involvement. It could have been great, but I didn’t come prepared. Next time, I’ll fix that.
And yes, I had a 9pm Friday panel discussing how much violence and sex should we include in fantasy and SF. My answer is it depends on the story I’m trying to write. I tend to action/adventure stuff, so there’s lots of violence. I can change how graphic that is up and down the dial, but it tends toward violent.
On the other hand, I’ve been incorporating more romantic and sexual themes in my stuff. The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms is a riff off Romeo and Juliet (actually the Finnsburh stuff, but same thing). As for how graphic my sexual content will be, it will depend on if it pushes the story. I don’t like either violence or sex that’s just put in just to have it.
Then was the LibertyCon party, and I hung out there until it closed. I bounced around for a bit, but I was tired and went to bed. A good day, all around, though really, really busy.
That business on Friday meant, however, that Saturday was fairly light. I had a panel at 1pm on weaving historical events and real things in speculative fiction.
I actually checked to see if I was the moderator and did a much better job at coming up with questions. I thought it went really well, though I will say having Terry Maggert as a panelist is fantastic. All you need to do is stick a quarter in him and he’ll create a ton of things to talk about.
I had my author signing/sales session from 4-5pm. It went really well, highlighted by a couple of regular readers showing up right away. They’re a joy to have as fans, smart, nice, and pleasant.
Then I spent much of the evening talking with Terry Maggert and Mel Todd about writing and processes. I learned a ton. Terry’s done well from writing and he’s definitely someone to pay attention to. Mel has studied things from a different tack, and she’s got quite a bit to teach me on the business side especially. It’s nice to have smart friends.
Then I went and hung out at parties and such-like things. One con regular hosts her own party, and I spent a goodly amount of time there. Then I went and watched the burlesque for a bit. Then I joined in on Kat’s birthday party.
I went to bed late, but it was worth it.
I was moving slowly on Sunday morning (shocking, I know), but I really enjoyed the panel on using Culture, Mythology, and Spirituality to fill out speculative fiction moderated by Amanda Makepeace.
Side note: Amanda is an amazing artist and will be Artist Guest of Honor at MidSouthCon opposite FantaSci and then ChattaCon 2021.
Anyway, I wondered where this panel might go, because it’s such a broad topic. In the end, what I think I got was a codification of something I already knew I did, but had never said aloud. I chose to use real world religions in Shijuren because I wanted to get the immediate evocative response from a Zeus or a Woden instead of a made-up deity who was some analogue. I use gods and goddesses from a bunch of cultures because I find them all fun and interesting.
Researching other cultures is one of the best parts of writing in Shijuren.
At that point, my responsibilities were done. I emptied my room, made my goodbyes, and was on the road by 11:30.
I thought about staying for some of the closing stuff, but after staying up late on Saturday and with the way the weather has been around KC of late, I decided I wanted to get on the road as quickly as I could.
At LibertyCon, I’ll be staying for the Dead Dog Party, and maybe even for a couple of days after. However, on this trip, it was time to be home. The trip went well, I didn’t even need a nap, and I made it home at 9ish.
As usual, today is sort of slow day, and I’m not doing much other than writing my AAR and puttering around on some detail work here and there. Nothing huge or stressful, nor anything I’ll beat myself up for not doing except the AAR, which really is best done today anyway when I’m still basking in a great weekend. All part of learning how to manage myself better.
Anyway, the short version. The trip went well. I achieved the goals I had in mind. I had fun.
I’m at ChattaCon having a great time. Yesterday was really busy, so I’m only getting to my update today.
When Valor Must Hold
This past week didn’t really go to plan, and I didn’t have nearly as much time I wanted to write as I hoped for. Since I couldn’t sit down for my normal writing periods, I focused on editing some recent chunks. I solidified several bits and scraps, sort of a 2 steps forward, 1 step back kind of week in terms of word count. The good news is that I’m knocking on 100k in None Call Me Mother.
The great news this week is the reveal of When Valor Must Hold‘s cover. It’s lovely, and I am so pleased this is coming to fruition. I hope it does well not simply because I like sales, but also because if it goes well, I might earn the opportunity to do another. I really enjoyed this process, so I’d like to keep doing it.
That cover will help, I think.
I’m sure there’s more to talk about, but right now, I have to get to a panel. Have a great day, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Carnies by Rush. I listened to Clockwork Angels, the novel written by Neil Peart and Kevin J. Anderson on the drive to ChattaCon. A good story that made me want to wallow in the album for a while. Best album ever.
Quote of the Week
“How I prayed just to get away
To carry me anywhere
Sometimes the angels punish us
By answering our prayers”
– Rush, Carnies, Clockwork Angels
This week’s spotlight is on Benjamin Tyler Smith, whose wrote “Hanging by a Thread” in When Valor Must Hold. You can find his interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1965
Today’s Weight: Not sure, on the road
Updated Word Count: Not sure, on the road
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today’s answers come from Benjamin Tyler Smith. He’s an up-and-coming author who you guys are going to really like, if you don’t already.
His story in When Valor Must Hold is “Hanging by a Thread.” This story, set in his Necrolopolis universe, combines the weary cop trying to keep the criminals of his city to a dull roar with practical necromancy.
I will say his interview answers have much more life than many characters in his stories. Of course, they’re undead, so…
Interview: Benjamin Tyler Smith
Benjamin Tyler Smith
Why are you here?
What are your influences?
Fantasy books by some of the greats (Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, to name a few), anime in a ton of genres (Mecha, Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Magical Girl), and role playing games of various sorts (Most notably Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV and VI, Baldur’s Gate, and Betrayal at Krondor).
Who are some favorite other creators?
Feist, Eddings, and Jordan as mentioned above. Also Kate Elliott for her Crown of Stars series, Elizabeth Haydon for her Symphony of Ages series, and Dan Abnett for his Gaunt’s Ghost series. Over in Japan, I love Reki Kawahara (Sword Art Online), Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina), Nagaru Tanigawa (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), and Kenichi Sonoda (Gunsmith Cats), to name a few.
More recently, my favorite creators include Kacey Ezell (“Minds of Men” is awesome, as are any of her stories of the Depik race in the Four Horsemen Universe), Christopher Woods for his Fallen World novels (Now I know I’m biased, but I burned through his first book in record time, then listened to it again), Mark Wandrey for his Four Horsemen stories, especially the ones about Jim Cartwright.
What made you a creator in the first place?
God, when He created me. I’ve always told stories, made things up, and eventually started putting those imaginings down on paper, first as King Arthur fanfiction, then as Star Wars fanfiction, and finally as my own stuff as the years have gone by. Even if I made no money writing, I would still do it. It wouldn’t be my career so I wouldn’t be able to do it as much, but I’d still do it in some form or another. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Why did you choose to create what you create?
Things just come to me. Often when I’m listening to music or watching anime. I can’t listen to anything without getting some kind of scene or character or plot idea, and when I’m watching a good movie or show, certain moments just inspire me, either to write something similar or to take a particular emotion I feel and try to recreate it.
Feel free to add things you would someday like to create.
I’ve got way too many ideas, likely more than God’s given me years on this Earth. That said, I do have some plans. For this year, my focus is on building out the Fallen World universe with at least one sequel to Blue Crucible, as well as a short story or two. I also have a Jackie Warren book planned out for the Four Horsemen Universe. That’ll be a sequel on the “Return to Sender” story in the Tales from the Lyons Den anthology from late 2018. I also want to write the first book set in the Necrolopolis universe, which will feature a lot of the characters from the short story “Hanging by a Thread” that’ll be in the upcoming sword-and-sorcery anthology When Valor Must Hold. And then there are other things like a Magical Girl meets Apocalypse Now story, a zombie high school story, and other weird things like that. Like I said, too many ideas!
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop?
It depends on the day. Once a month I head over to a local restaurant or the nearest Chick-Fil-A with just a notebook and maybe a book on the writing craft, and I get to it. Drafting, brainstorming, studying. Mostly, though, I’m in the basement at home, with my writing laptop and snacks to keep me from venturing upstairs too often. That way lies distractions, cats needing affection, and games that desire to be played. (It’s totally them, not me, right?)
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples.
I mostly listen to video game and anime music. When I’m hip-deep in the writing, it’s all instrumentals. When I’m brainstorming, outlining, or editing, vocals can be mixed in. Otherwise, the lyrics can end up distracting me when I’m actually drafting.
What other things exist in your productive environment?
In the basement, I have a little table where I’ve got my writing laptop, a few craft books for reference, some snacks, and a pair of cross-shaped cufflinks given to me by Larry Dixon back during World Fantasy Con of 2016 over in Columbus, Ohio.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked?
Two things. The first is spending too much time in the outlining and brainstorming phase. It’s not so bad with short fiction, as there are only so many factors to take into account for a 5,000 – 10,000 word piece. But, during the writing of Blue Crucible (My first contribution to Christopher Woods’ Fallen World universe) I went from the initial idea sometime in June of last year to finally sitting down to draft it in October and November. Granted, I had a couple other short stories that needed to be finished, but a lot of time was wasted spinning my wheels. So, going forward, I’m going to strive to not spend as much time in that phase of the writing.
And the second is an area I will make work, because I have to. That’s running the blog and maintaining a social media presence. It’s something I’ve tried to start a few times, and it’s always run aground as I’ve focused more and more on writing. That part’s a good thing, but I still need to be out there. Not only to promote, but also to maintain connections to fellow writers and to readers.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations?
I like my characters. The plots can sometimes be hard for me to come up with, but I usually don’t have a problem with the core group of characters. Whether it’s Jackie Warren the arms dealer and her team of body guards in the Four Horesemen Universe, or it’s Lieutenant Nathan Ward and his squad of fellow mounted cops in the Fallen World Universe, or it’s Necromancer Adelvell and his band of undead misfits in my Necrolopolis universe, there’s someone for every reader to relate to, to root for, to laugh with, and to cry with.
What are specific techniques you do well?
I’ve been told that I do believable dialogue, with the characters having unique voices that don’t require too many tags to keep up with. I’ve also been told that my action sequences read like a movie or anime scene. Easy to visualize, easy to follow. I’m a harsh critic of my own writing, so I don’t know that I agree with that! But, I’ve heard it enough to give it credence.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome?
Completing this first novel all the way to the point of submission. I’ve drafted two other novels, both years ago. I never went back and edited them because they would need to be completely rewritten. I just didn’t know enough. With Blue Crucible, I feel like I’ve finally come around to understanding story structure enough to pull off a full-length work. Is it going to be perfect? No, and nothing I write ever will be. Nothing anyone writes ever will be, save for the Bible (And the writers had a little bit of help from on high for that). But, it was written to the best of my ability at the time, and I know the next book will be even better.
Another success, again involving Blue Crucible, has been to finally start writing with a lot more emotion. The protagonist, Lieutenant Nathan Ward, goes through hell during this book. It begins right on the day the bombs drop in Chris Woods’ Fallen World universe, and he witnesses as his hometown disappears off the map, along with a good bit of the country. He’s distraught, he’s upset, he’s barely holding it together. There are times where he breaks down and weeps. That’s hard for me to write, because it’s not comfortable for me to experience or see. But, with the encouragement of a couple good writer friends I pushed through and showed a lot more raw emotion than I ever have. And I think that’s where my writing’s been the weakest all these years, so I’m excited to see how readers view some of those emotional scenes.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you?
My own resistance to writing is a personal challenge, and I know I’m not unique in that. Writing, as much fun as it is, is still a brain-burning task. It’s not difficult in the sense that we’re solving complex math equations (Well, maybe the hard sci-fi writers are) or performing life saving surgery or commanding thousands of employees or soldiers, but we’re still utilizing a lot more of the brain than we do in a lot of everyday tasks, even everyday work tasks. And the brain doesn’t always want to do that, so when it comes time to sit down and do the gritty work of writing, distractions abound! Suddenly the most amazing thing in the world is cleaning the toilets or washing the car or cooking dinner, and the writing doesn’t get done.
The other low point came when I went to my first writer’s conference and found out just how deeply political the traditional publishing industry has become (Or always has been, and maybe I just never noticed). I left there having made a few acquaintances and having met a lot of wonderful people, but overall I was very discouraged. It seemed like the industry was stacked against certain demographics and certain political and religious persuasions, and it didn’t matter how good a story you could write if you fell into those categories. My dreams of traditional publishing weren’t dashed exactly, but they were tarnished quite a bit.
And then I went to LibertyCon in 2017, and my whole perspective changed. Baen, Chris Kennedy Publishing, Copperdog Publishing, and other big to small presses out there just wanted a good story. We could have our differing views as writers and professionals and still be colleagues and even friends. What mattered was the skill and the professionalism.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons?
Lots of rejections, which I know is normal. I’ve had so many short stories get rejected from contests, from magazines, from token publications that I could reroof the house with the manuscripts and the rejection slips.
That said, the only thing that helped me more than the first time I received an editor’s feedback on an accepted piece (Venessa Giunta, if you’re reading this, thank you so much!) was the first time I received a personal rejection message. When an editor or assistant editor takes time out of their busy schedule to tell you why your manuscript didn’t make the final cut, you know you’re on the right track. Because they don’t do that unless they see something in your writing, something they want to see more of. The rejection still stings, but take heart! You’re in the top 5% to 10% at that point.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block?
In the past, before I wanted to make this a career I would try waiting for the muse to strike. That never seemed to work, but it made for a good excuse to get distracted with other things. Good things like work and car repairs and chores, and bad things like marathon sessions of video games and other entertainment.
Now I just do the clichéd thing that always works: sit down in a room with limited distractions, and it’s either write or stare at the wall. Staring at the wall gets old after about five minutes, so I inevitably put my fingers to the keyboard and type. After about an hour, I’m typing nonstop, and before I know it, six hours have gone by and it’s time for dinner.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making?
Don’t wait. I spent years wanting to write, and dabbling in it, but I wasn’t really, truly serious about it until 2013 or so, when I started studying the craft. I’ve been writing regularly since about 2008 (with starts and stops before that, through high school and college), but I didn’t look to improve my abilities and technique until several years into it. So, yeah, wherever you’re at, realize you can do better and strive to be better. Don’t let other people talk you out of it, and don’t talk yourself out of it. If it’s something you want to do – if it’s something you’re driven to do – then just sit down and do it. And know that there are people out there eager to read what you produce, and even more eager to see you improve with each work.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be?
The above statement, in all its form. I should’ve focused on writing as a career from the beginning. I always pushed it aside as a “Well, maybe by the time I’m 25. Maybe by the time I’m 30. Maybe by the time…” Nope, little Ben, sit down and get to it. This is what God’s put you on this Earth to do, and you need to do it before He smites you for your indolence.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet?Do Rigel and Pilot from Farscape count as muppets?
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Does Hatsune Miku count? She’s a little on the artificial side, but what singer isn’t these days?
Favorite Superhero? All Might from the anime My Hero Academia, followed by Deku, the protagonist from that series. Greatest superhero saga I’ve ever seen, hands down. Highly recommended.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Dukes of Hazzard for the 70’s. Magnum P.I. and the A-Team for the 80’s.
Favorite Sports Team? Haven’t watched much sports since high school, so I’ll have to say, “Whichever team my friends aren’t rooting for in the Superbowl.” It’s fun being the contrarian.
Best Game Ever? Whichever Superbowl it was that the Patriots came from behind and completely dominated. It was like a switch was thrown at half-time, and then they just owned the field. Or maybe they owned it the whole time and decided it was time to show that.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Salvation of the soul is the greatest gift God has given me. After that, it’s the love of my wife. And after that, the cover art for Blue Crucible. I never thought my first book would have such epic artwork. Chris Kennedy has my gratitude.
What Cartoon Character Are You? If we’re talking western animation, then J.T. Marsh from ExoSquad. If we’re talking eastern animation, then Naofumi Iwatani from Rising of the Shield Hero.
Your Wrestler Name? Sweet Tea Man
Your Signature Wrestling Move? Something akin to the Atomic Elbow Drop, like the “Deep Steep” or the “Dentist’s Drill.”
What Do You Secretly Plot? To unseat the publishing giants and restore the writing world to one that’s based on merit and entertainment value.
How Will You Conquer the World? By southernizing everyone with sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, and gumbo.
Best Thing From the 80s? The NES, followed by Rototech and Bubblegum Crisis.
Favorite Historical Period? Toss-up between Medieval Europe and Revolutionary America
Most Interesting Person In History? Joan of Arc. Illiterate peasant girl who rallied a failing army, liberated a city, and died a martyr’s death without ever once relinquishing her faith. I’m looking forward to meeting her on the other side.
Favorite Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats, all the way. After that, Waffle Crisp.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Whatever it is, I’m washing it down with sweet iced tea.
Beverage(s) of Choice? Sweet iced tea.
Do You Have Pets? I serve in the Court of the Calico Countess alongside her castellan, Earl Grey.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Vin Diesel, ‘cuz why not?
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Least desired and most desired cause of death.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
Website/Blog: BenjaminTylerSmith.com
Twitter: @BenTylerSmith
Facebook: Benjamin Tyler Smith
Blue Crucible will be out in early April! Look for it on Chris Kennedy Publishing’s site!
I’m working on the sequel to Blue Crucible and the first Jackie Warren novel in the Four Horsemen Universe. So, expect lots of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and military sci-fi action for 2020!
And where can we find you?
I will be at FantaSci and LibertyCon this year. Hope we can meet up there!
Do you have a creator biography?
By day Ben earns his bread as a necro-cartographer, and by night he writes about undead, aliens, and everything in-between. His first novel is Blue Crucible, published by Chris Kennedy Publishing and set in Christopher Woods’ post-apocalyptic Fallen World universe. Other works include short stories set in CKP’s Four Horsemen military sci-fi universe, the Sha’Daa dark fantasy/horror universe by Copperdog Publishing, and pieces that wound up as finalists for Baen contests both in 2018 and 2019. He is working on the sequel to Blue Crucible, as well as a Four Horsemen novel, both of which will be finished by the end of 2020.
Married to a saint of a woman, ruled by a benevolent calico countess, he can be found at BenjaminTylerSmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter (@BenTylerSmith).
Thanks to Benjamin for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This week is ChattaCon. It’s one of my favorite cons because Lani Brooks always gives me plenty to do. This year is no different.
Here’s my schedule:
Friday at 5pm (Vision A Ballroom): Martin Koszta Using History Panel (This might be the last time for a while. I’ve done it quite a few times, so I’ll stop suggesting it until I miss doing it.)
Friday at 8pm (Vision B Ballroom): Iron-Storyteller. This looks like a lot of fun and I wonder if we may end up wanting to run long because we’ll come up with so much stuff. However…
Friday at 9pm (Wisdom Boardroom: Beyond G-Rating. How much violence and sex should we include in fantasy and SF.
Saturday at 1pm (Vision A Ballroom): Blurring the Lines. We’ll discuss how to interweave real events in spec fiction.
Saturday at 4pm (Ballroom Hall): I believe this will be my author signing period. Yes, I’ll have books with me.
Sunday at 10am (Vision A Ballroom): Culture, Mythology, and Spirituality. Studying how cultures help fill out speculative fiction and RPGs.
There is also a game creation panels that I might attend, given the Shijuren RPG. It’s Principles of RPG Design run at 3pm in Vision C.
It’s going to be a great time. I love it that she keeps me hopping.
One thing that might be weird is this will be the first con I attend after Neil’s passing. His death is still reverberating among Rush fans and I’m not the only one not really over it.
I always wear Rush T-shirts at con. There are always a bunch of Rush fans at SF/F cons, of course, and I’ve always enjoyed interacting with them.
This time will be different and I’m not sure how it’ll go.
Anyway, on to other things.
Congratulations to the Chiefs and the 49ers for reaching the Super Bowl. I’m in a hard place here as a Cowboys fan living in the KC area. On the one hand, it’s the 49ers, and I never like it when they win. On the other, it’s one of the stepdaughter’s teams and if the Chiefs win, KC fans are going to be insufferable until they next get knocked out of the playoffs. And that couldn’t be any earlier than December 2020.
I guess I’ll root for the Chiefs. Andy Reid is a guy to admire, and I’d be really happy for him to win a Super Bowl with a team other than the Eagles. Yes, I’m petty. But the Eagles fans deserve all that and more.
Anyway, we’ll have a Super Bowl party here. I generally have had one. Last year was the exception because of moving about. Hopefully, the stepdaughter can have the night off from work, but if not, we’ll make a mini version of her and sit her right in front of the TV.
Also exciting is the result of the Dragon 9/Crew Dragon test. It looks like we’re almost to the point of crewed missions for that platform.
I’ve long believed, and circumstances are proving me right, than private industry would be the real path to space. NASA has certain uses, but commercial ventures can do things NASA can’t, and do them at a much faster rate.
I would really like to see humanity have a solid and stable presence in space before I pass along the mortal coil. Dragon could make that happen.
Well, enough of all that. Back to writing in None Call Me Mother. Making progress.
It’s been a procrasticlean sort of week. I just haven’t really had a ton of focus since Neil died to get much done, combined with an event last weekend, so I only got about 2k written on None Call Me Mother.
I did, however, get really close to finishing my portion of When Valor Must Hold, the fantasy anthology coming out this year. I’m really excited, because all the stories are really good. Team “And More” did very well, not to mention all the cover writers.
One of my upcoming ramblings will be an AAR of this process, by the way.
I also revamped my website a bit. Go to www.robhowell.org if you want to see what I did. I’m still messing around with things a bit, but it’s getting there.
Also, the Shijuren wiki is temporarily down for some maintenance. I want to get that out of the way before releasing None Call Me Mother, as I’ll be adding all the new characters, places, and everything else.
I’ll also be improving a number of pages, cleaning up the info, adding some details, and putting in hints about the series to follow The Kreisens, mostly information about Amaranth and Euskalerria.
In other words, this was stuff that had to be done, so I didn’t waste the week, even if my mind was elsewhere.
What I’m Listening To
Rush. All of it. On repeat. Currently Cygnus X-1 from Different Stages.
Quote of the Week
“The treasure of a life is a measure of love and respect
The way you live, the gifts that you give
In the fullness of time
It’s the only return that you expect”
– Rush, The Garden
This week’s spotlight is on Cedar Sanderson, one of the people who first read my stuff and gave me useful feedback, for which I’ll be forever grateful. Also, I really enjoyed her story Goddess’s Tears, which will be in When Valor Must Hold. You can find her interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1956 and you can find her on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Cedar-Sanderson/e/B006WFPHO6.
Today’s Weight: 399.7
Updated Word Count: 11,660
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today’s interview is with Cedar Sanderson. Cedar is one of the first people who read my stuff. She and her husband read A Lake Most Deep and told me how much they liked the story. And how much they didn’t like the cover. Oh, the art was fine, but man, I had a lot to learn about title treatments and such-like things. She was very patient with me and has helped me a ton. That’s one reason I was so pleased to ask her if she wanted to be a part of When Valor Must Hold.
Another reason is that I’ve enjoyed reading her stuff. So, I was not surprised that I loved her story Goddess’s Tears. It’s an origin story of her Blood of Frost universe, where the hero pays a higher price than one expects to fight the evils around her.
Interview: Cedar Sanderson
Cedar Sanderson
Why are you here?
I started writing back when I was a teenager. I had actually forgotten about that until I found a partial manuscript – and house plans for the story! – recently. It’s pretty horrible. I think I was channeling Jo from Little Women. I know I started writing for two reasons: one, I ran out of reading material. Two, I’d always had worlds in my head and I was slowly convinced that other people would enjoy reading about them, too.
I started to read at a very tender age, so I don’t remember the first book I read. I can’t really choose a favorite author, either, because it changes so frequently, based on my moods. But I can say that I imprinted early on Heinlein, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dorothy Sayers, and Louis L’Amour. Also, I happen to be named for a character in a novel, so I guess you could say that reading is in the blood. I write because I love to read.
I find myself drawn to, and writing, a lot of fantasy, which I find weird. I loved Tolkein and CS Lewis. Still do, for that matter. But I also find most modern High Fantasy almost intolerable with the tropes and the clichés and the stale pastiches, oh my. Urban Fantasy – Butcher, Correia, Briggs – can be very very good, but I had actually started to write it on my own before I was even introduced to them. I still find it weird, because all my life I wanted to be a scientist. So I should be writing science fiction. I do, and even my fantasy tends to have strong science elements in it. Still, fantasy is what calls the muse most strongly.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
I work at home these days. For a year, I had a writing office where I went and there were no children, no distractions, just quiet and minimal writing supplies. I didn’t get a lot done there. I felt guilty not being at home taking care of the family. On the other hand, I tried putting my office out in the main part of the house in the theory that my family (three teens, a husband, and a dog) would not be constantly interrupting me if they had open access to me. That was a disaster. I stopped writing for months. It wasn’t until I started taking refuge in my bedroom with the door closed that I was able to focus and write again.
I use music to create mood. When I was writing Goddess’s Tears, I spent more time than I ought putting together the perfect playlist for it. If you’re curious, you can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3V5Zg2dwDACe-V99XtclfNBqC4Fhkapf the title for the playlist is my working title for the story. Sometimes I can’t use music – recently when I have been bored at work I’ve been writing longhand in a notebook (shh… actually, no one cares. I’m still training in a new role and they know I’m unoccupied for a time). This seems to be working. The one creative nut I am trying to crack is dictation. I have an hour plus commute, and it seems I should use that time creatively but I get very self-conscious trying to speak the story aloud and compose on the fly. I’ll keep trying.
What are your superpowers?
I like to explore what it is to be human, and how far you can stretch that definition before it snaps. I really enjoy developing characters, and forging them in fires to bring out the true metal of their souls. Hence the working title of Goddess’s Tears, I was writing a story where the dross was driven out of a woman’s soul in the fires of hell itself. I’m told by reviewers and fans I do character driven stories very well. I’ve wondered at times if this means I don’t do action well, but I have also been told that in a couple of my books my pacing is ‘breathless’ which is, ok? I hope?
I rarely rewrite. I did with Goddess because Rob thought the story had some dross, and it was a great experience to go hammer and tongs with him on it. I think what we wrought is better than my first draft, and I’m delighted he spent the time on it with me. It was a learning experience. Rob’s Note: The story was always good, but I wanted more. And I got it.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
Oof. This is a difficult question to answer. I’m not going to get too deep with it.
The biggest challenge for me is that I have a career I enjoy very much, on top of the writing, and being an active artist. I’m busy – often too busy – and it’s frustrating to have ideas but no time to bring them to life. When I was still in college (the second time, almost 20 years after the first attempt) I was able to juggle classes, and write. But now that I’m a full time chemist, I come home drained. That, and teenagers are almost as hard as toddlers. I thought they’d be more independent, but nope!
I have several manuscripts in various states of completion. I’m struggling to finish any of them. The problem with some is that it’s been too long since I worked on it last, and I’d have to re-read it before I could start fresh. With 70,000 words on one (another Underhill book) that’s a daunting task. And I blocked on it for a reason, so I have to unpick where I went wrong and correct that. I’m a pantser. If I try to outline, I lose the story. So my recommendation is to plow ahead on a project and finish it. Don’t set it aside and come back months later scratching your head and wondering where you were going with that. Or abandon it entirely and call it practice. I’m too stubborn to do that last.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Beaker
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Dead South
Favorite Superhero? Captain America
Favorite 1970s TV show? I grew up without television. I’m not sure what was on in the 70s.
Favorite Weird Color? Chartreuse
Favorite Sports Team? I don’t watch sports?
Best Game Ever? Oh, I really like Fluxx, with all the variations. There’s a Chemistry version!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Spring
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A friend and fan sent me several fountain pens. So wonderful for drawing!
What Cartoon Character Are You? Jessica Rabbit
Your Wrestler Name? La Bunuela!
Your Signature Wrestling Move? Boiling oil pour
What Do You Secretly Plot? How to go back to graduate school.
How Will You Conquer the World? Bake it cookies and lull it before… but I say too much.
Best Thing From the 80s? Die Hard
Favorite Historical Period? 1940s (WWII era)
Most Interesting Person In History? Dmitri Mendeleev
Steak Temperature? Blue
Favorite Chip Dip? Bacon Horseradish
Favorite Cereal? Steel-cut Oats
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Chicken and Dumplings
Beverage(s) of Choice? Soda? Diet Dr. Pepper. Stimulant? Mead, preferably cherry mead.
Do You Have Pets? We have a dog, Tricksy, and two cats who are living with our daughter but were my office cats, Addie and Evie.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Scarlett Johansson
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Ask about favorite food or thing to cook!
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
So other than Butter Tarts, what are your favorite foods?
Rob’s Answer: Steak (medium rare, blackened, with garlic butter), Butter Chicken, fresh bread with butter and honey, biscuits and gravy (having already buttered the biscuits), and, uhhhh, butter, I guess?
When you write, do you share the story with anyone? I often use alpha readers when I get stuck on something.
Rob’s Answer: I think you have to at some point. It’s almost impossible for me to really judge what I’m writing. I mean, I know I like it, but I don’t know if anyone else will. I will say one of the best compliments I’ve ever had is when James Young said something like, “I know it’ll be good. It’s you.” That’s an awesome thing to hear, but I don’t believe it until someone else has given me honest input.
When you get discouraged, how do you cheer yourself up?
Rob’s Answer: Hmmm. This is a tough one, because I don’t always have a good answer here. I feel better anytime I complete something, even if it’s just the dishes. Procrasticleaning is a thing, y’all. It’s the days I go to bed having not accomplished anything that bug me, so I guess my answer is to finish a thing. Oddly, I can say that here, but I don’t necessarily think about it when I need to.
My latest novel is Possum Creek Massacre, a paranormal police procedural set in the Appalachians. The stories are drawn from family and true crime and my own forensic studies. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQNLMPP
I’m working with my writing group on a weekly prompt challenge. You give a prompt, and are randomly assigned one in return. It’s a ton of fun, and a great way to get writing if you are having trouble gaining momentum. I started doing the group, and the challenge, as a way to give back to the community. Paying it forward for all those who have encouraged me or poked and prodded me along the way. If anyone wants to play along, check it out here: https://moreoddsthanends.home.blog/
And where can we find you?
I’m not planning any event appearances in 2020. I’ll be attending MarCon as a guest, incognito with family. I’ll be taking my kids to GemCity ComicCon, and probably the same for CincyComiCon as well. Happy to meet up if you happen to be there!
Do you have a creator biography?
Cedar Sanderson is an author, artist, and a scientist. Her varied career lends extra flavor to her works of art, and her insatiable reading appetite once led her to run out of reading material and start writing her own. She hasn’t stopped yet. Perennially inquisitive, she wants to know more about everything and will ask strange questions if you stand still long enough to let her. Works in print include her popular urban fantasy (with very little urban) Pixie for Hire series, her space opera Tanager’s Fledglings, and her young Adult series Children of Myth, as well as a couple dozen shorter works that would make this bio too long to name them. Her cover art and design grace the covers of other authors as well as her own, and her cute dragon character appears in his own coloring book, Inktail & Friends.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked me what inspired me to write Goddess’s Tears?
Reading Jirel of Joiry. I hadn’t read it until about a year ago, and I promptly fell in love with it. The character really connected with me – I don’t want to spoil it, but the character falls in love with someone you really don’t expect and in a way you don’t see coming. But it wasn’t that. It was the chin up and face forward into the darkness. Do your duty if it sees you walk through hell. I lived that. I wanted to capture a little of that sheer chutzpah in a story of my own. I hope I succeeded in even a very small way.
Thanks to Cedar for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
There are times and places we all remember. Where the impact is so powerful that we are irrevocably changed.
Friday afternoon, I had one of those moments. I was standing in the checkout line at Wal-Mart idly flipping through Twitter while I waited. That’s where and when I found out Neil Peart had passed away.
I’ve tried to write this post ever since then. I’ve failed. What you’re reading isn’t correct. It doesn’t hold all that I need it to. I don’t know how to make it better, though I’m sure things will come to me.
However, I need to say something now, even if it’s not quite right.
****
I can’t remember a single earthshaking moment when Neil Peart became a shaping factor in my life, but I can credit the person who made it happen: Ted Shellhamer. We’d connected over sports and other shared things, but that year he got excited about a new record by Rush.
Moving Pictures had Tom Sawyer, which everyone remembers and which we loved too, but there was so much more. However, it was when Ted gave me stuff from A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves that I really started to love Rush almost as much as he did.
The title track to Hemispheres, with its blend of science fiction and Greek mythology combined with intricately woven lyrics that wrapped back around themselves blew me away. Natural Science did the same thing. And like so many others Closer to the Heart got to me.
It seeped into me, teaching me slowly and thoroughly. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve listened to a Rush album, I always seem to learn something new. It is comforting to know I still have lessons to learn from Neil even though he’s gone.
I bought all the cassettes. Exit… Stage Left was my favorite because I got to hear Tom Sawyer and the Trees and The Spirit of the Radio all on one tape! Plus 9 other great songs. What could be better?
I’ll tell you what could be better: Signals followed by Grace Under Pressure followed by Hold Your Fire followed by Presto and so on. Best yet are the three albums of Rush 2.0, Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows, and Clockwork Angels.
19 studio albums all told. 19 different styles. 19 different kinds of awesome. 19 wonderful collections we are lucky to have.
****
It’s hard to describe how awesome it was to me that this music was so incredibly powerful and talked about things that fascinated me. On the one hand I could bang my head to it as much as anything else out there, but on the other hand it always made me think. Not just about mythology and science fiction, but poetry and history and philosophy and all sorts of things that I kept getting told were so utterly uncool yet I still desperately craved.
And still do, for that matter, even more than ever.
School was an awful place for me, as it was for so many. I had some good and great teachers. I had some not.
One administrator dealt fairly with me, Roel Quintanilla. He was it. Other than that, I was fair game to all the other students because they knew I was the one who’d get in trouble, even if I wasn’t the source of the problem. I was bigger than many, frustrated, angry, and too damn intelligent to fit in those round holes they tried to fit me into. I will never forgive Katie McHenry, by the way, for explicitly telling me it was OK for girls to punch me. That it was my fault for saying anything that prompted them to punch me. It’s been nearly 40 years for some of these things, yet I am still shaking in rage at the things she and other administrators let happen to me.
I never snapped, though. Not completely, at least. I did go off a few times, which at least had the benefit of making other students a bit wary about me.
I didn’t snap because I have great parents.
I also had Neil’s lyrics telling me that it was OK to be different.
The easy song to point to is Subdivisions of course, with its line “conform or be cast out.” But Witch Hunt was there too, showing me I was merely the target of humanity’s mob mentality. The Trees told me that I could conform, but only if I wished to give up way too much. 2112 told me that those damned administrators didn’t really know anything.
I could be different and yet the magic of life could still be within my grasp!
****
My life hasn’t really gone to plan. I was a good IT pro, and in some ways I regret leaving that line of work. It’s certainly easier than writing and it pays better. But I’ve always struggled within that round hole of a 40-hour work week.
I thought at one time that academia would be the place for me. I didn’t have the rigid schedule chafing at me year after year and I could push my brain into ever cooler things.
But the academic world is worse than high school ever was. “Conform or be cast out” isn’t just a society thing there, it’s the professional motto.
I’m so glad I didn’t get my Ph.D. I’m proud of my research and what would have been my dissertation. I’m pleased with the skills I learned. I clearly enjoyed the publish or perish part of it all. I am pleased that my academic career mined out the useful parts of that world while I remained Rob.
In 2012, the week my second wife left me and right about when I realized I’d also broken up with academia, Rush released Clockwork Angels.
It’s a tour-de-force album. It has all the energy and passion of Moving Pictures, 2112, and Permanent Waves, but with all the skill and growth of their entire career. It’s the best album ever made. Not just by Rush, but ever.
Thank goodness for that album.
Kate had seemed like a miracle to me. Beautiful and smart and many wonderful things, but we didn’t fit as much as we thought. We had a great wedding (I entered that day to Rush’s Malignant Narcissism), but the marriage… well… we had the best wedding ever.
The chorus of The Wreckers on Clockwork Angels is:
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Because sometimes the target is you
And there it was, Rush saving me again. She was too good to be true, and that just happens. What’s important is where we go from here.
So I did what Neil had done. I hit the road. In my case, it wasn’t a motorcycle or a bike, it was the idiotic whimsy of walking the Offa’s Dyke trail in Wales. I packed up my phantoms, I shouldered my invisible load, and I haunted a wilderness road. I was a Ghost Walker.
I’m proud to be Kate’s friend now and I’m so glad we met. I listen to Malignant Narcissism happily remembering the joys of our time together and the lessons I’ve learned. The same is true of Holly, my first wife (Vapor Trails was there after she and I split, by the way). I never married Maerwynn, again because I screwed up, but I can’t imagine her not being in my life.
Headlong Flight on Clockwork Angels says what I feel about my marriages, my other sweeties along the way like Maerwynn, and all the other things which didn’t turn out like I expected:
All the treasures, the gold and glory
It didn’t always feel that way
I don’t regret it – I’ll never forget it
I wouldn’t trade tomorrow for today
Some days were dark
I wish that I could live it all again
Some nights were bright
I wish that I could live it all again
****
I wasn’t really salvaged after breaking up with Kate and academia until mom pushed me into writing, but it felt like a squarish hole when she suggested it. I’ve grown since then and I realized some time ago that’s partly because Neil’s lyrics made me think about writing all along.
My one regret of my writing career is that I started at 46. I wish I’d at least started writing on the side when Neil was first making me think about weaving words in intricate and lovely patterns.
I’ve been blessed with wonderful parents. I’ve had a lot of wonderful other people in my life along the way, including Holly, Kate, and Maerwynn. I never met Neil and yet, outside of my parents and my significant others, I would hard pressed to name another single person who mattered most in my life than Neil.
I don’t know where I would have been had Rush not been there for me. Neil’s lyrics have always held back the worst of whatever depresses me. Often enough I haven’t enjoyed my thoughts about myself, but Neil convinced me I had to look at them as honestly as I could. I had to learn to keep on riding North and East and circling South and West. Or, as I say when talking about writing, keep on plugging away.
I’m here and better than ever and that would never have happened if Neil hadn’t made me think.
****
How does one pay that back? I never had a great answer.
I always hoped one day I’d run into Neil at a random restaurant on the road. I wouldn’t have talked to him, but I would have slid my card over to the waitress in a heartbeat and bought dinner for him and all his guests, whatever the price. Giving out food and drink is my way of saying thanks, as many who’ve camped near me at SCA events have probably figured out.
It was the best compromise I could dream of. In my dream I wouldn’t say a word to him. I wouldn’t enter within his Limelight, so to speak, but I’d have said thanks in the truest way I know how. Especially since any words that ever said to him would have bothered and embarrassed him. Simply buying his dinner or lunch would have bothered him more than I’m really comfortable with, in all actuality, but it was the only compromise I could think of.
****
I sit here in the best time of my Headlong Flight. I have the right person in my life. I am doing the thing I should have been doing all along. I’m happier with myself as a person than I have ever been.
I know dark days will come, but I also know Neil will be there helping me push through them. Bright nights will also come and Neil will be there helping my celebrate them.
I tried to write this without using too many of Neil’s lyrics. It’s hard because it’s those lyrics that mattered the most to me. It’s also hard because his language patterns flow into my hands when I’m writing. Believe me, I could have written this entire thing with powerful lyrics in every paragraph.
But I needed this to be at least partially from me. It’s what Neil would expect.
I’m going to conclude this with words from a Rush song which he didn’t write. These are words exchanged between Ground Control and the Columbia during the first space shuttle launch, which Rush immortalized in Countdown.
“Columbia, Houston, we have 40 seconds to LOS
you’re looking good burning over the hill, we will see you in Madrid.”
“And we enjoyed the music, Bob, thank you.”
“We enjoyed it, just wanted to share some with you.”
Neil shared his music and writing with us and now we’ve lost his signal. We enjoyed it, Neil, and we thank you.
I don’t know if there’s a Madrid over the hill, but if there is, I’m going to buy Neil that dinner.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
The first interview is with one of the first people I thought of when I got permission to create an anthology. The moment you meet this guy, you can envision him with a giant greatsword standing next to Conan or some other great hero of legend. And then afterwords, he’ll be the one drinking mead until the gods get tired.
I interviewed William Joseph Roberts not too long ago. You can find that interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1845. However, this is a new set of questions freshened up for 2020, and he was generous enough to fill out the new version as well.
His story in the anthology is entitled “Dust in the Mouth” and it’s as if Lovecraft wrote a Conan story. Or Howard wrote a Cthulhu story. No surprise, given his influences.
Interview: William Joseph Roberts
William Joseph Roberts
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Without questions, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Jordan, Douglas Adams to name a few.
Who are some favorite other creators? That depends on the type of creation you’re talking about. I mean, you’ve got Irish Mike making these massive swords and stuff to classic cover artists and such. That’s a wide spectrum to start naming names.
What made you a creator in the first place? The love of invoking an emotional or physical response in someone. There is nothing like seeing something that you puked out of your brainpan cause a response in someone else.
Why did you choose to create what you create? Just the way that the muse strikes me and what the evil brain squirrels tell me to do.
Feel free to add things you would someday like to create. Hehe… um… that’s a freaking big list. Um. How about a world so iconic that it is more or less a household name and lasts into the next century in similar fashion to the works of Howard and Lovecraft.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop? All of the above
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples. Absolutely! Basically from any genre. It just depends on what the mind squirrels demand. Here’s a good example. In the last week alone with the different stories that I have been working on, I have swung from Megadeth to Postmodern Jukebox to Moonshine Bandits and back to Nahko and Medicine for the people. I’m all over the place when it comes to music.
What other things exist in your productive environment? Side projects, just little things around the house that I can be creative with to give the squirrels a break and do something different.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? Critique groups. I spun my wheels for years in critique groups that went nowhere. One part of the problem is that they focused on literary fiction, not pulp fiction.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I like reality and the average joe over super powers and seemingly immortal characters.
What are specific techniques you do well? I’m not entirely sure. I’ve been told that I pull on raw emotion at times and paint pictures well.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? I published my first novel, fLUX Runners on my own after a lot of hard work and a whole hell of a lot of fighting with those demons in the back of my head. Then I turned around and finished my second novel in 2 months. :-/ Go figure.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? Distractions, self-doubt, lack of knowledge. Top of the list would probably be the lack of knowledge being shared in part of the writing community. If the knowledge that LibertyCon existed had been spoken about, I could have learned about it years ago. The group I was with knew about it, they just didn’t like to talk about “those” authors.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons? Yes, my old podcast. We had a blast and we helped to spread the word to a lot of people about different artists and their works, but it was a failure in that I lost my focus. Instead of being a platform to promote myself and my work, I focused on making a better podcast. Now the upside to all of this hard work was the knowledge gained on networking, promotion, and collaboration.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? Jump to another story or project. The squirrels get bored if they are stuck on the same thing for too long.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? From spinning their wheels doing something that will never pay off. (Critique groups!) While they may be great for some people, they did nothing for me.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? TO WRITE! See, way back at the start of my podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing author Ben Bova. Now the one thing that he kept saying over and over again was, that if you want to be a writer, then write. Don’t make excuses, just sit down and write. Choose a set time that is your writing time and that’s when you write, without question. Everyone else is to leave you alone during this period unless it is an absolute emergency. Well at the time, with the distractions of the podcast and three small babies, it didn’t sink in. It finally did after a while. I now get up at 0400 every morning if not earlier and write till at least 0600 before getting ready for work. Add in my hour of lunch and any other time that I can squeeze in, I’m finally doing it.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Tiny Tim
Favorite Superhero? Lobo
Favorite 1970s TV show? BJ McKay and his best friend Bear
And my next novel, Widowmakers will be coming out soon from Canon publishing.
Currently working on Wildcat for the Fallen World universe along with a number of co-author projects in a wide range of genres
And where can we find you?
Upcoming events and conventions you plan to attend. Chattacon (Jan), Anachracon (Feb), FantiSci (March), Conglomeration (April), Metrotham (May), LibertyCon (June), Next Chapter Con (Sept)
Do you have a creator biography?
In a previous lifetime, William Joseph Roberts was once an F-15 mechanic and Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He has traveled the world and experienced many things in his few years.
During his tenure in this lifetime, he has been called a Jack of all trades, a Renaissance man and insane squirrel wrangler by his peers. Since his enlistment he has perused careers as an industrial and architectural designer, design engineer, and now, eclectic writer.
William Joseph Roberts currently resides in the quaint southern town of Chickamauga, Georgia with his loving wife, three freaky smart nerd children, and small pack of fur babies.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Most folks at some point usually ask WTF is wrong with me. I generally just smile, then maybe give them a face lick. 😊
Thanks to William for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Last week, I did a post on just how good 2019 was for me. You can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1912. My conclusion? 2019 was my best year ever.
2020 will be better.
Let’s start with None Call Me Mother. I should have that to my editor within a few weeks. I know it’s been slow. I wanted to have this done in 2018, much less last year. Stuff happened and I apologize. But it’s coming and it’s good.
What will happen in Shijuren after that?
Glad you asked.
This fall I’ll be working on the next Edward novel. I don’t have a working title yet, but it’ll be a bit of an homage to Dick Francis. There’s trouble at Achrida’s Hippodrome and it might hurt horse-racing across the entire Empire of Makhaira if Edward can’t figure it out.
Then, I’ll start another trilogy in Shijuren with different characters based in Amaranth. I’ve said a number of times that chickens are coming home to roost all across Shijuren, and this will tell of roostings in the south.
My plan is to write one Shijuren novel a year, alternating between an Edward novel and whatever other series I’m working on at the time, at least for now. It may end up being one Edward and two series novels, but we’ll see.
I also plan on writing short stories set in the universe. In fact, the first is already written and I’ll get to that in a moment. I’m really enjoying writing short stories in general, and whenever I get a chance to write one in Shijuren, I will.
But wait, there’s more. I’m making progress on creating an OGL d20 based system set in Shijuren. The first embryonic concepts of Shijuren started rolling around my head 25 years ago as a place for great D&D adventures. In many ways, it’s exceeded my expectation in that aspect alone.
The system I have in mind aims to streamline game play with a cool character creation system that allows players to mold characters to fit their own playing style.
It also aims to encourage players to try stupid but fun stuff that isn’t necessarily defined in the rules. Whether it’s trying a crazy tactic, using a skill in an unorthodox manner, or using magic in a weird way to save the day, it’ll be designed to give DMs guidelines to react to players making stuff up on the fly.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced in this so far has been how to mold my magic system into a usable system for a game. It’s a great magic system from a writing perspective, but it hadn’t been obvious how to translate it to gaming. However, I’ve finally come up with what I think is a really cool plan that ought to be a lot of fun.
Creating a game system is a big project, even with many of the basics already built in from the OGL side of things. I’m blessed to have some skilled and talented friends who will be helping along the way. I’ll tell you all more about them later.
I don’t have a specific timeline for getting this game published, but at some point, hopefully in 2020, I’ll be at cons running some playtest adventures as well as starting a home group.
What you can expect is periodic updates. I might even add a category in my Weekly Updates related to game concepts and ideas.
As you can see, though, Shijuren is going to grow a ton in the next few years. Thanks for coming along.
Of course, I’ve got a bunch more planned for 2020 than just Shijuren, including The Four Horsemen Universe. After I finish None Call Me Mother, my long form work in progress will be the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows.
I have lots of stuff to play with in here.
What are Edmonds and Tahnerif going to do?
I promised Jackson a platoon. What’s going to happen to his momma’s boy?
Kiial will definitely have more to say about his uncle as his time in the Foresters continues.
Speaking of the uncle, Tlanit and Rick Blaine are going to work at peeling away some of the layers.
Going to be fun.
I’m actually going to describe some of this in a short story in another Four Horsemen anthology coming out in 2020. Right now, I’m playing with a number of ideas, but rest assured, there’s more happening with the Foresters.
Speaking of short stories, I’ll be contributing to the second We Dare, anthology. The story I’m working on will be a prequel to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms,” my story in the first anthology. We might just find out why the Allardecks and Fieldings hate each other. This will also be fun, as I’ll be collaborating for the first time. Yvonne Jacobs is already helping me plan the story.
I intend to do four or five short stories for anthologies each year, so don’t be surprised if I announce a couple more later in the year. I’ve been asked to be a part of some others already, but I’m still trying to balance my writing schedule.
That doesn’t include, by the way, the return of Nick Patara, PI. I’ve enjoyed the response and I had a great time writing it. I also enjoyed being able to give back to you guys.
The next big news comes from a comment above, I mentioned that I’ve submitted a Shijuren story to an anthology already.
And this one is special.
Chris Kennedy gave me the opportunity to create a anthology of fantasy stories. It will be entitled When Valor Must Hold.
The writing prompt I gave the authors was the opening of Conan the Barbarian, where Akira the Wizard concludes, “Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
The authors have given me what I wanted: stories with adventures and action across a really broad set of fantasy sub-genres. It’s a great mix and I think you’ll like it a lot. Heroic deeds done by characters who might not start as heroes but end up in that category. The characters all face things to test their valor and we shall see how their valor holds.
The anticipated release date is 20 March, which is the Friday of FantaSci. We plan to have a great release party there and I hope to celebrate with a bunch of you.
This brings me to my plans for Howell’s Howls this year. I really enjoyed my system of having a blog post Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Rob’s Updates will continue on Fridays. I’m going to tweak the format a bit, like including game notes each week, but it’ll continue much the same.
I’m also going to continue with the interviews. I just finished re-writing the questions I send out, so you’ll see some new interviews by people who I’ve already interviewed. I’m going to start the year with interviews of authors in When Valor Must Hold, and run those interviews as long as it takes.
Hit me up if you’re a creator of any type, and I’ll send you the questions and get you into the queue. I really enjoy doing these and hope to be more proactive about making sure I have an interview ready to go each week.
That brings us to Mondays. Mag Reviews take a ton of time, too much for just a regular blog post. I’m going to replace them with Rob’s Ramblings, which will be a catchall thing for whatever interests me. including reviews of movies and albums, snippets, poems, sports topics, or whatever. This week, it was my ShadowCon AAR. One post you can expect in March is an AAR about creating When Valor Must Hold. It’s already taught me a bunch.
This does not mean Mag Reviews will go away. They take too long as a blog post, but there’s a still a place for them and I’m playing with some ideas.
Overall, my online presence will continue as it has been. In September, I stopped reading my Facebook News Feed. This was a great decision on my part. I miss out on a number of things, but that News Feed brought me down.
I check my Facebook Notifications consistently, though, and that’s been enough. If you want me to see something, please tag me and I’ll check it out. Otherwise, I’m almost never going to see anything.
I originally planned to limit my Facebook posts to business-related things, but I think I’ll start posting about the same frequency I did prior to last September. I’ve missed chatting with people about a variety of fun things and while I’ll never go back to reading the News Feed, I’ll get back to posting fun things along with my professional stuff.
The same is basically true on Twitter. I have always limited my Twitter feed to focus on some excellent sports bloggers and other interests like that, along with professional stuff. I will continue to look at those sorts of things, so if you want me to see something, you better tag me.
I’ve played around with MeWe, but the interface has yet to click with me. I’ll keep trying though. I’ll also keep dabbling in Instagram. This might expand with some of the other things I’ve got going on. I’ll also keep my eyes open for better social media options.
My appearance schedule in 2020 is going to be amazing. The biggest news is, of course, I got accepted as an Attending Professional at DragonCon this year. What an amazing honor. I will do my best to reward them for giving me the chance.
I also received word this weekend that I’ve been approved as a vendor at Dagorhir’s Ragnarok XXXV in June. This is a major LARPing event and I am excited to meet a bunch of people and introduce Shijuren to them.
I’ll be at LibertyCon again. None of what’s happened above would be possible without the lessons and experiences I’ve had at LibertyCons past. It’s really pushed me along and I’m incredibly grateful to Brandy and her peeps.
The expansion of Drix’s shop at Pennsic last year went well, and it’ll be even better this year. We’ve had a great time there and sales keep inching up there for me.
As I mentioned, we hope to have a great release party for When Valor Must Hold at FantaSci. I picked FantaSci over Gulf Wars, Planet Comicon in Kansas City, and a bunch of other events on the weekend of 20 March. Why did everything have to be then? In any case, even without the release party, I would go to FantaSci. It’s already a great con.
My next event is ChattaCon in a few weeks. It’ll be a blast, in part because Lani Brooks puts me on a bunch of panels.
Let’s see, do I have my yearly goals covered in 2020?
2-3 novels: Check. I hope to have two by September and be working on the Edward novel in the fall.
4-5 short stories (plus Nick Patara): I have one in the can, two planned, and some opportunities to juggle. I can’t say this is fully laid out, but I anticipate no real problems.
3 blog posts per week: Mag Reviews made that really challenging, and I expect to be more consistent here. I won’t stress too much if I miss out on one of the weekly standards, but it’s a reasonable, feasible schedule
Figure out a way to make Mag Reviews work: I’m playing around with this. Probably won’t happen for a while, but there’s value here.
Make progress on the RPG: Meetings are scheduled and I anticipate consistent activity on this front. Again, I don’t have a realistic timeline, just a plan to turn it from vaporware into something real.
Create a smart travel schedule: Spring is fairly light, and will be productive from a writing standpoint. Summer will be go go go and I’ll have many miles on the road. Fall will be light, much like spring. This past fall, I didn’t go to any cons after September. I will add a con or two because I think more than three months is too much of a break from going to a con.
Take care of myself: I’m starting with being more conscious of things, as shown by pacing my travel schedule better. I’m also going to adjust my summer production expectations to match reality. Finally, I’m going to schedule some down time/vacation/retreat type things. No details yet, but they’ll be there.
Get back to fighting: This includes working out and losing weight. I’ve a helm on order and I can’t really fight until it gets here, but I can work out. I’ll have a plan for that soon.
I look at these goals and am getting even more excited. None of them seem outlandish and if I complete them, it’ll make 2020 amazing.
Now that I have a plan, I think I’ll watch the Blues and play a game for a while. Then, tomorrow, write a chapter or two in None Call Me Mother.
Rob’s Note: I’m starting a Monday column for whatever I want to write about. This will include reviews, sports, other interests, and, obviously, AARs.
The first convention of 2020 is in the books! ShadowCon 2020 was fantastic. I had a great time, sold books, and learned a ton.
ShadowCon is a small Memphis convention run by an SCA household name Shadow Legion. Obviously, that means there is a huge SCA presence at the con. It’s not just the SCA, though, as Memphis has an active SF/F creator community.
In the past, I have actively tried to avoid having a dealer’s table *and* sitting on panels. However, a dealer’s table opened up at the last moment and I decided to pounce on it.
The reason to avoid doing both remained, but this would be my first con in a while and I thought I’d have the adrenaline to push me through the challenge of back-to-back 12+ hour days. Also, since ShadowCon is only on Friday and Saturday, I didn’t have to worry about doing too much on Sunday.
Whether I thought things through well or not, this turned out to be an excellent decision. I was, in fact, busy. I did, in fact, get exhausted. However, I also sold a bunch of books I would not have otherwise.
I did three panels as well. One was a panel on adding mystery elements to SF/F. This is the first time doing that panel. I don’t think I organized it well, but that happens the first time one does a panel. I like the core of the idea and I’ll do it again. Also, it’s a panel that would work better, I think, with more people than me on it. I was up against Opening Ceremonies, so many of the other authors were there instead. Nevertheless, it was a solid panel, with 5 people who got at least a little something out of it.
I also did my Martin Koszta panel again. Unfortunately, this was at 8pm on Saturday and I only got two people there. Worse, in one way, they were both experienced writers and that panel is aimed more at people starting to dabble in history as an inspiration. It may not have been terribly effective, but the story is so fun we all enjoyed it.
My favorite panel discussed specific methods one can use when you get stuck. I was joined by a couple of other writers and we had a decent sized audience. It went really well, and I think I’ll add that one to my list as well.
ShadowCon advertises itself as a “relaxacon,” which means the social aspects after the official events are important. Friday night I hung out and chatted until about midnight.
Saturday night, however, I was up and chatting until about 4am. Allan Gilbreath is a hoot! He’s also very smart. He and Robert Allsup talked about some of the specifics of writing screenplays, especially those for TV. Much to think about, and I do want to try my hand at that.
They also gave me an idea for my Mag Reviews, which I think I’ll play around with.
One of the anticipated highlights was spending time with Bill Webb. He’s in a couple of the Phases of Mars anthologies and I hadn’t really met him before. He’s a really sharp guy and I’m really glad I aimed to spend time with him. I suspect we’ll work together in the future.
Last year at ShadowCon I felt a little out of the loop. This isn’t really surprising as I often struggle the first time at a con to know where I fit in. It’s also not surprising, then, that the second time I’m at a con I’m much more aware of things, more confident, and therefore more productive.
I never stop learning these things, of course, but I realize I should factor this in my calculations more than I do. I shouldn’t necessarily discount a con where the first time doesn’t click a ton. I need to pay attention to why it doesn’t click, because if it’s just that I was feeling a bit out of the water it might be a great con, I just need to go a few times.
ShadowCon has now locked itself into my normal rotation because of this year. I’ll be doing more cons with a dealer’s table, even if no one else is there. It’s hard work. I just need to consider how many panels and how much other stuff is going on at the same time.
Thanks to Aubrey Stephens for handling the panels and Gunder Johanssen for handling the dealer’s room. Thanks to Bill Webb for introducing me into the Memphis creator scene.
And thanks to all who bought books, chatted with me, and helped me a have a great time.
December 25th: “Silent Knight,” the first of the Nick Patara, PI Christmas gifts to my readers.
I’m incredibly pleased at the success of these stories. Four of those, including all 3 Phases of Mars anthologies and The Feeding of Sorrows, earned at least one orange tag.
An orange tag on Amazon signifies it’s a bestseller. Now I can add “Amazon Bestselling Author” to my bio. That’s pretty darn awesome.
I’m also pleased that I still love all six of these tales. I am never pleased with the quality of writing in any of my past stories, because with each new one I get better. However, the tales are all good. I know this because I still cry at the end of each one.
If I don’t get emotional reading my stuff, I can’t expect you to do so either. I still get emotional on all of them.
The biggest negative of 2019 is that I didn’t get None Call Me Mother published. I had even hoped to make progress on Edward 4, but that was always only a faint hope.
Despite that, I’m not displeased with my writing output. I’m up to 93k on None Call Me Mother, so it’s getting close. I chose to write The Feeding of Sorrows instead and it was a great decision.
I also chose to follow Bill Fawcett’s advice. He said to me at LibertyCon in 2018 that I should write more short stories. I’d be an idiot if I didn’t pay attention to him. I may yet be an idiot, but not about this.
My goal is two or three novels a year and four or more short stories. I came really close if I count the words I actually wrote in 2019. I wrote about 75k of The Feeding of Sorrows and about 20k towards its sequel. I wrote about 80k in None Call Me Mother in 2019. I also worked on a couple of special projects I’ll announce when I post my look ahead to 2020. All told, I submitted six short stories (one yet to come), and wrote about 175k of long fiction. 230k or so of fiction is not shabby.
I did this despite not taking care of myself. Following Pennsic, I spent 5-6 weeks in a funk. This was driven initially by fatigue, because I traveled a ton this past summer. Then my brain weasels got involved, chastising me for not being productive, and that spiraled down.
Fortunately, I recovered in time to complete all of the items I had promised to various editors. Had I paid attention to myself, though, I believe I would have finished None Call Me Mother. Ah, well.
I have adjustments planned for 2020. One challenge of being self-employed is that I have to play mental games with myself to keep me from doing stupid stuff, like losing those 5-6 weeks.
I went to a number of fantastic events in 2019. This was my first year as a vendor on my own at Gulf Wars. Drix and I also expanded our booth at Pennsic, and this is exciting. LibertyCon was wonderful and emotional. FantaSci went great, not great for a first time con, but great. So great I’m choosing it over Gulf Wars and Planet Comicon in 2020.
I did all these things while also getting the opportunity to serve as Their Majesty Calontir’s herald in the first half of the year. I love doing that job. Thanks to Donnghal and Catalina for giving me that opportunity. And yes, you totally got me.
My sweetie and I did a bunch of work to the house. We replaced around 1000 sq. ft. of carpet with bamboo. I love this stuff. Nice on my feet and pretty. We also started a new additional closet in the master suite, which had a ton of useless inefficient space.
The closest thing to a true negative are my tracked items, I spun my wheels a bit. I gained a little weight, though I’ve made it through most of the holidays without gaining much extra. My tracked word count, which includes only those things I actually released to the editor or on my blog, would have exceeded my goal had I managed to get None Call Me Mother to my editor, but of course will fall short in its actual number.
My wiki suffered a hacking attack in the spring. I have recovered most of the lost things, but I plan on redoing most entries. I learned a ton working on the 4HU wiki for nearly a year that I intend on incorporating. I’ll talk about that in my 2020 post.
These are my end results. I’ll work on improving them all in 2020.
Today’s Weight: 395.2
Updated Word Count: 146,912
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
I have so many people to thank. I’m going to take a crack at it, but will undoubtedly forget some people. But here’s what I can think of right now with a cat demanding petsies.
Mom, sweetie, and proto-incipient step-daughter come first. Living with a writer ain’t easy.
Chris Kennedy gave me a bunch of opportunities. I can’t thank him enough. James L. Young let me write in all 3 Phases of Mars, and those are good stories. Jamie Ibson let me break his soul in We Dare. Mark Wandrey kept encouraging me, especially his help in the 4HU. Kevin Ikenberry helped a ton with the Peacemaker aspects of my 4HU stuff. Frankly, let’s just thank all of the crew that Chris has gathered about him. They’re all making me better.
Kellie Hultgren did a great job editing my personal stuff and teaching me how to become a better writer. The staff at Brewbakers put up with me, and I rewarded them with tuckering it in “Silent Knight.”
Drix helped me grow my SCA sales presence. Tons of people encouraged me. One even allowed me to stay at her family’s lake house for a week of writing and solitude. I need to schedule this sort of thing once or twice a year.
Despite not getting None Call Me Mother out and spinning my wheels a bit, 2019 was definitely my best year so far. And it’s not close.
I’m growing leaps and bounds as a writer. My most recent project has helped me turn things I knew instinctively into things I understand. This is already showing up in None Call Me Mother and in “Silent Knight,” not to mention my earlier growth in 2019.
2019 was my best year.
2020 will be better. Lot’s better. We’re building something here and I will tell you all about what’s coming in a few days.
For now, though. Thanks to all of you. I really appreciate it.
Not my most productive week, but it was to be expected. Saturday, of course, was Kris Kinder. Sunday was Kris Kinder recovery. The week after this event is always a down week as I sort of plan for those days to be off.
However, I got a bit of a head cold earlier in the week, and that slowed me. The worst was yesterday, as I basically did nothing.
Nevertheless, I got quite a bit done on the other days. I’ve been going through None Call Me Mother, cleaning it up as I get ready to write the final chapters. I’m at page 219 of the clean-up, which is about half of what I think the final total will be.
Part of the reason I do it right now is that I sort of lose track of the story in this range. I tend to work in threads and this allows me to weave the threads into place.
Plus it lets me judge the overall story. I’m liking what I’m reading.
I also worked on a couple of other projects. One of these mailing list subscribers will see on Christmas. I’m sending them all a present. The second I’ll announce at the beginning of the year.
For now, it’s time to get back to work.
What I’m Listening To
The 1974 Murder on the Orient Express with that awesome cast. Love this movie.
Quote of the Week
December 21st has a number of anniversaries. I’m going to use one to honor another.
Gen. Patton died today in 1945. Today’s quote is from him in honor of…
In 1861, Lincoln signed the bill including the original version of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Actually, at the time, it applied only to the US Navy, but they added the Army in July of 1862. It took some time after that, however, to include the Air Force.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
– Gen. George S. Patton
This week’s spotlight is still on Trouble in the Wind, which still holds the Amazon orange tag as the number 1 new release in Science Fiction Anthologies. Thanks to all of our readers.
Today’s Weight: 390.2
Updated Word Count: 224,096
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m quite pleased with the story. I’m honored to have been given the opportunity to contribute. I’m absolutely stoked I get to be in a book with David Weber, Kevin J. Anderson, and S.M. Stirling, among others.
I made some progress on None Call Me Mother. Much of it wasn’t in words written, but rather cleaning up. I’m at that stage where I need to go back through it all to firm up the earlier chapters, fill in some connections, and make sure I’m ready for the final chapters.
What I mostly did was write another short story. I’ll tell you all about it when it’s about to go out the door. I also made progress on another project. All in all, a good week, even if it doesn’t show up in the raw numbers.
I also spent a goodly amount of time cleaning house. This is Kris Kinder Weekend, which means I have a big sales event then host everyone after the event.
It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year, but I’ll be exhausted on Sunday. It’s a fair trade.
What I’m Listening To
La Villa Strangiato by Rush. Such a great song.
Quote of the Week
This week’s quote is the inspiration for my story’s title. Thanks to Rosalind Jehanne for granting me permission to use it.
Here must we hold So hearken to my counsel
Felled is our lord Slain by foemen on the field
Now we must honor The oaths we made in mead-hall
Now we must shoulder The burden of his shield
– Rosalind Jehanne
This week’s spotlight is on all of the great authors who participated in Trouble in the Wind. Again, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082K73QPD. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Today’s Weight: 396.4
Updated Word Count: 216,398
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m concluding this week of featuring interviews from authors in the anthology with Philip S. Bolger. This is a dude that knows his history and, of course, that’s a trait I like in anyone. One of these days he and I are going to end up with beverages talking late into the night about our particular historical eras of interest.
For now, though, we’ll just have to be satisfied with this interview.
Interview: Philip S. Bolger
Philip S. Bolger
What is your quest?
I seek to inject my brand of intellect, cynicism, and action into what I write—I like the kind of kinetic, snappy writing of Neal Stephenson, the savvy wit of Jim Butcher, the noir stylings of Don Winslow—I try to reflect a little bit of each in what I write. In my work for Trouble in the Wind, I actually did not, as my other inspirations are historical! I have a degree in history, and wanted to use fiction as a way to explore some of my favorite alternatives. I’ve got a long list of authors I admire—Kacey Ezell, John Ringo, S. M. Stirling, David Weber, Seth A. Bailey, Stephen England, Steven Hildreth, my father (Daniel P. Bolger)… I could go for a bit. In addition to writing, I’ve found a lot of inspiration and influence from games—video games, board games, tabletop RPGs, anything that allows me to get into the headspace of someone ranging from an Imperial Japanese Navy Captain to a member of a radical eco-terrorist cell that’s the only hope against a tyrannical electric company. I find it fascinating to try to think through things that way.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color is that shade of imperial scarlet that only really showed up in the finest moments of the British Empire. I enjoy being able to add depth to the worlds I create and the characters that inhabit them. Whenever possible, I try to inject elements of folks I actually know. Fighting Spirit was easy, as the tank crew I wrote, and the Japanese Naval Infantry NCO, were all based on people I’ve known in real life. I think writing not just WHAT you know, but WHO you know is one of the great ways to make it as a writer.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
My biggest problem? ADD. No, not diagnosed, it’s just tough to force myself to sit down and get through a story. I think I probably start five or six for every one I finish. As I grow as an author, I’m getting better and better about that—my biggest weapon against it is being able to weave in new influences into an existing work, rather than trying to restart from scratch.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’ve been told that I do world-building well—by my D&D group, readers, and in less-than-flattering terms on several high school write-ups about daydreaming. I try to write weapons well, and make each of my characters very distinct, too. I’m proud that I’ve written (and published!) a novel, and that I’ve had three different short stories published this year.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? The Swedish Chef!
Your Wrestler Name? El Juegoguerrero—“The Game Warrior” just doesn’t sound as good, so I’d have to train in lucha libre. I figure if it worked for Jack Black, it can work for me.
And Signature Wrestling Move? War Plan Orange—a complicated elbow drop off the turnbuckle
Favorite Weird Color? CADPAT
How Will You Conquer the World? Overwhelming amounts of Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (Rob’s Note: Miss Manners agrees. Inter-continental Ballistic Missiles are just not in fashion anymore.)
What Cartoon Character Are You? The Brain.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A brand new Kindle Fire from my partner, Vikky, for publishing my first novel.
What Do You Secretly Plot? A way to live in the greater D.C. area without having to sell my soul to make rent.
Favorite Sports Team? DAAAAAAAAAAAAA BEARSSS!
Cake or Pie? Neither—I’ll head for the chips and salsa.
Lime or Lemon? Lime by a mile (said Emil)
Favorite Chip Dip? Guacamole. No! Salsa. No! Queso. No, wait, Ceviche! Uhh… get back to me on this one.
Favorite Cereal? Not really a cereal guy, but I’ve got fond childhood memories of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Megahit—video game-infused synthwave.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whisky for sipping, Whiskey for slamming.
Favorite Superhero? Does Taskmaster count? If I’ve got to pick a hero, I’ll go with Iron Man.
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare. Rare if it’s somewhere or someone that tends to overcook.
Best Thing From the 80s? The F-15E Strike Eagle. Or maybe Predator, or Duran Duran, or Hulk Hogan… It was a busy time.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Favorite Pet? Tie between my dogs—Robert the Bruce and Francois Guizot.
Best Game Ever? Delta Green.
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Both!
Brought to you by the letter ___? X.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What inspired you to write your story for Trouble in the Wind? Are you intimidated about being in the same line-up as several alt history legends? (I certainly am, for what it’s worth!)
Rob’s Answer: Oh, I don’t know if I have enough electrons to answer this questions. My first goal was to continue the alternate history setting I’d created in Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms from Those in Peril and To Slip the Surly Bonds. However, I never could think of a short story with a twist that fit. I thought of all sorts of story ideas for a alternate World War I novel/series, which I might someday do, but short stories and chapters are different things.
And with that, the obvious was for me to look at my specialty. I’m ABD in Anglo-Saxon military history. I focused on early 10th century Mercian production and population to see if the numbers specified in their version of the Burghal Hidage were plausible or if they were pie in the sky figures. As a secondary question, I asked if those portions of Mercia that didn’t have enough population showed evidence of movement from more populous areas to supply the needed people.
By the way, I made a slight nod to this in my story when the apprentice got told to copy that part about Aethelflaed. That’s a direct reference to the Mercian Register portion of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which details her work building up those burhs until her death in 918.
Anyway, any study of Anglo-Saxon military history has to include a study of their heroic poetry. There’s too much history in Beowulf, the Finnsburh Fragment, the Battle of Brunanburh, and, of course, the Battle of Maldon to ignore.
Furthermore, the Battle of Maldon is a battle we often sing about in the SCA, thanks to the songwriting of Rosalind Jehanne. She graciously allowed me to use the first line of her song as the title of my story, because it fit so well.
So that’s when I looked for the twist. Short stories should have some sort of twist at the end. Once I found it, all I had to do was execute it.
As for whether or not I’m intimidated by the others in the anthology, I wasn’t, mostly because I never really paid attention to that. My job was to create a story, so that’s where I looked.
Now, of course, I realize I’m in the same book as David Weber, S.M. Stirling, and Kevin J. Anderson, three of my favorites. I never really had a chance to be intimidated, but I have been screaming a few barbaric yawps at this awesomeness since I actually paid attention.
And any convention CKP attends will have physical copies.
And where can we find you?
I’m not an official guest at any cons in 2020 (at least, not yet), but I attend Dragon*Con every year, and plan on LibertyCon and GenCon next year, so write my page if you want to meet up, I’d be happy to sign autographs and harangue you about whatever ideas I’ve had lately.
Do you have a creator biography?
Philip S. Bolger is an army veteran who left active duty service to work as a cog in the Military-Industrial Complex while pursing his passion for writing. “Fighting Spirit” is his third published short story, and second examining the Oahu Pact timeline. His debut novel, the Urban Fantasy adventure “The Devil’s Gunman,” was released in January of 2019. In his free time, he enjoys history, wargames, and pen and paper RPGs. He lives in the heart of Northern Virginia with his partner, Victoria, and their two dogs: Robert the Bruce and Francois Guizot. Philip can be reached at philipsbolgerauthor@gmail.com.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
This is a pretty comprehensive interview! But… I’ll go with “Who is your favorite historical figure?” Mine is Francois Guizot (no, not my dog, I like him a lot, but this is who he’s named after!), a French Prime Minister during the July Monarchy, who, after being overthrown, had a second career as a history professor. That seems like a pretty good way to live!
Thanks to Philip for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
And here’s Kevin Ikenberry, who’s not only part of Trouble in the Wind, but he’s also Peacemaker Six in the Four Horsemen Universe. He’s a fantastic writer who was very helpful to me as I was writing The Feeding of Sorrows.
Interview: Kevin Ikenberry
Kevin Ikenberry
What is your quest?
To seek the…wait a minute. I’ve seen this movie! The whole writing thing came around fairly late in life for me. I’d been told I was a good writer in high school and college, but I never really did anything serious (trying to get published) until 2009. I’ve always been drawn to science fiction – as a young Army officer two different books found their way into my hands: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. They were two huge influences on me and I eagerly passed them on to cadets when I had the opportunity to teach ROTC about ten years ago. When I started writing, I wanted to write stories about human beings finding their place in the universe and fighting for the right to survive and explore. I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to do that with both The Protocol War series and especially the Peacemaker books in the Four Horsemen Universe. Working with Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey, Kacey Ezell, and Marisa Wolf has been an amazing experience and I’m honored to be a core author for the series.
What is your favorite color?
The thing that changed my writing career, in a very literal sense, was learning the key between story structure and character development. There are dozens of story structures out there, some following classic approaches like The Hero’s Journey and others following screenwriting theory (Save The Cat, My Story Can Beat Up Your Story). Those structures are great, but without very clearly defined characters and their goals, a structure can only get you so far. The difference in understanding that relationship and applying some screenwriting theory was that the very first book I ever wrote (now published as Runs In The Family) took me a year and a half to write and it was a mess. The second book I wrote (my debut novel Sleeper Protocol) took me seven weeks. Since then, I’ve been able to keep my first draft timeline to around three months from start to finish. It’s a tremendous process and something I teach often at writing conferences.
Granted, I do a lot of pre-writing (plotting, scheming, etc.) but when it’s time to sit down and write a book, I have a solid idea of where everything is going and that saves time and mental gymnastics in the middle of a manuscript when, as a writer, I think everything sucks. That light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train and when I get the draft out of my head I can do the next part – fix it. That’s much easier with a detailed plan.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The biggest challenge I faced as a starting writer was staying positive. Rejections are part and parcel of this business, and there were several times that I wrote stories that were good stories in the eyes of my initial readers, contest judges, and my critique partners only to be rejected. The frustration wasn’t that I’d been rejected, there was frustration in understanding that just because one editor/magazine/market didn’t like the story didn’t mean it wouldn’t sell elsewhere. The first time that happened, I walked around in disbelief for a few hours. Now, a rejection doesn’t bother me. I package the story up, file it away in my virtual footlocker, and move on to the next project. One day, that story will find a home.
From a creative failure standpoint, I very stupidly tried to self-publish Runs In The Family in 2013 when neither the manuscript, nor myself, was ready. I had oodles of problems with creating the correct file types and I didn’t do the due diligence to really make that book what it should have been. It lasted online maybe a week before I took it down, which proved to be the best thing for it. It was picked up by a small press called Strigidae Publishing and when it released in 2016, it went gangbusters for eight months until the small press closed unexpectedly. Fortunately, Chris Kennedy’s Theogony Publishing Imprint picked up the book and re-released it in 2018 where it has continued to do well and even is now available on the Baen Book’s website. What I learned was that this publishing thing takes a team. I have a team of readers now. I have a website team. I have a marketing team. I have a creative team. I have a team that goes out for beers or whiskey. Don’t get me wrong, these are the same folks in many cases. I learned that we creators have to stick together. That’s another huge benefit of working in the Four Horsemen Universe. I have a band of brothers and sisters there that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Writing in someone else’s universe is pretty challenging. I had the chance to write some licensed short fiction in the G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero universe on Kindle Worlds before it shuttered this year, and that was the first time I stepped into someone else’s playground. I found it challenging and a lot of fun. Little did I know that it prepared me to take the Four Horsemen Universe “bible” and write a short story for the anthology A Fistful of Credits that led to the Peacemaker novels. Granted, I don’t always get the details right and Mark/Chris edit and chastise me endlessly, but I’ve enjoyed getting to play in the 4HU and feel like I’ve made a solid impact on the overall storyline with Jessica’s story. I recently wrote a modern-day thriller with my friend Nick Thacker in his universe, too which was a fantastic learning experience.
Aside from my books, I’m most proud of three short stories in three different anthologies because they were three unique experiences. In Extreme Planets, I wrote a story called “Maelstrom” in two days over my lunch hour because I had an old idea (guy jumping into a tornado in one of those “flying squirrel” suits) merge with the concept of exploring an exoplanet. For the anthology Dragon Writers, I took the theme to an extreme and did a re-telling of Puff The Magic Dragon where Puff was an exospheric EB-77 Dragon bomber with a callsign of Puff Zero Alpha. I didn’t think “Salvation, On Painted Wings” had a chance until the editor called. Finally, for the recent anthology Avatar Dreams, I was sitting with my friend and mentor Kevin J. Anderson when he looked at me and said he needed a story in two weeks. Could I do it? I gave him “That Others May Live” in a week and he loved it. All my crazy ideas eventually come to fruition and some push the boundaries – and I know now that I can do them quickly if I need to – that’s a huge confidence boost.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. Extra Crunchy if you please.
Favorite Sports Team? College: Mississippi State (Rob’s Note: Moe Cowbell!!!!) / Professional: I still pull for the Cubs and the Braves – my mom would be proud.
Cake or Pie? Pie
Lime or Lemon? Limon? Wasn’t that a thing in the 80s?
Favorite Chip Dip? Guacamole
Wet or Dry? Wet
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Jeremy Kay
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey – I’m from Tennessee, you know.
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard, Emergency
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall – I miss fall in East Tennessee particularly.
Favorite Pet? My dog when I was growing up. We named him Shandy. He was an American Spitz that never met a dog he didn’t know he could whoop. I miss that feisty little bastard.
Best Game Ever? Cards Against Humanity. I’ve never made it through a game without my stomach hurting from laughing. I’m fairly certain there’s a handbasket with my name on it.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, with a touch of creamer. No sugar.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Science Fiction
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What technique (process or practice) have you learned that has influence your own writing the most, and why?
Rob’s Answer: Hmmm. One that you mentioned above is important, and that’s the creation of a team. The analogy I use is a race car driver. At the end of the race, the winner gets photos, prizes, and all that sort of thing. However, he doesn’t get there without good mechanics, pit crew, and all the people involved in a race. My team is good, and getting better all the time.
Another important thing is keeping track of what’s working and what’s not. I often say, “There’s one true way of writing and it’s what gets words on the page.” If you are not productive at some point, change something. Anything. Your music. Your chair. Where you write at. For me, that will increase my productivity and then I have to change it up. Writers will always have slow periods, I think. Just keep plugging away.
One specific technique that I’ve added to my process is to read it out loud from a printed copy. Toni Weisskopf said in a panel once that editing from printed copies is much more effective than on the screen and she had studies to prove it, as well of course as experience at Baen. I also find that if I read something out loud the clumsy writing jumps at me because it will not roll off the tongue. It will feel clunky. Yes, that’s tedious. It took me four 12-plus hour days to do this with Brief Is My Flame, yet it was dramatically better because of it.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
My website is www.kevinikenberry.com. We’re headed for a major site overhaul soon, maybe in time for SphinxCon, but there’s information there on how to sign up for my reader’s group – The Reaction Squad – and a bunch of other stuff. There will be goodies (a free short story namely) when the new site goes live.
I’m on Facebook with an author page and my Twitter handle is @TheWriterIke. That’s about it for social media right now.
And where can we find you?
MileHiCon 50 (October, 2018)
SphinxCon (November, 2018)
Superstars Writing Seminar (February, 2019)
PensaCon (February, 2019)
FantaSci (March, 2019)
Phoenix Fan Fusion (May, 2019)
LibertyCon 31 (May, 2019)
DragonCon (August, 2019)
Do you have a creator biography?
Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. A former manager of the world-renowned U.S. Space Camp program and a space operations officer, Kevin has a broad background in space and space science education. His 2016 debut science fiction novel Sleeper Protocol was a Finalist for the Colorado Book Award and was heralded as “an emotionally powerful debut” by Publisher’s Weekly. Kevin is the author of the military science novels Runs In The Family, Vendetta Protocol, Peacemaker, Honor The Threat, and Stand Or Fall. He is an Active Member of SFWA, International Thriller Writers, and an alumnus of the Superstars Writing Seminar.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what’s next for me. Well, at DragonCon we announced that I’m writing a Tales of the Four Horsemen Universe book with my good friend and amazing author Quincy J. Allen. The novel will follow an Oogar Peacemaker named Hr’ent (from the pages of STAND OR FALL) and should be out in mid-late 2019. It’s going to be a hell of a ride!
Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Stop me if you’re heard this before, but Trouble in the Wind, the latest of the Phases of Mars alternate military history anthologies comes out on Friday. I’m continuing my interviews with Peter Grant, who is in many ways what I strive to be. He’s done very well as a writer and I like his stuff quite a bit. And, as you’ll see, he’s had an interesting life to get him to that point.
Interview: Peter Grant
Peter Grant
What is your quest?
My “quest” is fairly simple. I’m trying to make a living! Fifteen years ago, I was severely injured while working as a prison chaplain in a high-security penitentiary. After two surgeries, I was medically retired, and informed I could never work a “normal” job again, due to physical limitations and disabilities. I had to find another way to provide for myself and my family. Since I’d written before (one book, and several dozen articles in various fields), and since I could still sit at a desk and write even if I couldn’t be more active, it seemed natural to try to learn to write fiction for a wider market. Today I have sixteen books published, plus stories in several anthologies.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
A very big challenge was to learn to write for the commercial market. You have to write what readers want, not what seems good to you. No matter how satisfied you are with your own work, if readers aren’t gripped by it, they won’t spend their hard-earned entertainment dollars on it. I had a lot to learn in that area. I daresay I wrote and re-wrote over twenty manuscripts, and well over two million words, before I produced one that I felt was worth publishing; and today, when I look back at my first two or three books, I can see several flaws that I changed in subsequent books. In fact, I’m preparing a second edition of my first three books, incorporating improvements in style, grammar and punctuation (although not changing the story at all).
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’m not sure it can be described as a “technique”, but I try very hard to be adaptable, to write across different genres and fields, and to be entertaining in them all. That takes a lot of research and hard work, and it’s a real challenge: but so far, I think I’ve achieved some success. I’m currently published in the genres of military science fiction, fantasy, Westerns, and memoir. I have a historical novel in mind, set in the Viking period, although that’s just the germ of a plot at the moment – it may not go anywhere. At any rate, I value versatility in others, and I try to be versatile in my approach to writing. It keeps me fresh, too. If I get stuck on one book project, I can pick up another in a completely different genre and work on it for a few days, then return to the original project refreshed.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? – I have no idea. I didn’t grow up with most US TV shows.
Best Thing From the 80s? – That I survived them! I was involved in one of the hotter conflict zones of the Cold War period, and it was only with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 that I began to think I might survive it.
Your Wrestler Name? – Given my physical limitations after a disabling injury, that’s a non-starter for me.
Signature Wrestling Move? – Sit down and eat popcorn while watching the wrestlers.
Favorite Weird Color? – The subtle green shades of the fynbos ecosystem of the southern Cape Province in South Africa. They’re unique in my experience, as is the scent. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fynbos )
How Will You Conquer the World? – There’s an old African proverb: “How do you eat an elephant? Mouthful by mouthful.” I guess you could apply the same lesson to a larger meal!
What Cartoon Character Are You? – I’ll go with Captain Tagon from “Schlock Mercenary”.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? – A Labrador puppy, when I was a young boy. Every boy needs to grow up with a puppy. You learn a lot.
What Do You Secretly Plot? – I don’t. A plot is improved by being shared. There’s always someone out there more evil, twisted and inventive than I am, and I like to learn from them.
Brought to you by the letter ___? – Why not numbers? Are you discriminating against figures? 🙂 Rob’s Note: I’m just getting my revenge for having to grow up as the child of two mathematicians.
Favorite Sports Team? – None. I watch a game for its own sake, not as some sort of tribal conflict.
Cake or Pie? – Yes, please!
Lime or Lemon? – Lime, because it’s tart and bites back.
Favorite Chip Dip? – Smoked Gouda Pimento.
Favorite Musical Performer? – Hard to choose out of many favorites, but I’ll pick Mike Oldfield. He’s a composer as well as a performer, and has a heck of a track record.
Whisky or Whiskey? – Depends on my mood. I don’t generally drink spirits, but if I do, I tend to prefer bourbon to Scotch. Rob’s Note: I’ve been going that way myself. I’ll bring my current favorite, New Holland’s Beer Barrel Bourbon, to LibertyCon
Favorite Superhero? – None. I loathe them all equally. Bunch of pretentious gits.
Steak Temperature? – It used to be medium rare, but since losing my gall bladder, my body doesn’t tolerate that very well. Sadly, I’ve had to order medium well done since then.
Favorite 1970s TV show? – WKRP in Cincinnati. It was one of the few US TV shows I was able to watch in South Africa.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? – Spring, when everything becomes new again.
Favorite Pet? – Dogs and cats. We currently have two cats, but would like to get a dog sometime – probably a rescue, and preferably something with Labrador or Golden Retriever ancestry.
Best Game Ever? – I’m not into most games. (I presume you mean card or board games, or something like that?) Rob’s Note: I do
Coffee or Tea? – Both, but tending more towards tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? – Both, if they’re well written.
What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how much of my own experiences do I include in my storylines. Quite a lot. Obviously, when it comes to the genres within which I write, I have no personal experience in them (neither does anyone else, really): but I’ve seen and done a lot in my life, particularly in conflict zones, that can serve as a model or pattern. I don’t think combat will be all that different in another milieu: the weapons and tactics may change, but the reality of “kill or be killed” will be the same. I try to take experiences from my past and insert them into completely new situations and scenarios, drawing on my memories to make them more realistic. So far, it seems to have worked for me.
You should have asked if any of my characters are based on me, however loosely? Not particularly. I may put them into situations similar to my own experience (e.g. military service), but I let them develop along their own lines. Some of their attitudes are mine, too, but others are not. I don’t consciously try to make them fit my mold.
You should have also asked if I plot the entire storyline before starting on a new book or does it take on a life of its own and take me on a journey during the process of writing? I used to plot out a book before starting to write it, but after publishing my first eight or ten books, I began to find this restrictive. My characters kept wanting to go off at a tangent and do their own thing. I therefore started to “pants” rather than “plot”: begin writing, and let the book go where it wanted to go. I’ll usually have a general idea of what I want and where I want to end up, but how the book and the characters get there is up to them. I’m frequently surprised by what emerges.
You’ll also find all my books listed in the sidebar of my blog, Bayou Renaissance Man. This is where I’ll reveal new projects, run “teaser” extracts from forthcoming books, and discuss my writing from time to time. https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Peter for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
It’s release week. Friday, Trouble in the Wind blows right into the Amazon store of your choice. Here’s another author from that anthology, Bill Webb.
Interview: Bill Webb
Bill Webb
What is your quest?
Let’s start with influences. In Science Fiction it all starts, like it does for so many others, with Robert A. Heinlein. By the mid 1960s he had created more classics than most people do in a lifetime, and to this day I’m stunned nobody has ever made a movie out of Tunnel in the Sky. Heinlein knew how to tell a story in the most direct way possible, although as time passed that, too, ebbed. The last book I truly loved was Time Enough For Love. But that about the time, the mid 70s, when I discovered Roger Zelazny, so to me there no dropoff in the quality of what I read, particularly with the Amber series and my all-time favorite, A Night in the Lonesome October, although one could argue those were all fantasies. But hey, even RAH wrote a fantasy novel, Glory Road. (I’ve heard from Rufo!)
But there were also many, many more in addition to those two giants, including Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Jack Williamson, David Weber, David Drake and especially John Ringo.
Fantasy influences are very clear in my mind. The godfather of them all is Robert E. Howard, of course. I write sword and sorcery and he invented the genre. Also high on the list are Michael Moorcock, Kar6 Edward Wagner and especially Fritz Leiber. As much as I love Tolkien, I’ve read LOTR at least 35 times, I consciously try NOT to emulate his writing style. Ursula K. Leguin advised against trying to out-Tolkien Tolkien, because it can’t be done.
What is your favorite color?
Blue. All shades of blue.
I am the last person to explain why my writing style works, or how it evolved, because I have no idea. But I’ve always remembered some advice given by Zelazny, that he never mentions more than two attributes of a person. One thing I rarely do is to write a description of a room, ship, character or locale. Many authors do so, and do it well, but I don’t.
What works for me, and that I might pass on to others, is to use an accurate term to describe something and then pick out one or two details that make it unique. For example, and making something up just for this interview…”The throne room was smaller than he’d imagined it would be, and oval. A simple chair of heavy and highly polished wood served as the king’s throne. Afternoon light poured through a leaded glass window.”
That style evolved over nearly 50 years of writing. Majoring in creative writing taught me how to construct sentences and how to think of scenes, but it had little relation to building a genre story. Literary fiction generally doesn’t lend itself well to a genre setting, so there was quite a bit to unlearn.
The only exception to the two-descriptors rule is when something complex needs an extensive blueprint for the reader to understand. The composition of a Roman legion, for instance, or a suit of powered armor, might require a more complete description. But even then I make it as short as possible. And it’s not because I write short books, either. The last three books I’ve had published are 133k, 137k and 300k words. But they read fast because I don’t get bogged down in details, and I am consistently told how readers can visualize everything in their minds. That’s because I let them fill in the big picture on their own.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I was held back for many years trying to remember all the rules I’d been taught about writing. Instead of just sitting down and telling a story, I thought and thought about the next sentence trying to keep all of my lessons in mind. Show don’t tell, don’t use adverbs, don’t overuse ‘that’, don’t do, don’t do, don’t do…the truth is, what writers need to do is to write. That’s the only way you can learn.
Now, I write a story or novel as I think it should be written, clean it up with a rewrite and/or edit, then send it to the editor.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
When I write in 3rd person it’s always 3rd person limited. That helps cut down on telling instead of showing, and it also allows for shorter scenes told through multiple points of view. It’s a way to speed up the action and keep things interesting. When you’re inside the mind of the antagonist, for example, 3rd person limited let’s you show the reader how he or she views things, and a really good villain is someone the reader can identify with, at least to some degree.
If I’m writing first person there has to be a good reason. My original series Hit World, for example, is first person in a noir style reminiscent of Raymond Chandler or Dashiel Hammett. The protagonist has the world-weary, jaded voice of an old-school private eye who’s seen it all, except he’s an assassin. Understanding him would be much harder in 3rd person limited. So if you’re going to write 1st person, make sure you have a reason for doing it, and that the character has a unique voice.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Miss Piggie.
Best Thing From the 80s? My kids.
Your Wrestler Name? The Sluggish Lion.
And Signature Wrestling Move? The plop.
Favorite Weird Color? Coral.
How Will You Conquer the World? From a beach chair.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Snoopy.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A chess table when I was 13.
What Do You Secretly Plot? To live on a beach in the Caribbean.
Brought to you by the letter ___? Z.
Favorite Sports Team? University of Memphis Tigers.
Lime or Lemon? Lime.
Favorite Chip Dip? Cheese.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Status Quo.
Whisky or Whiskey? Beer.
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man.
Steak Temperature? Medium well.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Soap.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer, all year round.
Favorite Pet? All of them.
Best Game Ever? Diplomacy.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Both.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What’s the best answer you’ve gotten to a question?
Rob’s Answer: Oh, man, I don’t know that I can answer that correctly. There’ve been a bunch of great answers. So, I’m going to be a mealy-mouthed answerer and pick my favorite answer from your interview.
Yeah, I’m lazy.
But part of the reason is that many of the answers have blurred together as part of the melange that has become my own writing philosophy. I don’t entirely know at this point what I started with and what the answers that all these interviews have taught me. What I can say is that doing these interviews have taught and improved my own writing. I started it as a fun exercise that would help get us all a little publicity. What happened is that it gave me great insights into other people’s processes, many of which I’ve incorporated as I try to get better.
But your best answer? Your answer about limiting yourself to two descriptive words most of the time is a good one. It’s a rule I follow as well. I am too easily seduced by the great descriptive skills of Raymond Chandler, so I consciously try to avoid his long and brilliant style because I know I’m not as brilliant.
Still, my favorite answer of yours is from the Lightning Round. Yeah, I can see “The Plop” dominating WWE for years to come!!!!
I’m tempted to say ‘at a bar’, except that wouldn’t be true. So maybe my website is a better bet: http://thelastbrigade.com/
Do you have a creator biography?
Yes.
Oh, you want it here?
Born, raised and warped in West Tennessee, Bill Webb wrote his first stories in grade school, scaring his parents, teachers and friends. And that was before he found comic books and science ficition. The release in 2016 of his Last Brigade series changed his career path by actually giving him a career path. The Time Wars and Sharp Steel and High Adventure soon followed.
By age 25 he’d read all of the classics…Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Harold Lamb, Michael Moorcock and Roger Zelazny. Indulging himself in a double concentration at the University of Memphis of Creative Writing and History, college felt more like a long party than school.
With multiple awards and nominations to his credit, and active membership in the Science Fiction Writers of America, he reached into a long-sealed bag of literary tricks for the nascent idea for the new Hit World series. No telling what else dwells at the bottom of that bag.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked me what one story/novel of mine should someone read to understand me as a writer? In my case, it would be the Darrell Award winning novella A Night at the Quay.
Rob’s Note: This is a great question, and I might very well add it to my interview. I’m not sure how I’d answer that myself. Each has been a good view into the state of my soul at the time. Of them all, probably A Lake Most Deep is the most soul-baring because at the time I was in a bad place. Writing it kept me going and let me become something stronger.
Thanks to Bill for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Yesterday got away from me, but it’s been a good week. We’re mostly decorated for Christmas, I made progress on None Call Me Mother, and I made progress on another short story.
Plus, I’ve been running a bunch of interviews as we lead up to the release of the third Phases of Mars military alternate history anthologies, Trouble in the Wind. My story in it is Here Must We Hold, and it’s the first time I’ve really written in my area of research. That was fun.
I also made progress on the secret project. I’ll let you know all the details early in 2020, but for now, you’re just going to have to be patient.
What I haven’t done is my next Magazine Review. I may do it next week, but this is a really busy time and those take a while.
I’m going to add to None Call Me Mother tonight as I clean house here and there and watch NCAA playoff games. It’s going to be a great night.
What I’m Listening To
LSU v. Georgia. LSU is really, really good, in case you didn’t know.
Quote of the Week
You already know that today is a day that will live in infamy. The whole speech is powerful, though, not just the opening lines. Here’s another quote from Franklin Roosevelt about 7 December, 78 years ago.
“Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Chris Kennedy has given many indie writers such as myself a bunch of opportunities. The world of SF is far better for having him be a part of it.
Interview: Chris Kennedy
This week’s interview is with Chris Kennedy, who has shown many of us how to be an independent writer. He’s written several series of his own, founded a publishing company that supports other independent authors, and, along with Mark Wandrey, started the Four Horsemen Universe of which I’ve contributed.
He’s taught me quite a bit already, and I suggest you listen to him and watch what he does.
What is your quest?
I want to sell a million books. Failing that, I want to help my authors sell ten million books.
What is your favorite color?
Science fiction…with a side of fantasy.
Chris Kennedy
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Not coming from a writing background, I had to learn to do it right. I read blogs for 15 minutes a day for four years to help develop my craft and my ability to sell more books. I’m still not totally where I want to be, but I’m a much better writer than when I started, and I’m a lot closer to the goal.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I like writing gritty combat and a good motivational speech once in a while.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Definitely crunchy. I don’t know why they make that other stuff.
Favorite Sports Team? UNC Tarheels basketball (despite their showing in the NCAAs last year), NY Yankees baseball, and Atlanta Falcons football.
Cake or Pie? Pie…but why can’t I have both?
Lime or Lemon? Lemon…because you can put it in Corona and make it taste better.
Favorite Chip Dip? Helluva Good Sour Cream and Onion
Wet or Dry? Sopping wet. (Rob’s Note: He’s a Navy guy)
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Two Steps from Hell. Outstanding for combat writing music.
Whisky or Whiskey? Bud Light. (Rob’s Note: Sigh)
Favorite Superhero? Gal Gadot Wonder Woman. Because Gal Gadot.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Game Ever? In # of hours played? Everquest.
Coffee or Tea? Diet Pepsi
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Scifi, with a side of fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How many MAC rounds can a trooper survive?
Rob’s Answer: If we’re talking a magnetically accelerated piece of tungsten, then zero if the trooper isn’t in a CASPer. If we’re talking the fully-loaded magazine of MAC rounds we’re going to have at our LibertyCon party, I would say most can survive five or so, depending upon rate of fire and body mass. However, this survival is likely to be more painful and the target might prefer the quick death of tungsten.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “Do you have any free book promotions coming up soon?”
Why yes, yes I do.
Both “Janissaries” and “Cartwright’s Cavaliers” will be free this weekend. Want to introduce someone to my writing or the 4HU? This is your chance to do it—get them to pick up a free copy this weekend!
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Justin is another author in Trouble in the Wind, the third of the Phases of Mars series of alternate military history.
Interview: Justin Watson
Justin Watson
What is your quest?
The answer to that is maybe a little heavy to lead off, but here goes. When I first started writing some years ago I would’ve said that my quest was to write stories that made readers feel the way writers like Heinlein, Dickson, Weis & Hickman and Claremont made me feel when I first read them, and do so consistently enough that my readers would pay me enough to make it my full time job someday.
That’s still part of what puts me in front of the computer, of course. More than that, though, I find myself drawn, unsurprisingly, to soldiers’ stories. I served as an US Army Field Artillery officer for ten years, including time in Iraq and Afghanistan. What I saw there was a bunch of great people stuck in a crappy, ambiguous situation, still trying to serve with honor and be true to their principles. If there’s a uniting theme to my fiction so far, it’s that—good people doing the best they can when their options are all excruciating.
What is your favorite color?
Green, Black and Red remain tied.
I like the vibrancy of green both in the environment and in art. One of my favorite memories from the Army is the days I stepped off the plane in Germany or Colorado upon returning from the sandbox and seeing all the life around me, even in urban areas.
I enjoy the simplicity, and okay, sometimes the morbidity of black. From Raistlin Majere to Darth Vader to Johnny Cash, the best characters wear black. Yes, I know Johnny Cash was real, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t also a character.
And I like the boldness, heat and the implied violence of Red. Plus, it is the color of the United States Field Artillery, King of Battle.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The very first time I remember writing fiction was when I was nine years old—it was an absolutely flagrant knock off of the first chapter of Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The next thing I worked on through middle school and high school was a pastiche of WEB Griffin’s The Brotherhood of War. Then at West Point I pecked out a lengthier, more sophisticated but still awful imitation of a DragonLance novel. In between those big projects I peppered attempts at Heinleinesque science fiction short stories, complete with my own The Past Through Tomorrow chart.
It was all terrible, and at one point I looked back on all that junk I wrote as time wasted. Like many writers, though, I’ve come to realize that every hackneyed, boringly derivative word I put onto the screen was absolutely vital. Without writing all that garbage I never would’ve developed the skills to write the good stuff, to borrow and steal from my influences in a fun and creative manner rather than writing the crappy rip-off.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’d say there are three things I’ve learned that really helped me turn the corner from, “man, I wish I could be a published author someday,” to, “oh, holy crap, I have deadlines to meet.”
Michael Stackpole, of Battletech and Rogue Squadron fame, used to have a podcast called Dragon Pages. It was a good podcast overall, but especially helpful to me was a series of episodes he did on outlining. Sadly, the podcast is no longer available online, but the basic idea was you take a base figure of 100,000 words, divide it by 40 into 2,500 word chapters (one long scene or two-three short ones) and that helps you put a novel into bite-size chunks. That technique helped me finish my first (as of yet unsold) novel manuscript. That novel was not ready for the big time, BUT in the writing and finishing of it I gained both a lot of skill and a lot confidence in my ability to simply keep my ass in the chair and produce words.
A couple years back I took David Farland’s Enchanting Prose course when he was holding a seminar in Dallas. His teaching on how to properly craft and seed appeals to all five senses throughout action and description in prose was pivotal to me. It raised both the quality of my writing and helped serve as a way to get past writers’ block. Now when I am stuck, I’m usually able to work my way through the blockage by asking, “what is this character actually seeing, hearing, feeling and smelling right this instant?”
But the most important thing I learned was actually from my wife, who read most of those million words of dreck I mentioned earlier. Michele was unfailingly encouraging, but even more importantly, as I took my writing more seriously, she was my most honest and unflinching critic. Michele would never, ever knowingly let me write one of my characters doing something out of left field, “because I need it to happen that way,” without remarking on it. She wouldn’t let me get away with being too indulgent, or cheap, or purple in my prose.
And I responded to her loving, kind, unyielding criticism with the poutiest of boo boo lips… at first. Then I learned to listen to her, and to make the writing better rather than getting hurt. And by the time I was actually putting my writing in front of editors, I was practiced at receiving, evaluating and incorporating criticism like an adult.
I say that the ability to take criticism is the most important, because that’s how we get better. For most people it’s damned difficult to hear what’s wrong with your writing, especially since almost everyone starts out a terrible writer. It feels amazing to hear someone tell you what a brilliant, insightful and evocative writer you are, but if you can’t take criticism professionally and get better, you’re probably in for a hell of a time just getting in the door as a writer.
Lightning Round
Best Thing From the 80s? The Empire Strikes Back. Or Back to the Future, or Jefferson Starship, no Whitesnake, or maybe Eddie Murphy Raw…The 80s were just awesome.
Your Wrestler Name? Short Fuse, which is also the name my daughter gave my character in the My Little Pony RPG she DMs for me, her mom, and her siblings.
And Signature Wrestling Move? The Mozambique. Engaging in hand to hand combat indicates you may have incorrectly assessed a threat.
Favorite Weird Color? Neon blue or green like Tron. I love that retro-futurist look.
How Will You Conquer the World? With a unique blend of the Iron Fist and the Power of Friendship.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Donald Duck.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? My wife converted my Dad’s VHS tapes of Discovery Channel Wings (the documentary series, not the sitcom) into digital files so I could watch them again.
What Do You Secretly Plot? “Anarchy—That I run!”
Favorite Sports Team? Go Army. Beat Navy.
Cake or Pie? Pecan Pie. I’m only tenuously a Southerner, but the correct answer is always Pecan Pie.
Lime or Lemon? Lime in a Modello or Dos Equis.
Favorite Chip Dip? Sour cream with a good hot salsa, muy delicioso.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Norbert Leo Butts or Sherrie Rene Scott. Listen to the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Original Broadway Recording or The Last Five Years, but if you get the Last Five Years, I only recommend the happy half of it. And make sure it’s the Broadway recording, not the Anna Kendrick version.
Whisky or Whiskey? Well the bottles of Balvenie and Oban I love so much say Whisky, but this here is America, and it’s spelled Whiskey in the Land of the Free, by God.
Favorite Superhero? What Chris Claremont did with Logan in his run on Uncanny X-Men, and in the graphic novel he wrote with Frank Miller was phenomenal. The Barry Windsor Smith Weapon X series was also legit and Wolverine’s solo comic was entertaining to me well into its 100th issue. It’s a damn shame the character became a victim of his own success both in the comics and movies. Even though he’s my favorite, and Hugh Jackman is amazing, the franchise really did shortchange all the other fascinating X-Men in favor of their lead. It’s a mistake the MCU was wise to avoid with the Avengers and other heroes in their universe.
Steak Temperature? Medium or Medium Rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Mork & Mindy. Good Lord, do I miss Robin Williams.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? The five minutes of fall we get here in Houston between, “Oh, my God, how can my underwear hold that much sweat Summer,” and, “Forty degrees doesn’t sound cold until you pair it with 302% humidity Winter.”
Favorite Pet? Chokydar J. Pullibear von Pullingham, of the West Von Pullinghams. Michele’s and my first dog, a Hungarian pulli we got in 2006 (before Mark Zukerberg had ever heard of the breed). Choky was a loon, and not fond of strangers, but she was a loving, adorable ball of energy to us and just look at that furry mug:
Best Game Ever? D&D and its offshoot cousins, Pathfinder and Starfinder.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, black if it’s quality, loaded down with five pounds of cream if it’s not.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Love them both, and it’s close, but Science Fiction comes first with me.
Chokydar J. Pullibear von Pullingham, of the West Von Pullinghams
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Marvel or DC?
Rob’s Answer: I’m not a big comic book guy so my answer has to come from the movies. Generally, I would say Marvel. I think the heroes are stronger and have more depth. I have problems with Superman as a character because he’s too much a Mary Sue.
My favorite of all of it are the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, by the way. If you can keep a secret, I’ll also admit I haven’t seen all the recent Marvel movies. I will eventually, but I don’t go to movies at the theater often and then I forget about them until I end up binging things like this.
Star Wars Legends EU or Sequel Movie Canon?
Rob’s Answer: I am not an expert enough on either to really know the differences. I loved Star Wars, saw it 20 times or so the first week it was released. The Empire Strikes Back is one of my favorite movies. Return of the Jedi has some issues, but overall it completed the arc.
However, I’m always frustrated by the wasted potential of the other movies. I really enjoyed Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars novels, but that universe sort of lost its way somewhere in there, as I drifted away.
So, ummm, how about a Star Wars universe that I manage and arrange to my own personal benefit 🙂
Daredevil or Agents of Shield?
Rob’s Answer: Haven’t seen either, so I’m going to have to go Kevin Smith talking about Ben Affleck taking the role of Daredevil in his first Evening with Kevin Smith. The phrase “shark from Jaws” is never the same for me since I saw that.
If you picked the second choice on any of the above, who hurt you?
Rob’s Answer: Honestly I’m too much of a little of this, little of that guy to really take sides in these sorts of things. I’m a quirky guy and I tend to have things I’d change about everything, which means in this sort of context I’ll appreciate some of the ways things are done on each side.
This has increased, by the way, ever since I became a writer. It is almost routine for me to break down story structure and character creation in just about anything I watch anymore. I’m not perfect at such things, but I am always trying to figure out what I like and didn’t like so I can incorporate or exclude from my writing.
I am at LibertyCon in Chattanooga every year, I may start including some more cons, but for the moment that’s my home con.
Do you have a creator biography?
Justin grew up an Army brat, living in Germany, Alabama, Texas, Korea, Colorado and Alaska, and fed on a steady diet of X-Men, Star Trek, Robert Heinlein, DragonLance, and Babylon 5. While attending West Point, he met his future wife, Michele, on an airplane, and soon began writing in earnest with her encouragement. In 2005 he graduated from West Point and served as a field artillery officer, completing combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and earning the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge.
Medically retired from the Army in 2015, Justin settled in Houston with Michele, their four children and an excessively friendly Old English Sheepdog.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Well, not so much a question, and not to make it an Oscar speech, but I have to mention how fortunate I was that my parents, Ray and Dee Watson, instilled a deep love of books in me from as early as I can remember. Dad, in particular, read every single Heinlein juvenile to me growing up. I also have to thank Tom Kratman, who has been a pivotal mentor as both an Army officer and as a writer. And naturally and foremost, I have to thank Michele and our kids for putting up with many and varied vagaries of living with a writer.
Thanks to Justin for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, Trouble in the Wind gets released on 13 December, a week from tomorrow. I’ll be running a number of extra interviews this week from authors who joined James Young and I in the anthology. This one is Monalisa Foster, who is as interesting as her name suggests, in part because she emigrated to the US from Romania in 1978.
Interview: Monalisa Foster
Monalisa Foster
What is your quest?
My goal is to write science fiction with heart. That means I concentrate on human drives rather than hyperdrives. No matter the genre (and I’ve written not just alt history, but hard SF, mil SF, and space opera), my goal is put the reader inside the story so they can experience the emotions of the characters I’ve created and the wonder and delight of the world I built for them. It’s a kind of magic and I particularly enjoy practicing this part of my craft.
Since I learned English by translating Heinlein’s juveniles (not as a job, but as a way to teach myself when I was nine), I was heavily influenced by his ideas. It took me about two years to attain fluency and I remember reading about a novel a day every summer. It wouldn’t be untrue to say that my body was merely life-support for my eyes and my brain because it was pretty much all I did every summer. I devoured everything the library had, both in the juvenile and adult sections. I wish I’d have kept a list of everything I’d read, because it would be a wonderful resource for answering questions like this. Most of it was science fiction. Very little of it was fantasy, although I did read some.
Over the decades, my reading tastes have changed substantially. I discovered Bujold and fell in love with her Vorkosigan Saga. In fact, I used to read the entire series from beginning to end every year. And I love stories heavy on romance, but not necessarily the Romance genre itself. One of the reasons I wrote Ravages of Honor was because I couldn’t find what I wanted to read.
I remember the first time I put something up for someone else to read. I posted it on a critique site and then rushed to the bathroom to throw up. It was horrible. The writing, to be clear.
So, it became apparent, very quickly, that reading all my life had not prepared me to write well. And I’d done it professionally before, but that was non-fiction and technical/scientific writing, both of which are altogether different beasts.
Think of it this way. You’ve been watching your parents drive for sixteen years. That doesn’t mean you can just get into a car and drive, unless you’re a very unique individual. I was not that individual.
The first thing I had to accept was that I had a lot to learn, both about the craft and the business of writing. And being me, I threw myself at learning both my craft and the business before I unleashed my writing on the world. And I wouldn’t have had the freedom to do what I’m doing now if it hadn’t been for my husband’s support.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
One of the most frustrating things about the craft is that you don’t know what you don’t know. I thought that I could study what others had written (see above) and emulate it. But the truth is that what worked 10 or 30 or 50 years ago, doesn’t mean it’ll sell today. You’d need a time machine to go back and sell that stuff. Or you’d have to already have a made name.
I think in some ways, we’ve all experienced this. You buy a book because it’s on the best-seller list or because your friend loved it, and you either can’t finish it or you force yourself to, and you go, “Wait? This is a best-seller?” No thank you.
So, you have to figure out some things. Is it taste? Is it the target audience? Is it marketing? It is something you have no clue about? This is the most frustrating aspect of the business for me, in addition to marketing, because there are no right or wrong answers. There are just the answers that work or don’t, for you. What may work for one author will not work for you. What works for one audience won’t work for another. You have to figure out who you are writing for and why. And then you have to figure out how to reach those people. And sometimes that is far more work than what’s involved in your craft, your creative process, and the actual stuff you end up writing.
Fortunately, I’m a vicarious learner. This is a very good thing because it means I learn from other peoples’ mistakes, not just my own. And the number one thing I’ve learned, is that if it doesn’t pull me in and hold me, it’s not worth studying. It can be the best-selling novel of all time. It can have sold millions. If it’s not my cup of tea, it will teach me nothing. On the other hand, if it draws me in and holds me, I will pull it apart and figure out why and then I will incorporate that into my own writing. Doing that can be its own challenge, and the execution takes time, but it’s worth it.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
My go-to techniques, the two absolute things I will fight every editor on (Wyatt’s Torch, as in I will burn it down rather than give in), are depth and viewpoint. Now, that means different things to writers, so let me explain what it means to me. I write inside-out, rather than outside-in, about 90% of the time. It can’t be 100% because there are some scenes where you can’t do that, but 90% of the time I absolutely can and will.
Imagine you are a camera. There are five characters in a room. When you are floating outside all of those characters, moving anywhere you want, you are writing outside-in. Some people do this very well. But when it’s not done well, the writing is dry and thin because the camera can’t put the reader inside the character’s head.
Now imagine that the “camera” is inside a character, right behind his eyes. You can only see what he sees, hear what he hears, feel what he feels. Your viewpoint is limited. It is filtered through one person at a time. When it’s well done, you’re inside the character’s head and you stay there throughout one scene. The reader only knows what that character knows, when he knows it. That is inside-out writing. I work very hard at putting the reader inside one character at a time so they can experience the world through that one character.
The depth part has to do with the richness and thickness of the details. It has to do with evoking emotions without having to tell the reader that the character is sad or happy or angry.
I know I have successfully done my job when readers tell me that I touched their heart with something.
For example, when I wrote Cooper, a reader sent me a PM thanking me for the story. I had made him cry because the story was about him and his step-dad. When I wrote another story (which I’m not going to name because, spoiler incoming), I got a similar PM (gotta love FB, right?) which sounded rather angry at first. It was along the lines of “How dare you make me care for this character and then kill him/her?” And nothing topped getting a PM from one of my publishers going “That’s a helluva story” when I thought for sure he’d find it too un-military and too touchy-feely.
I’m not former military. I have no credentials to speak of. So I do my research and I work on making my characters real to the reader. I work on the emotional draws and the emotional beats. I do it knowing that it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay. But if it is your cup of tea, I make an awesome cup of what you do like.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? No clue. Didn’t grow up here. Sorry. (Rob’s Note: We have got to get you some of the Muppet Show DVDs)
Best Thing From the 80s? The music and the movies.
Your Wrestler Name? She-who-uses-metal.
And Signature Wrestling Move? Package check.
Favorite Weird Color? Slaughter-red; iron-enriched of course.
How Will You Conquer the World? If I told you, I’d have to kill you.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Queen Tyr’ahnee of Mars
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? American citizenship.
What Do You Secretly Plot? The end of communism. Forever. Okay, not so secret, but there it is.
Brought to you by the letter ___? This is a cultural reference I don’t get. I say that a lot. Ask my friends.
Favorite Sports Team? Any and all of the BASEketball teams.
Cake or Pie? Dobos Torte.
Lime or Lemon? Oranges, because I will not be limited by your lack of vision.
Favorite Chip Dip? Whipped cream.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Mark Seibert. I’m not kidding. Oh, and he’s mine. Hands off.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whatever my friends will force upon me as long as I get to sip it.
Favorite Superhero? Count von Krolock (Tanz der Vampire).
Favorite 1970s TV show? Before my time.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer. In Texas. Or Arizona.
Favorite Pet? German Shepherds, Pibbles, Great Danes. Standard Poodles.
Best Game Ever? I opt to exercise my Fifth Amendment rights on the grounds that my answer might incriminate me.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee as long as I can’t taste the coffee part. Jasmine tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Seeing as my favorite level of tech is “science indistinguishable from magic” I’m going to deny the false dichotomy of your question.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How many languages do you speak? Is one of them German?
Rob’s Answer: I would say I can’t actually *speak* any language but English fluently. Mostly that’s because I don’t get much opportunity to practice. I took a goodly amount of German, Latin, and Old English. Old English is the one I use the most, but it’s less about talking and more about reading.
My best spoken language is probably Old English. I have performed stuff in Old English, like chunks of Beowulf and the Wanderer. Nevertheless, I don’t do that enough to prevent having a wretched accent. It’s better than my horrible French accent, which I butcher whenever I have need.
I have a moderate level of reading ability in those three languages as well as French. The ability to read them is more what I need than the ability to speak as I’m reading through historical sources. I’m also discovering that I can muddle my way through some Spanish because of the Latin and French providing cognates and the grammar being Latin that got lazier and lazier over the years.
In general, if I can separate the words spoken to me, I can generally grasp the structure of the sentence, but my practical vocabulary is minimal because I routinely have references handy.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I have a blog, although I’m not much of a blogger, but it’s a good starting point and I keep my publication list up to date: https://www.monalisafoster.com
I also go to DragonCon. These are the two I strive to be at every year.
Locally, I attend FenCon.
I did LTUE and SpikeCon in 2019, but probably won’t be doing so regularly.
Do you have a creator biography?
Monalisa won life’s lottery when she escaped communism and became an unhyphenated American citizen. Her works tend to explore themes of freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility. Despite her degree in physics, she’s worked in several fields including engineering and medicine, but she enjoys being a trophy wife and kept woman the most. She and her husband are living their happily ever after in Texas.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked me why milk chocolate is better than dark chocolate? That way I could answer because it contains a higher amount of fat and fat is flavor. Also, bacon makes everything better when milk chocolate is not available. (Rob’s Note: So right!)
Thanks to Monalisa for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I found James L. Young because he writes an alternate history of World War II, specifically focusing on naval combat. It’s stuch a great universe, I keep pestering him to find me a spot to write in it. He ignored me, though, deciding instead to focus on finish his dissertation. What the heck was he thinking? Anyway, he’s a sharp cookie who’s a great writer.
Interview: James L. Young
James L. Young Portrait
What is your quest?
So what got me started on this journey was to tell the best stories possible. I’ve always been a fan of mashups, and I’d say my style is a mix of Jack McKinney (pseudonym for the authors who did the Robotech novels), Richard Austin (pseudonym for the Guardians-series), Don Pendleton, and Tom Clancy, with a touch of Michael Stackpole. I like to have gritty stories where the good guys have a touch of black hat and the villains are sympathetic.
Aries Red Sky Cover
What is your favorite color?
“I see a red door and I want to paint it…” Wait, sorry, that reference might be kind of dated (although there is a good recent cover out there). Black, black is my favorite color. As for small things I like in my creation, I usually try to put a small “gut punch” of an event that will resonate with the reader.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Creative failures—Well, my first full novel got deleted by my sister and the only hard copy lost by one of my best friends. However, in retrospect, that was for the best, as it finally got me to (mostly) let go of trying to write the next Red Storm Rising. (Rob’s Note: I wouldn’t mind a good next Red Storm Rising. I love that book.)
Other things I’ve learned (of which some may have differing opinions): Print advertisement is largely dead for indies. You can get vastly more bang for your $500 than running a ½ page ad in a magazine, even if it’s genre / platform specific.
Acts of War Cover
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I would say a willingness to research is one personal power. This probably seems like a “Duh” coming from someone with a history doctorate, but I am regularly stunned by the number of authors who just won’t go through the trouble of even doing a basic Wiki scan. Not that Wikipedia is an absolute resource, but the citations are often solid and peer-reviewed.
(Rob’s Note: This is one of the most important comments I’ve seen so far in these interviews. Research is important and Wikipedia has worked pretty hard to make their content pretty reliable. It’s a great starting point.)
The second power is that, within reason, I’ll roll the dice on just about any weird request or marketing idea.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? My high school nickname was Animal, so…
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy
Favorite Sports Team? As annoyed as they make me on a regular basis, the Chiefs.
Cake or Pie? Pie
Lime or Lemon? Either
Favorite Chip Dip? Parmesan Cheese Dip
Wet or Dry? The appropriate setting for the activity being discussed.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Vic Tyler, “Dawson’s Christian” (google and listen to the Miranda’s Ghost version)
Whisky or Whiskey? Yes when I’m in the mood to drink it.
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine or Punisher depending on the day
Steak Temperature? Hot with a little pink.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? Three cats, two dogs, and this question is full of trap. (Rob’s Note: I like traps)
Best Game Ever? Steel Panthers or Harpoon
Coffee or Tea? Coffee probably, but yes.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-fi, but I’m a D&D fiend
On Seas so Crimson Cover
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Battleship versus battleship, who is the queen of them all and why?
Rob’s Answer: What a heck of a question.
Pre-dreadnought: I’m going to say the HMS Majestic and her sister ships. She was so influential in ship design.
World War I: This is probably the easiest answer for me. There’s a reason you specified a category called pre-dreadnought. The HMS Dreadnought has to be the queen because she changed everything.
Treaty battleships (i.e., those constructed under the Washington Treaty restrictions): I’m going to say it’s the USS North Carolina. I’m not influenced too much by the fact that the North Carolina is the best battleship museum I’ve seen. I loved getting to roam in her 16-inch turrets. I’m not a fan of the British designs during the period. The pocket battleship idea was too limited. The extra armor of the South Dakota-class ended up making them less valuable.
Overall: Basically, this comes down to the Iowas or the Yamatos. I think it’s clearly the Iowas. The European designs were not innovative or versatile. The Bismarck was a step above most British designs, but I don’t think she would have done well against the Iowa. She and her sisters were designed to defeat the Yamatos, yet they were also good AA platforms. They were also among the fastest.
It’s not entirely fair to tack on their later refits, but the refitted missile-carrying versions were clearly the most powerful BBs of all time. Some people think the idea of the battleship is outdated, but I actually would suggest that with drones and a proper tactical and strategic plan, BBNs might be more valuable (especially since they’d cost less) than CVNs. Modern versions of the Iowas could be insanely capable. However, that’s a long treatise in its own right.
Air Capital Comic Con—Wichita, November 10-11 2018
Planet Comic Con—Kansas City, March 2019 (Rob’s Note: I’ll be there, too)
Cincinnati Comic Expo—Cincinnati, OH September 2019
Though Our Hulls Burn Cover
Do you have a creator biography?
James Young is a Missouri native who left small town life to attend a small, well-known Federal institution in upstate New York. After obtaining a degree in military history from West Point, Dr. Young spent six years repaying his education via military service in various locations (both foreign and domestic). Along the way he collected a loving, patient, and beautiful spouse (Anita C. Young)…and various animals that only fit those descriptions when it suited them.
Upon leaving the Army, James returned to the Midwest to obtain his Ph.D. in U.S. History from Kansas State. When not tormenting his characters, Dr. Young spends his spare time reading Anita’s first drafts, finishing that pesky dissertation, and trying to figure out how book eating shelter animals keep ending up in his office. Outside of Amazon, he can be found at conventions throughout the Midwest selling books and merchandise as James Young, Slinger of Tales.
In addition to his positive fiction reviews, Dr. Young is also the winner of the United States Naval Institute’s 2016 Cyberwarfare Essay Contest and runner up in the 2011 Adams Center Cold War Essay Contest. He has also had multiple articles published in Proceedings and the Journal of Military History since 2010.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what is your latest release so I could talk about Aries Red Sky, the latest novel in my Vergassy Universe.
You should also have asked what my favorite book I’ve released is. I’d answer Acts of War, the first novel in my alternate history universe. (Shhh, don’t tell the other kids.)
Thanks to James for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
It’s been a pretty good week here in Rob-land. I should have anticipated, by the way, that I probably wouldn’t do a mag review or an interview this week because of the holiday. I’ll do some next week.
However, I caught up on a number of small projects. I’ll expand on that in January. I also sent off another short story. This too I’ll talk about more in January.
I also started a bit of whimsy that I will tell you about when it’s ready.
With all that was going on, I didn’t really look at None Call Me Mother much. I plan on writing a goodly amount over the weekend and all next week.
Of course, though, I spent a lot of time this week getting ready for Thanksgiving. We finished the great room and I spent a goodly amount of time putting books back into place.
Yesterday was, in general, a great day. Thanksgiving included the sweetie, her daughter, my mom, and a couple of friends. We ate a goodly amount.
Today was a lot of recovery and mostly lazing about. Still, I hope to get some writing in tonight.
What I’m Listening To
More college football. This time it’s South Florida v. Central Florida. Yes, I like football, even when I don’t care about the two teams in question.
Quote of the Week
I’m feeling silly, so you get something from Douglas Adams.
“Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (76,951)
CB (8,418)
SK (706)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
I didn’t do anything this week, but I’ll get back into it all next week.
This week’s spotlight is on that amazing prime rib I made yesterday and the even tastier mashed potatoes. Nom.
Today’s Weight: 394.4
Updated Word Count: 205,217
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m a day late on this blog post but I thought that might happen. We had plans last night and I was not able to get the update done before we left.
What did we do? Well, I’m glad you asked. After our first date, I invited my sweetie to go see Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood live. They basically do a longer form version of Whose Line is it Anyway, which allows them to do some improved versions of some games and also some other games that are just too long to do in the TV format.
Colin and Brad with my Sweetie
Unfortunately, my sweetie wasn’t able to join me. It was really a shame because I had even gotten the meet & greet tickets. They shook our hands, exchanged a few words, and took a picture. After they took my picture, I explained that my sweetie couldn’t come and I asked if they would take this picture.
Immediately after the show, I texted my sweetie that picture. This was a moment of truth. If she laughed a lot, there was a definite chance for us to last. If she didn’t, well, better to know then.
She laughed. A lot. Still does.
So last night Colin and Brad were in town and we finally got to have our second date. Sadly, there weren’t meet and greet tickets, probably because they’re in Naperville, IL tonight. However, we had a wonderful time. They are really good at this and they have a brilliant way of keeping threads winding through the show. If you have a chance, you should go at least once. The truth is, you can go every night since every show is different.
That was a great conclusion to a good week here. I made a lot of progress with None Call Me Mother. I’m aiming to get a draft to the editor by the end of the year. If I keep going like I am that’ll happen. I worry about the holidays distracting me, but it doesn’t look like we’re going on any long trips.
With the help of my editor Kellie Hultgren, I figured out a problem that’s been nagging at me on a short story. It’s a subtle thing, as the story has a bunch of good elements, but I forgot the Rule of Three. The conclusion seemed tacked on, when in fact I aimed for it all along. That’s an easy fix and I should have that story to the editor by Thanksgiving.
Speaking of short stories, my story Here Must We Hold will come out on 13 December as part of Trouble In the Wind. This is the third of the Phases of Mars military alternate history anthologies and focuses on land combat. I don’t know if James Young and Chris Kennedy will do more, but I’ve had a blast writing these and hope to do more. The first two, Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms could quite easily be the basis for many more stories. I couldn’t quite get a land story that worked for me, but there are more sea and air stories waiting to happen.
Today, we started putting finishing touches on the floor in the great room. All that’s left is some touch up on the quarter-round, putting in the thresholds, and putting back the outlet covers. Since the bookcases all got moved, we’re also cleaning and oiling the wood-paneled walls. Tomorrow we’ll start putting bookcases back in.
An exciting week as we get closer to things getting done.
What I’m Listening To
I made a slight change here. Many times of late it’s been something other than a song on my playlist so I’m changing the title to match reality.
Anyway, right now, I’m listening to my usual on fall Saturday sort of thing, a college football game. Right now it’s SMU v. Navy. I love watching Navy play. In fact, I love watching every triple option team play. There’s a gorgeous ballet in that offense. It’s limited and only works now because so few run it, but it’s so fun when executed well. It’s perfect for the service academies because it relies on discipline and execution more than athleticism.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of William Fitzalan, 9th earl of Arundel. Who? A player in the War of the Roses, and a name I’m intimately familiar with because of the game Kingmaker. If you’ve played the game, this quote will be quite familiar.
“Piracy: Fitzalan to Arundal, Beaufort to Corfe
Killed: Cromwell, Graystoke
4-1 Victory”
– Kingmaker Card
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’m interviewing William Joseph Roberts. Many of you haven’t heard of him until now, but I suspect you will. He’s a real go-getter and I’m looking forward to seeing his entry into a sooper-sekrit project we’re working on.
Interview: William Joseph Roberts
William Joseph Roberts
What is your quest?
In the end, I strive to create works that are fun, memorable and that evoke a physical or emotional reaction. Nothing beats watching someone read a rough scene and start to gag from what they are reading, then ask where the rest of it is.
fLUX Runners Cover
What is your favorite color?
I’ve always liked finding Easter eggs hidden away in a story or game or show. Like the tardis or finding a sperm whale and bowl of petunias in the wasteland in Fallout 1.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paintbrush?
DISTRACTIONS! Which really goes back to those evil little demons at the back of our minds telling us that we can’t. So, we snack, we watch a show, we do dishes, or in my case we create a podcast and go down the distraction rabbit hole from hell. But in the end, everything that I learned while doing the podcast, like networking has paid off in the end.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Research and multitasking. But only if I am able to reign in my brain squirrels and keep them from going down too many internet rabbit holes.
Betty Details
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal (Rob’s Note: Shocking!)
Your Wrestler Name? Billy Joe Bob (Rob’s Note: Also Shocking!)
And Signature Wrestling Move? Der…. Flying clothes line
Favorite Weird Color? Radioactive green
How Will You Conquer the World? By cloning myself, if the wife will agree to let me do it.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Tasmanian Devil
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Pictures of my kids and grandkids
What Do You Secretly Plot? To build a self sufficient underground community
Favorite Sports Team? I have no idea. I’m usually doing something else.
Cake or Pie? Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? The wife’s black bean dip (Rob’s Note: This could be brought to conventions, you know)
Favorite Cereal? Coco Pebbles
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Heidivolk Damn good Viking metal
Whisky or Whiskey? Neither, Scotch!
Favorite Superhero? Lobo
Steak Temperature? Hu? Wipe it’s nasty ass, lop off the horns and put it on a plate.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Best Thing From the 80s? Starflight
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? Do kids count? If not, then the puppers
Best Game Ever? Starflight
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Both
Brought to you by the letter: P
Veronica Details
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What is your preferred weapon of choice when roaming the lands.
Rob’s Answer: Probably a spear. It’s the one weapon I got pretty good at in the SCA and it’s useful in a variety of ways. Also, as a Fyrdman of Calontir, it’s got a special meaning for me.
Now, if we’re talking life in general, my favorite weapon is politeness and happiness. It’s sort of social judo, I guess. I smile and laugh and often get what I’m hoping for. And if I don’t, I’m at least pleased with how I acted. Of course, the down side is when I lose my temper and act like a jerk I’m that much more pissed at myself.
And where can we find you? (Events and cons you’re scheduled to attend)
Chattacon in January
AnachroCon in February
Fantasci in March
Metrotham in May
LibertyCon in June
Veronica Heavy Frigate
Do you have a creator biography?
In a previous lifetime, William Joseph Roberts was an F-15 mechanic and Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He has traveled the world and experienced many things in his few years. During this lifetime, he has been called a Jack of all trades, a Renaissance man and insane squirrel wrangler by his peers.
Since his enlistment ended, he has perused careers as an industrial and architectural designer, design engineer, and now, eclectic writer.
William Joseph Roberts currently resides in the quaint southern town of Chickamauga, Georgia with his loving wife, three freaky-smart nerd children, and small pack of fur babies.
Thanks to William for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m looking forward to this week’s magazine review, unlike last week’s. This one is not filled with any classic stories and there’s no Asimov, Heinlein, or Clarke, but all the stories were solid and filled with action. There’s one exception. It isn’t a classic, but the last story should be.
I suspected I was going to enjoy this issue when I read the first words of the editorial by William L. Hamling. “An action story is more popular than any other type” (4). Previously, Imaginative Tales had focused on humorous stories, but they shifted their editorial focus starting in this one on action.
I like it, especially since it’s how I try to write.
By the way, Hamling had an interesting career. As an editor, he kept buying a poor artist’s fantasy cartoons. The cartoons weren’t very good and so Hamling never published them, but the artist needed the money. In 1953, the artist came to Hamling with a magazine idea. Hamling replied, “You can’t sell sex to the American public.” That artist was Hugh Hefner. Safe to say Hamling was wrong and Hefner stopped being poor.
Last week, I mentioned that this issue did something I wish they all did. It’s a simple Introducing the Author essay. Basically, they asked Dwight V. Swain to tell us about himself. It’s much like my weekly interviews, and I really enjoy getting to know the authors as people, especially ones I’m not terribly familiar with. In this case, it’s located inside the front and back covers, but I don’t really care where they would have placed it, given that inside the covers is such prime advertising territory, but I would have loved to have seen this sort of thing done routinely.
Swain’s story Terror Station is the cover story. I’d never read anything by him before, but I’ll remember the name. Terror Station is about a secret project in the desert. Stone, the project’s security officer, is returning to the facility when he sees a woman in the night running toward his car followed by some strange monster. He kills the monster, but the woman is dead. Guards from the lab rush up and immediately arrest him for killing her, much to his frustration.
Fury comes later when his expectations of the whole thing getting cleared up get squashed by everyone in the base thinking he’s guilty. None of these people, who were all friends and colleagues would give him any benefit of the doubt. To Stone it’s like they’re all filled with paranoia and fear which hadn’t been there when he left.
They send him to Reva, the psychologist, who happens to be one of Stone’s exes. She, at least, tries to help. In so doing, she discovers that he had once had encephalitis. In turn, he discovers why she’s there. The project wouldn’t have had a psychologist except she had her own work.
Stone discovers that her portion of the project is creating that fear and paranoia. He disables the device and all is back to normal, except they wonder at the source of the technology. Stone discovers that it comes from aliens who have landed near the base.
The manager of the project, MacDougal, it turns out, has been in league with these aliens. His project was going nowhere until they arrived, and he was afraid his career was about to crash and burn. He took bits of their technology to show his superiors that he was making progress while in turn helping the aliens.
What the aliens want is for us to capture all the krypton out of the air (about 1ppm) and give it to them as they use it for their technology. According to the story, though, what they want is for humanity to kill itself because krypton’s job is to keep our atmosphere intact. If we gave it to them, they could come back later to a dead planet, which to them would be a great joke.
Stone thwarts the aliens, figures out MacDougal’s part, and confronts him. MacDougal, however, has the drop on him and is about to kill him when Reva shoots him with Stone’s gun which she had picked up in an earlier fight. They then walk off, hand in hand.
A good, rip-roaring yarn, exactly like Hamling said he wanted.
Next is Coffin for Two by Winston K. Marks. Marks is another author I’d never read before, but I liked this story. A man returns from three years off Earth mining on Venus. Upon his return, he sees marked changes.
First, most people are walking around with a star on their forehead. Also, he finds his girl now making time with one of their friends. They get into a bit of a scuffle and his friend, who had never been much of an athlete, beats the heck out of the miner. Then the crew decides to go party to celebrate his return. On the way, the lead cab gets destroyed by a passing driver. His friends agree its too bad, because they would have enjoyed the party.
Too bad! The miner thinks two friends have just been killed and it’s “too bad?” It turns out that in the time he’s been gone, they’ve figured out a way to let people rest in a life support chamber (called coffins) and have their brain implant an automaton (called proxies) marked with a red star. His friends haven’t died, but they’ll take a bit of time to get another proxy.
At first, he is completely against the idea of getting his own proxy, but the friend who was now dating his old flame beats him up again. So he goes and gets fitted out. He hides the fact he’s using a proxy and confronts the old friend. Once the friend tries to kill him, he reveals he’s using a proxy and tells the friend to scram.
Now the old flame, who preferred the miner anyway, is waiting for an offer of marriage. However, he hesitates. He wanted to marry her three years ago, but how do proxies get married? Why, the share a coffin for two.
Following that is The Invisible Enemy by Jerry Sohl. Sohl is yet another write I hadn’t read before in this issue. This story is about a rescue attempt on another planet. The planet is a desert planet, out on the frontier, and the exploration vessel that came to it never left. Its crew vanished without a trace. A second ship came to look and the same thing happened to it.
Now comes a third ship. This one has a much larger crew and also includes a brand new computer with its own operator. Unfortunately, the commander of the ship despises the new equipment and scorn the operator as a mere civilian.
At first, his scorn is partially justified. The computer provides no answers, merely saying it has insufficient data. The crew starts exploring. And then they start disappearing, much like the crews of the previous ships. However, there’s nothing left behind. No shred of evidence.
Then, one of the crew is saved, briefly, from one of the attacks. He dies in the ship’s medical bay, raving of monsters. The commander insists that he give the boy a proper burial.
The computer now has sufficient data and says this is not advised. The tech goes to the commander and urges him not to follow through on the burial, but the commander ignores him and scorns the computer’s “advice.” He confines the tech to his quarters and continues with the burial.
However, the burial is a massacre. There are creatures swimming in the sand who are incredibly sensitive to the smell of blood. They scent the body and eat all the rest of the crew while the tech watches in horror. Then his horror is all the greater as he wonders if he can leave his quarters or is trapped here until he dies. Fortunately, the executive officer had believed him and left the door unlocked so he can flee the planet.
De-sert shark, do do, d-doo d-doo…
Henry Slesar’sThe Brat is next. Really good story, with one of Slesar’s common twist endings. I become more and more a fan of Slesar with every story.
In this one, an alien is brought back to Earth for study. When the doctor examining alien died, the alien fled. They eventually found him in Nebraska, happily married with children.
Not everyone is happy about this, especially a hate group led by a man named Turesco. He is obsessed with finding all of these offspring before the alien, who can clearly interbreed with humans, corrupts our blood. They track down two, one who has mostly alien characteristics and a brat, who mostly looks human. They kill one and take one away.
However, the only way they can do this is with help from the government. A protector first class named Ward is assigned to the case and it is his suggestion that finally brings the two boys to bay. He does everything he can to save them, but Turesco and his men are just too much.
Then, at the least, we see that Ward also has those alien characteristics, albeit weaker. Turesco and his vision of “purity” is long past any hope of success.
What a great way to turn a crappy ending into a “villain gets his comeuppance” ending.
Last is Buck and the Space War by Mack Reynolds. I loved this story. When I saw it in the table of contents I immediately wondered if it was a Buck Rogers story, so I was excited to check it out. It’s not, but it might even be better.
It’s about a guy named Buck to whom the strangest things happen. If he goes fishing and doesn’t catch anything, it’s because a sea serpent swamp up the St. Johns River. That sort of thing.
Buck lives in Dupont, Florida, north of Orlando, south of Jacksonville. He’s a complete hick and he decides one day to go to Lake Dexter get him a mess of squirrels.
I’m going to stop here and say that Reynolds’ use of language in this story is fantastic. The story is light-hearted in many ways, and the specific words he chooses adds to the humor. Like “mess of squirrels.” Had Buck just wanted a few squirrels he could have stayed close to home, but he wanted a “mess.”
Anyway, squirrel hunting involves sitting and waiting until squirrels come to the hunter. Buck, being Buck, never gets a chance at a squirrel. Instead a damaged spaceship crashes on one side of the clearing where he waited. A small alien pops out and runs to a depression. A second spaceship lands and another alien, also small, pops out and the two start firing at each other.
Buck’s had enough of this, especially since he was sort of in the middle anyway. He picks up one of the aliens and carries him over to the other. He sets them down and asks what’s going on. One is a Martian, the other a Venusian, and the two have been battling for millennia. He tells them to stop with all this foolishness. He talks about treating people as you’d wish to be treated and overrides their protests about the other guy.
The two take notes and he sends them off back to Mars and Venus. There they take his words of wisdom, leaving him with the title of Holy One. The presumption at the end is that he ends the ancient war because the two take his backwoods common sense back to their planets as the root of a new religion.
It’s silly and impractical. There’s no way these events could actually end a war spanning thousands of years. But who cares? It’s a fun story and you really like Buck.
Again, this isn’t a great issue. There’s no Foundation story or anything like that. It is, however, exactly what Hamling aimed for. A magazine with lots of action, good stories that you want to find out what’s going on, and heroes you can root for.
Good stuff.
Next week I’ll review the Fantastic Universe from July, 1955. I’m excited because there’s stories by a number of good writers including Philip K. Dick and Murray Leinster. See you next week!
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
It’s been a good week here. I wrote over 8000 words overall, which is more than I’ve been able to crank out in a week in a while. I’m definitely regaining the rhythm I had in the spring.
The big chunk of writing was major progress in None Call Me Mother. I broke the 70k mark today, and I made progress in multiple threads. Some days it’s a fight to get words going on one thread, but today, the writing prompted me to make sure I filled in a blank in another, which led to another.
That’s always fun.
I also added 800 or so words to Here Must We Hold. This was my submission for Trouble in the Wind, the next entry in the Phases of Mars series of alternate military history. Unlike Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms, this story is set in Anglo-Saxon England. I am pleased to announce that it has been accepted and these new words were actually historical notes.
For a moment, writing those notes, I sort of felt like Bernard Cornwell. That was fun too.
Tonight it’s puttering around the house, watching the Blues play, and drinking Beer Barrel Bourbon. It’s actually one of my favorite bourbons and I’ve been frustrated because I couldn’t find it. Tonight, I was disappointed not to see it yet again. Then I started looking at all the choices, trying to figure out something to try.
Turns out they changed not just the label, but the bottle shape as well. I probably just didn’t see it… again and again. But I have some now, and guess what? Good bourbon is yet more fun.
Y’all have a good week.
Current Playlist Song
The dulcet tones of John Kelly, Bernie Federko, and Darren Pang calling the Blues game. It’s 2-2 in the 3rd at the moment.
Side note: I’ve been a fan of the Blues since, frankly, a terrifying moment in the Kiel Center in 1988 or so. I never really thought anything about them going into last year’s playoffs. A friend of mine who’s a big hockey fan said before they won their first series that he actually thought they had a real chance. I thought he was crazy. He might have been, but one Stanley Cup later, he’s my kind of crazy.
Quote of the Week
In 534 on this day, Justinian published his law code. It’s one of the great legal documents of history. Here’s the first section.
“The Emperor Justinian to the Senate of the City of Constantinople. Those things which seem to many former Emperors to require correction, but which none of them ventured to carry into effect, We have decided to accomplish at the present time with the assistance of Almighty God; and to diminish litigation by the revision of the multitude of constitutions which are contained in the Three Codes; namely, the Gregorian, the Hermogenian, and the Theodosian, as well as in those other Codes promulgated after them by Theodosius of Divine Memory, and by other Emperors, who succeeded him, in addition to those which We Ourselves have promulgated, and to combine them in a single Code, under Our auspicious name, in which compilation should be included not only the constitutions of the three above-mentioned Codes, but also such new ones as subsequently have been promulgated.”
– Justinian (Codex Justinianeus, Preface)
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Frankly, this was probably my least favorite issue I’ve read so far. I didn’t care for any of the stories except one, none of the ads were fun, and nothing else appealed to me. Hence, I’m just going to give you a cursory review. I’ve got things to write in None Call Me Mother instead of drearily going over these stories.
The cover story is The Visitor at the Zoo by Damon Knight. You know Knight at least because of To Serve Man, a fantastic short story from 1950. Visitor was not his best effort. The cause of the conflict is never adequately explained, it ran too long, and the twist at the end was predictable.
Worse, I can’t root for the main character. He’s a moderately intelligent alien in a zoo who has his brain somehow transplanted into the mind of a passing journalist. We are meant to root for him because he’s got a chance to get out of the zoo where he had been trapped. I empathized with that aspect, but the journalist was simply an innocent tourist, who lost everything. There’s little in the story of sympathy for him, and in the end, the creature chooses not to exchange positions and return to the way it was.
I can both reject the legitimacy of the zoo and at the same time despise the selfishness of the main character. And I do. I said this wasn’t Knight’s best effort. I sure hope it was his worst, because I really disliked it.
On the Fourth Planet by J.F. Bone was the only story to be reprinted often. It was about an alien struggling for life in a desolate world with the remnants of his people. It’s a hard life, and the law doesn’t allow for much leniency. Unfortunately for this alien, he runs into an object that hasn’t been there before. It fills him with food and hope. It also returns to him the cellular memory of his people, suggesting a way they can grow out of their barbarism. As you can probably guess by the title, it’s a NASA rocket that has landed on Mars.
The best story of the lot, by far. However, it’s not a great one, just a good solid story that in a better issue would have seemed like a nice supporting piece. Here, it was drug down by the awful cover story.
I suspect I’ll really like the June 1963 issue, if I every run into it. It has stories by Clifford D. Simak, Gordon R. Dickson, Keith Laumer, and John Jakes. This issue, however, was not my cup of tea.
Next week I’ll review the Imaginative Tales from September, 1955. It has a story by Mack Reynolds and an interesting thing I wish more magazines had done.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
From a writing standpoint this was a 2 steps forward, 1 step backward kind of week. I went through a significant chunk of None Call Me Mother and cleaned it up.
I also did some plotting and figured out yet one more piece of the puzzle to get all the actors in the final scene. I expect to see a huge step next week.
I’ve also started an editing project that I’ll talk more about in December.
We’re working on the house, as I often do in November. We got rid of carpet in our great room and have been laying bamboo flooring. The carpet was original, 1983 vintage, and it had seen more than a few battles.
Going to try and knock out a few more words tonight, so I hope everyone has a good weekend.
Current Playlist Song
Instead of music, I worked on this while watching Chris and Sheellah showing old pictures on their weekly CKP Facetime session. If you’re a fan of the Four Horsemen Universe, the Fallen World, or anything put out by Chris Kennedy Publishing, it’s a great way to interact with them.
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.
– Rudyard Kipling, Tommy
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week’s interview is with J.F. Holmes. He is a really talented military science fiction author and editor. He’s just released the first of a large shared project called JTF 13. I’m really looking forward to seeing how that universe evolves. I especially love its tagline: “They hold the line… between heaven and hell.
Interview: J.F. Holmes
Rob Howell’s Interview Questions
Irregular Scout Team One: Missions
What is your quest?
My quest is to tell the story. I have a boundless imagination, fueled by Tolkien and Asimov, and there are dozens of stories running through my head at any time. Show me an object and I will, on the spot, make up a story about it. So I guess you can say that I need to get it all out.
What is your favorite color?
1968 Ford Green, as painted on a Mustang. I like to tell a story by character interaction and character action. I hate information dumps; I’d rather know by what a person does or says.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Well, one thing I’ve learned is to follow the Soviet Army doctrine. Reward success, starve failure. If I write a book that maybe I loved but didn’t do well in the market place, then I doubt I’ll ever do a follow up.
Valkyrie Rebellion
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Small unit interaction and combat. Both of which are about the people involved in them, nothing else. How do they feel? What emotions are driving their actions? When people ask me about Irregular Scout Team One, I tell them that it’s not about the post apocalyptic world, it’s about the Team.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit. Deep down he’s a smart ass.
Your Wrestler Name? Couch Potato
And Signature Wrestling Move? Intellectual bafflement. (Rob’s Note: “From the top rope!!!”)
Favorite Weird Color? 1968 Ford Green
How Will You Conquer the World? I already have, by bringing the world down to my size.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Bugs Bunny.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? My Executive Vice President of Happiness for my company, AKA my significant other, Karen. And my two sons, who are good, decent men.
What Do You Secretly Plot? Novels. Many Novels.
Favorite Sports Team? NY Yankees. Since I was small kid growing up in Long Island.
Cake or Pie? Cake.
Lime or Lemon? Chocolate
Favorite Chip Dip? Buffalo Ranch
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Count Hans Von Haffenpepper, who invented the electric glockenspiel in 1734. A man way ahead of his time.
Whisky or Whiskey? I gave up drinking at aged 21 when I realized it made me do really stupid stuff.
Favorite Superhero? Superman
Favorite Weird Color? 1968 Ford Green
Steak Temperature? Well.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Best Thing From the 80s? EVERYTHING. You children do not know what the awesomeness of the 1980’s was. And Madonna.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Thanks, now that song is stuck in my head. (Rob’s Note: You’re welcome)
Favorite Pet? My neighbor’s dog.
Best Game Ever? D & D, Axis & Allies, Red Storm Rising, TACOPS
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi
Brought to you by the letter ___? Q, because Q invents all kinds of cool stuff
JTF 13: Origins
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What is best in life?
Rob’s Answer: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!
Second best: Being paid to write stories in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Heinlein, and so many others.
J.F. Holmes is a retired Army Senior Noncommissioned Officer, having served for 22 years in both the Regular Army and Army National Guard. During that time, he served as everything from an artillery section leader to a member of a Division level planning staff, with tours in Cuba and Iraq, as well as responding to the terrorists attacks in NYC on 9-11.
From 2010 to 2014 he wrote the immensely popular military cartoon strip, “Power Point Ranger”, poking fun at military life in the tradition of Beetle Bailey and Willy & Joe.
His books range from Military Sci-Fi to Space Opera to Detective to Fantasy, with a lot in between, and in 2017 two are finalists for the prestigious Dragon Awards. As of August 2017, Mr. Holmes has eighteen books and two novellas published.
In 2018, he launched Cannon Publishing, www.cannonpublishing.us specializing in anthologies and works from up and coming authors.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I had any any idea what I was getting into? My answer: No.
Thanks to John for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This is what a 10 out of 10 issue is like. Incredible issue for a variety of reasons. The stories were great, the ads were fun and interesting, and the science essay was, well, astounding.
Inside the front cover of this issue are a couple of ads, one of which has the tag line of “Making Your Wishes Come True” (1). The text begins with: “One wish has been fulfilled. Won by 3.5 years of deadly struggle.” It’s an ad to continue buying victory bonds.
If I needed a reminder when this issue was published, I got it right here. It’s the December, 1945 issue, and that matters during the rest of this issue.
The first article is the John W. Campbell’s editor column called Atoms Won’t Do Everything. This column talked about the possibilities of atomic power other than the bomb, at the point of writing this essay merely 3-4 previous. It’s got some surprising technical details, such as how to arrange the pile with either heavy water or graphite. The information is readily available now, but in 1945? I was surprised.
The next story, again only 3-4 months after the bombs were dropped, was a story by Lewis Padgett called Beggars In Velvet. Padgett is, as some of you probably already know, is the pseudonym used by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore for their collaborations.
Beggars in Velvet is one of 6 Baldy stories about a mutation to humanity after a nuclear war. In it, a portion of humanity has mutated to have telepathic powers.
The war has splintered the remainder of humanity into a series of city-states who actively work to keep themselves separated. The concept of gathering together in large polities seems like something that caused the big war, though they regularly trade among themselves. There are also tribes called Hedgehounds, who have taken this concept of decentralization and become nomads. Add to this societal change a portion of the population that has telepathic powers and you’re guaranteed to have trouble.
The Baldies, the ones with telepathic powers, are split into two factions. One is trying to coexist and prevent any sort of pogrom. The other, the paranoids, are trying to promote a war where they can eliminate the lesser version of humanity.
This world-building has great potential for stories, and Kuttner and Moore don’t waste it. The main hero, Burkhalter, fights against Barbara Pell, a paranoid, to prevent everything from going to hell in their city-state of Sequoia. Also, the Mutes, the ruling class of the non-paranoid Baldies, are working alongside to keep the lid on the kettle.
Burkhalter is a good man and hates everything that the paranoids stand for. Desperately, he continues the fight, doing all he can to stop Barbara and her allies. However, despite their best efforts, the paranoids succeed in starting a nightmare that might end up sweeping the world in fire and terror.
In the end, with some desperate measures employed by, Hobson, the Mute leading the battle and successful long-laid plans to get the Hedgehounds on their side, the Baldies defeat the paranoids. The Hedgehounds are the ones with bows and arrows staring down the city folk on the cover, by the way.
However, the story isn’t over. You see, Burkhalter may hate and loathe what the paranoids think, but yet he still falls in love with Barbara. He doesn’t know it for much of the story, but the Mutes recognize this in his emotions. Someone who can empathize enough with a paranoid to fall in love with one must then be a latent paranoid. He is what he hates.
But he’s only a latent paranoid. If he has constant help, that transition could be avoided. That’s when we find out *all* of the Mutes are latent paranoids and they are in constant contact with each other, helping each one not to stray.
Man, what a good ending. The story lacked some zing because it’s not an uncommon type of “not-our-kind” conflicts, but the ending gives so much ooomph to the decisions of the Mutes and of Burkhalter. This is a character I want to see again. I’ll look for him in the later Baldy stories, because this is good stuff.
Next is the story Orders by Malcolm Jameson. In this story, the war across the Solar System is over. The ships are getting mothballed. Those needing repair or maintenance lack parts and money to pay for labor. Yet again, I mention how this story was published in December of 1945, but he himself died on 16 April, 1945. He is anticipating the end of the war, but I suspect he is remembering the end of World War One as well.
The treaty that ends the war has all the idealistic hopes and lack of reality built in to the Treaty of Versailles. Side note, Jameson was a naval officer and 28 or so in 1919. I don’t know if he was still in the Navy, but he certainly had some interest in the Treaty. Anyway, the treaty in this story outlaws war and in fact, outlaws any kind of threatening behavior. A ship captain couldn’t, for example, threaten any kind of force to comply a criminal to go to jail.
And that’s exactly the story here. A criminal is in the asteroids. The Terran government is asking for him to be extradited, but the government, such as it is, of the asteroids merely laugh at them. The diplomat who added the relevant clauses in the treaty drops the problem on Bullard’s lap, hoping the war hero can at least take the blame.
It’s a Retief-like problem. A bureaucrat with no idea how things actually work outside of his theoretical construct has no idea how to fix a problem when someone refuses to work within that construct. Knowing he can’t possibly be at fault, he dumps the problem, and therefore the blame, on someone else. He tells Bullard to get the criminal or else, but absolutely forbids him to use any hint of violent behavior or threats. No guns allowed. No weapons at all.
And yet, Bullard manages to pull it off.
How? Well, he sends his most capable officer with an unarmed ship and sealed orders. The officer goes to the asteroids and asks for the criminal. They say no. He goes back to the ship and waits. He’s been told to wait four hours, then open and execute the sealed orders. What’s in the orders nobody knows.
Just before the deadline, the criminal is delivered to the officer. The reputation of Bullard and the impending opening of the orders is enough to convince the other government to send the criminal over.
When the officer returns and the criminal is put away, he asks Bullard about the orders. He opens them and hands them to the officer. His orders, after waiting for four hours, were to “Return to Base” (59).
One of the joys of reading these magazines is stumbling upon something I should have read years ago but never stumbled across before. This is one of those. Orders is a story about John Bullard, in fact the last of them written. It was found among his papers after his death. This is early mil-SF and I am definitely getting the e-book collection of these stories.
At the end of this story is a Gillette ad. Gillette razors, after all, have “The swellest low-priced blade it town” (59).
The next story is a treasure. It’s part II of The Mule from Isaac Asimov. Yes, this is The Mule that’s a part of the Foundation series. I’m not going to explain the story here, because if you haven’t read the entire Foundation series, you should.
What’s exciting to me is that I have now seen the first published version. I didn’t notice any difference from the version I first read it, the 1966 Avon printing, but I suspect there might be. If there are, they’re formatting/typo changes, as it’s the same story.
As much of a treasure as it is to find the first printing of a Foundation story, the science essay immediately following is perhaps even greater. It’s a series including technical details of the creation of the atomic. It includes photos from the Trinity detonation from 16 July, 1945 and some photos from Hiroshima.
As for particular details, it covered just about everything it could that wasn’t classified. I again feel obligated to mention this was published in December of 1945, or about four years before the Soviets have their first successful detonation.
From a historiographical perspective, this is something someone researching the early atomic era would probably find riveting. I sure did. It’s also interesting to realize that this might very well have been the first time some of these details had been published. I don’t know that for sure, but it’s certainly a reminder of the speed of information dispersal then and now.
The next story is Trouble Times Two by George O. Smith. It’s about a schizophrenic with two useful personalities. One is an engineer. One is a theoretical physicist. When each is in control, they leave challenges for the other, which makes them both incredibly productive. The physicist keeps pushing boundaries and the engineer keeps making useful, profitable stuff. They also play each other a mean game of chess.
The problem is each wants to the only personality. Both despise the limitations of the other perspective. And yet, their collaboration is too profitable. The conclusion is a little open-ended, but unless the physicist can solve a series of practical issues in 24 hours, they lose their shirt, and the physicist will have to come closer to the engineer.
A tricky, intricate story with a lot of fascinating SF theories.
Side note here. Smith was a regular contributor to Astounding and worked often with Campbell until 1949. That’s when Campbell’s wife Doña left him to go off with Smith.
Anyway, moving along I have to mention an ad. It’s for Doc Savage Retires, on the newsstand. I’d really like to see Doc Savage brought back, as he’s always been one of my favorite characters. A few pages later, by the way, is an ad for the Shadow.
Next is Brass Tacks, the letter to the editor section. I often find these letters filled with fascinating nuggets and this one is especially powerful. These letters are all generally about the explosions of the atomic bombs. One reader talks about seeing the headlines from Hiroshima. Ironically, he says, “I look forward to Astounding for the first really informative article on this new secret weapon” (170). Well, this was that issue for that.
Another fascinating topic was the idea of recording video onto records. It’s an interesting think to contemplate in this day of essentially unlimited hard drive space how one could record and save things from TV. The writer suggests it might be possible to buy movies on disks and that these might replace using film. Campbell dismisses the idea of using records as they simply can’t spin fast enough, but this writer was before his time.
Finally, there’s a short commentary in Brass Tacks by Theodore Sturgeon. It’s a discussion of all the hassles people who read and write science fiction got at the time. Why? Why read it? Why write it? “Who writes this crap?” And then it concludes with the bomb on Hiroshima. Sturgeon then lists many things SF authors are dreaming up, concluding with, “But the man with the open eyes does not hear that. His looking at himself, on the other side of death. He knows – he learned on August 6, 1945, that he alone is big enough to kill himself, or to live forever” (178).
This battered copy, with fresh new cat scratches where Wynnifred demanded treats is going in my own personal special collection. Every other issue I review will be judged by the December, 1945 issue of Astounding.
I’ll start with the Galaxy of April, 1963.It’s edited by Frederik Pohl and includes an essay by Willy Ley.
See you then.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
I hope everyone had a happy Halloween. The proto-incipient stepdaughter and I celebrated it in our entryway. She dressed up as Harley Quinn and handed out candy. I set up the laptop so we could watch the 49ers play the Cardinals. The 49ers are one of her teams, by the way, so we were going to watch the game somewhere, and this way we reward the hardy travelers on a chilly night.
Speaking of sports, congratulations to the Washington Nationals for winning the World Series. One thing I love about baseball is that it doesn’t always make sense. The home field disadvantage was something we’ll probably never see again. The home team losing every game? Crazy.
Probably happen again next year just because the whimsies of the baseball Furies like toying with us.
It’s been a pretty good week here. I sent off the final copy of my contribution for the third Phases of War anthology. Unlike Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms, this story is set in Anglo-Saxon England.
Then, after that, I got about 4000 words written in None Call Me Mother. I realized at one point that I had unconsciously done something exactly in the way I wanted, but didn’t know I wanted. I’ll explain this in more detail once the book is released, but serendipity raised its lovely head.
Side note: Serendipity is one of my favorite words. Serendipitously, it is smooth and mellifluous. As is mellifluous, by the way.
Another side note: Playing with words is one great part of writing. I get to look up etymologies, play with sounds, and hunt for just the right connotation. I may not always succeed, but I love the chase.
Current Playlist Song
As usual, since over half of my writing playlist are Rush songs, this week I’m listening to Beneath, Between, and Behind from their first album.
Quote of the Week
To follow up on the weirdness of this year’s World Series, here’s a perfect quote by Thomas Boswell.
“More than any other American sport, baseball creates the magnetic, addictive illusion that it can almost be understood.” – Thomas Boswell
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Today’s interview is with Rich Weyand, a smart guy I’ve enjoyed meeting at LibertyCons past. He just finished his Empire double-trilogy and he’s justifiably proud of them.
Interview: Rich Weyand
What is your quest?
Rich Weyand
I want to write books people can’t put down, that read easily, with characters that engage them, that they can open up on a rainy Saturday morning, read in one sitting, and then feel uplifted and happy and go out to dinner. Books that make you think but don’t give you a headache, that surprise you with their twists but aren’t contrived, that make you wish you lived in that world and were friends with that character. Books that reaffirm old-fashioned notions of love, honor, duty, and loyalty, and how they play out in one’s life.
What is your favorite color?
Emotion is the big one. Not gut-wrenching stuff, but where you can laugh and cry and love along with the characters in the book. Where you can see things through their eyes and experience what they’re experiencing. This can be hard to do as a third-person omniscient writer. I’m not inside their heads in the narrative. So I need to include scenes where characters open up to their familiars, and try to express where they’re at in their head. It can be as simple as a tear running down someone’s cheek, or as complex as five pages of dialogue. The big thing with emotion is to make your characters human.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
It took me a while before I could pace a book properly. I don’t do filler, and my books move through the plot pretty fast. And I’m a pantser — I never know where the book is going or how it’s going to get there. That makes it hard to know where you are in the story and how much of it there is to tell. So my initial novels are all over the place with regard to length. Anywhere from 45,000 to 95,000 words. (I don’t write those 150,000-word things. That’s two books to me.) The six Empire books all came out at 80,000 words, give or take a couple thousand. That’s a skill you learn with practice.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I think the biggest is to build a plot on the fly. As I say, I’m a pantser, and so I don’t plot things out in advance. I could never come up with a plot as twisty as the Empire books in advance. At one point in Empire: Commander, I just thought, “What if these two secondary characters ran into each other at this point, and one recognized the other?” That led to a whole series of ramifications I could never have set out in advance, and affected the overall story in a major way. How do you plan that in advance? Others may ask, How do you have that happen without planning it out in advance? Don’t know. I just write the part of the story I see right in front of me and follow it wherever it goes.
Lightning Round
Cake or Pie? Pie
Lime or Lemon? Key Lime Pie
Favorite Chip Dip? Onion
Favorite Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats with raisins on it
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? B. B. Blunder
Favorite 1970s TV show? Early SNL.
Best Thing From the 80s? Front-wheel-drive sedans. Driving live-axle rear-wheel-drive cars in snow is not fun.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall. It’s pretty, and not too hot or cold.
Favorite Pet? Spooker. A cat that was THE cat, the quintessential cat.
Best Game Ever? Risk played on two boards. Like alternate universes, with transfer points.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee. More specifically, four-shot latte.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? MIL SF
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Why do you write?
Rob’s Answer: Sort of like the French Foreign Legion, it’s write or die. That’s a bit melodramatic, but at the time I started writing I was coming off a failed marriage, couldn’t find a job because I was too educated, and literally spent day after day doing nothing productive. It’s a good thing to not work one day a week. It’s an awful thing to not do anything productive for weeks on end.
Finishing A Lake Most Deep was huge for me. It’s raw and I made a bunch of errors, but I had finished a novel. I had accomplished something.
I’m proud of what I’ve written, and I really like what I’m writing at the moment. If I never publish anything more, I’ll still have six novels and a number of short stories to my credit. I even have fans not related to me. Five years ago, I didn’t always get out of bed.
I’m not the hardest worker out there, certainly not compared to my parents. However, I *have* to work consistently, I have to contribute, or bad things happen. At the most basic level, I keep writing because if I don’t, I’ll go far too gently into the dark night.
I attend LibertyCon every year. Otherwise I’m not much of a crowds person.
Do you have a creator biography?
Rich Weyand is a computer consultant and digital forensic analyst. He was born in Illinois and lived there almost 60 years before he and his wife engineered an escape to the hills of southern Indiana in 2011. His undergraduate and graduate education is in Physics, and he’s never really recovered. He is currently heading up the launch of a computer software start-up.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked me how fast I write. And how I write so fast so consistently.
I write about 15,000 words a week when I am in writing mode. That’s 2500 words a day, usually six days a week. I don’t take a specific day off every week, I just end up getting stuck doing something else about one day a week. Some people think that’s fast, but when I can see the story in front of me, I want to get it down. If I have to stop before I hit a stare-out-the-window point, I’ll write the first paragraph of the next scene before I stop so I have a live thread to pick up on.
You should have also asked me what’s my process.
I don’t do multiple drafts and I don’t do rewrites. I do a first draft, and my alpha readers read it as I go, in installments of about 8000 words at a time. Then I check through it for some known writing issues — ‘all of’ should generally be ‘all’, about a third of ‘that’s can be deleted, most ‘very’s in the narrative (though not in dialog) should be deleted, etc. Then I read the book, and fix any awkward sentences. Then it goes to beta readers. I fix anything the alpha readers and beta readers point out as a problem understanding or typoes, or whatever. Then I publish it. No editor other than me.
Thanks to Rich for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I have to say, I’m really enjoying the new schedule so far. Doing the magazine reviews on Thursday or so meant I was reading the mags in the middle of the week, which is my most productive writing time. Now, they’re a weekend reading treat and writing the review is a nice Monday warmup for my writing.
Anyway, this week I’m reading the Fantastic Universe from July, 1957. This is another cover I wouldn’t mind seeing made into a poster. In general, I love the art in these mags, even though I know it’s usually not transcendent or legendary. It is, however, vibrant. I’m still the guy who was at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg ignoring a da Vinci because there was a table showing a seascape mosaic of lapis, malachite, and other semi-precious stones. Incredibly beautiful.
Fantastic Universe (July/57)
Table of Contents: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?89841
Derleth was a prolific writer in general. I didn’t realize until I looked at his Wikipedia entry just how much he’d written. I suspect I’ll have to track down some of his other things now. Anyway, he was a friend and correspondent of HP Lovecraft and continued the Cthulhu stories, despite some criticism from other correspondents of Lovecraft. If you’re a fan, you already know all that, but have you seen the picture of HP Lovecraft when he was about 9?
HP Lovecraft (circa 1900)
If you’re a fan, then you’ve also probably seen Seal of the Damned under the title Seal of R’lyeh. The story centers around Marius Phillips, who has always felt the call of the sea, despite his parents, who never let him go east of Ohio.
Then his eccentric uncle Sylvan died, leaving all he had to Marius. This included property in Innsmouth, Massachusetts on the coast of the sea. He finds that his uncle had “interesting” tastes in art and literature. He also finds that his family has been long connected to the Marshes, whose remaining member is the oddly attractive Ada.
He offers her a job as a housekeeper, which she accepts with a bit too much enthusiasm. He discovers her searching the house for something. Rather than confronting her, he too searches for the something, which turns out to be his uncle’s papers, journals, and notes, including “In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” It also includes interesting details about an aquatic race. Humans, but ones who can live underwater and build cities like R’lyeh.
The call of the sea that Marius has felt all his life is all the more greater now that he’s at his uncle’s house. His uncle’s notes talk about investigating the sea all around the house, and when he discovers the secret passage his uncle took to reach the ocean he has no choice to explore.
He gets diving equipment and starts exploring, but he’s pulled by that desire to go to the sea far past its oxygen endurance. Just when he’s about to die, Ada swims up without any gear, rips off his helmet, and he discovers that they are descended from the aquatic race.
Now the pull shifts. He now wants to find the hidden city R’lyeh, as does Ada. According to his uncle’s notes, it’s near Ponape, and the two travel there. In the end, they find the lost city and are not seen above the ocean ever again.
I liked this story quite a bit, but it could have been improved. The high-quality building of tension in the early portion of the story sort of faded away into exposition at the end. Once he is saved from drowning, which was 20 pages leading up to that crisis, there are 3-4 pages of them spending weeks in Ponape and eventually disappearing. The story would have been stronger if it ended right after the crisis, leaving him wondering about what to do next, and not so casually glossing over the entire adventure to find the city.
Next is a really good story by Alan E. Nourse called The Native Soil. Side note, I can easily tell what others think about a story simply by looking at it’s ISFDB entry. Good stories are often reprinted, as was the case for both The Seal of the Damned and The Native Soil.
The NativeSoil uses one of those iconic SF pulp tropes. Iconic planet promises something of great value. Humans try to get that something, but for some reason, they’re not as successful as they ought to be. Troubleshooter is brought in, eventually identifies the problem and comes up with an elegant solution.
I love this trope, so I liked this story. We discover the surface of Venus is essentially mud, often many feet deep. There’s a type of that mud, however, that has an antibiotic especially useful for new medicines because it’s not creating resistant strains of diseases.
However, the pharmaceutical company trying to get that particular mud is finding it extremely difficult. There’s no way to do it all without the help of the Venusians, but they seem incredibly stupid. No matter how well things are described to them, they keep making mistakes that destroy equipment and halt production. They’re nice, happy, and try to be helpful, but they just aren’t smart enough.
That’s when the troubleshooter is brought in. At first, he keeps getting caught in the cycle of trying something and having it fail because the Venusians just can’t do their part. However, he also keeps remembering the intelligence test applied to the alien species soon after first contact. This test says they’re plenty intelligent enough, despite appearances.
He realizes they’re intelligent enough to sabotage their harvesting process. The special mud is, essentially, their food source. They eat antibiotics. His elegant solution is to trade penicillin, which isn’t as valuable as a medicine but still easily produced on Earth, for this mud, which the Venusians would harvest themselves to exchange.
I like elegant solutions of that sort.
The next story is The Machine by Robert Sheckley. This is a typical Sheckley story in that it has a good twist at the end, one somehow driven by the foibles of man.
The protagonist, Otto, a valued machinist for years, the kind of stolid employee that at the time would be expected to stay at a company all his life, comes in one day and quits. Not only does he quit, he tells the bosses exactly what he thinks of them, spits on the floor and leaves.
With that bridge burning nicely, he returns home. He is ready to build the “wishing machine” designed by his partner. It’s a machine that will essentially convert any mass, including air, into whatever is asked for. A philosopher’s stone that provides anything, not just gold. The partner told him the day previously that his design was complete, so Otto quits his machinist job to build the machine.
However, the partner wasn’t actually ready for that step. There’s still something wrong, a basic flaw in the design. However, the partner assures Otto he’ll have it ready in a few more months.
Otto’s heard that before, though, and he’s grown impatient. He feels the partner isn’t ever going to say the design is right and, even worse, would want to show other scientists what he’s created. So Otto kills him and makes the machine off the completed blueprints.
After many months of work, selling all he had for food, parts, and tools, then selling the unneeded tools, he manages to make the machine. At the end, he’s exhausted and hungry, but it’s done.
His first request is humble, a loaf of bread. Butter would be nice, but the bread would be just fine. However, the machine puts out pieces of metal, including gold. It’s a nuisance, but with gold he can go get bread… until the machine stops him.
The basic flaw is that it’s what the machine wishes for that matter, not the operator. And the machine wishes to be his sole owner, and last we see, he’s reaching for Otto. As I said, good story. Otto gets what he deserves, and we’re left with some curiosity of the fate of humanity.
Immediately after is a microstory. I have no better idea what to call it that that. It fits in about 2-3 inches at the bottom of the page and is uncredited. It asks one question. If you’re a robot and you must not harm a human, what would you do if you knew you were about to be replaced? Asimov’s first robot story is published in 1939, so this question wasn’t new, but it’s starkly phrased. What would you do?
The next story is A Candle for Katie by Lila Borison. As far as I can tell, this is the only thing she ever published, which is too bad. I found a reference to her in an article by Sam Moskowitz. In it he talks about the first science fiction class ever taught, which started in March of 1954. Moskowitz kept track of his students, and says of her, “Lila Borison, a receptionist who had been reading science fiction for five years and had written for her college newspaper. She was more interested in straight fantasy.” (Sam Moskowitz. “The First College-Level Course in Science Fiction.” Science Fiction Studies 23, no. 3 (1996): 411-22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4240549, 417).
A Candle for Katie tells of a harried mom who’s hosting the first birthday party for her daughter Katie. Among the gifts she receives is a candle, notched 21 times, with the instruction to light it each year on her birthday, stopping it at each notch.
A strange gift, perhaps, but I for one would find such a tradition a fun one. So, in the midst of the chaos created by a party that included more kids than expected, it comes time for the cake. The mom adds the candle, but Katie has had enough and it’s time for a nap. The mom takes care of that, then deals with a boy who had gotten a hold of a knife and cut himself, and other disasters.
With a sigh, she goes in to check on Katie and she finds a girl of about 5 or 6, but no sign of Katie. Then, the girl looks up and the mom recognizes her eyes. She had left the candle burning, and it was nearly to the fifth notch.
Cool and creepy, especially since Borison left it hanging right there. We are left to wonder about all the things of what happens next, especially since we never know who sends the candle. Excellent work. I do wish she’d kept writing.
I do also wish the next authors hadn’t kept writing. I’ll admit I glossed over the essay here, which is written by Alexander Mebane, Isabel L. Davis, and Ted Bloecher, the Civilian Saucer Intelligence. For 17 issues, they submitted a list of the various potential UFO sightings they could track down. I suspect I might have enjoyed these essays in 1957 as collections of quirky tidbits, but looking back over 60 years, these mostly bore me. Perfectly appropriate content for the magazine, but these essays didn’t age well.
John Healy, much like Lila Borison, only published the story in this issue. It’s called the Book of Goots, and while it’s not as strong as A Candle for Katie, it is a good story. It’s about a small-time hoodlum who comes across a book that purports to teach someone how to use magic. Not the simple prestidigitation of a showman, mind you, but real magic. Goots doesn’t figure he has much to lose, so he reads it.
About the only thing I know about Healy is in the small blurb ahead of that story, which says he was mind reader and mentalist. Obviously, this is a case of write what you know.
Anyway, Goots is your typical hood, but he’s making enough on the magic gig to essentially be straight. The cops don’t believe it, of course, and Detective O’Flahirty sends Abigail in undercover to find out just what racket Goots is working on.
He suggests she pose as his sister, whose husband has died, to get into one of Goots’s seances. He does this in part, because he’s in love with Abigail, and this makes her slightly closer to him.
But this backfires because Goots really can do magic, and the brother-in-law appears, naked of course, grumpy because he’s in the middle of quality time with an Egyptian girl named Cleo. He tells everyone there that Abigail isn’t his wife and to let me get back to what’s more important to him right now.
In the ensuing kerfluffle, Abigail and Goots eventually discover they’re in love with each other. In the end, they fly off on a flying carpet improvised from a hospital sheet. O’Flahirty, for his part, gets admitted into the asylum as he apparently thinks he’s a cop chasing after said flying carpet.
It’s a cute, whimsical story made all the more fun by Healy’s use of language. It’s filled with the sort of slang we imagine from a 40s-50s hood. It’s too bad this is the only Swami Goots story, because they had a lot of potential.
Backward Turn Backward by Dorothy H. Edgerly is next. She, too, didn’t write much, just two stories that I can find. These star Jeb Enders, a warlock living in Appalachia. His village is essentially all witches and warlocks, living on the mountains for centuries. Enders is a regular troublemaker, one who has been told by their council never to interfere with humans again, never to use his magic on the mountain again.
Now, the future has come in the form of a factory looking to build a plant in the valley beneath them. This would force the entire collection of witches and warlocks living on the mountains around it to move.
This proposal would greatly harm the mountain folk, but Enders can’t simply use magic to drive progress away. He begins by looking at the valley and starts asking why it is why it is. He starts going back in time and finds that it was a lake fed by a large waterfall. Now it’s a creek, with soggy land around it every spring, fed by a small waterfall. He hunts through time to discover that it used to be fed by a spring that got blocked by a boulder, turning the large waterfall into the small one and leaving the lake to go away.
With help to do the magic he isn’t allowed to do, he cleans the dirt around the boulder and then lifts it away from the spring. It begins to run as it did before, and soon the lake with return, meaning the factory has to be elsewhere.
It’s a good story and Jeb’s a fun character. It’s got a bit of Avatar in it, though, with stock factory boss bad guys. It’s definitely got that trope of nature being awesome and civilization being awful. However, while Avatar uses amazing visual effects to distract you from a wretched story, Edgerly writes a good story with a solid puzzle and challenge to overcome faced by characters you want to succeed.
We know the next author, though not by the name of Lee Correy. This was the pen name for G. Harry Stine and his Landing for Midge is the next story. A ship coming to earth has been hit by a microasteroid which has knocked out its landing radar. Not only will they have to have a manual landing, one of the passenger is Midge, a pregnant woman.
Stine was a rocket scientist and this clearly shows. He throws in appropriate technical jargon here and there, but more importantly, the main question to the this story is how free-fall would affect pregnancy and birth?
What a fascinating question to ask three months before Sputnik launched.
Anyway, at first, the landing control people at White Sands try to divert the ship to an orbit, there to await the transport of a new radar, allowing the computers to land the ship properly. Again, this is written before Sputnik launched, yet the bulk of the science in this story still feels right.
The manage to make it to land just before Midge, who is in labor, gives birth. They roll up to the landing spot where emergency personnel are waiting. They rush up to the ship.
First on, of course because of Midge, is the vet.
Cats, you see, are the only other terrestrial creature to take to free fall at all. In fact, many seem to love it. Ship crews definitely love having them along, and let Midge come along because she insisted.
She didn’t need any help, by the way. The vet finds her with three cute, healthy kittens, all born during the landing.
Currently, Chapman’s reputation is ruined because he was supposedly the researcher for a best-selling historical novel on pharoahs that doesn’t get most of the facts correct. The book is written by Eric Stromberg, who is a reclusive genius much like Elon Musk.
When he opens the tomb he finds the second of Khufu’s soul ships. And something else. He rushes back to Stromberg hastily, asking if he’ll write a sequel. Stromberg says he will.
At that point Chapman leaves. He realized then he could never show Stromberg the item he’d found in the sealed tomb. It was a Stromberg Electronics Temporal Traveler, and Stromberg was headed to his death.
We get another pen name next: C. Bird. It’s actually Harlan Ellison and the story is Song of Death. Again, a short, sharp story, this one the cover story.
There is a planet where mermaids live. People would pay a pretty penny if someone could bring a mermaid from the planet back to Earth, but though many had tried, all of them had died. Like the Sirens of the Odyssey, the mermaids can sing a song that lures all to death.
However, this adventurer believes he can see. He’s tried many get-rich-quick schemes before, but he’s sure that this time, this time he’ll get al the money he’ll ever need.
Oddly, he’s right. He manages to land without dying, though the landing wasn’t pleasant. He manages to coax a mermaid close, stun her, fill a hold with water, and bring her back.
He’s tone-deaf and their song doesn’t affect him. Such a Harlan Ellison ending.
Lloyd Arthur Eshbach is next with The Fuzzies. Eshbach, as you may know, was a fairly important person in the early days of SF. He published his first story in 1929. In the 1930s, he was the editor of a couple of magazines, and then in he founded Fantasy Press. The list of authors and books published by it is impressive. However, it went under in 1956, so about a year before this story at a time when he needed money.
Again, another good story. This one involves miners on Ganymede. There are crystals on Ganymede that the Fuzzies desperately want. The Fuzzies are telepathic little balls of fur who can work with humans. However, they can only work with likeable humans. No criminals, none who are violent, nothing like that. They leave humans who stop being likeable by committing suicide.
Which makes the hero, Herb, all the angrier. He and two others had filed conflicting claims on rights to some crystal fields. One had dropped out, saying he was satisfied. Herb and Swain, however, had ended up in a duel. The thing was, Herb realized in the middle of the duel that his gun had been emptied.
Now he was on the chase for Swain to give him what he had coming.
He finds Swain in his portable shelter with the help of his Fuzzy. Swain has no gun, Herb doesn’t feel right shooting him without a gun, so he tells Swain to fight. Swain tries, but immediately passes out. He had a broken leg and would like die without Herb’s help.
Which, of course, Herb does. He brings back Swain to Center City. Along the way, he discovers that Swain hadn’t been the one to remove the ammunition, but rather it had been the other guy in hopes of getting all of his disputed claim.
But Herb brings Swain to the hospital, then files his claim, one of the richest. He actually files a joint claim with both he and Swain. That’s when he finds out Swain had also filed a rich claim. Also joint. Also in both of their names.
In any case, the story was worth my anticipation. Fiddler on Titan is about the first expedition to Titan, Saturn’s “biggest and only habitable satellite” (120). Expedition A includes 14 men and women. They arrive to find out that one of them, Ham, has brought his family fiddle with him in contravention of the rules and ignoring the effects that its weight might have on the trip.
But they made it and find a plain with vegetation and a big lake. The set up as pioneers in sort of a Little House on the Prairie fashion awaiting Expedition B in something like 18 years. Fiddles and music were important to those pioneers, and even more so to these on Titan.
For Titan held alien life, intelligent life, in the form of amorphous blobs who could take just about any shape they wanted and create any tool they needed. Ham played his fiddle and realized that if he played songs that made him think of dancing, they’d dance, or leaving, they’d leave, or working, they’d work. The Titanians and these first humans became allies.
But space is not without dangers, especially human dangers, and a pirate band comes to call. They landed, watched Expedition A, and come to take over. They know that Ham playing the fiddle gets the Titanians to work, but they don’t quite know how. They tell Ham to play, which he does, but instead of a song he’d played before, he plays a war song. The Titanians connect to song and thought and shoot the pirates.
Man, how many good stories are in this issue. The only downer was the UFO essay, and that’s easily skipped over. This is a 9.5 and would have been a 10 with a good essay and one of my favorites.
It even has a fantastic ad on the back cover. It says “Take this Lunar Quiz and win a round-trip reservation to the Moon. Free!” It’s a fantastic ad for the Science Fiction book club.
Thanks for readings. Next week I’ll review the Astounding from December, 1945.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
Been a good week here. I’ve a complete draft of a short story, which I’ll edit this weekend. I also scribbled down a bunch of notes about None Call Me Mother. It’s almost like plotting, but let’s not ruin my reputation.
The big news here is animal-related. This was the week for Fearghus, our rescue kitten from the summer. He is no longer able to be a dad. Hopefully, it will calm him down some. We love how playful he is, but sometimes he gets aggressive with the other kitties. We’ll see.
Wynnifred, our other younger cat, was also not feeling well. The vet we go to, Marketplace Animal Hospital, fit her in at the same time I brought in Fearghus. We figured it out, am giving her medicine, and we already see progress.
Then, Fearghus had a reaction to his new flea collar. It made him itch so much he rubbed several sections on his neck raw. Marketplace again moved things around and saw him last night. We think that’s under control too, but we’re keeping an eye on him this weekend, which is why we’re not going to be able to go to Autumn in Grimfells this weekend.
I just want to add that I’m really pleased with Marketplace, if you hadn’t realized. Glad that a close friend of mine referred me.
But that’s not the only animal adventure here. We have had raccoons invade our attic. We debated trying to trap them ourselves, but frankly, none of us wanted to crawl around the attic here, which is pretty rough and not terribly easy to climb up to. Especially for three people who don’t do heights. So, we got a company to come out. They’ve already gotten two raccoons. Who knows how many more came inside when the weather cooled. We’ll find out.
Anyway, that’s the adventure of the day. Now I’m off to throw a few thousand words at None Call Me Mother.
Current Playlist Song
Not a song this week. I’m listening to 105.3 the Fan from Dallas. They’re covering the Cowboys trade yesterday and a number of other Cowboys-related things. They interview Jerry Jones regularly, and he’s always interesting.
Quote of the Week
It’s the 25th of October. That’s St. Crispin’s Day. And that means it’s the 604th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt.
So here’s the entire monologue from Henry V.
WESTMORLAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING. What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin, Westmorland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark’d to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmorland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call’d the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say “To-morrow is Saint Crispian.”
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words—
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester—
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
– William Shakespeare, Henry V
This week’s spotlight is on Chaz Kemp. This was the first interview I hosted here. You can find it at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=976.
Today’s Weight: 392.4
Updated Word Count: 170,244
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m starting a new semi-regular thing. As you probably know, I do a Spotlight on some artist, author, or vendor each week in my updates. This will be an expanded version of that, where I’ll interview some great independent and up-and-coming creators. I’ll ask hard-hitting questions like “What is their favorite Muppet?”
In truth, while I’ll be phrasing this in a light-hearted way, it is my hope that these interviews will have provide a little insight in their creative process. Remember, there’s one true creative process, and it’s the one that helps you create, but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t learn what works for others.
I’m lucky to start off with Chaz Kemp. I met Chaz as part of Pandora Celtica when they came to house for a house with Sooj Tucker. It was an amazing show, and all of them gave me a bunch of CDs. I’ve listened to those over and over, and some are on the playlist that helps me write.
However, Chaz is not only a drummer and a singer, but also an excellent artist often focusing on Steampunk themes, such as this one:
To continue creating a multi-cultural steampunk/fantasy world called Ashelon by using my own Art Nouveau styled illustrations. We’re also including novellas and short stories written by my wife, Carolyn Kay and other authors to help flesh out that world.
I want my dream and passion for Ashelon to be something amazing that fans can really groove on.
What is your favorite color?
I love creating my art digitally by using a vector-based program called CorelDraw. It’s like Adobe Illustrator but I find it more versatile. Through years of honing my technique, I can make my pieces feel more natural and the colors more vibrant while still embracing the illustrative quality I love so much.
I also enjoy the way that I can make changes to my art on the fly by switching out colors, body positioning and even the backgrounds without having to take hours or even days repainting things just to try something new.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
As a freelance artist, one of my biggest hurdles involved gaining respect. I went out of my way to treat my clients with respect and kindness, but they didn’t always feel the need to reciprocate early in my career.
It took time to learn that I had the power to say ‘no’ when faced with the prospect of working with someone who wasn’t going to treat me well. I could also say ‘no’ when a potential client didn’t want to adequately compensate me for the work I was to do for them. As I won more awards and gained more of a reputation for doing good work, I ran into fewer problems.
Another challenge came with the frustration of trying to get in with big name companies like many of the New Age companies or table top RPG leaders. They just wouldn’t write back to me.
After talking with a few industry ‘insiders’ I discovered that most of those art directors don’t actually care about the artist or their art, all they really care about is whether they think the artist can make them money. As an example, photo-realism is the hot style right now, so that’s all they’re interested in and those are the only artists they’re willing to hire. If I were a photo-realistic artist, all I’d ever be to them is a thing that made them money. So truthfully, getting rejected by them was actually them doing me a favor.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I feel that while I am inspired by the Art Nouveau movement and by Alphonse Mucha in particular, I don’t directly copy him. I take the style and make it my own. I love that many people can see his inspiration in my work.
I’m also quite proud of the fact that several of my main characters are multi-cultural because there isn’t enough of that in the Steampunk genre. In reality, the 1800s happened everywhere, not just in Victorian England. So why have art centered around one culture when I can explore the ideas of Steampunk in every culture? When you do that, the ideas are endless and ongoing. Not only that, but we get to have multiple cultures represented in a way that you don’t normally see them and that’s just too cool.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Pepe the King Prawn – he’s quite hilarious.
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy when it comes to peanut butter… Creamy when it comes to soup.
Favorite Sports Team? Denver Nuggets all the way.
Cake or Pie? Pie for sure… there are more varieties of pie and most of them are DELICIOUS!!
Lime or Lemon? Lemon
Favorite Chip Dip? Bean dip FTW
Wet or Dry? Wet when it comes to drinks like Moscow Mules – Dry when it comes to computers and socks.
Favorite Musical Performer we’ve Never Heard Of? Mark King of Level 42 – he’s a good song writer and singer, but an AMAZING bass player.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskaaaaaaaay!!
Steak Temperature? Medium Well (ed. note: Sigh, it could be worse I suppose)
Favorite 1970s TV show? Wonder Woman
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer – perfect beach weather.
Favorite Pet? Our cats Sif and Naira.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee hands down!
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Fantasy every time. The closest I get to Sci-Fi is either cyber punk (Which is cool) or Steampunk (Which is awesome)
What question would you like to ask me?
The fact that you have SO much information about your world of Shijuren is amazing. I’d love to develop that level of detail for my world of Ashelon! How long did it take you to create your world and what inspired you to do it?
My Answer: It’s not really something I do all at once. I just use whatever inspiration comes to mind. If I run across something interesting, I toss that in.
One of my most useful tools is Wikipedia’s random article button. I will literally sit in front of a football game or something like that and just click it. Every time I see something interesting, I cut and paste into a Notes document. Then, when I am looking for something, a town, a new character, inspiration for an event, whatever, I glance at that. The randomness helps keep me from doing the things I always fall back upon.
I have also had help from people like Adam Hale, who does all the maps for me. I gave him license to add geographic details and names, based on certain parameters, and that helps shape strategic and tactical choices by my characters.
I love worldbuilding. I do a little bit here, a little bit there, and then suddenly there’s a thing.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “What game are you currently grooving on?” I would respond with Cards Against Humanity!! We just had dinner at a friend’s house this past weekend where we played CaH and I laughed so hard, my face hurt the whole rest of the weekend. So much fun!!
******
Speaking of fun, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I will start doing these on as many Tuesdays as I have one ready.
Thanks very much to Chaz for being the guinea pig and helping shape these questions. I know I’ll be seeing Chaz at ConQuest on Memorial Day. I suspect you’ll find us sharing a beverage at some point there.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Greetings all. This week I’m reviewing the Analog of July 1962. The cover story in this is John Brunner’sListen! The Stars! and I love the cover art designed for it. It includes a good essay by John W. Campbell and a work by James H. Schmitz. Side note, I’ve already reviewed the issue immediately after this one. You can find that review here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1579. This will be especially relevant since Mack Reynolds had a two-part story, with part one in this one and the second over there.
The first article in this episode is What’s Wrong With Science by John W. Campbell. This is a distressing article, as it details things that are currently wrong in the scientific process, which means those problems are at least nearly sixty years in the making. Basically, he says that scientists are hamstrung by the process, which forces them to come up with answers that often fit the existing models that most scientists accept. Given that new research often radically changes or even replaces existing models, this means that such new research isn’t even allowed to be tried, because if it succeeds, it means that all the previous investment was wrong. Now, it’s as if instead of religious reactionaries wanting to execute Galileo, established scientists would execute him.
Sadly, I fear that this problem is even worse now, given examples I have seen.
The cover story Listen! The Stars! by John Brunner was fantastic. We discover a gadget that lets us listen to electromagnetic energy from other stars. In general these noises are not intelligible but there’s enough of a hint of something more, like hearing alien languages, that people keep listening. They’re hoping that they can understand that half-heard word they’re so tantalizingly close to comprehending.
This causes a number of societal issues, because that hope acts much like a drug. Addicts and acolytes, thieves and thespians. Worse, however, are the unexplained disappearances that seemed to be caused by “stardropping,” or eavesdropping on stars.
Dan Cross is a member of the UN Special Agency tasked to discover threats to peace. Basically, they’re trying to prevent the US and Russia from tossing their nukes at each other. The stardropping craze has finally come to their attention and he’s delving through the possibilities.
However, he and his agency are too late. Others have actually comprehended the science within what they find stardropping, science based essentially Einstein’s spooky action at a distance idea. This leads to both teleportation and telekinesis.
In the end, those who have discovered the potential from stardropping have generally unified together across the world. When the crisis happens, they reveal themselves with the intent to start the very war that Cross is tasked to protect. However, with their use of teleportation and telekinesis, they are easily able to distribute the atoms and particles of all the nuclear warheads and biological/chemical agents into the vastnesses of interstellar space.
The hint is that this will free humanity from its parochial differences and chase the stars, which are now within reach from their teleportative abilities.
It’s idealistic message fiction, promising a utopia that seems impossible for humanity. However, it’s also a fantastic story, filled with action and suspense. It’s also got enough hard science that it seems plausible.
Next is their announcement of things to come in the next issue. I won’t relate it here, but instead give you that link to my review again: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1579.
Then comes a single page on a scientific discussion of laser development by GE. As is often the case reading these magazines, it’s fascinating to read these sort of discussions. They provide a snapshot, in this case, of the development of lasers 57 years ago. I suspect anyone actually in the field, would find it very interesting.
Next is Junior Achievement by William Lee. I can’t find much about him. It is entirely possible that’s a pseudonym. One of his stories, A Message for Charity, was well-received. It has been republished a number of time and was turned into a Twilight Zone episode. However, very little else was published under this name.
Which is too bad. I rather enjoyed Junior Achievement, especially since at one time I was heavily involved in the organization. However, I didn’t have five geniuses to work with. In this case, they all come up with some new invention and the local science teacher, who is smart but not a genius, cannot quite keep up with them.
The only problem with this story is that it was more a narrative than a story. There wasn’t much of a buildup. No real crisis/climax. Instead, it went off at a rollicking pace of the kids involved making things happen and always succeeding. It was set in a town that had needed to be moved after some unexplained nuclear accident, so there’s some hint of genetic mutation, but not much, and that aspect only seems to be in the story to explain why the teacher is so poor. He has to pay two mortgages, one for the old house that’s in the fallout zone, and one for the new house. It’s an enjoyable story, but leaves you wanting more, like an ephemeral treat.
Now we get to James H. Schmitz, who I’ve grown to like much more because of the stories of his I’ve read doing these reviews. The story here is The Other Likeness, which is part of his series The Hub.
I was not disappointed. It starts with a scientist getting an alert. Then we discover he’s not just a scientist, but a member of a secret plot against humanity’s Federation involving 1200 people. These people are, in fact, aliens who were experts in genetics. They genetically raised these 1200 to be indistinguishable from humans. That would allow them to come into the Federation and create a bio-weapon that would devastate it, allowing their alien species to take over.
The scientist escapes with his three closest allies. At least, they think they escape. However, the Federation has set an elaborate trap for these 1200. They know them all because those 1200 have only 3 brain wave patterns, and are thus identified. Once captured, the 1200 are subjected to detailed scrutiny, most while they’re unconscious.
At this point, I was disappointed in the story. The initial start, with its evasion and capture, was really good, but immediately after that comes a disembodied voice explaining the plot. A series of exposition that would do Hercule Poirot proud, but in the context of a short story, takes too long.
But every once in a while, exposition can be the story, and this is the case here. Schmitz set us up to create espionage feel fighting the evil government bad guy, but the exposition reveals the truth at the very end.
The alien species was too successful. The beings it genetically created to be humans, were, in fact, human. None of the 1200 are actually going through with the bioweapon plan, instead doing something else that actually benefits humanity. The final line, which is spoken by the supposed government bad guy is fantastic: “You’ve regarded yourselves as human beings, and believed that your place among us. And we can only agree.”
It’s interesting how a really good writer can make something that shouldn’t work actually do so.
Next is an article that Dr. Robb Hampson should read, because I’ve no doubt he’d find it interesting. It’s Brain Waves and Though Patternsby Eric Holmes, MD. Holmes wrote a number of SF/F works, including the novel The Maze ofPeril, but also contributed a number of essays on brain science.
This is one of his essays about understanding the brain. There’s a lot in here that I don’t know enough to appreciate. It does talk about some of the imagined possibilities, which are not dissimilar to ideas talked about today. It’s fascinating in it’s own right that 57 years ago people were talking about implanted electrodes to increase communication between brains, tracking health status, and so on. Basically, he’s talking about implants here which even then promised “unexpected marvels and possible horrors.”
I actually skipped the next story Border, Breed Nor Birth by Mack Reynolds. I tried to read it, but I have already read Part II of this story. Worse, I really didn’t like the way the story ends. Again, you can find that in the review here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1579. It’s hard to connect with characters when you already know your not going to like the story, especially the ending. It was like watching a horror movie, knowing the kids are all going to do stupid stuff that makes it more likely the slasher’s going to get them. I don’t like watching them, either.
Anyway, I’m going to move on to the Analytical Library. I find this fascinating as it’s an attempt to objectively quantify what the readers want. It’s essentially much like a modern Amazon/Goodreads rating system. There’s also a bonus attached of an extra cent per word to the winning author, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
What I learned in this version of the AnalyticalLibrary is that I really need to read the March, 1962 issue. Poul Anderson’sEpilogue beat Randall Garrett’sHis Master’s Voice. I really like His Master’s Voice, so it’ll be fun to see the first version, but it’ll also be fun to read a story the readers thought was better.
And when I review that issue, I’ll talk about a number of interesting side notes involving Garrett and Anderson.
Anyway, next is The Rescuer by Arthur Porges. Porges was a prolific writer and a mathematician. i suspect my dad, who was a prolific reader and a mathematician, loved his stuff. I know I really liked this one. It’s very short, but also very powerful.
The story starts with a description of the greatest machine ever made, requiring multiple city blocks of space, fusion power, and computer power which might seem laughable now, but which was incredible then.
Then two scientists destroy it.
The story then turns to the preliminary hearing discussing the events that led to the destruction. In this, one of the scientists who destroyed the machine explained himself.
The machine was a time machine and one of the technicians involved in it commandeered the machine for his own purposes. However, he left a note, and the scientists, upon reading that note, decided that it was best to destroy the machine safely than allow the technician to succeed.
And this is where it gets thought-provoking. We’ve all wondered about changing the currents of time, but what if it changed so much more?
The technician is going back in time with a modern weapon and ammunition to prevent Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and execution. If Jesus had to die to save humans from their sins and that doesn’t happen, what next? Basically, it asks the question of all of us: Would you save Jesus of Nazareth? What would that do to all of history and to our souls? What a fascinating philosophical question and, as mentioned in the story, the kind of question we all have to answer for ourselves.
The last section, as usual in Analogs, is P. Schuyler Miller’s review section entitled The Reference Library. In this issue, he begins with a scathing discussion of the double-standard applied by publishing companies with respect to writers of SF and “literary” writers who happen to write an SF novel.
He nails something I talk about quite often at conventions. If you’re going to write in another genre you have to have read enough of the genre to understand the existing tropes and methods. In this case, the books in question didn’t get the hard science right, not even close to right. You also have to respect the genre, even if you’re writing a parody of it. Perhaps especially a parody, because if you despise it, your story comes out mean-spirited instead of humorous.
Anyway, Schuyler moves on to some more fun reviews. Imagine getting paid to review H. Beam Piper, Keith Laumer, Andre Norton, and a bunch of others. I’d take that job in a heartbeat.
I have to say, this was a darn good issue. It rises in my mind because I didn’t actually read through the Reynolds story, of course, but there’s quite a bit here I’m pleased to have read.
Next week, I’ll read the Fantastic Universe from July, 1957. It has works by August Derleth, Manly Wade Wellman, and Robert Sheckley. Wellman is a familiar name to me not simply because of his speculative fiction, by the way, which I’ll explain next week.
Next Week’s Issue: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?89841
Thanks for reading. I’m off to finish a short story for James L. Young.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
It’s been a good week. I made progress on a short story for the next Phases of Mars story. I had hoped to come up with a third to follow Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms but I never found a hook. I found a battle, but not a hook. I may follow up with some longer form stuff, because I enjoy where that world went, but short stories require a hook and this would have just been a fight with no interesting end.
I now have a time, place, and a hook. Better yet, it’s in my wheelhouse. It has to do with Anglo-Saxon England, but nothing to do with Hastings. There’s your hint.
I also did a bunch of clearing of deadwood in None Call Me Mother. It’s starting to flow a bit, when I’m not working on short stories.
I talked about my work, or lack thereof, in my update on Sunday. If you haven’t read it, it’s here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1757. Basically it covers my plan to better manage my writing and travel schedule so I don’t get burned out.
But that is in the past. I have ideas and a keyboard. Time to write.
Current Playlist Song
Something for Nothing by Rush from All the World’s a Stage. I remember getting this tape and playing it as loud as I could over and over in my orange 1962 VW bug. Ah, good times.
Quote of the Week
And since it has some of my favorite lyrics, here’s the chorus from Something for Nothing. Especially appropriate for me to remember given my recent funk.
“Oh you don’t get something for nothing
You don’t get freedom for free
You won’t get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be”
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
The interviews are back! This week I’m interviewing Alex Rath, another of the many talented authors writing the Four Horsemen Universe. It’s a throwback to last year’s Four Horsetober.
Quick side note, since it’s been a while. I’ll post an interview of a creator each Wednesday. If you’re a creator, whether author, musician, artist, or crafter, and you’d like to be interviewed, send me an email at rob@robhowell.org and I’ll send you the questions.
Now, on to Alex…
Interview: Alex Rath
Alex Rath
What is your quest? At the moment, my focus has been on the Four Horsemen Universe (though that’s expanding). Pretty much all of my characters will take in parts of my own personality, the big one of that being versatile, and creative. As a person who has spent 25 years in technology, starting in the days when we had very limited tools, and had to be very creative in how to accomplish our goals with only a language and no libraries or pre-made routines to work with, I always had to invent the wheel. My characters tend to do the same, and it’s a lot of fun to take things that exist in a universe, and think of a new way to apply it.
What is your favorite color? I like a combination of intense action, sprinkle in some humor, often in the form of a pop-culture reference, and then throw in some emotion from out of left field to catch the reader off guard. So far, each of my stories have had at least one scene that evokes some kind of emotional response. Even though I’m writing military science fiction, I want the readers to feel the humanity of my characters, and hopefully find at least one they can relate to and say “Yep, I know that feeling.”
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? I’m fairly new to the writing game… but I’d say my biggest frustration has just been getting stuck or coming up short. I have a tendency to ‘get to the point’ which doesn’t really make a good read. I’m not accomplished at all at outlining or plotting a book and tend to ‘pants’ my way through it. That’s something I’m still trying to figure out how to work on, because both of my works so far have “ended” short of where I wanted them to be in length. Now, I don’t try to get more length just to get it… I just feel like it needs to be a certain length to contain an interesting story that gets the reader involved in the characters, which is one of my big goals.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? Based on feedback from readers, I’d say I’m pretty good at conveying emotion, and getting the reader to FEEL that emotion. I had quite a few reviews and private comments on my first book, written with Chris Kennedy, that indicated I’d nailed the point home when it comes to dealing with the loss of comrades in a military setting. One particular person was brought to tears, and it’s a person I know well, and understand why. That was, for me, the highest praise I could possibly get, especially given that it’s not something I have personally experienced, other than losing friends who served.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Best Thing From the 80s? Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Your Wrestler Name? Spartan (duh, lol)
And Signature Wrestling Move? Blade Chop
Favorite Weird Color? Chartreuse
How Will You Conquer the World? Take over the internet
What Cartoon Character Are You? Yosemite Sam
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Secret Labs Titan Series office chair
What Do You Secretly Plot? Making people learn to research facts
Brought to you by the letter ___? R
Favorite Sports Team? Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps (Drum corps is a sport, fight me) Rob’s Note: Nah, it totally is, and I’m one of the biggest sports fans around.
Cake or Pie? Cake
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? French Onion
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Here Come the Mummies
Whisky or Whiskey? Neither… I quit drinking
Favorite Superhero? Deadpool
Steak Temperature? Mid-Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? W.A.T.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? Lacy, my bearded dragon!
Best Game Ever? Dungeons & Dragons
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes
What question(s) would you like to ask me? Pantsing or Plotting?
Rob’s Answer: Mostly pantsing, though I have a general idea where characters are going to end up like dying heroically, falling in love, or whatever seems appropriate. I find, though, that the characters know the path to those ends better than I do.
Also, I often will have a scene come to mind in the shower, lying in bed, driving, or other such time where my mind can roam a bit. In a sense, I plot one scene at a time, and wait for the pantser in me to generate that scene.
I also have a story in the Fallen World anthology From the Ashes.
Do you have a creator biography?
Alex Rath is a Military Science Fiction and Fantasy author, currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife and daughter.
He has been creative in one form or another since childhood. He got his start in fantasy with Dungeons and Dragons in 1979, and kept going from there. Some of the ideas that he writes come from his extensive experience in Role Playing Games, starting with D&D, and onward through other games like Star Fleet Battles, Battletech/Mechwarrior, Shadowrun, Masquerade, and too many more to name.
From there, he took his creativity online to more online games than can be remembered by writing character backgrounds, stories, and game related fiction. Now, he puts his creativity to the book format, and is excited to become a professional author.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how I got started in writing. It actually started with a Facebook conversation with Chris Kennedy, where I pitched the idea of a short story about the Computer Operations Center of the Golden Horde, since my professional expertise is in computers, programming, information security, etc.. He suggested it could be a full book and offered to co-write it with me. That happened, and here we are!
Thanks to Alex for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
It’s been a while since I did a magazine review, so I’ll explain what I’m doing. I have a goodly amount of Analogs, Amazings, Astoundings, and a bunch of other SF/F magazines from the 30s to the 70s. I’m going to read one a week and give you my review. I’ll be looking at everything, including the ads, because there’s lots of fun things to see in these. Also, I’ll be linking everything I can, usually from the fantastic Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
This week I’ll be reviewing the “Worlds of If” from October, 1971. This was an exciting issue to read for me because it included both a Stainless Steel Rat story and a Retief story. Not surprisingly, the theme for this issue is “insouciant.”
Table of Contents: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?58836
Worlds of If (Oct 71) Cover
This isn’t my favorite cover art of all time, but it is such a great example of the powerful, evocative art that is on so many covers. It’s kinetic, which now that I think about it is probably the best way to describe the goal of these magazines.
The ads on the interior covers of these magazines are often delightful. This issue’s is no exception. It leads with the questions: “Can Freddie Fong Fine save the world? If so, should he?” OK, you got me to look. It’s an ad for Richard Lupoff’sSacred Locomotive Files, which includes not only the titular locomotive, but also, among many things, a hyponuclear submarine (which sounds cool), Mavis Montreal the groupie, and “other denizens and features of the world of 1985.” I certainly wish Lupoff had accurately predicted 1985, because my junior year in high school was nowhere near that interesting.
The first section is Hue and Cry, the letters to the editor. The best letter was by a geology student taking issue with A. Bertram Chandler’s use of the word “extrusion” with relation to granite. Indeed, she “leaped up in horror!” upon seeing that usage. She concludes with a truly dire curse: “May the next koala bear Mr. Chandler meets eye him with reproachment.”
The first story is The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World by Harry Harrison. The Stainless Steel Rat is a fantastic character so I was really looking forward to this story, especially since I hadn’t actually read this one before. In the story someone is going back in time to change the upstream to kill off the entire Special Corps. Slippery Jim is just the man to get sent back in time to return time to its proper course.
The Rat gets sent back to 1984 with the help of Professor Coypu’s Helix. Things happen in a rush, of course, and he is sent back in time with all the equipment that they can throw at him. Gotta love the toys the Rat’s toys.
He arrives in 1984 and quickly gets himself a criminal associate. They rob a bank, but the associate leaves the Rat in the lurch. The Rat steals a police car in order to escape. Eventually he ends up in the hands of the mastermind, and only by the aid of the special potion hidden in one of his teeth that turns him into a superman is he able to escape. He turns the tables and defeats the evil mastermind and thereby saves the world.
I expect the Rat to have a useful gadget for every occasion, even though more often than not it is first mentioned right when he needs that precise thing. For some reason though, this particular tool bothered me. Supermen, even temporary ones, don’t work as well for me as the gadgets.
That kicked me out of the story for a moment, and the joy of Stainless Steel Rat stories is that you put your seat belt on and get taken for a roller-coaster ride. This is probably my least favorite Rat story, which means I liked it but didn’t love it.
Side note. When I roam through the ISFDB or other pages as I do these reviews, I come across various interesting things here and there. I now know that “acciaio” is stainless steel in Italian. In Dutch? Well that’s “roestvrij staal.” I’m sure one of those will provide the answer for Final Jeopardy one of these days.
I’m a fan of the Stainless Steel Rat, but I’m a fanatic about Jame Retief, who stars in the next story. The All-Together Planet by Keith Laumer is a Retief story I’ve never read, which is a surprise, since I thought I had all the Retief books and collections.
Another uncovered tidbit: Laumer always pictured Retief as having black hair and looking something like Cary Grant. Hence, he didn’t like the covers from the 1980s Baen reprints where Retief is blond. In fact, those covers of him were based on Corbin Bernsen. Now I have this vision of Jame Retief playing third base for the Cleveland Indians in Major League.
Anyway, this is all that one wants from a Retief story. The Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne has sent him and Magnan to a planet with an odd species, the Lumbagans, that evolves as separate body parts which gather together beginning with a group of ten. These parts can be anything, legs, arms, eyes, spleens, whatever, but the initial critical mass is ten parts. That’s a Singleton. Two of them get together and you have a Dubb. Two Dubbs can join together to become a Trip, and then two Trips can amalgamate and become the pinnacle of evolution, a Quad.
As usual, the Groaci are trying to gain control of the planet. Retief navigates with his usual wit and skill through the normal Groaci diplomatic corps, but finds one of their leaders, Ussh, to be unusually elusive.
Eventually Retief tracks Ussh down to discover he’s one of the largest Groaci he’s ever met before. Ussh is also more ambitious than most Groaci, which is saying something. He actually wants to rule the galaxy and his plan includes breeding Lumbagans to make a modular army of sorts.
As usual, Retief gathers allies among the locals, Gloot and Ignarp. At the end, in prison, he comes up with a desperate plan, one that leaves his allies in horror. Retief has figured out that Ussh is not a Groaci at all, but a super Lumbagan who is an amalgamation of two Quads who merely arranged his appearance to look like a Groaci. He tells Gloot and Ignarp that the only way to defeat Ussh is for them to combine as well, giving them equal powers to the mighty Ussh. They name themselves Lucael, which Retief agrees is “better than Michifer.”
Lucael and Retief head off to face Ussh and the Lumbagan emperor. In the end, it turns out that the emperor is essentially mindless and is completely controlled by Ussh. However, this taxes even the power of a super-Lumbagan, especially when faced with one who is just as powerful. In true Retief fashion, he manipulates the scene to expose the fraud, allowing Lucael to split Ussh back to his constituent Lumbagans.
At that poing Lucael assumes the throne and makes several proclamations, including telling all foreigners to stop meddling in Lumbagan affairs or “be shipped home in a box,” much to the horror of both the Groaci and CDT (except, of course, Retief). Then he declares all laws illegal, “including this one.” At the end, Lucael promises their emperor will return, should the need arise.
Then Lucael disappears to Ignarp and Gloot can separate back into themselves. But fear not for them, they take positions in the newly-created government-in-exile, “the only place for a government to be.”
No mere review can properly convey the sly subtleties that Laumer slides in. You may not be able to read this particular story, but I suggest you find a Retief story somewhere and remember the absurdity of bureaucracies.
The next story is To Kill a Venusian by Irwin Ross. This is the third and last story Ross ever published in a SF magazine. There’s a reason for this, and it’s not a pleasant one. Ross plagiarized To Kill a Venusian from Anthony Boucher’s story Nine-Finger Jack published in 1952 and no magazine ever published anything else by Ross.
The story basically involves a serial killer, who discovers his latest wife is actually a Venusian, who can’t be killed with any method known to humans. Ultimately, he discovers that human flesh is a deadly poison to them, and he escapes by killing the Venusian wife by cutting off his finger and putting it into their food. Gruesome and fun. Nice job by Boucher in 1952.
Anyway, next we move to One Moment in the Sand by Barry Weissman. In this we have a variety of people scrabbling about in a post-Apocalyptic world. These people are fantastically changed, though, including one who is a red dragon.
They find a cave and start exploring. The find a cave with a lot of oldtime equipment, including a large pillar. They start playing with it all. One presses a button causing lights to flash and sirens to wail. They keep pressing things and ultimately the large pillar ignites, burning them all and launching, for it’s an ICBM. It comes down on a farm halfway across the world.
All in all, not my favorite. It was less a story than a vehicle to say that nuclear weapons are bad. For message fiction to work, it has to be a good story, and this wasn’t.
Next we turn to After the End and Before the Beginning by William Rotsler. I will say that this magazine had some interesting authors, as Rotsler was also a writer, director, and actor in about two dozen porno movies as well as an illustrator in SF fanzines along with his SF writing.
This story is also message fiction in its own way, but far better written. It’s also set in a post-Apocalyptic world, one where the Earth has essentially been covered in buildings but the civilization has foundered. Dagger, the main character, is the leader of one of the many roving gangs.
Along the way, he finds a girl he wants to take so he chases her. Initially, he kidnaps her but eventually convinces her to come with him because one of his gang has books and knows how to read. He tells her of pirates and Robin Hood. In the end, he promises her he will read books to her. He’s not sure how he’ll do that, but he knows he will. The message is that reading will change your life in ways you never anticipate.
A solid story, with action and character growth. It’s not one that would win awards, but it’s worth reading.
Lester del Rey provides his list of reviews next in his Reading Room. He starts this with a discussion on the importance to SF readers and writers to read a wide variety of things, not just SF but fantasy, mystery, history, and everything else one can. The most interesting review in here was a collection called simply The Pulps edited by Tony Goodstone. This includes a bunch of pulp covers as well as fifty pulp stories, including a couple SF titles, some Lovecraft, The Shadow, Doc Savage, and a supernatural story from Tennessee Williams. This looks fun and I’ll probably get a copy one of these days.
The science article in this magazine is an essay by L. Sprague de Camp called Death Comes to the Megafauna. It’s a study of the possible reasons why megafauna disappeared. I would guess that in the half-century since he wrote this there have been many discoveries to answer and inform his questions, but I’m not knowledgeable enough in this field to be able to pick through this properly. These science essays provide a lens to see the process and growth of a discipline, and I suspect people in this field would really find fun connections. Not so for me, I’m afraid, though I did learn some places to look when I write a story about megafauna.
The last story in this issue is Abyss of Tartarus by Robert F. Young. This is one of his Spacewhale series, which are leviathans who can see in time and space and can be fitted as an FTL spaceship for humans.
The story centers around Starfinder, a man with blood on his hands, including the spacewhales, who he hunted to make ships for men. He had achieved some absolution by saving one whale from death, but now has new blood on his hands.
The spacewhales dive into the Sea of Time, which the Starfinder discovers is a passage as well to Tartarus. The Erinyes board the vessel to damn him for his guilt. The fight not only goes between him and the Furies, but also with the spacewhale, who resents the human’s attempts to master him. In the end, they become friends and allies.
This is one of those frustrating stories that I could really love, but the arc felt rushed. The conflict resolved itself too quickly, especially after the excellent setup including the Erinyes. If he’d have had time, I bet Young could have had Starfinder face each of the Furies in turn, dealing with each of their specialties, and at the same expanding on the transition from uneasy allies to friends, which felt forced and hurried.
This is not an uncommon problem in SF magazines, and of course many of these are expanded from shorts to novels and novelettes. I’m going to look for more from Young to see if he expanded on the story, because the idea of the spacewhales is really cool.
Lastly, we come to the SF Calendar, which is a list of upcoming SF conventions. If I ever create a time machine, I’m definitely going back to some early conventions.
Overall, this was a very good issue, but not a great one. The Retief story brought it close, but the other stories didn’t quite carry enough of the load to put it in the absolute top tier. Say, an 8 or even an 8.5.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
It’s been ages since I did an update. This won’t even be a regular one, with the quote of the week and all that, but rather a get-things-going-again update.
Somewhere along the line in August I got knocked completely off-kilter. Whether it was fighting the black dog made me fatigued or fatigue making me fight the black dog, I don’t know for sure. I suspect it was a bit of both, feeding back on each other. A feeding of sorrows, I suppose.
It’s clear to me that I have to manage my headspace to keep my production consistent. Some of that is being realistic about my day-to-day goals. I aim for 1000 words a day, which is not usually a problem for me. When I have a plot in my head, I can reasonably expect 2-4000 words per day for weeks on end. I did that in the spring and felt great.
What happened between the spring and now? Well, my summer schedule was crazy. Between Lilies, LibertyCon, Pennsic, and other events, I was on the road more days than not from early June to Memorial Day. Despite that hectic schedule, I didn’t allow myself a respite from writing. I had several deadlines during the summer for my own stuff that I didn’t get to.
I met nearly all of the deadlines for other publishers, but none of my own. As I got behind, I got down on myself. I kept pushing through with a few words here and there, but it’s been an uphill climb in the last two months.
The good news is that I’m back on the upswing. I’ve been consistently writing for two weeks now and building back on the other things involved in being an independent writer, such as this update. I’ve also been examining my processes and am making some changes.
First, next year I’ll be cutting down a bit on long-distance events except during the summer. I’m not cutting them out completely. I’m still going to FantaSci and ChattaCon in the spring and in most years, I’ll also do Gulf Wars. There are also events within a few hours that are easy. However, I’ll be generally avoiding the bigger three-week long trips that are efficient, but exhausting. During the summer, I’ll do those trips and write when I can, but not setting myself deadlines that get into my head when I don’t meet them. Deadlines for other publishers are fine, as I said I generally met those, but I’m changing those to land in the fall, winter, and spring.
Second, I’m getting back on a regular schedule of blog updates. Mondays I’ll be doing a magazine review, Wednesdays will be interviews, and Fridays I’ll send out my update. I noticed last fall that structure helped me keep consistent, and consistency is hard for me.
Third, I realized of late that social media in general kicks me down, so I’m drastically cutting back from Facebook. I’m still there, and will probably check my notices every couple of days, but not really scroll down the feed. I still have Facebook Messenger, because that’s such a convenient tool. Feel free to connect with me there. I’ve got a MeWe profile, but I don’t really check it that often. Same for Instagram. I’ll post in all those places, especially when I have my three weekly normal blog posts, but otherwise I’ll just be in and out.
I am more active on Twitter, oddly enough, mostly because there’s some fantastic sportswriting there and I’ve always kept that feed pared down to specific things I wanted to see. I do, however, like to say whimsical things to the internet, so I hope you follow me there. Also, I’m going to start putting those comments on my blog, as I can do posts there just as easily on my phone as I can with Facebook without wading through the mess there.
I appreciate all you being patient these past couple of months. Tune in tomorrow as I review the “Worlds of If” from October, 1971, which includes Stainless Steel Rat story and a Retief story.
Today we close the shop at Pennsic. It’s been a very good war. Sales have been good of the physical copies and I’ve already seen the Pennsic spike of e-sales. Really pleased about that.
Writing on None Call Me Mother has been consolidation work, generally. I’ve been editing what I had in part because I was losing track of the story. Too many trees, not enough forest. This seems to happen between 50-70k which means I’m right at that mark.
I’m getting excited as I get closer to the final battles that will conclude my first trilogy. I’m laying out the cool naval battle todayand the sequence where the final face off against the bad guy is almost entirely planned. It’s odd to have planned stuff, but that’s what thinking about a particular story for three years now will do for me, I guess. The big reason I’ve been editing/consolidating is to make sure I get those threads all in their channel.
Side note: Writing a trilogy is a bit of a different beast. I’m learning a number of techniques that will help for multi-book series in the future.
Anyway, we should be packed up and on the road tomorrow early afternoon. This is always a strange time. I love being at Pennsic. It’s productive and fun. However, I’m ready to be home.
One last thing. I was not, sadly, nominated as a finalist for the Dragon Awards. However, there slate of nominations includes a bunch of great stuff. You can vote here: https://www.dragoncon.org/awards/
Current Playlist Song
No music, but I’m hearing the passing conversations punctuated by the occasional cannon blast starting a battle on a lovely, calm morning in a Pennsylvania forest.
It’s actually a beautiful, calming time right now.
Quote of the Week
“That’s a really bad idea. Let’s do it!”
– My version of the unofficial Pennsic motto
News and Works in Progress
JH (416)
None Call Me Mother (approx. 60,000)
CB (8,418)
AFS (2,556)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Been focused on Pennsic, so nothing else on the wiki
This week’s spotlight is on Renaissance Arts and Designs. They’re the T-shirt vendor next to Calontir Trim every year. The gave up some of their frontage on the road so we could expand our booth. This version of the booth was significantly better than previous years, and I thank them for their generosity.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’ve rewarded myself with work in the shop, though I haven’t done a ton with None Call Me Mother. Ran into another snag that I’ve spent the week clearing up.
And that’s what I’m working on this weekend as I’m mostly packed for Pennsic.
Current Playlist Song
Rush’s The Weapon. The things that we fear are weapons to be used against us.
Quote of the Week
There’s only one possible choice for a quote this week.
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
– Neil Armstrong
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Welcome to all the new people who signed up during LibertyCon and Hyperican. Glad you’re here.
This hasn’t been my most productive week. One reason is I was tired from the trip to LibertyCon and Hypericon. Another is I had a sequencing problem in None Call Me Mother which forced a major cut out of words and significant re-arrangement of the text.
The good news is I’ve recovered and I figured out the way the story needs to go. I put out 2000 fairly easy words, in the midst of fixing the flow, so I’m back on track. However, I’m behind my needed pace so next week will have to be brilliant.
I will add I began a couple of new projects that I’ll talk more about when the time is right. Plus, I did a bunch of procrasticleaning in my office. As mentioned, it wasn’t my most productive week, but not my least, either.
Tomorrow Their Majesties Calontir Donngal and Catalina will step down as King and Queen. That means I too am released from serving as Their herald. I love doing this job, but it can be time consuming, especially since the first part of 2019 was one of my most productive and intense periods of my career.
And I’m proud of the fiction I’ve released this year, especially in the case of The Feeding of Sorrows. Even I can tell I’m getting better at my craft, which is encouraging when I start getting down on myself. Such as those times when I’m banging my head against a problem in a story.
Anyway, have I mentioned here that The Feeding of Sorrows reached the number one spot in Action and Adventure New Releases? It’s still number 3. And, it got all the way up to about 1600 in all of Amazon. It’s currently still around 7000. This is awesome to me. Thanks very much to all who’ve read the book and gave me a review.
It’s worth reminding everyone that reviews are the best thing you can give a creator. Amazon’s algorithms really take notice, so if you get a book by me, or someone like me, please give us a review. It can be as simple as, “I really liked it.”
Side note, I’m sitting at 47 reviews and the algorithm kicks in another level at 50. Just sayin’…
In any case, I did the math yesterday and realized The Feeding of Sorrows is eligible for the Dragon Awards. I encourage everyone to participate if you have any interest in SF/F books, games, movies, or TV shows. I’d love it if you nominated my book, but I really hope everyone joins in. Nominations are accepted a week longer, and you can find the link here: http://application.dragoncon.org/dc_fan_awards_nominations.php.
With that, I shall prepare to go weep like a baby as Donngal and Catalina step down tomorrow. Have a great night.
Current Playlist Song
I love baseball season, and many nights I’m listening/watching a game. Right now it’s the Tigers at the Royals. Not an enthralling game, but baseball is good background for writing. The pacing works nicely.
Quote of the Week
If you’re going to read only one baseball book, and there are many worth reading, Ball Four by Jim Bouton wouldn’t be a bad choice. He passed away a couple of days ago, but this is a good quote to remember him by.
“A ballplayer spends a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end, it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”
– Jim Bouton
This week’s spotlight is on Calontir Trim, where I’ll be selling my books for two weeks at Pennsic. If you want cool strips of cloth, this is the place to go.
Today’s Weight: 386.8
Updated Word Count: 159,778
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s the Saturday of Hypericon. Tomorrow, I will head home, and I’m ready to be back in my bed. These long trips are efficient, but can be very draining.
So far, Hypericon has been very laid back. A complete contrast to LibertyCon. Of course, I have much less planned here. I also know quite a few less people.
I have an interesting panel coming up at 1, though. Building a Better Monster. I like that idea quite a bit and will probably suggest it in the future. Then I’ll do my take things from one media to another panel at 8. Tomorrow, I have one more, about characters that should be brought back. Then we hit the road.
I need to start remembering just how draining LibertyCon is. It’s amazing and wonderful, but I have been dragging all week. Next year, I may have to plan on this week being a mini-vacation, though it’ll be on the road again, I think.
I have been writing a bit, but not much. Mostly, I’ve been reviewing where I was, which means editing. Not much word change but I’m prepping to hit the ground running on Monday and Tuesday.
Time for me to get back to that.
Current Playlist Song
By-Tor and the Snow Dog from Rush in Rio. Fun song, and maybe one day I’ll write it in story form.
Quote of the Week
Today is John Paul Jones’s birthday. Today’s quote isn’t his most famous, but it’s perhaps my favorite by him.
“I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.”
– John Paul Jones
This week’s spotlight is on Those in Peril. I’m getting happier and happier with my contribution to To Slip the Surly Bonds, which is in the process of editing. “In Dark’ning Storms” follows the events of “Far Better to Dare,” plus there are a number of other follow-up stories in the second volume that you’ll get more out of if you’ve read the first one.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: 158,282
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m in Rocky Mount, NC visiting relatives after another fantastic LibertyCon. As always, so much happened that I’ll forget things. It’s the way of cons in general and LibertyCon in particular. I float from awesome thing to awesome thing without enough time to process stuff properly, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This year, as I’ve mentioned, LibertyCon faced some of the greatest challenges any con has ever faced. Their hotel crapped out on them. The Read House in Chattanooga might be pretty, but they burned some bridges here. A hotel breaking a contract is no big thing, I had it happen to me, and NeoCon in Wichita ended because of it. I had to tell some relative unknown named David Weber that we had to cancel the con and not have him as Guest of Honor. The fact that LibertyCon rolled with it and made it work, especially in the time frame they had is amazing to me.
That is, of course, a credit to the incredible staff, both in their skill and stability. There will come a time when Brandy, Rich, Donnie, Matthew, Vonn, Fritz, and all the rest are not LibertyCon’s spark plugs, but it is not this day! It is one of my favorite aspects of LibertyCon that they are so competent at their jobs, which allowed them to handle this year so smoothly from the perspective of those attending the con. Thanks to all of them and their staff.
That staff is a testimony to the foundations laid by Uncle Timmy. I have talked about him before, but the best tribute is 32 years and going strong of the best SF/F con I’ve ever seen. Honestly, I was a lot less emotional at the con than I expected. I thought about him quite a bit, though I was never terribly close to him, but I was rarely sad. Sad he wasn’t there, of course, but the truth is I was reveling in his creation too much to be sad. Not a bad legacy to have.
I will note, I’m crying while writing this. When I cry at Brewbaker’s, the staff there isn’t surprised or worried. I’m usually killing a character that I like, so that’s alright then. The waitress here at this random bar is probably worried about me. Hopefully, she’s just remember me as a random weirdo.
Speaking of parents, my mom joined me on this trip. She loved LibertyCon too. At Closing Ceremonies, when Brandy announced the dates for membership sales, mom told me to get her one and that was before Linda Bolgeo, among others, taught her to play Yahtzee at the dead dog party and she lasted longer than I did. Yes, Fritz, you’re right: “Rob’s mom sucks less than he does.”
Side note: Fritz, you made me laugh with this, which is just as well as you made me cry for the other.
The weekend started with getting together on Thursday night. This will shock people, but we closed the bar. It’s always great to get together and catch up, especially after such a productive year for all of us.
Side note, we’re not the Inklings, but the writing crew Chris Kennedy has gathered into his orbit is talented and hard-working. We’re doing great stuff already, and the future looks bright. Tons of stuff planned, announced, and plotted at LibertyCon. I’m honored to be a part of this.
The con started with those of us in the Four Horsemen Universe talking about the future of the 4HU. The Omega War series concluded with Alabaster Noon, and there was concern that this meant the 4HU was slowing down. To the contrary, the Omega War, despite its name, is only the second of five main-line series being plotted right now. That does not include side novels like The Feeding of Sorrows and a slew of other projects. The 4HU ain’t going away now. I’d be shocked if the eventual corpus of the 4HU is less than 100 novels plus anthologies, games, and whatever else. We’re at 35 and growing now.
Next was a panel on the contact between history, historical fiction, and fantasy. The best part of this con was chatting with David P. Coe, who is a very smart man and excellent writer.
I mentioned there wasn’t as much emotion as I expected about Timmy at LibertyCon, but Opening Ceremonies was one of two places where it was greatest. Gray Rinehart sang a new filk about Timmy, making Brandy cry. Then, Christopher Woods, looking bewildered, was drug up on the stage by Toni Weisskopf to announce a new anthology tuckerizing all of LibertyCon in honor of Timmy that will include a bunch of big names. The proceeds will go to both LibertyCon and a scholarship to the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop. Really cool, and it’s great to see good things happen to Chris.
My autograph session at 7pm went well, as I got a chance to chat with a few people and even sold a book or two. That’s what such a session is there for, and they are also one of the few times I can actually talk for a bit with a fan instead of the usual go-go-go. That’s so nice.
Then I did a reading with Theresa Howard at 9pm. Readings are fun, but sadly, 9pmm readings don’t tend to get many viewers. Probably just as well, because I don’t like the selection I made from The Feeding of Sorrows. Not enough action. I’ll pick a better choice next time.
I intended, at that point, to make it an early night. Narrator: “He did not make it an early night.” We got into a long discussion that turned into revelry at the bar. Closed it down again. I knew I wasn’t closing down the bar on Saturday, though…
Saturday started with a number of logistical things for the party, plus getting a bunch of old computer equipment to Gerry Martin. He has found ways to take all the old stuff, refurbish it, and provide it to a variety of users. Plus, it got boxes of stuff out of my house.
The banquet was the other moment of big emotion about Uncle Timmy, especially Arlen Andrews’ speech. It was also a great time for my mom, which I really enjoyed.
At 4pm, Chris Kennedy hosted his year ahead. He might have to do it in two hours next year, as he has so much going on. I got to announce the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows, The Ravening of Wolves. I’m aiming to have it out around FantaSci next year.
At 6pm, I had an Author’s Alley time. This, too, went really well I thought. I would have done really well if I could have had a solid block of three hours, but there simply wasn’t time this year.
And that’s because of the Rob Howell/Chris Kennedy Publishing Party. This was, again, a rollicking success. We lasted past 3:30am. We went late enough that the bartenders were able to close the bar and come join us for a bit. Technically, we did *not* close the bar. Technically.
It’s become such a success we’re looking at getting more square footage as we’re just doing too well. Plans are afoot to make it even more fun next year.
Sadly, that meant when 9:30am rolled around and I theoretically had to get down to Author’s Alley at 10, I simply rolled over and got another hour or so of sleep. Sorry, not sorry. Will plan better next year.
I concluded my panels with a fun one called: Pantsing for Beginners. If you’ve never heard the term, Pantsing is “writing by the seat of your pants.” In other words, not plotting ahead of time. This ended up as a pretty good two-hour panel including Rich Weyand and Stephanie Osborn.
We left that to get to Closing Ceremonies, where Brandy announced the 2020 dates, 12-14 June. Then we went to meat fest at Rodizio’s, which wasn’t as organized this year because the restaurant didn’t respond to Gerry. Ah well, we ate meat. Lots of meat.
Last year I checked out of the dead dog party early. I almost did so again, but I caught a second wind and lasted until 11:30. Mom lasted until midnight. I had a great time chatting with Bubba of Bubba Truck fame and a bunch of others.
LibertyCon was, as usual, fruitful in all the ways. I have a number of new irons in the fire. While I don’t have many details at this time, suffice to say, I’ve got a bunch of new projects to work on. And that means, at LibertyCon 2020, I’ll just have to make new plans.
So thanks to Brandy and everyone running the con. Thanks to Mark and Chris for the 4HU. Thanks to the fans that are keeping The Feeding of Sorrows at number two new release in Action and Adventure. Thanks to all I hung out with at LibertyCon. And thanks to all who’ve supported me over the past few years. I’ll keep trying to get better.
Halfway through 2019! Happy Half-New Year. Or Half-Through Year. Whichever you prefer.
Before I left for LibertyCon, I sent off my story “In Dark’ning Storms” to James L. Young, creator of the Phases of Mars series of alternate histories. I’m finding that a lot of writing short stories is plugging away for a while, then finding the core, the soul, of the story along the way. Then, I have to cut out all that I’ve written which isn’t part of that soul. Only then do I come up with a good story.
Last weekend, I wasn’t entirely pleased with the story. When I finished on Wednesday, which involved cutting out 3-4000 words and replacing them, I was very emotional at the end. Which is as it should be.
Now I’m here in Chattanooga and LibertyCon has been fantastic already, and we still have quite a bit to go. My panels have gone well, the reader response from The Feeding of Sorrows has been fantastic, and I’ve made a bunch of connections. Lots of irons heating up in the fire.
Minutes ago at the Chris Kennedy Publishing upcoming year panel, I announced the sequel to Sorrows. The working title is: When Need Shall Arise. Again, this title is drawn from the Havamal.
Tonight will be the joint room party with Chris and I. It’ll be a blast, as it always is. We’re having MAC rounds and Peepo’s Pitch this year, along with our normal variety of stuff.
I guess I should go get everything ready for people to have fun.
Current Playlist Song
Actually, just the sound of the air conditioning. A little peace and quiet in the midst of the go-go-go is quite pleasant.
Quote of the Week
This week, I’m going with a fun Heinlein quote. It seems appropriate given the number of writers here at LibertyCon.
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.
– Robert A. Heinlein
This week’s spotlight is on the staff at LibertyCon, the best con staff I’ve seen. It’s been an incredibly challenging year for them. Their initial hotel didn’t live up to its obligations, forcing a change in location. This change forced a changed in date. Then, worst of all, the founder of the con, Uncle Timmy, passed away.
And yet, we’re all here having a great time, getting new things plotted and arranged to keep creating.
Today’s Weight: 384.4
Updated Word Count: 156,157
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s LibertyCon week, one of my favorite events ever thanks to the hard work of Uncle Timmy, Brandy Spraker, Fritz Ling, Rich Groller, Matthew Fanny, and a slew of others.
I start the weekend with a bang, the Four Horsemen Panel and Autograph Session. This will be on Friday from 1-3pm in Meeting Rooms 4 & 5. It will include a whole bunch of us 4HU writers.
Immediately afterwards, I join in on a fun panel I’m really excited about: The Bridges Between Fantasy and Historical Fiction. I’m joined on this panel by David B. Coe / D. B. Jackson, Robert S. Evans, Valerie Hampton, and Holly McClure. Should be lots of fun. It’s in Meeting Room 7.
Then it’s back to Meeting Rooms 4 &5 for Opening Ceremonies at 5pm.
At 7pm, I have an autograph session in the Dealer’s Room alongside Lou Antonelli, Karen Bogen, H.P. Holo, and Jacob Holo. I *will* have my books there for sale, if you don’t already have one.
I conclude Friday from 9-10pm with a reading in the Lookout Mountain Room. I’m not sure what I’ll read yet, but I might pull out something from None Call Me Mother or Amazon top new release (I really get to say that) The Feeding of Sorrows. Also, you can hear something from Teresa Howard.
What a day. You can probably find me in the bar or at a room party kicking back after that.
Saturday is a little slower. My first thing is the Banquet at noon. I’m really excited to get to do this with my mom. This will be in the Tennessee River Room.
Then a bit of a break to prepare for some madness. At 4pm, I’ll join Chris Kennedy Publishing as he talks about the year ahead. I believe this will be on Facebook Live for those who are interested.
Following that, I have an hour starting at 6pm in the Author’s Alley. You can come buy my books, get signatures, or just chat. Also in the Alley during that time are: Jim Curtis Teresa Howard Tamara Lowery Rich Weyand Matt Wyers
Then, at 9pm, comes the epic adventure you’ve all been waiting for, the joint Seventh Seal Press / Rob Howell Room Party and Book Launch for Alabaster Noon. It’ll be a blast, with a bunch of authors, all my books, and some interesting beverages like Peepo’s Pitch and MAC rounds. It’ll be in my room on the 3rd Floor, but I won’t know exactly what room that is until Thursday.
My last panel is another one I’m eagerly anticipating. This is the brainchild of Rich Weyand. We’ll be joined by Stephanie Osborn and we’ll talk about Pantsing for Beginners. Not sure what pantsing is, well, you can come join us and find out the pros and cons of this style of writing. This will be at 1pm in the Tennessee River Room and we’ll work on things for 2 hours.
That’s my official schedule. Should be fantastic. We’re also staying for the Dead Dog Party.
As I’ve mentioned, my Mom will be joining me. Can’t wait to introduce her to my LibertyCon family.
Last week, I mentioned sad tidings of a friend going into hospice. Tim Bolgeo passed on Sunday and if you didn’t get the chance to meet Uncle Timmy, you have my condolences. He was a fascinating guy to talk to. He knew a ton about a number of topics, both of science and science fiction, especially the things turning from fiction to fact. He founded LibertyCon, was heavily involved with a number of other conventions, and in short was someone who helped science fiction and fantasy grow.
He was also very helpful to new writers. If you look at the stories about him, you’ll find, time and again, a writer remembering how Timmy helped them. I’m one of those. He was great at seeing good networking connections and making them happen. I said this on Sunday, but it bears repeating. He’ll have a share of the success I achieve in this field.
Thanks Uncle Timmy, we’ll catch you on the flip side.
I couldn’t be at his memorial yesterday, as it was in Chattanooga, but I remembered him this week by wearing LibertyCon shirt after LibertyCon shirt and writing a ton. The main total of None Call Me Mother will only show 14,000 or so words added, but there are a bunch more as I started a separate thread to input to the main document this week. I figured out the vast majority of the threads and it’s coming along nicely.
This week we had the stepdaughter visit and I took her to a Royals-Rangers game. Of course I picked the one game of the series the Royals won. Ah, well. It was good to go as I haven’t been to a MLB game in quite some time.
A couple of event notes. You might have noticed that I added a couple of events last week. First is Lilies, and I’ll be there the whole week, so come on by. Also added is HyperiCon in Nashville, where I’ll follow on the incomparable Terry Maggert’s coattails.
Current Playlist Song
In Xanadu did Kublai Khan, a stately pleasure dome decree.
In Massey Hall did Geddy Lee, a stately pleasure dome did sing
I love this song, by the way. In grade school, I was the kid who loved it when we got to Coleridge because if he was good enough for Rush to sing about Xanadu and Iron Maiden to do a version of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, then he was good enough for me.
Quote of the Week
Might as well have a baseball quote. This one is a great one for a new writer.
“Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!”
– Babe Ruth
This week’s spotlight is on my sweetie, who’s having to suffer through me hammering through this novel.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: It feels like a zillion
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 543 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’d like to begin this update by welcoming a bunch of people who signed up for the list at Planet Comicon. You might wonder why it took so long for you to start getting these emails.
The answer is simple. I put that page in a safe place. Yes, the dreaded safe place! A place I could never forget. This just in: I forgot. Sorry about that.
However, welcome and thanks for joining us.
It’s been a good week around the house. Lots of tidying up and fixing small projects. I’ve already started some new projects in the shop, with the goal to improve my displays especially at SCA events.
However, the main thing I’ve done this week is hammered at None Call Me Mother. I’m doing better than the word count suggests, actually, though I’m over 27,000 words and that’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ve quite a few notes waiting for me to put into the story and flesh out.
I’m getting more and more comfortable with Robert B. Parker’s writing style. He would write a chunk. Then the next day, he’d rewrite that chunk and write another. It’s helped me put out 10,000 words in the last 3 days. It’s good to get in that kind of a groove, and there’s lots more to come.
One thing that might be happening, to foreshadow things, the concluding battle and epilogue of The Feeding of Sorrows clocked in at about 20,000 words. I have a sneaking suspicion None Call Me Mother will be up in the 25-30,000 range. I keep having cool ideas for portions of the battle. Don’t worry, I’m taking notes (see the comments above).
Unfortunately, there’s sad tidings today. A friend of mine who has helped many a fledgling author and artist has been admitted to hospice care. I don’t entirely know how public the announcement is, so I’ll withhold the name for now, but I’m very grateful to him.
Current Playlist Song
Oddly, I’m not listening to any music now. I’m writing this in a restaurant in Bolivar, MO, and they don’t have anything playing. It’s kind of weird to be in a public place anymore without music. I don’t actually like it.
Quote of the Week
Speaking of songs, I used a song lyric in None Call Me Mother today (with permission of course). The song is Cursing the Normans, which was written by Hyrim de Guillon in the SCA. Here’s the lyric, one of many I love in this song:
“Tall and mighty towers by the coast of the sea,
Raise their dark empty spires in forlorn misery.
Crumbling grain by grain to the cold ocean spray,
And cursing the Normans as they wither away.”
– Hyrim de Guillon, Cursing the Normans
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (approx. 27,080)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
None this week. If you’re an author, artist, musician, or other creator and you want to be interviewed, connect with me and I’ll send you the new and improved 2019 version.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m off and running on None Call Me Mother. I only have 14,291 words in the main file, but I have quite a few notes yet to add. Still aiming for the end of the month.
Writing this one is kind of odd for me because I basically devised the plan for each of the main characters while working on Brief Is My Flame. I don’t usually plot that far ahead, but I kind of needed to do so while writing it.
That means the pace of writing has been pretty good. However, it also means I have mornings like today where I’m standing in the shower realizing I could have put more clues in both the first two in the series that would really kick up the ending a notch. It would also provide more fun for those, like me, who enjoy re-reading things.
None Call Me Mother is my main focus right now, of course. However, I’ve been playing around in the back of my head the story I’ll write for the second in the Phases of Mars anthologies. The first was Those In Peril, which came out in February and focused on alternate naval history. The new one is focused up in the air, and I have a story idea that will be fun, but I need to make it work with the technology of the era. Not sure yet how I’m going to play with it, but Phil Wohlrab really got me thinking about things in a conversation at FantaSci.
Speaking of short stories, I ended up calling the one for the We Dare anthology “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms.” The other title was good, but this one is much better for a number of reasons. You’ll see why when you read it.
With that, it’s off to celebrate Mother’s Day a bit early.
Current Playlist Song
Vapor Trails by Rush. I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated an album quite as much as this one. It was 2003. Rush had not made any music for years because of Neil’s tragedies. We never really knew if they would make any more. Then the rumors came out that Neil had started to play again. And they were in the studio. And then that they would release Vapor Trails. It’s title track is wonderful, but just one of many great songs on it.
This week’s spotlight is on Robert J. Waters. You can find his interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1705
Today’s Weight: 388.0
Updated Word Count: I really need to tabulate this, but it’s got to be around 140k.
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 543 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week’s interview is with Robert E. Waters. As you’ll see, he’s also interested in using history to shape his SF, something I mention later myself.
Interview Questions
What is your quest?
Robert E. Waters
I strive to write fun and engaging stories. Do I always succeed? I do not know, but the effort is well worth it. My early influences were Clifford Simak, Robert Silverberg, and Stephen King, an odd mix, I admit, but each of these authors brought a different perspective to my own writing. I figure, if I can model my work around “the spirit” of what these three authors have accomplished in their lives, and if I can achieve a fraction of the skill and success that they have accumulated, then I can die a happy man.
What is your favorite color?
I’m a plotter, not a pantser. I don’t feel comfortable starting a story until I know how the tale will end. All the details in the middle can evolve as I write the story, but the big strokes of the narrative need to be firmly in my mind before I crank up the ol’ Word and get going. Most of my writing also has a decidedly historical bent, and so, I firmly recommend that if research is involved in the telling of a tale, that the research be done prior to starting the writing. I have found that I can get lost in the weeds of a narrative if I stop too often to research while I’m writing.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Patience. To be a good author, and more importantly, to be a published author, one needs to accept the molasses pace that often plagues the publishing industry. You must remember that there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people out there trying to get their stories and novels published just like you, and it can take a long while for your submissions to get a response. So, don’t be an ass like I was on occasion in the early days and harass editors about making a decision on your novel/story prematurely. If you push too hard, they might make a decision that you do not want them to make.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I think I write combat and battle scenes very well. I’m no expert on such scenes, mind you, but I’ve been able to work in my knowledge of historical warfare with a kind of frenetic pace that showcases the chaos of battle. I once wrote a 14,000 word rolling battle sequence that took nearly two full weeks to write, but in the end, it made the story.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? The Count (assuming he is one and not just a Sesame Street construct)
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? My son, Jason.
Favorite Sports Team? Miami Dolphins
Cake or Pie? In a pinch, pie
Lime or Lemon? Neither
Favorite Cereal? Captain Crunch
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man
Favorite 1970s TV show? Sanford and Son
Best Thing From the 80s? The fact that we survived it, with the threat of nuclear annihilation present for a time
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer
Favorite Pet? Bandit, my dog for 15 years; died because he had cataracts so bad he didn’t see the car to get out of the way
Best Game Ever? Hard to say, but with a gun to my head, Fury of Dracula
Coffee or Tea? I like both, but coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi
Brought to you by the letter R
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What would you consider to be the “definitive” science fiction novel written in the last ten years? And why?
Rob’s Answer: Man, this is a hard question to answer for me because I don’t read as much new stuff as I should. The definitive SF novel to me is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It’s got everything an SF story should happen, with fantastic pacing and an ending that’s only partially happy. The good guys win, but not all survive. I can’t not cry at the end.
As for recent stuff, I’m going to lean towards David Drake’s Lt. Leary series, of which I can’t pick one book. It’s strong work, solid all the way through, filled with action and strong characters. As a historian, I also love the way he uses historical events to shape the story. I just mimicked that process with my short story for the anthology We Dare, which comes partially from the Finnsburh Fragment.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
Currently Available…
The Masks Of Mirada, published by Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press, also available on Amazon
Robert E Waters is a technical writer by trade, but has been a science fiction/fantasy fan all his life. He’s worked in the board and computer gaming industry since 1994 as designer, producer, and writer. In the late 90’s, he tried his hand at writing fiction and since 2003, has sold over 60 stories to various on-line and print magazines and anthologies, including the Grantville Gazette, Eric Flint’s online magazine dedicated to publishing stories set in the 1632/Ring of Fire series. Robert is currently working in collaboration with author Charles E Gannon on a Ring of Fire novel titled, 1636: Calabar’s War. Robert has also co-written several stories, as well as the Persistence of Dreams, with Meriah L Crawford, and The Monster Society, with Eric S Brown.
He has also written in several tabletop gaming universes, including Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fantasy series and in the Wild West Exodus weird tech/steampunk universe. He has also dabbled a bit in Warlord Games’ Beyond the Gates of Antares milieu, writing about assassins and rescue missions.
Robert currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife Beth, their son Jason, and their precocious little cat Buzz.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what my favorite music is so I could tell you I love smooth jazz. All the greats: Gerald Albright, David Sanborn, Steve Cole, Grover Washington Jr., Euge Groove, etc. etc. I listen to it every evening. It relaxes and inspires me.
Thanks to Robert for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This week’s interview is with Mia Hansson. I first met Mia when she and her husband came over from England to do a Vikings re-enactment event. A few years later, they graciously allowed me to use their house as a base as I roamed around to places like York, Shrewsbury, Portsmouth, and wherever else the train decided to take me.
But she’s not simply a great person, she’s incredibly skilled too. She’s also, like so many doing re-enactment, an overachiever. The Bayeux Tapestry is not a small thing. It’s 20 inches by 230 feet! That’s like a receiver catching a 76 yard pass! No one would be brave enough to embroider a full-sized replica would they? Well, here’s Mia…
Interview: Mia Hansson
What is your quest?
I have given myself 10 years to make a full scale replica of the Bayeux tapestry, the way I believe it may have looked when it was first created, before any repair work was required. I was alerted to someone’s attempt to make a half scale version and decided that I wanted to make a tapestry too. However, if you are going to make something like this, it needs to be done properly. I’m now 2 years and 9 months into the project and I have completed over 17 m, which means I have less than 52 m left to embroider.
Mia’s replica stretched out
At a museum in Reading, UK is a replica made in the 1800s by the Leek Embroidery Society. That version was censored. Stallions turned into mares and nude men are wearing underpants. My tapestry will be true to the original, which can be seen at the Bayeux tapestry museum in northern France.
Alongside the embroidery, I’m writing a book in which I try to capture thoughts and ideas, as well as experiences that come with the project. I hope to publish it at the time of project completion.
What is your favorite color?
I love many colours, but if I have to pick one I would opt for red, the kind of red that goes towards blue, not yellow. Blue is a close second and a soft pink. There are both red and blue in the tapestry, which only contains seven shades: red, yellow, light and dark blue, light and dark green and a dark mixture of green and blue.
The basic images on the tapestry are horses, men, ships and buildings. Although ships take forever to embroidery, they make a real impact when they are done and so do the horses. Big blocks of colour and that’s satisfying to create. If someone was to pick one image from the Bayeux tapestry to embroidery, I would recommend a ship or a horse. Stay well clear of buildings with a tiled roof or bricked walls. They are frustrating to stitch, due to the bitty nature of many small details.
There are several different stitches used on the original tapestry and I try my best to use the same in the correct places. The couch stitch is the main one and it has become known as the Bayeux stitch. It is a very efficient way of covering a large area and I really enjoy it.
I find details important, even if they can be frustrating and for me it is a big deal to get the features of the people’s faces right. A hooked or pointy nose, big or small eyes and an upwards or downwards facing line marking a mouth can make a big different. At the very beginning of my project, I remember stitching King Edward’s face three times before being happy with it. I hate unpicking with a passion, but I’d rather do that than leave something I’m not pleased with. This is a project I want to be proud of.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The flying speed of a paint brush is less than that of a swooping eagle, but more than that of a person not concentrating hard enough to get out of its path.
There are two different shades of blue on the original tapestry, a light and a dark shade, which are two of the main seven colours. As they were hand dyed, of course they differ, sometimes within the same hank of wool. That means a stitched outline can start out light and end up dark, with a mid blue in between. I have to make a choice which shade to use, as I only have light and dark. Even worse is when I can’t decide whether an infilled area is meant to be light blue, dark blue or perhaps a green-blue mixture. Occasionally I have involved other people to help make a decision and at times I have worked with other colours while I try to make my mind up. Sometimes I have changed my opinion after stitching and then had to decide if to unpick my work or not. Funnily enough it is only the blue shades causing major issues. The others tend to behave.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I hold an awesome stabbing power when it comes to a small needle. Sometimes I stab so fast that I fail to move the hand holding the fabric and I have to make sure there are no blood stains on the item I’m working on. True story.
Neatness is my thing. From years and years and even more years of practice, I can keep my stitches neat, tidy and the same size. Even the back of the piece has passed the approving eye of many experienced needlewomen. I was taught by my nan at the age of 4 or 5 how to embroidery and her lessons included how to keep the backside tidy.
Before starting this tapestry project I was (and still am now and then) making Viking garments for reenactors and for museums. Some of those items featured embroidery. The person would give me an image and I would make it fit as if by magic. Perhaps that’s it, embroidery magic is my Holy Hand Grenade.
Mia with Tapestry
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Miss Piggy, of course!
Best Thing From the 80s? Leg warmers and permed hair. I had both.
Your Wrestler Name? Magic Mia – Poof and she is gone…
And Signature Wrestling Move? Run and hide, preferably as far from the arena as possible.
Favorite Weird Color? Pear ice cream green. Not pistachio green, but pear ice cream green.
How Will You Conquer the World? I’m already the ruler of my own pink clouded world. I will stitch something so amazing that people will willingly enter my world to view it. They will realize how pleasant Mia Land is and before they know it, they will be trapped and made to see the world through my eyes. Me being crazy? Pffft, not in my world. You’ll see…. Mwoa-ha-ha!
What Cartoon Character Are You? Lilla My from the Moomins
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? A soft cuddly frog when I was a child. He was my companion for far too many years.
What Do You Secretly Plot? To make people see the world the way I do. (See above)
Brought to you by the letter ___? M, of course. M for marvelous, meticulous, merry, magical and mustard, sweet mustard that is.
Favorite Sports Team? I don’t do sports. I like watching ice dancing, but that’s not really a team sport.
Cake or Pie? Pie! Oh yes, I had a piece of amazing pecan pie in Michigan last year at a place famous for its cherry pie.
Lime or Lemon? Lime, because it is small, green and cute.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Abba! At least one of my US friends couldn’t name a single Abba song. However, if you know the phenomenon that is (was) Abba, I’ll pick Marianne Flynner, a Swedish country & western singer.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey, I can spell…
Favorite Superhero? The Phantom. I even know a song about him… in Swedish. I’m singing it right now.
Steak Temperature? I don’t do temperature. I squish it when frying. It needs to have some squish to be rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? I loved Happy Days
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Spring, when the trees are light and bright green, before the summer heat kicks in. I love when nature comes back to life and I can be barefoot again.
Favorite Pet? Our two dogs, the Princess and the Pirate or Buffy and Bruin, if you want their real names.
Best Game Ever? The King’s Circle
Coffee or Tea? Black coffee, of course.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Fantasy, although I do like a decent alien.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
When will we get to see you again? It has been far too long. We still have the wooden piece of art you brought back from your travels.
Rob’s Answer: I don’t know, but I’d really like to come back. I had a great time both times I was in England, and I really want to do another walking tour. I’ve been reading a lot of Dick Francis lately, and I want to walk the Ridgeway Trail and then maybe time it so I can go to the Cheltenham Festival. I’ve never seen a real steeplechase, and I really want to.
When you write, how much of your own experiences do you include in the storyline? Are any of the characters based on you, however loosely? Do you plot the entire storyline before starting on a new book or does it take on a life of its own and take you on a journey during the process of writing?
Rob’s Answer: Wow, a number of questions there. Let’s start with how much me is in there. It’s hard to say, sometimes. My normal style is to create a character, put them into a situation, and role-play what they will do. I try to give the characters agency, but every part an actor plays comes at some point from his experiences.
I do base characters on people, but not much on me. I suppose I could fancy myself as Edward, but I’m probably closer to Ragnar if I’m being honest.
I’m a pantser, actually, which means I write by the seat of my pants. Plotting to me is a generalized where I want certain characters to end up. I suppose I’m doing a little more plotting in the sense I’m trying to pants barebones first drafts and then fill them out in the editing process. They serve as sort of a chapter plan.
I’ve found that short stories can sort of spring up wholly formed, like “Far Better to Dare,” my entry in the naval alternate history anthology Those in Peril and my most recent story, “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms,” which will come out in We Dare this summer. It doesn’t always happen like that, but it can.
However, novels always take a journey of their own for me. In A Lake Most Deep, I was writing the scene where we meet Katarina for the first time. I intended it that scene to be merely a placed Edward had to go, or it would be an obvious plot hole. Instead, Katarina grabbed me by the throat and changed the story completely, and in so doing, all of Shijuren. While it’s often not as dramatic as that scene, the truth is novels are too big with too much going on for them not to be shaped by characters at some point during the process.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I run two Facebook groups, Mia’s Bayeux tapestry story, where you can follow my project:
If you check out the information section of the tapestry group above, there are several links to video clips and online articles about the project, such as these ones:
In Mia’s sewing & embroidery, I showcase Viking age garments and other items I have made. I take orders, if anyone is interested of a 100% hand stitched piece.
Every so often I take my tapestry out for a talk & display, fairly local to where we live. Most of the events are private bookings, but occasionally I organize something for the general public. Those will be advertised on Mia’s Bayeux tapestry story Facebook page.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I use a frame for my embroidery. Everyone else asks this question, so why not you? No, I don’t. I have one, but don’t get along with it. Years or practice have taught me how to get the tension right without a frame.
What am I going to do with the tapestry once all 69 m have been completed? Hopefully I’ll find someone with deep pockets who is willing to take over ownership. If not, I have had 10 years of enjoyment out of it and it will live out its days as a giant roll of linen and wool in my hobby room.
Rob’s Note: Y’all need to buy a lot of books, because I really want to have deep pockets when the time comes.
Thanks to Mia for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Sorry for missing a few updates. It’s been a grueling time of late. However, I can tell you that The Feeding of Sorrows went to the editor last week.
I’m currently finishing a short story for an anthology. Hopefully that will be done today, but probably tomorrow. It’s been a fight to get this one out, actually. When the proposal came, I had what I thought was a great idea. However, when I actually wrote it, I realized it was not as good of a story as it was worldbuilding. I just never could get the tension or the twist that makes a good story.
So I started fresh. I really like this story. It melds a number of Old English influences with Shakespeare and my whimsy into a story tentatively titled A Wall Wondrously High. Bonus points for those who recognize the reference.
Next week I’ll jump back into None Call Me Mother, which I’m going to try and have the main draft done at the start of June. We’ll see, that’s a tough deadline, but it’s certainly possible with all the prep work I’ve done.
My plan is to start back up with the Mag Reviews next week. I’ve missed them, and they often provide me with good story ideas. While my initial story for this anthology didn’t work out, I’ve gotten a number of good story ideas, too. Now if I can only find time from my writing for deadlines to write random stories.
Not a bad thing to have deadlines, though. It means people keep wanting to read my stuff. So I guess I better go write.
Current Playlist Song
Smashing Pumpkins, Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Man, Smashing Pumpkins have made some great songs. This is one of them, though my favorite is still Blue, which was originally on Lull, a very early EP that I stumbled across.
Quote of the Week
Yesterday is, of course, the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. I have always loved this quote.
“Stand your ground. Do not fire unless you are fired upon, but if they mean war, let it begin here.”
– Capt. John Parker
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Wow, it’s been a while. Sorry for those waiting on interviews and mag reviews and my updates. Starting to get back in the groove on that after an incredibly busy March.
Anyway, today’s interview is with Karl Gallagher, who I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with a number of time at conventions. I enjoy chatting with him, in part because we agree on a number of writing things. Also, since he’s also in the SCA, we have a connection there as well.
Interview: Karl Gallagher
Karl Gallagher
What is your quest? I’m writing the kind of stories I want to read. Science fiction wrestling with ideas, people doing their best in hard situations, tactical challenges, adventures that are fun to read about but usually hell to live through.
What is your favorite color? Green. I like competent people doing smart things. Whether it’s mages figuring a clever use for a spell or engineers fixing something under fire, I like seeing people do their jobs well. Competence porn is one of my favorite genres.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? In the six years and counting I’ve been writing seriously I’ve averaged over seven thousand words written per month. I’m not consistent about it. Some people aim to write a fixed amount each day. Me, some days are nothing, some have two thousand words. I’ve also had zero word months. There was one where I wrote nearly 19k. So not attempting NaNoWriMo any time soon.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? I’ve picked up some useful experience for an SF/F writer. I’m an aerospace engineer with lots of experience on satellites and rockets, which lets me get the orbital mechanics right in my hard SF novels. Game mastering table top role-playing games developed my storytelling abilities. When one of my characters decides to take a right turn off the outline I know how to roll with it. Other useful experience: some time in the military, raising kids, and being a heavy fighter in the SCA.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit. I sympathize with trying to manage the chaos. Gives me Battalion XO flashbacks.
Best Thing From the 80s? Reality: Fall of Soviet Union. Fiction: Star Trek – The Wrath of Khan.
Your Wrestler Name? Weeble.
And Signature Wrestling Move? Not letting go.
Favorite Weird Color? Strange Tartan Combos.
How Will You Conquer the World? Infecting people with memes spread through my books.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Foghorn Leghorn.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? First Edition hardcover of Starship Troopers.
What Do You Secretly Plot? How to escape my day job.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy.
Favorite Sports Team? Harrington Treecats.
Cake or Pie? Pie.
Lime or Lemon? Lemon.
Favorite Chip Dip? Onion.
Wet or Dry? Wet.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Jumpin’ Kate (Nebraska rocker).
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey.
Favorite Superhero? Ironman. It’s fun pointing out Stark Industries products actually made where I work.
Steak Temperature? Medium, especially if I don’t know which way that cook is going to err.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Classic Star Trek re-runs.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Best Game Ever? For tactical challenge, Ogre/GEV. For pure fun, Firefly the Game.
Coffee or Tea? Tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Lean toward sci-fi, but never exclusive.
Brought to you by the letter _? R for Rocket.
The Lost War
What question(s) would you like to ask me? How do you throw such great room parties?
Rob’s Answer: Practice, I guess. Plus watching my parents and their friends did. I mean, high school parties were boring, but the ones Jim Erickson threw were amazing.
A lot of my party experience comes from Pennsic. There’s a certain amount of KISS principle involved. First, you need to limit the drink choices a bit. For me, that’s cider, a variety of beers, and one mixed drink that is premixed. The goal is to limit the time waiting to get a beverage. Secondly, you need to do everything you can ahead of time, just like setting out props in a play. Make it so everything is easy to see. Third, don’t stress about how many will or won’t come. Invite all you can, but make sure no one feels they have to come. Parties are about fun, not forcing people to be there.
Basically, you create a field with all the toys and stay out of the way of people having fun.
And I occasionally post on FB, twitter, MeWe under my name.
And where can we find you? I’ll be at Libertycon (Chattanooga, June) and Fencon (DFW, September).
Do you have a creator biography? Karl Gallagher has earned engineering degrees from MIT and USC, controlled weather satellites for the Air Force, designed weather satellites for TRW, designed a rocketship for a start-up, and done systems engineering for a fighter plane. He has, on a few occasions, put on armor and been hit in the head with a stick. His sole moment of martial fame was being one-shot in Crown so efficiently there was a three paragraph write up in the kingdom newsletter. He is husband to Laura and father to Maggie, James, and dearly missed Alanna.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I have any new books coming out? Why, yes! I’ve just released The Lost War. A group of historical reenactors expected a weekend of costumed fun . . . instead a magic spell pulled them into a world where they must struggle to survive.
The sequel, The War Revealed, will be out May 7th.
Thanks to Karl for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m home. The overall trip was over 4000 miles. There were a bunch of highlights, and you can find my Gulf Wars AARhere.
The cap to it all was FantaSci. This was the first year of the con, but you really wouldn’t have known that if you weren’t told. They did have some advantages, like pulling from a former con (HonorCon) and having it be a major event for two different fan groups (The TRMN and the 4HU Mercenary Guild). However, that doesn’t ensure success, and it was a very successful con.
I’d like to stop for a moment to thank Lyons and his staff for doing a great job. If the name Lyons sounds familiar in the context of the 4HU, it’s because he has been tuckerized as the owner of the Lyon’s Den merc bar, which provided the impetus for three anthologies of short stories. He and his crew had things organized well. As I said, one could not tell it was the first time with this con, as the issues I saw are the issues one usually finds at any con, like issues with the hotel and its bar and restaurant.
Another side note, I rather enjoyed the hotel. The food was pretty good, not terribly expensive, and the bar had an IPA on tap. The rooms were also much cheaper than one normally finds at a con. I hope they stay there.
I was in a lot of panels, which is just the way I like it. On Friday I was in a fun panel sponsored by Ian J. Malone, which discussed sports in SF and fantasy writing, such as baseball in the Honor Harrington universe and the like. Sports has been a part of humanity since we became a species, and it will continue in space and exist in fantasy worlds, just like it did it in the Middle Ages.
My next panel was a discussion of writing in shared worlds. I’m getting a taste of this in the 4HU, and have plans to open up Shijuren for at least some anthologies, so this was a valuable one for me to listen and learn, as well as comment.
Saturday was a huge day for me. I started with a panel discussing Alternate History Change Points. This was actually a major treat for me, as one of my favorite authors, Steve White was on this panel. Also included were Kacey Ezell and Christopher Woods, so it was a lively panel.
Then I went into a stretch of four panels in five hours, starting with a panel on pantsing. Pantsing, if you’ve not heard the term, means writing from the seat of your pants. The other end of the spectrum is plotting. It was a huge thing for me to discover that pantsing was an accepted and normal form of writing, because that’s what came naturally to me. I tend to plot more than I used to, but generally only in vague terms. It still makes more sense to see what the characters do rather than forcing them into a certain path.
Immediately was the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel where Chris talked about all the things that are coming. I got to talk about the Feeding of Sorrows and see a bunch of things coming down the pike. Kennedy is amazing. He has done incredible stuff and made a bunch of opportunities for other writers.
After an hour break, I was in a panel on genre blending, which of course I talk about a goodly amount given the Edward novels.
Finally, I was on a whimsical panel about the messiest ways to kill undead. This panel was designed to go off the rails, and off the rails we went. Lots of fun.
Saturday night was the highlight of the event. It was perhaps the best single experience I’ve had in the con scene as a writer. The 4HU Mercenary Guild held a Dining Out. If you’re in the military, you know what this means. It is a ritual dinner, with a number of specific toasts and ceremonies. I was generally an observer, asking questions of the vets at my table and learning. I was also smart enough not to create a reason that I needed to drink the grog. A certain Minion, on the other hand, fought the grog and the grog won. Much hilarity has and will ensue on that.
After the Dining Out was a number of fun things. Saturday happened to be Kacey Ezell’s birthday, and also she and Marisa Wolf had a bestseller on Amazon to celebrate. Then there was floating to some parties, including going down to karaoke, which was a lot of fun. I even sang some Dropkick Murphys. Then we ended the night chatting in my room until late, even getting security to tell us to be quiet.
Sunday was much more laid back. I didn’t have any panels, though I did go to closing ceremonies. This was the first con where I was “featured” in any way, and I made sure I was at the ceremonies. Lyons paid me an incredible honor with that, and I can’t thank him enough.
Mostly what I did on Sunday, though, was get out my laptop and offer to update wiki entries. Many of the attendees to the con are redshirts in the 4HU, and I added fun things to a number of entries.
Then I was in a quandary. I had plans to eat with my aunt and uncle around 5pm. However, I *really* wanted to get home. I canceled and left around 2 to try and get past Nashville on a Sunday night. I made it to Clarksville, despite losing an hour to construction in Knoxville. It’s a good thing I did, because I was pushing through a bit of flu yesterday and I might have lost a day coming home. Given that in two days I set up at Planet Comicon, I really couldn’t spare the time. Side note, I feel much better this morning, even to the point of keeping food down.
FantaSci was an amazing con. Truly one of the best I have ever been to. LibertyCon level, even. I ticked off all the professional goals I had, enjoyed myself, and met a bunch of new friends.
It was also the launch of the 4HU Mercenary Guild fan group. You can find it here: www.mercenaryguild.org. I know I’m only a bit player in this universe, but it’s still cool to be a part of it. If you like the 4HU books, sign on up. I’ll be starting up a Foresters unit when the time comes.
I may not get to go next year because of timing, though. I think it’s on the second weekend of Gulf Wars next years, so I may have to make a choice.
However, I’ll go back every year I can. It’s on the list.
I am at the Southern Charm Restaurant in Blue Ridge, GA on my way to FantaSci in Raleigh, NC next weekend. It’s a lovely day to drive around Appalachia, sunny and comfortable.
Gulf Wars 2019 booth
Comfortable is a good way to describe this year’s Gulf Wars weather. It was the best weather I’ve ever seen at Gulf Wars. We had major rain one night, but nothing huge during any day. It got warmish one day. There were a few days that got to the cool side of things, but nothing like the cold of the past few years. It was great.
For the first time, I had my own booth at a major war. I was located across from the Gode Bakery along a major road, so I had people coming by my booth constantly. I was a little worried that my traffic would drop off dramatically by not being in Calontir Trim, but the location worked out well.
The setup also worked well. I had my books and the CDs I carry on one side of the front. The other side held Lobster Rose Pottery. It was a nice combination, actually. Gwen’s stuff drew in some eyes my books didn’t, and vice versa.
Overall, sales for me continued the trend of rising each year. I did real well on A Lake Most Deep, which is nice because I get a lot of return readers, so hopefully that means even more business next year. I was actually surprised how few sales with multiple items happened. Usually, I have about a third of my total sales from people buying two or more at once. This year, I only had about one in five or so. I’m not at all sure what that means, only that it was striking.
CDs continue to add a touch extra. I broke even on CDs this year because I added Wolgemut’s latest and three of Vince Conaways. It’s a nice sideline that’s easy and continues to add a little here, a little there.
I managed to fulfill my responsibilities as Their Majesties’ herald, though it wasn’t always easy. I caught the cold/cough/allergies that seemed to be going around and it slowed me down. I made it through court, if only barely, on Thursday. Then I fell down, go boom. Friday, I felt much better, though.
I mentioned yesterday that I have a bunch of people to thank. I surely can’t remember everyone, because there’s so many, but here are some that come to mind.
I’ll start with Master Andrixos for helping me along the path of SCA merchanting. He also brought over Master Blackhawk, merchant-o-crat of Ragnarok, Dagorhir’s version of Pennsic. I may go this year. Drix has been a major boon to me, and I can’t thank him enough.
Seraphima, the Gulf Merchant coordinator, for putting up with my questions and helping me. I’ll also include her staff, who made things much easier. Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
Gwen for making the pottery in the first place, but more importantly, Ulf for handling the pottery setup and take down. Thanks very much. I didn’t break anything, which was a huge concern on my part.
I learned how hard it is to run a booth by oneself. Thanks to Kierstie and Catin for taking time out of their schedules to watch the booth. Also to Nest and Dissa, who dropped by a number of times to see if I needed anything. There were also a number of people who hung around for five minutes while I went to the bathroom or across the street to the Gode Bakery. Thanks guys, I couldn’t have made it through the war without you.
I want to thank Their Majesties for being patient and accommodating with my work schedule. They adapted and overcame when I wasn’t around as things changed and they needed a herald on the spur of the moment. Also, I really appreciate you allowing me to tag in Dawi to serve as stunt herald for opening ceremonies.
And guess what, I’d like to thank Dawi for handling opening ceremonies. It’s a fun gig, but it’s a lot of hurry up and wait, and by doing the job, it meant I had that much more time to work.
I had a ton of customers during the week. If I’m accounting correctly, I sold books, CDs, and pottery to over 60 different customers this past week. That seems like a lot to me. I don’t have most of your names, but thanks for coming by, I really appreciate it
To count off on the final results. I liked my location. I sold more than ever. Gwen liked the results. I learned a ton about what I need in my own booth, too. If they let me, I’ll be right there again next year.
I’m sitting in the Plaid Rhino in Hattiesburg, getting ready to go to Gulf Wars around noon today. I’m excited as this is my first time in my own merchant booth.
If you’re going, you can find me right across from the Gode Bakery, around the corner from Calontir Trim. I even have a sign, which looks better in real life than in the picture.
I’ll be selling my books, of course, but also a variety of CDs and, more importantly, a bunch of great pottery from Lobster Rose Pottery.
Drop in and say hi!
During the week I’ll finish The Feeding of Sorrows. I’m at the making the conclusion work stage and doing a bunch of fiddly bits, like getting rid of crutch words.
Last week was ConCoction. I had a very good time, got to be on four fun panels and I had a full day to actually enjoy a con because I had a quirky schedule. I probably won’t do a full AAR, but it’s a good con.
Current Playlist Song
Electric Avenue, by Eddy Grant. I actually love this song.
Quote of the Week
On of my favorite chess players died on this day in 1942, Jose Raul Capablanca. He had such an interesting style to me. He also had a philosophy that resonates with me.
You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.
– Capablanca
News and Works in Progress
The Feeding of Sorrows (approx. 105,000)
CB (8,418)
AFS (2,556)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Been on the road and have been focused on The Feeding of Sorrows. I’ll probably get back to consistent updating of the blog in April, though I’ll have some AARs between now and then.
I guess this week’s spotlight is on me setting up shop at Gulf.
Today’s Weight: Won’t know until I get home
Updated Word Count: Not sure of this either
Shijuren Wiki: 875 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 533 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
There some convention information to start off with this week. First, most you probably already heard that LibertyCon had to change it’s date and venue. It’s now the last weekend of June in the Marriott. I’m sure that there are a number of people negatively affected by the change, but fortunately, I’m not one of them.
The other change is that I just got added to ConCoction in Cleveland next weekend. It works out conveniently for my trip to Gulf Wars, actually, as I’ll stay in Pittsburgh during the following week before heading down to Hattiesburg.
I hope that by the time I leave I can send Chris Kennedy a full draft of The Feeding of Sorrows. I’m around 100k words on it, but better yet, I’ve been cleaning out a bunch of plot holes and mistakes. I’m about 2/3rds of the way doing that, and this process always adds a bunch of words as I realize I missed things.
The step after that is the grammer/spelling/crutch word cleanup. Then it’s off to the editor.
Following that I’ll be working on None Call Me Mother and a couple of short stories. One is a follow on “Far Better to Dare” from Those in Peril, this one with an aeronautical aspect. The other is a future of war kind of thing.
Lots of stuff to do to meet deadlines, which is really nice. Also, I’ve been averaging well over 1000 words per day in 2019. More like 1500 counting every day. It’s nice to be back into the flow, even though I wasn’t feeling well this week.
With that, I’m going to relax with the sweetie and kitties tonight and get back to the grind tomorrow. Have a great week.
Current Playlist Song
Anthrax’s Skeleton in the Closet. I’ve found myself really getting into Anthrax as I get older. Actually, I’ve found my tastes get harder and more metal in general. Anyway, it’s a great song.
Quote of the Week
On this day in 532, the Emperor Justinian began building one of his greatest legacies, the Hagia Sophia. Of this building, Procopius had this to day:
For it soars to a height to match the sky, and as if surging up from amongst the other buildings it stands on high and looks down upon the remainder of the city, adorning it, because it is a part of it, but glorying in its own beauty, because, though a part of the city and dominating it, it at the same time towers above it to such a height that the whole city is viewed from there as from a watch-tower.”
-Procopius, De Aedificiis
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Greetings all. Today’s interview is with Matt Williams. He’s another author I’ve not yet had the pleasure of meeting face to face, but one of these days I’ll do a west coast swing and hopefully get a chance to share a beverage with him.
Interview: Matt Williams
What is your quest?
I guess you could say my quest has always been to write the kind of science fiction that I would want to read, the kind of stuff that inspired me growing up and made me want to become a writer myself. This comes down to hard science fiction mostly, and the classics that have remained relevant and influential long after they were written. Examples include the venerable Frank Herbert and his magnum opus, the Dune series. He was the author that taught people to take science fiction seriously, myself included.
And of course, there is 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, perhaps the most-influential works of the 20th century and the stories that taught me how science fiction is also a commentary on the present as much as a vision of the future. And then there was William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Sprawl Trilogy, which not only taught me about gritty, cyberpunk realism, but that all science fiction is about the time period in which it is written.
I also derived a lot of inspiration from Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey series and Rendezvous with Rama, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, Alastair Reynolds’ Revelation Space universe, Ursula K. LeGuin’s TheLeft Hand of Darkness and The Outcasts, Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age, and various works by Charles Stross and Kim Stanley Robinson. All of these books helped me learn to dream in hard science fiction, and to weave tales of my won.
And of course, I wouldn’t be where I am now were it not for the opportunity I’ve had to write about astronomy, science, and space exploration for Universe Today. All of my published work owes its existence to what I have learned from my job, which is how to take space-related news and knowledge and make it accessible for public consumption. You might say there’s some crossover there with being a science fiction writer! 😉
What is your favorite color?
I’m not too picky, as long as the colors are appropriate to the setting. That’s one thing I like about settings, they need to be detailed so that people can get an image in their mind of what it’s like to be there. This includes not only what things look like, but also smell like and feel like. Space and place are very important when it comes to creating atmosphere and setting the mood. This is as true for science fiction as it is in real life.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The challenges have been numerous and belligerent! But that’s pretty much how it goes and that which does not kill you makes you stronger. For starters, I found that you have to make all the mistakes before you can expect to identify them. You also have to learn that reality does not conform to expectations. Much of these lessons were learned from my first novel, which was self-published and really didn’t do that well.
And even after learning all that, I’ve found I still have some serious difficulties with the writing process. Some of these are typical while others feel like they are particular. For instance, I have a hell of a time writing the middle parts of stories. Beginnings are easy for me, which is why I start projects all the time that I never finish. Endings are great too, that’s where most of the exciting stuff happens. But those middle chapters? Ick! This seems like an example of a typical problem for writers.
But what I think may be particular to myself is the difficulty I have with writing third installments. Not sure why, but the third book in a series is always the hardest for me to write. The first book is a challenge since it involves setting the stage and all that, but it’s creatively fun and rewarding. The second book seems easy by comparison, since you’ve already set the stage and the second act is all about turning up the heat and taking things to the next level! But the third book? That’s where everything has to come together and conclude in a nice, tidy package. So many details to remember, so many threads that need to be tied!
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I would say my most effective technique is visualization, specifically the ability to picture how things will look in a story before committing them to paper. I’ve always had a fertile imagination, which could be a liability at times! In grade school, I was accused more than once of being lazy, inattentive, and stupid for the way I would be constantly daydreaming. Luckily, my educators saw the potential and recommended I channel my imagination into my work. Now my work is based on my ability to imagine things. I believe they call that “check” and “mate”!
This has led to many reviewers and commenters saying that they liked my “world-building”. I have to admit, that’s one of my favorite aspects of creating a story, picturing how everything fits into a narrative universe and fleshing it out from there. And since people seem to respond to that, I am happy to keep doing it!
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy
Favorite Sports Team? BC Lions
Cake or Pie? Cake
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Onion and Chive
Wet or Dry? Dry
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Shawn Pigott
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man
Steak Temperature? Hot, but still pink in the middle
Favorite 1970s TV show? M*A*S*H
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Spring
Favorite Pet? Jasper
Best Game Ever? Skyrim
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi (hello!)
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
My questions are a bit eclectic and my I’m heavily-biased when it comes to them, so feel free to pass on any or all of them:
Beer or wine? Beer Favorite beer? Schlafly Tasmanian IPA How much ya’ bench? Both pounds Best sci-fi movie of all time? Empire Strikes Back Best recent sci-fi movie? Guardians of the Galaxy Best sci-fi novel/writer of all time? Isaac Asimov Terraforming or space habitats? Both FTL, yay or nay? Eventually. There’s too much fuzziness in time and space for there not to be a way of circumventing. What is the central question posed by the Fermi Paradox? Why the human race can’t get a date.
My third book, The Frost Line Fracture (which will conclude the Formist Series), is in the works and should be available soon. Time will tell, but I’m on track to finish it by this summer!
And where can we find you?
I am still contemplating attending TitanCon, which is being held in Belfast this year. It’s a bit of a hop, but one that would be worth it.
Do you have a creator biography?
Matthew S. Williams is an author, a writer for Universe Today and the curator of their Guide to Space section. His works include sci-fi/mystery The Cronian Incident and his articles have been featured in Phys.org, HeroX, Popular Mechanics, Business Insider, Gizmodo and IO9, Science Alert, Knowridge Science Report, and Real Clear Science, with topics ranging from astronomy and Earth sciences to technological innovation and environmental issues. He is also a former educator and a 5th degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do instructor. He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and family.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
How about best science fiction series of all time? Opinions on this are usually divisive and varied, but for me, it’s Babylon 5. No other sci-fi series that I have experienced before or since has managed to capture J.M. Straczynski’s ability to weave a tale, set the stage, and connect it all in a brilliantly-circular fashion. At least as far as I am concerned.
Here are a couple of reviews of his first two novels.
“The Cronian Incident, which I recommended to my audience as my top Sci-Fi read of the year, is a treasure of planetary science.“ –Heather Archulette (aka. Pillownaut)
“Exciting plot with a good foundation in science. This is not surprising given the author’s expertise as an excellent science writer for Universe Today. Inspiring ending. Highly recommended!” –Prof. Avi Loeb, Harvard University
Thanks to Matt for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Sorry about not having an update last week. I’ve been pounding away at The Feeding of Sorrows. I’m doing well, though I wanted to be farther along. I’m over 90k, though, so it’s not entirely vaporware at this point.
I’m currently ensuring I’ve got all the pieces in the right place for the penultimate battle. In this case, this is the part where I have to juggle all the timing to make it work right. The final battle follows easily enough, once we get the characters into place for this one.
Why two battles? Well, I like intrigue, treachery, and extra explosions.
Anyway, I’m really pleased with the story and I’m excited to finish and get it to the publisher.
My story is called “Far Better to Dare,” and it’s about a certain memorable thing which doesn’t become memorable until ten years after it really happened. I really enjoyed writing this story, in part because I had to research an era of naval history I only knew a little about. It turns out to be perfect for this sort of exercise, with all sorts of interesting quirks and tidbits available to toss into the pot.
With that, I think I’m going to take the rest of the night off. A Cadfael mystery or two is calling.
Current Playlist Song
Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear the Reaper. Like many, not only do I love the song but I am also reminded of the great “More Cowbell” routine where Christopher Walken keeps demanding more cowbell from Will Ferrell. This skit got even funnier when I realized that there really is cowbell in the song, but it’s in the background. Ferrell picked it up, though, and, though I rarely say this about him, made comedic gold.
Quote of the Week
I might as well use the quote that provided my title for my story in Those in Peril.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I first read Meriah in the 1632 universe. Then we met at my first LibertyCon and we talked about a variety of things related to that universe. Later, she took the time to give me a bunch of useful suggestions on a short story I was working on there. One of these days I’ll finish that story.
In any case, it gives me great pleasure to be alongside her in the Those in Peril anthology coming out on Friday. Did I mention there’s an alternate naval history anthology coming out in two days? Well, there’s an alternate naval history anthology coming out in two days. Just sayin’.
Interview: Meriah Crawford
Meriah at Petra
What is your quest?
I spent a lot of my professional life doing super interesting things like systems analysis and application design, often for small internal applications. I worked with a lot of really smart and dedicated people, but also with a lot of egotistical, marginally competent fools. Then I had a midlife crisis, became a private investigator, and decided my path needed to involve doing something with meaning and impact. While I hope my creative writing will help me find that meaning and impact, I also have two large projects I’m working on about point of view, stemming from my dissertation. I’ve essentially redefined point of view to be more granular and useful, and then dug into second person to explore its functions. These projects are my babies, and I think they both will contribute something new and important to the world. As for my influences, I would say Where the Wild Things Are, the Bobbsey Twins, Louis L’Amour, Albert Camus, and J. K. Rowling (including Casual Vacancy) are significant for me, among many others.
What is your favorite color?
I spent some time really exploring the Hero’s Journey recently for a class I’m teaching. Thinking about it in relation to the Harry Potter books helped me appreciate what makes the books so good and so appealing. For example, in the first book, Rowling doesn’t just give Harry a single threshold moment of entry into the wizarding world, but many—and each one is a joy and an intense experience for the character and the reader. One of the mistakes many authors make—especially in the realm of YA or middle grade fiction—is to take a really basic approach to the stages of the Journey, and that can make the stories seem simplistic. So, I think that’s a real opportunity for writers, if they want to improve their writing. It gave me specific ideas, for example, about how I could use and subvert the structure of the journey for a story I’ve been struggling with.
This is a great exploration of the Hero’s Journey, including a nice overview of how The Hobbit fits into the journey: https://blog.reedsy.com/heros-journey/
Persistence of Dreams Cover
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
My biggest challenge is always time, and I think that’s true for most people who don’t write full time. As a professor, it’s the rare day that I don’t have enough to do to fill every hour. I’m often literally grading papers or doing some kind of class prep until 11 or later at night. This makes it easy not to write, and it’s easy to continue not writing. But, that ultimately makes me miserable. Given the nature of my schedule, this will probably always be a struggle, but I’m learning a ton along the way about how to be productive. I recommend the Pomodoro Technique (https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique), which is especially valuable for people who distract easily or tend to switch to email or social media while they work, and I really love the day-long writing get-togethers that I have with friends. This is a great pomodoro (or general) timer: https://www.marinaratimer.com/
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I think layers of meaning and ripple effects are important and powerful in writing. I know I’ve done them well, and it’s something I intend to do more of in more thoughtful ways in the future.
Lightning Round
Cake or Pie? I don’t really like pie, for the most part, except as a delivery platform for whipped cream. I love Key lime pie, though, and it’s super easy to make.
Lime or Lemon? I love limes so much. Years ago, I worked for a company that did seafood marketing, conferences, and publications. They had a full kitchen where they prepped food for photo shoots (I saw some scary stuff!) and they would always call me down if they were using limes, so I could have some. OK, now that I’m writing it down, it seems kind of weird.
Favorite Chip Dip? I make kick ass blue cheese dip! Want the recipe? (Rob’s Note:Absolutely)
Wet or Dry? I don’t eat cat food, you weirdo. That’s gross.
Favorite Pet? D’Argo is the best dog ever. Such a sweetie pie!
Best Game Ever? I once played a combination of cards during a Cards Against Humanity tournament that was so offensive the guy running it tried to declare me the winner on the spot. (And I did end up winning the tournament!) But I also really love Takenoko. What could be better than bamboo, pandas, and gardening?
Coffee or Tea? I am a huge tea fan. I recently discovered Bigelow Green Tea with Lemon, which is wonderful, and I have long loved the teas from www.uptontea.com.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I go both ways.
D’Argo
What question(s) would you like to ask me? (Ask me anything you want. If you can’t think of something specific about me, ask something general about writing or any of your interests. Or make up something like the lightning round.)
What’s your favorite cute animal video?
Rob’s Answer: All of the ones involving cats. Or dogs.
2. When the aliens finally come, will they destroy us, help us, or something else?
Rob’s Answer: They’ll destroy what we were, not necessarily by choice but by the impact of dealing with another species and a different galaxy than ever before. What we become after that is what pays our salaries, often enough.
The hardest thing when writing aliens is to know that they think in completely alien ways with different goals and desires. I certainly think the concept of an alien viewing us as something to eliminate is possible. To exploit is more likely. To collaborate? Maybe.
3.How long will you survive the zombie apocalypse?
Well, hopefully forever. My goal is to end up like Simon Pegg’s buddy in the garage at the end of Shaun of the Dead. More likely, however, not long at all. I am, after all, well-marbled.
And my story “’Nothing Can be Said Sufficient to Describe It’” is in the anthology Those in Peril. The story is made up of letters from a man to his granddaughter (sent in this century) about an important lighthouse builder from the 17th century.
And where can we find you?
I’m at Ravencon in Richmond almost every year, as well as Capclave in Maryland, and I usually teach a workshop or two. Can’t get to Balticon this year, but I’m usually there as well.
Do you have a creator biography?
Meriah Lysistrata Crawford is an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as a private investigator, writer, and editor. She has published short stories in several genres, a novella, essays, a variety of scholarly work, and poems, and co-edited the anthology Trust and Treachery: Tales of Power and Intrigue. Her novel The Persistence of Dreams, co-written with Robert Waters, was released in May 2018.
Meriah has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast MFA program, and a PhD in literature and criticism from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Her work as a PI, spanning over fifteen years, has included investigations of shootings, murders, burglaries, insurance fraud, auto accidents, backgrounds, counterfeit merchandise, patent infringement, and missing persons. For more information about her work, including articles about writing, visit her website at www.meriahcrawford.com, or connect on Twitter: @MeriahCrawford or Facebook: www.facebook.com/meriah.crawford.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked my favorite kind of chocolate. I would answer that I really like Leonidas, and almost anything involving hazelnuts.
You also didn’t ask me anything about being a private investigator. I have a bunch of stuff I’ve written about it on my website. In recent years, I’ve mostly worked on murders and shootings, very much part time, which has been super interesting. I’ve learned a lot about evidence and forensics, and also about how shitty our criminal justice system is. It’s a huge damn shame.
Thanks to Meriah for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Wow, I just realized I never actually posted this on Friday when I had it ready to go. My apologies, I was waiting on an email from ACX confirming the exciting news. You get two updates this week.
What exciting news, you ask? Well, the Audible version of A Lake Most Deep went to Audible for proofing today. For a variety of reasons, it has taken much longer than expected, but it’s just about ready to go. It’ll be live as soon as Audible reviews it and I’ll be posting it. Fair warning, I’ll probably post a special announcement here when that happens.
My voice actor is Rob Saladino. His IMDB page is here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5238545/. There’s not a ton there now, but he’s plugging away and he’s got some interesting projects coming along.
This has been another productive week, though I slowed some to consolidate some of the writing. Plus, of course, there was ChattaCon. Still, I’m making significant progress at around 70k. And that’s what I’m going to go work on right now.
Current Playlist Song
The Mountain of Power Processional from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack. This soundtrack is amazing. Basil Poledouris did an amazing job, and, frankly wrote music to emphasize heroism. It’s great writing music.
Quote of the Week
Since I’m listening to the soundtrack, let’s start with the words that start the film. This quote concludes with my aim as a writer.
“Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
– Akiro the Wizard, Conan the Barbarian
News and Works in Progress
The Feeding of Sorrows (approx. 70,000)
CB (8,418)
AFS (2,556)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Not a great week for me on the blog front. I doubt I’ll do much on that this week either as I am really pushing on A Feeding of Sorrows.
Upcoming Events
I might have a couple more to add, one the first weekend of March and one in April, but still figuring out details.
This week’s spotlight is on Jason Cordova because I found Rob Saladino because he did the audiobook version of Jason’s book. Wraithkin, by I really enjoyed the book and the narration so I was excited when he agreed to narrate my books. He also is a part of the Four Horsemen Universe, and he’s got a bunch of good stuff out there.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: 14,507
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 518 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m in Chattanooga at the Read House hotel for ChattaCon. It’s been a great week. I started the week with 50-some thousand words in a jumble. I ended the week with over 60k towards a book. I also cleaned up a bunch of things to match some of the universe standards.
In other words, I had a great writing retreat this week. I also made progress on re-editing The Eyes of a Doll.
Saturday
12noon: Shaved Werewolves and Other Oddities
2pm: The Book was Better
7pm: Benefits and Drawbacks of Traditional versus Independent Publishing
Sunday
11am: Tudors with Machine Guns
1pm: Obscure Heroes
Lots of great stuff here, and I’m excited to be a part of it. I really want to thank Lani Brooks for letting me be a part of things here.
If you’re at ChattaCon, please join me. I’ll be giving away old SF magazines at my panel. This week’s phrase is: Anne Boleyn. You’ll see why in a moment. If you’re at one of my panels, I’ll give you a magazine if you’re the first person to tell me this phrase.
Current Playlist Song
Pellonpekko by Korpiklaani. These guys are a fantastic Finnish folk metal band and this is an amazing instrumental that I love.
Quote of the Week
Henry VIII secretly married Anne Boleyn on this day in 1533. She’s the first beheaded in this:
This week’s spotlight is on Aaron Hollingsworth, a talented writer and game designer. You can find his interview at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1644.
Today’s Weight: Not sure
Updated Word Count: 13,870
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 518 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week’s interview subject is Aaron Hollingsworth. He’s not only a good writer, but he’s a guy who writes role-playing game content, something I’d like to do one of these days. Plus, he’s a Kevin Smith fan.
Interview: Aaron Hollingsworth
What is your quest?
My primary goal is completing the Four Winds-One Storm saga, a series of science fantasy novels. I have 5 planned.
In a broader sense, my quest is to write fiction that will inspire readers in unexpected ways. I strive to amuse while planting seeds, hoping for a fruitful yield without knowing exactly what will come from the planting. I have no particular agenda when composing stories. I just want to stimulate minds. My influences are: Garth Ennis, Kozou Koike, Kevin Smith, Jim Butcher, Shakespeare, Quentin Tarentino, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith, to name a few.
What is your favorite color?
I grew up thinking blood red was the coolest color, but mustard yellow or brown suits me best. When it comes to employing creativity, I find it best to see how the ideas I want to use relate to one another. Assembling ideas is a puzzle process based on free-associative thought. The number 7 may be lucky, but 3 is more helpful. Writing a story is sort of like a math problem. First Act + Second Act = Third Act, or Setting/Characters + Problem = Outcome.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
An unladen paint brush would have no paint. It would not get used. Therefore, the answer is 0 mph (or 0 kph if you use the metric system.) My biggest challenge has always been my own comprehension. I’m a bit of a ditz in that I can only learn things I am passionate about. So, when it comes to learning technical things I tend to struggle. I’m more clever than smart.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Thanks to some of the influences listed above, I feel I have a good grasp on writing dialogue. Thanks to some martial arts training, I can narrate combat scenarios. I can’t fight that well in real life, but I can write a fight okay. My proudest successes are getting most of my books turned into audiobooks and working with amazing narrator/producers from both coasts, as well as Australia.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Hard to say, but The Muppet Christmas Carol breaks heart every time without fail.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy is dreamy.
Favorite Sports Team? I’m not a sports enthusiast, sorry.
Cake or Pie? Gooseberry pie, please. Rob’s Note: Good answer!!!
Lime or Lemon? Lemon juice on papercuts.
Favorite Chip Dip? Anything without Cilantro. It tastes like soap to me.
Wet or Dry? Smooth.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Modern listeners need to research the amazing work of Crash Test Dummies.
Whisky or Whiskey? WhisKEY has a better ring to it.
Favorite Superhero? Evil Ernie
Steak Temperature? I prefer hamburgers. Well done.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Saturday Night Live
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Forever Autumn (it is the name of a good song)
Favorite Pet? We moved around a lot as a kid. I never really bonded with a animal, unfortunately. I prefer cats over dogs.
Best Game Ever? Video Game: Balder’s Gate: Dark Alliance. Table Top: Pathfinder
Coffee or Tea? Espresso. Lots of it.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? My favorite fantasy series is the Codex: Alera by Jim Butcher, but my favorite fantasy writer is Clark Ashton Smith. His Averoigne and Zothique cycles are wondrous!
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How would you describe your desk/work station? Use only adverbs.
Rob’s Answer: Surely, literally, totally well enough
I will be working tables at Planet ComiCon and ConQuest 50, both in Kansas City. Rob’s Note: I’ll be at ComiCon too.
Do you have a creator biography?
Aaron Hollingsworth is an anomalous mass of molecules conspiring to describe the impossible in the best way possible. His weird fiction works include The Bone Brick City, The Geohex of Wraith County, The Broken Bards of Paris, and The Apothecary of Mantua. He also develops RPG content compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. He lives in Kansas City.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what advice I would give aspiring writers?
If your story is important to you, get it done as best you can, get it published as best you can, and promote it as best you can. No matter what results from these three endeavors, be satisfied that you did your best.
Thanks to Aaron for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m sitting at my booth at Menhir, an SCA event in Murfreesboro, TN as I’m winding my way to ChattaCon next weekend.
Those In Peril Cover
This has been a good week for me. I’ve managed to get a solid number of words written and fixed a number of plot issues in The Feeding of Sorrows. j
Also, the cover for Those In Peril, the alternate naval history anthology that includes my story “Far Better to Dare, was released. As you can see, the cover is really cool and I’m excited to be a part of the project. Also, “Far Better to Dare” is perhaps my favorite story that I’ve written so far.
This week I’ll be working on two projects. One, throwing more words at the page on The Feeding of Sorrows. I’ll be in a sort of writer’s retreat this week and anticipate major progress.
Second, I’ll be mostly alone, so I can read The Eyes of a Doll out loud without annoying anyone. It’s time to do a re-edit of it so I can get new stock for Gulf Wars.
With that, I better start focusing on customers passing by. Have a great week, everyone.
Current Playlist Song
I don’t have any music right now, nor did I listen to any music on the drive. Instead, I listened to Dune. It’s been over twenty years since I read it and some intriguing comments by Christopher Ruocchio on Twitter brought it to mind. I had an Audible credit, so…
One interesting note about Audible books is the detail to me. I have a tendency to read the gestalt of a paragraph instead of every word. I miss some details here and there, but it suits my need for speed. With audiobooks, that’s not an option, so it gives me an interesting perspective, especially on books as deep as Dune.
Quote of the Week
Dune is, of course, full of great quotes. This is one describes part of the challenge of a writer, I think.
“Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune
This week’s spotlight is on Cedar Sanderson, one of my favorite people out there. You can find her interview at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1634
Today’s Weight: 384.2
2019 Word Count: 12,415
Shijuren Wiki: 879 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 518 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week we interview Cedar Sanderson. Not only is she a skilled writer and artist, she was very helpful to me when I was first starting this process. I’m really honored to have her join us here.
Interview: Cedar Sanderson
Lab Gremlins Cover
What is your quest?
My quest is to write the stories in my head, so I can shut them up. Mostly joking, but since I was a young girl, I’ve had stories I told myself. I’ve written some down, badly at first, and discovered that the act of telling them, or writing them, emptied my brain out so I could fill it up with new stories.
Much, much later in life I realized I could create things and people would pay for them. This tangible feedback was amazing, and I still get a rush when I make a sale, whether it’s a book, art, or whatever. So there’s that, but it’s not quite as simple as ‘I’m a mercenary wench’ because there are a lot of other influences on what I do, and why.
My husband, who is also my First Reader, was the genesis of my most popular series because I started writing it to make him laugh. My mentors and inspirations in the writing world, Sarah Hoyt, Dave Freer, and Larry Correia, influenced how I carved out my own independent little business niche, because I saw publishing through their eyes. The fact that I’d already been running a successful small business made it a no-brainer to simply open my own publishing imprint – which I am in the middle of rebranding, and need to rename, if anyone has a suggestion.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color is green, my favorite pastime is reading, or photography, or painting, or writing… depends on the day. And that’s something else. I have so many things I am interested in, and want to do, I’ll die with a to-do list a mile long. I think that because of my broad curiosity, I bring a depth of bits and pieces to each book, each piece of art, and blend them together into something unique. You can’t write well if you don’t read a lot. You can’t make art well if you don’t open your eyes and really look at the world around you.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Hah! Well, next time I feel really frustrated and start throwing them, I’ll see about measuring. Maybe we could set up a high-speed camera? The more important question is, which is the paint water cup, and which is the coffee cup? How do fully-loaded bristles change the dynamics of a thrown paint brush? These are important questions, and I’ll work on them next time I’m blocked on writing.
Frustration? Not being able to write. Last year (2018) I made a career change, we moved into a new home, two of my children started attending college (but not driving, so I was commuting them to and from school and work), and it all added up to a a lot of frustration even though my career was taking off and the kids were growing great and the house is fantastic.
What did I do? Well, we have this little house we own, can’t sell because the area isn’t great, but it’s convenient to my day job. So now it’s my office, and I can go there to write. I’ve written, um, 17,000 words this month, since starting daily goals and office time.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Early on, one of the things that really helped me was writing challenges – you get a prompt, you have a week to write. Doing those got me writing quick, on demand, and whimsical since you don’t have time to worry about being literary. I’m doing this now with an ART365 challenge, where I make a painting or drawing every single day. It gives me permission to be bad. It gives me momentum – and that’s carrying over into my writing as well, since I am using the Wordly app to track my daily wordcount, and it sends me reminders to write, or to finish reaching my modest 1K words a day goal.
I’m a part-time writer, and a full-time scientist, so that’s all I can manage right now. But doing it every single day is really helping my productivity.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Beaker
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy toffee and creamy chocolate pie. MMM
Cake or Pie? Why not both? I can make you both.
Lime or Lemon? Key lime pie and Lemon meringue.
Favorite Chip Dip? Bacon horseradish. Heavy on the horseradish
Wet or Dry? Excellent question! Dry brushes introduce some amazing organic irregularities into your painting, but for smooth blending you really need wet. I’m more a dry brush girl myself.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Tartan Terrors. Bagpipes, Rock, fantastic stage show. Yummy performers.
Whisky or Whiskey? Depends on the character’s dialect.
Favorite Superhero? Captain America.
Steak Temperature? Blue. If I’m grilling it. Anyone else? Rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Uh. I’m going to have to take a pass. I grew up without a television so my pop culture is a touch rusty.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Spring. Flowers, warmth, hope renewed after the bleak abyss of winter.
Favorite Pet? Our dog, Tricksy. She’s a good girl, even if she does drive me nuts.
Best Game Ever? Just one? Really? Ok, the one I’d play again in a heartbeat with my kids is Robo-rally
Coffee or Tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. Mocha anytime.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Why not both! Both is always a good answer.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
So what is your favorite strangest historical event, and why?
Rob’s Answer: Hmmm. I’m not sure, there are so many. The easy answer is the one I know the most about, the Martin Koszta Affair. It’s filled with a number of fun things like riots prompted by prostitutes withholding their services from Austrian sailors, heroes arriving in the nick of time, and a delightful letter threatening to open fire at a certain time concluded with the phrase, “I have the honor to remain your obedient servant.” It’s not only fun and strange, it’s also a fantastic start to an alternate history I’ll write one of these days.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
You can find my website, where I announce new releases periodically, and write essays or link to interesting stuff nearly daily. My blog is eclectic, to put it mildly, but there are recipes.
In 2019 I will be at LTUE in Provo, UT from Feb 14-16 presenting and on panels as well as generally hanging out with friends.
I will also be a guest at LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN from May 30-Jun 2 but if you don’t already have tickets for this year, I’ll catch you next year!
Do you have a creator biography?
Cedar Sanderson is an author, artist, and a scientist. Her varied career lends extra flavor to her works of art, and her insatiable reading appetite once led her to run out of reading material and start writing her own. She hasn’t stopped yet. Perennially inquisitive, she wants to know more about everything and will ask strange questions if you stand still long enough to let her. Works in print include her popular urban fantasy (with very little urban) Pixie for Hire series, her space opera Tanager’s Fledglings, and her young Adult series Children of Myth, as well as a couple dozen shorter works that would make this bio too long to name them. Her cover art and design grace the covers of other authors as well as her own, and her cute dragon character appears in his own coloring book, Inktail & Friends.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but didn’t?
You didn’t ask the classic questions like ‘what’s your favorite author’, for which I thank you, because choosing just one is painful, and besides that, my answer changes depending on my mood, what I’ve been writing, and the weather.
What am I working on now?
Well, artistically speaking I have a fun Valentine’s commission piece, but it’s a secret. Authorial, I’m working on a novella that has delusions of novel, and wants to drag romance into what was a perfectly good paranormal police procedural.
Thanks to Cedar for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Welcome to 2019. Notably, the first full week of 2019 and back into the rhythm after a long and wonderful holiday season.
My holiday season basically stretched from the middle of November to Monday, if I count all the work I did to prep for Thanksgiving, Kris Kinder, and Christmas with relatives.
This was probably the largest Christmas I have ever experienced. We hosted eight others, and while this house can handle ten just fine, it was a bit or mental shift for me. I come from a tiny family. Right now, the close family to me would count five. My mom, my aunt Ginger, her husband Don, and Jimmy and Justin. Really, that’s it. Oh, I have more relatives, but I’m not close with any of them, mostly because of distance.
Anyway, we had a great time. I got to meet my sweetie’s brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. I got to spend more time getting to know her son and parents, who I’d met but have spent little time with so far. We all took turns cooking, and we ate way too much.
As mentioned in earlier posts, that buildup to the holidays was tough on my writing, along with moving stuff. I am, however, catching the rhythm again. I just realized last night I’ve written over 13k words in January so far. I’m on schedule for the year, even if I don’t realize it.
More is coming. I’m pleased with The Feeding of Sorrows. I like the plot and the characters. The biggest challenge for me has been writing in someone else’s universe and wondering if I’m messing with their plans. I suspect I’m not. I suspect this is me just over-worrying, but it’s something to remember for future collaborative stuff.
I actually had one of those Muse moments on Wednesday. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the Muse grabs you, shakes you, and tells you what to right. I wrote a whimsical piece of poetry for a friend in about half an hour. I may post it next week, after I’ve showed it to him.
This weekend I head down to Wichita to go to Calontir’s Coronation. There I’ll be stepping up as the new king and queen’s court herald for the reign. Fortunately, they are considerate of my convention schedule, and it won’t really impact my plans. It will also get me out of the house some more, and I think in 2018 I might have been a bit much of a hermit.
In any case, I’m excited for what is to come.
Have a great week everyone.
Current Playlist Song
Xanadu by Rush. Rush is my standard writing playlist these days. I may add more to the list, but it’s been exclusively Rush of late.
Quote of the Week
Yesterday was the 58th anniversary of the death of Dashiell Hammett. This week’s quote comes spoken by The Continental Op, and shows one of the many reasons I love his writing.
“The face she made at me was probably meant for a smile. Whatever it was, it beat me. I was afraid she’d do it again, so I surrendered.”
– Dashiell Hammett
This week’s spotlight is on A.E. Lowan, which is the pseudonym of three writers working together. You can find that interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1615
Today’s Weight: 389.2 (Basically starting 2019 where I started 2018. Given the challenges of last year, I’m OK with holding steady. Not this year though.)
2019 Word Count: 10,196
Shijuren Wiki: Not quite sure. I’m having to redo a bunch of things and it’s down for a couple of weeks. Working on it though. I was at 874 at one point, though.
Four Horsemen Wiki: 501 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s the first Mag Review of 2019. I hope you enjoy these. I certainly have fun doing them.
By the way, I’m going to start something new. While I love these magazines, I don’t want to keep them all forever. So I will start giving them away at certain panels at various conventions. I’ll ask a trivia question and the winner gets it. I’ll also give out hints in my weekly update the week before those events. Stay tuned for ChattaCon.
Whatever else this issue contains, I love this cover. Rockets, stars, emotion. I love it.
It also has a fantastic ad on the inside of the cover:
Live in the days of the Galactic Empire…
Live on the ships of the first Interstellar Expedition…
Live – in a million could-be years, on a thousand may-be worlds.
The hope and attainments – the strivings and ultimate defeats – of all the future years of endless time.
We’ve a Time Machine for sale – a simple little machine of paper and ink that, coupled with your own mind, can soar down the years of Eternity.
It’s a small thing – and the doorway to Infinity and Eternity .
Ok, you got me. Sign me up now!
The issue starts with John W. Campbell’s editorial Elementary, My Dear Watson. This discusses how man is beginning to use a variety of elements that had been difficult to use up to that point, including rare earth elements. It was cool, but I’d it’d be especially interesting to someone who actually deals with such things to get a perspective from 67 years ago.
Next is the first story of the issue, Space Fear by James H. Schmitz. This was a puzzling story to me. It had so many elements that I like, but it seemed disjointed and I never really got into the flow. It’s about an agent of the Confederacy of Vega who pilots an intelligent ship fixing problems in the galaxy. That’s a fantastic start, right?
Well, the problem is that the story sends her on a number of missions all at once. The first thing is a mission to try and trap an alien race that sends ships in that are so far advanced they come into their space, look around, and then leave without hindrance.
Trapping them would have been a great story. Instead, that’s sort of the prologue. While she makes progress, more progress than anyone had before, they send her on another mission. With it’s own set of exposition. Then another.
It’s so jumbled I’ll freely admit I couldn’t really read the story well. I kept getting jarred out of it and skimming a bit until something caught my eye. I tried four times to thoroughly read it, and it’s clearly beyond me. I’ve liked Schmitz before, but this story kept dancing around at the edge of my attention, always seeming to push me away at some point.
A full space opera novelette wasted. That is, in these magazines, a true tragedy. Cut it into separate fast-paced stories and you got a tiddly little book along the lines of the Retief adventures or the novel M*A*S*H.
Next we move on to Philosophical Corps by E. B. Cole. This was Cole’s first release, and he didn’t write much more besides it. It’s too bad, because I think he had a goodly amount of talent.
A side note. This story starts off poorly in the magazine. There’s a longish excerpt from a future book that’s pure exposition. It has two problems. One it’s longer than perhaps works for a short story. Two, and far more important, the excerpt was printed in the magazine in a smaller font. Like difficult to read smaller font.
But if you get past that you get another story that has so much potential. The Philosophical Corps are the people who go to planets where the inhabitants are low tech and have had criminals and slavers set themselves up as gods to steal their wealth and gain slaves. Not only do they have to rescue the indigenous population from the criminals, they have to do so on a way to keep the planet growing as it has without too much corrupting of its way of life.
Man, this could be an awesome series of stories. Tap-dancing through the challenge of understanding a myriad of alien civilizations while facing high-tech organized crime? If you ever see me write a book entitled E.B. Cole, PCI you’ll know it’s about a hard-boiled detective going from planet to planet fighting interstellar crime bosses trying to be gods.
Of course, you might say Stargate already did that. You’d be right. Doesn’t mean I couldn’t do it, too.
I will also say that had Cole written more of these, he would have written stronger stories. This one is good, but somewhat direct. He released a later version of this story along with two other adventures in that universe in 1962, and I expect those are all stronger.
Still, this is a B/B+ story with tons of untapped potential in the universe.
Next we come to a skillfully written story, …Of the People… by Morton Klass. Klass was an anthropologist, and not surprisingly this story deals with the study of a people. Like E.B. Cole, he didn’t write much and again, it’s a shame.
This story starts out in a strange way, taking us to a place I didn’t care for initially. Basically, it’s about the President of Earth in 1975 talking about how he earned that title starting in 1955. He’s actually an alien who, with his advanced technological and cultural was able to unify the Earth.
He was actually sent here by his race because the Galactic Federation did not know what to do with this planet. We had achieved atomic power, but had not settled down. So they put us in quarantine for a while so that they could take a look at us later before possibly exterminating us.
The species that the President comes from could not let that happen without trying to help, so they sent him. Understand that this is tripping all of my buttons, and not in a good way. I may be an idiot, but I’d rather fail trying stupid stuff than having someone swoop in and protect me from making the attempt. Let me touch the hot stove and find out it freaking hurts, if you please.
But Klass is tricky and I ended up really liking this story. You see, the President has discovered that the entire council that helps him rule the earth consists of aliens sent by worlds who have just as much empathy as his. They’re all here to help.
However, the quarantine is about to end. The Federation is likely to send them all away. Not only will they rip away this world government, but they will expose that it’s composed entirely of aliens. Yes, the flying saucers did come to control us.
The President knows he can’t allow this to happen, so he confronts the council. No matter where they came from before, he and the councilors are now from Earth. Now they have to defend it from the Federation.
That’s where the story ends, so we don’t know if they succeeded or not, which is fine. A full answer would take a novel, in my mind, and I think this is stronger by Klass letting the reader think he’s going one way and then pushing into what is clearly an oncoming train full of adventure and politics.
His technique is amazing. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a story I disliked so much at the start come right around and use my distaste like that. Here, let’s challenge your independence, then let’s make it something we can root for. Brilliant.
Next we get to Casting Office by Henderson Starke (really Kris Neville). This story has an interesting premise. Basically it’s discussing the plight of actors seeking a job, along with stagehands, directors, and the like. It becomes clear that the author is God, who has made a universe of strange physical laws and outlandish events. He wants a place to exercise his whimsy and also to retreat to so he can become happy, but he also has this idea that the story will eventually be that of overcoming great trials.
Unfortunately, ratings plummet essentially. Critics lambaste his work. Eventually the directors bring in a script doctor over the author’s vehement objections. They turn his tale of heroism over the millennia into a horror movie that panders to those viewers who want violence.
Fascinating premise indeed, but not well executed. It needed more detail and less top-down discussion, I think. For example, the story talks about the critics blasting it, but never has a paragraph that talks about specific issues. It leaves the story too vague and we’re not invested in it.
There’s a solid scene where the author is in a role as a wealthy man enjoying good food, driving on beautiful days, the company of lovely women, and fine drink. Then he’s ripped from it by the director in order to face the music from the critics. That was great. It’s the only such scene, really. Oh, there are hints here and there of odd props like millions of extra bugs for England in 1869, but there’s just not enough of this quirkiness.
After that comes Experimentum Crucisby Andrew MacDuff (E.B. Fyfe). This is a solid story with a fun twist at the end. In it we have a human visiting an alien planet that is at something like our technological level of the 1970s.
The human is there negotiating a variety of mineral and resource rights on the moons of the system. The leader of the aliens is not stupid, though, and he is wary of the negotiations. His suspicions are increased when the human finds out about a particular moon with high radiation readings and has his car salesmen tendency come to the forefront.
Basically, the alien sets it up that if the human lands on the moon, he’ll come out ahead by owning the sponsorship rights. And, if the aliens’ belief that it’s a moon made of negative matter, “there will be a beautiful flare-up to prove my claim” (p. 97).
Gotta love the bad guy getting his comeuppance.
Following is the normal In Times to Come description of what’s in the next issue. Included is one of H. Beam Piper’s Paratime stories, so I’ll look forward to unearthing that issue eventually.
Then we get High Threshold by Alan Nourse. I’ve reviewed Nourse before and I will look forward to seeing him again. He writes good stories, though not yet a great story.
This one starts out very well. While experimenting with temperatures around a thousandth of a Kelvin, researchers discover an entrance to a completely alien place. The five people that have been sent into the entrance have all died of fear. The only hint they have is a tennis ball, which went into the entrance and came out completely reversed. The fuzzy part was on the inside and the rubber on the out. The same thing happened to a pencil, which returned as a sliver of wood sheathed by graphite.
The answer they come up with is to find someone so completely able to reject earlier data and accept new data, so adaptable, that they can survive long enough for their mind to adapt.
They find someone and send her in there. She goes in and realizes what’s going on, but realizes that she cannot explain the differences to the researchers because they simply have no way to understand. Her solution is to find a newborn baby and raise it in both worlds so that it can relate both universes instinctively.
This is all good stuff. The end isn’t as strong, though. She also realizes that she is going to have to trick the researchers into letting her try the baby idea. She also knows that she can now see how to get into that universe at any time. She plays as if she’s insane, and then escapes through the dimensions.
I sort of felt unsatisfied, almost as if I’d ordered chicken fried steak and there was no actual steak inside the breading. The breading, gravy, and mashed potatoes all tasted good, but it was missing the substance. Maybe the story should have been longer. Maybe a completely different twist that I’m not thinking of. I don’t know. Still, it should be noted I was sucked in reading this story and it is only at the end that I realized I wasn’t satisfied.
Next, in a half-page blank area, Campbell talks about what he looks for in the letters that he’ll respond to in the Brass Tacks section. He’s looking for things that are broad and general and will have some connection to the majority who read Astounding.
One wonders how many times he was nagged for not putting up a convention announcement for Wecanhandle50peopletotalacon or letters announcing someone has a cool pet rock for sale.
The next story is Protected Species by E.B. Fyfe writing under his own name this time. This is an oft-published story, meaning a bunch of readers liked it. I’m one of them.
It’s about surveyors and xenoarchaeologists on a nearby planet studying ruins of a long-dead alien civilization. The ruins show advanced technology, but also damage from explosions and war instead of earthquakes and natural disasters. There is no evidence that the people who made those ruins exist anymore, except perhaps a species that might have devolved from intelligence in the wake of wars.
The species provides some of the workers with a bit sport. They’re fast and hard to catch, and there’s not much else to do on the planet and their morale is generally fairly low. Then an inspector comes to look at their progress. He sees these hunts and he is bothered by them, especially with the likelihood that they are intelligent, even if devolved.
So he arranges to have them named a protected species, preventing future hunts. After so doing, he takes one last pass around the ruins, going specifically to a place where he had run into one of the natives, which had prompted his work to name them protected.
There, another native awaits him. Instead of running, or throwing rocks, or anything likes that, he greets the inspector by name. Apparently they have been watching this world for some time. His job is to watch for the revival of the original species on this world, and he is quite pleased to see the inspector name the species on this world protected. For, after all, that is what they actually did for humans after destroying this world humans inhabited. He’s very happy to see us finally returning to the stars. Perhaps, soon, we won’t be a protected species ourselves.
Fun twist, and an excellent job of twisting our humanocentric point of view against us. That’s two stories by Fyfe in this issue, and both are good to very good with good twists. I’ll keep an eye out for him.
Next is an article Notes on Nuclear Radiation by Edwin N. Kaufman. He didn’t write much for any SF magazine. He appears to have been an aeronautical researcher for Douglas and Lockheed, but I can find little more about him.
Anyway, like Campbell’s editorial to open this issue, I found this article moderately interesting, but obviously outdated. Again, i think this might be fascinating to someone in that field and interested in its history.
Jack Williamson is next with The Man from Outside. Williamson is one of the great fathers of SF of course, and I him a lot. I would expect a sizable fraction of you readers know he’s the guy who coined “Terraforming” but I had not realized until reading up on him today.
Anyway, this story is about an alien unit dedicated to watch Earth and ensure that its society is not corrupted by other aliens. The commander of the unit is hard, harsh man. A fresh idealistic lieutenant comes to him and asks to involve himself in the world below. The commander refuses. The lieutenant persists, finally convincing the commander something must be done, but the commander stalls and delays. Then, before the mission is done, he brings the lieutenant back.
The lieutenant is anguished. He wants to help some dissidents kill Stalin, who he realizes only exists because of outside contamination and who is an abomination. The commander stops him, and the dissidents are destroyed because they make a mistake designing a fusion bomb.
In the ensuing exchange, we discover that the outside influence that allowed Stalin to exist is the commander in his youth, as an idealistic lieutenant. He met Lenin, was impressed, and let slip some advanced knowledge about revolutions and the like, allowing for the Soviet Union and now Stalin.
He has stayed on this post during the decades since. He has refused promotion above his current grade and re-assignment to a better station. He knows what he’s done and his atonement is to remain here and prevent a re-occurrence. Now, because of the idealistic lieutenant’s actions, the balance is endangered. The lieutenant must now take up the commander’s mantle and “watch against the sort of men we used to be” (p. 143)
Where should duty and idealism meet? What’s the balance. It’s a tough question because unintended consequences are always lying in wait. Great story.
Next is P. Schuyler Miller’s book reviews of the month. Among this set are books by Heinlein, Merril, Lieber, and more. Imagine getting paid to read those guys.
Last is Brass Tacks, the letters to the editor. There’s a lot of discussion about previous letters in this issue. Sort of like a monthly opportunity to reply on Twitter. The only difference is that the responses here are well-written with thought behind their premise.
The one topic I think remains relevant is the discussion of what language should an author use in SF/F. It’s a tough one sometimes, and I try to strike a balance. Language in another world would be completely different with different foundations. We would all have to be linguists to understand them.
Obviously, this is what Tolkien did. Yet he knew he could not write a tale in Elvish. He was also aware that the common speech was not English. He put enough of the other language in to give the flavor of Sindarin or Quenya or whatever. I think that is what we must do to give the taste of an alien or fantasy world.
But there’s a balance, and I’m not sure I’ve achieved it. I will occasionally perform Old English poetry, usually the Wanderer or Beowulf. Mostly, I do this in modern English, but I regularly insert a few lines here and there of Old English to let the sound resonate.
It’s a tough thing to accurately re-create a medieval performer. On the one hand, they had to connect with the audience so they could make money or have a place to sleep and eat. On the other, a true performance should be in the original language, but little else sends an audience away than reciting poetry in a language they don’t understand. Might be better to recite Vogon poetry. Flipping languages back and forth is my best compromise.
I don’t know if I have the answers, but it’s something I dwell on probably too often. If the language takes me out of the moment, then I know it’ll take some readers out, too. My problem is that I also know I use words that flow with me, but not with others. It’s a challenge, and no doubting.
Anyway, overall this was a grade B issue. All the stories were quality, even if I didn’t like the execution or some other quibble. There weren’t instant classics to me, but still I’ll reread a few of these someday.
Next week I’ll review the Analog from February, 1963. This one looks promising with a Gordon Dickson and H. Beam Piper.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
Welcome to the first interview of 2019. It’s going to be a great year, and we’re getting started with A.E. Lowan. Lowan is a pen name for three talented writers, Jessica Smith, Jennifer Vinck, and Kristin Vinck. I met them at Planet Comicon a couple of years ago. Our tables were next to each other in the Author Alley and we had a chance to hang out some.
But wait, we’re starting out 2019 with more, but what’s better than more? They’ve included a couple of excerpts from their Book of Binding fantasy series.
Faerie Rising Cover
What is your quest?
JS: To capture a vivid world and the full spectrum of emotion that swirls within it, but also not to limit myself to a single type of story. All flavors of speculative fiction make it across my plate, and so do the possibilities that accompany those genres—but it is fun to take certain conventions of plotting and turn them on their head.
KV: My quest is to invoke emotion in the reader, to communicate the emotional lives of our characters in such a way as to make them feel real, because to me they are. These characters are some of my best friends and we are sharing them with the world. It can be scary stuff. Or liberating. It all depends on how you choose to view it.
JV: As a speculative fiction author, my quest is to tell an entertaining story that doesn’t necessarily reflect the world as it is, but as it could be. I am an idealist at heart, and my stories tend to focus on the effect that a dedicated group can have on the world. Whether my stories are set in unique fantasy worlds, urban fantasy environments with magical elements in the real world, or on a space ship, my characters crave change. They sense something wrong in their worlds and are the kinds of people who can’t let that go unaddressed. They are driven to affect change. I hope that readers will catch a fever to affect change in their own world from the passions of my characters.
There have been so many speculative fiction authors who have come before me with this same goal. I couldn’t hope to list them all, but some of the most influential on me have been Anne McCaffrey, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, Lois Lowry, Robert A. Heinlein, John Scalzi, Octavia E. Butler, Margaret Atwood, Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael Crichton, and Marion Zimmer Bradley.
What is your favorite color?
JS: Setting wise … in high fantasy, referencing less-common cultures that inspiration might be drawn from. Everyone has seen a mock-up of the general British or French monarchy done time and time again, but what of medieval Germany? Ancient Egypt? Renaissance Spain? The Philippines, or even Sengoku-era Japan? There are so many ways to seed diversity within your world.
As for techniques, beginning in medias res helps get the ball rolling without relying on exposition.
KV: I am a trained poet and academic, though I ran away from that circus years ago. That being said, they both inform my prose. I seek to make even the most fantastical elements plausible (I love that word), drawn from history and science and the natural world, and I always strive to make the words themselves flow like music. I am not afraid of long sentences.
JV: I am a fan of flawed characters and the idea that redemption is attainable for anyone willing to strive for it. Our characters tend to come from traumatic backgrounds, both with traumas that have been inflicted on them, and traumas they have inflicted on others. I firmly believe that conflict is the root of story, and these types of internal conflicts—dealing with the repercussions of past action, seeking atonement—lead to stories of greater personal depth than just dealing with the crisis du jour.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
JS: At this point in my life, carving out enough hours in my day to write (with being a student, running the family farm, and having a day job), and having those hours respected. Growling like a dragon so far hasn’t helped.
KV: I am a writer who suffers from significant mental illness, and it often gets in the way of me being the most creative and productive I can be. I find this incredibly frustrating. But, on the other hand, my mental illness also gives me a window onto these amazing worlds I have the privilege of writing about, so there is a lot of give and take.
JV: One of the challenges we have faced is changing the pace of our writing between book one and book two of The Books of Binding. We wrote Faerie Rising over the course of about seven years (though we have been developing the world of The Books of Binding for almost twenty). But we didn’t want there to be seven years between Faerie Rising and Ties of Blood and Bone. Learning how to produce a story that is just as good as the first at a fraction of the time took us some time to figure out and Ties of Blood and Bone was delayed for five months. But I think that we learned a lot about how we write and how to streamline the process from this failure.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
JS: In Team Lowan, I tend to be the developmental powerhouse. I’m rather good at coming up with entire worlds on the fly, and with them, massive, personalized casts to populate it.
KV: Music, coffee, and snacks. I am constantly listening to music to help focus my emotional life into words, and coffee is the fuel that keeps me running. I like to say that someday I’ll dedicate this series to Hershey’s and Frito Lay.
JV: I think that the element that I am most proud of in our work is the depth of our characters. They are engaging, and readers have told us that it is the characters that keep them up late turning pages until the end of each book. We write with an ensemble cast. We don’t have one or two main characters, we have a family who all have their own part of the story to tell. One of the things we always ask readers is, “Who was your favorite character?” We are very proud that we have gotten back every member of the cast as an answer.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet?
JS: Miss Piggy for her sass.
KV: Orlando Bloom
JV: I love Elmo’s enthusiasm and generosity of spirit.
Crunchy or Creamy?
JS: Creamy as in JIF peanut butter
KV: Creamy
JV: Definitely creamy
Favorite Sports Team?
JS: Bulgaria’s National Quidditch Team.
KV: Torn between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pembroke Titans, the pee wee hockey team my friend’s kid plays on.
JV: The Kansas City Chiefs. I have stubbornly never given up hope that we’ll make it through the playoffs again one day.
Cake or Pie?
JS: I’m partial to cake, honestly. Especially Dutch chocolate.
KV: Always pie. The cake is a lie.
JV: Both, as long as they’re chocolate.
Lime or Lemon?
JS: Lime. Lemon is a bit too overpowering for me, especially on fish.
KV: Lime. In a Coke. Delish.
JV: Lime.
Favorite Chip Dip?
JS: I’m partial to potato chips, and I don’t really dip those.
KV: The spinach and artichoke dip from Sam’s Club with tiny tortilla chips.
JV: French Onion on wavy potato chips.
Wet or Dry?
JS: Do I get to swim?
KV: Wet.
JV: Wet—I love both swimming and playing in the rain.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of?
JS: Erutan, and Rachel Rose Mitchell.
KV: Who’s to say what someone has never heard of, but I like Carbon Leaf. They write great songs (“The War was in Color” “What About Everything?”) and don’t get a lot of hits on the YouTubes.
JV: Sam Tsui (though more and more people have heard of him).
Whisky or Whiskey?
JS: Homemade icing? Whisk away!
KV: Whiskey. I’m Irish, second generation immigrant.
JV: Whiskey. In my family you get in trouble for writing it any other way.
Favorite Superhero?
JS: Probably Kitty Pryde. She has so many interesting arcs and an unusual ability to fuel them.
KV: Superman. I love his optimism and faith in humanity.
JV: I only get one?? Superman, though I’m normally more of a Marvel girl, if I only get one it has to be the man in the red cape.
Steak Temperature?
JS: Medium-rare. I don’t want a sufficiently skilled vet to be able to revive my meal, but I don’t want it to be carbonized, either.
KV: Mooing.
JV: Medium Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show?
JS: Little House on the Prairie, or Bewitched. It’s honestly a tie
KV: Buck Rogers
JV: M.A.S.H.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?
JS: I’m going to go with fall, because spring in Texas is usually about a week.
KV: Fall. The heat of summer has broken but the slush has not yet arrived. Plus, my birthday!
JV: Spring – I love when the world starts to turn green again.
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want)
Sugar
JS: But the furry ones are family. How can I choose a favorite? I can provide a picture of the senior office minion, though! I bottle raised Sugar and she has been my creative companion since she was an itty-bitty kitten (though she’s still itty-bitty, 6 pounds at 11 years old).
KV: I don’t have a single favorite pet, I have several. I won’t inundate you with office minion pictures, though Jennifer might. 😀
Perseus
JV: Oh, this is hard, like choosing a favorite child. How about most photogenic? Our most handsome pet is Perseus, our office supervisor. Here he is napping on the job.
Best Game Ever?
JS: Now that’s a tough choice. I’m going to have to go with the Pokemon franchise because of its infinite replayability and the way you can customize everything.
KV: Calvin Ball (from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes)
JV: Best board game would be Trivial Pursuit (though I can’t get anyone to play with me anymore.) Best video game is World of Warcraft (yeah, I’m one of those geeks.)
Coffee or Tea?
JS: Tea. Green (citrus or mint), or cinnamon.
KV: Coffee, without reservation. Drinking coffee right now.
JV: Neither, please. I am a water lover
Sci-Fi or Fantasy?
JS: Both! I particularly love fantasy with a science backing behind its lore and in-world tech. It grounds the setting so well and makes it feel incredibly well thought out.
KV: Both. Both. Yes, both is good.
JV: Please don’t make me choose! If I had a gun to my head I would say fantasy… but I love them both as well as a blend of the two.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How do you write such great books so quickly?? We are in awe of your productivity.
Rob’s Answer: Talk about funny timing. I was not at all productive in the fall, though when they originally sent this response back to me I was doing pretty good.
Either way, my answer is the same. Write some each day. My goal is to write a minimum of 1500 words a day, 5 days a week. That’s essentially three full novels and some short stories in a year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to reach that goal in 2019.
What’s next for The World of Shijuren?
Rob’s Answer: Lots! I will finish the epic fantasy series The Kreisens this spring with None Call Me Mother. Then, around Thanksgiving, I plan to release another Edward mystery novel. My intention is to aim for one of those every year, with another novel set in the world in the spring.
I’m also planning to open the world up to other writers to start an anthology and maybe some shared world novels. It’s a big world, even if I manage to finish all of the 25 or so novels I currently have laid out in my head, I will have only scratched the surface. I love the world, and there’s so much yet to tell.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
We would love to connect online. We love to talk with readers and other writers. You can find us here
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what’s next for A. E. Lowan? We are currently working on the third book in The Books of Binding – Beneath a Stone Sky. It will be out in 2019. This one picks up about a month after Ties of Blood and Bone. We are also working on audiobook versions of Faerie Rising and Ties of Blood and Bone for 2019.
And add your creator biography.
A.E. Lowan is the pseudonym of three authors who collectively create the dark urban fantasy series, The Books of Binding.
Kristin Vinck
Raised as a Navy brat, Kristin Vinck began writing as a child on the West Coast, learning her love of words at her mother’s knee. Kristin won her first writing award for urban fantasy in Seattle at eight-years-old for a story about a city on a boat pulled by dinosaurs. In her teens, Kristin moved from learning at home from her satirist mother to formal writing education at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri. Kristin studied medieval studies and creative writing at Truman State University and now writes from the beauty of the Missouri Ozarks.
Jennifer Vinck
Raised among musicians in Kansas City, Missouri, Jennifer Vinck came to writing from another direction—poetry and song. Poetry was her primary creative endeavor throughout childhood and when Jennifer was twelve-years-old she was asked to write the lyrics for a song used for All Species Day (a precursor of Earth Day) in Kansas City. She auditioned for the creative writing department at the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts and there discovered a new passion—speculative fiction. Jennifer met Kristin on the first day of school at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. They began developing epic and urban fantasy worlds and have been collaborating in fiction and in life ever since. Jennifer studied linguistics and classical languages and literatures at Truman State University and spent many years as a bookseller before moving to the Missouri Ozarks to concentrate on writing.
Jessica Smith
Jessica Smith found her passion for fantastical storytelling where so many young writers do – through the masterpieces of fantasy’s renowned matriarchs. As the pile of worlds inhabited by dragon-riders, wizards, and fair folk caused her bookshelves to plea for mercy, the constellation of worlds inside her waiting for their story to be told grew. With enough ideas to fill the state of Texas where she was raised, Jessica first took pencil to paper before she hit double digits. Jessica’s love of the complexities of the universe and the intricacies of the human mind led her into study in the sciences. Her passion for writing took her to the internet in search of others who kept whole worlds in their minds. Jessica has been active on many online writing communities over the years, but it was on a fantasy-specific site, Mythic Scribes, where Jessica met Kristin and Jennifer in 2013. Her worlds and theirs collided as a whirlwind of collaboration began. The Books of Binding is the first project that partnership has unleashed on the world.
Faerie Rising Cover
Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding
Winter Mulcahy is the last wizard in the city of Seahaven, WA and all that stands between the fractious preternatural population and total chaos. Holding the city together by the skin of her teeth, the blood of her friends, and an addiction to stimulants that is slowly killing her, the young wizard is approached by a pair of sidhe lords who claim that her city is harboring a fugitive who has kidnapped a sidhe prince, and that they are on a mission to rescue the boy.
Winter must investigate this fugitive to get to the truth of the kidnapping, discover the cause of the surges of wild magic tearing open rifts between realms across her city, and navigate the deadly waters of preternatural politics before Seahaven both figuratively and literally rips itself apart.
Excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding
The world shifted sideways. Winter braced herself against the wall with her one good hand, the chalk grinding against the concrete as she fought the initial wave of disorientation. Something was horribly wrong. Within the rift, power was building up, as if someone had just crimped a running hose.
And she was holding the nozzle.
Nine glyphs in the warding, each unique, complex, and time consuming. Each must be drawn with precision, or the whole seal would fail. Winter had never drawn glyphs so fast in her life, her hand frantically scraping the chalk against the wall in her desperate race against… against what? It felt like a tidal wave, rushing implacably toward her. Somehow, something was affecting the balance of power.
She spoke each glyph as she drew it, magic resonating in her voice with each syllable. Six glyphs to go. Its name spoken, the glyph would take on a glow, casting the hole in sharp relief, bringing out each line of exhaustion on Winter’s face.
Highlighting the growing cracks in the cement around the rift.
After the seal went up, the cement became irrelevant. It could be ground to dust, and the seal would hold. Before then, however… the seal needed a matrix, something solid to hold the lines she drew with the enspelled chalk. Before then, the seal was all too fragile.
When the surge hit, it would blow the rift wide open. There would be precious little left of Winter and probably the surrounding square acre or so.
Five glyphs.
She wasn’t going to make it. Winter’s shoulders were burning, her hand beginning to cramp and shake, her hurt wrist felt like it was on fire. The glow of the warding began to fade as her magic was drained by pain and panic and exhaustion. She needed more power. She did not have time to ground and pull power from the earth… leaving only one choice. “Karen!”
There is power to control in a name. She spoke the name with resonant Command, and suddenly the cougar was there, terrified eyes wide on the wizard beside her. Ruthlessly, she pushed aside the older woman’s flimsy natural protections and pulled what power there was into herself. It was wild, and tasted of dark places, pain-filled joy, and kittens warm in the den. This was not a wizard’s gift she used, but came of her mixed blood. The spell flared back to life, and Winter redoubled her efforts.
Four glyphs.
The hole began collapsing inward, little chunks of cement falling into the flame-wreathed darkness.
Three glyphs.
The chunks were getting larger, the cracks creeping closer to her fragile chalk lines.
Two glyphs.
The surge was now audible, a tsunami rushing toward them.
One glyph.
The ground beneath her knees was quivering with the building pressure.
The warding blazed just as the tidal wave of magic rammed it from the other side, the whole ravine shuddering from the impact, then the lettering settled into the cement, leaving the two women alone in the quiet night.
Ties of Blood and Bone Cover
Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding
Winter Mulcahy’s life is getting better since her brush with death in October. She has a new family and they are helping her to grieve and rebuild her shattered life. She is learning to balance family, medicine, and holding the chaos of living among the preternaturals of Seahaven at bay. She meets a wizard, Alerich Ashimar, with the soul of a poet and the heart of a demon who is desperate to escape the life and choices that have been forced onto him. This man may hold the secret to the tragedies that have plagued House Mulcahy, but time is running out—for them both.
Alerich’s family is bound to a demon in a powerful geas set by his grandmother. Kill every Mulcahy by the upcoming winter solstice and her dead husband will be returned to her. Fail, and Alerich’s father, Magnus, will be forfeited to the demon. Magnus sends Alerich to collect Winter, the last of the Mulcahys, and bring her to the demon’s gate before the rapidly approaching deadline passes.
Alerich is horribly conflicted. He has been trying to mend his estranged relationship with his father, and he doesn’t want his father to die. But nor does he want to kill this beautiful, kind woman upon whom so many depend. When Alerich does not bring the girl at the appointed time, his father, feeling that Alerich has abandoned and betrayed him, strikes a terrible deal with the demon—something the demon has always wanted in exchange for the power to kill this last Mulcahy and his traitorous son.
Excerpt from Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding
“Thank you for coming, Alerich. I apologize for my outburst. I am under a fair bit of stress right now.”
Alerich’s brows knit together in confusion. Magnus Ashimar, apologizing for something? What was going on here? “No. It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine, but it was better to be gracious than to insist his father apologize to his friends. That would be too much. “Are you at liberty to tell me what’s bothering you?” It might not be an excuse for his poor behavior, but it would be nice to know the reason. It certainly had not been the first time Magnus had shown his temper at the table.
Magnus let out a breath. “I think I finally am.” He turned from the window to face Alerich and looked for a moment to be gathering his words. “I have been under a geas for the past twenty years, but I am nearly free. I summoned you and your sister here because I need your help.”
Alerich’s breath stilled. A geas? It was one of the most powerful of magical compulsions, second only to the soul compulsions practiced by demon lords like Arariel. His father was bound to perform a task, or forbidden from an action, under pain of terrible consequence. It was a rare wizard who could perform such magic, and though Alerich knew one who could do it, he did not want to think she would.
Not to her own son.
“What do you need me to do?” Alerich kept his tone neutral, careful. He had been forced to assist his father time and again and still carried the nightmares. Magnus was a sorcerer of blood and pain, servant to the Demon Lord Arariel. Where he went, painful, bloody death followed.
Magnus looked back toward the barn. “You know that your grandfather Adrien left your grandmother for a younger woman. Your grandmother remembers their marriage a bit differently than I do. She remembers the love of her life. I remember a miserable, disengaged man who hated being an Ashimar and felt trapped in every aspect of his existence. The minute—the second—an opportunity to leave presented itself, he ran away and left me holding the sorcerous bag.” Magnus sighed. “Left me with Arariel.” He turned back to Alerich. “They killed him for his trouble.”
Alerich shook his head. “The Mulcahys? I thought their line was extinct. Isn’t that what House Daly is saying in their petition to be elevated to Great House—that the Mulcahy line is extinct and would drop the Council to ninety-eight houses?”
“They aren’t quite extinct, yet, but they have not sat in their seat on the Council in years. They were pariahs who muddied their Bloodline by breeding with anything that crossed their path, including mortals and therian.” Magnus looked disgusted. “There is a rumor of one wizard girl in a cadet branch of their line being allowed to give up her magic and take therian form for the purposes of breeding with a therian bear.”
Alerich thought it sounded rather romantic, actually, but that was an opinion he would not be sharing with his father. “But why did they kill Grandfather?”
Magnus gave a small shrug, emotions chasing each other in the depths of his eyes. “I never really knew, though I suspect your grandmother does. He fell in love with a much younger woman—Gwendolyn, the daughter of the Mulcahy at the time, himself. He left your grandmother within hours.”
Alerich’s brows rose. The Mulcahy was head of House Mulcahy, just as his father was the Ashimar, and someday he would be—if he survived Celia, of course.
Magnus’s jaw tightened. “The girl, Gwendolyn Mulcahy, became pregnant but died within a few days of our hearing the news. My father was murdered soon after. They tried to cover it up, of course, but I think they decided he, a sorcerer, was responsible for her death. They seemed to believe if he was capable of trafficking with demons he was capable of killing the girl he adored.” Rage flashed in his eyes. “Cowards.”
Alerich frowned in thought. Grandmother knew? “Grandmother did this to you?”
Magnus met Alerich’s gaze and nodded once.
“Why?”
Magnus looked up at the ceiling and then back down. “She bid me… ‘bid me’ sounds so damn tame, doesn’t it? She forced me to wipe the family out. Every. Single. One. I have until winter solstice—three more days—to finish my task. If I fail, Arariel gets my soul.”
‘They aren’t quite extinct, yet…’ Alerich closed his eyes for a moment and suppressed a heavy sigh. They had driven this Great House to the brink of extinction to avenge an Ashimar death—how very Ashimar of them. There were days when he really wondered why he was wasting his time trying to reconcile with his father at all. Not that his grandmother wasn’t just as culpable. Alerich knew what the look in his father’s eyes was, now. It was fear. How could Grandmother offer her own son to the demon for this madness? Wait… That thought brought him up short. “How was she able to negotiate with Arariel? She’s not a sorcerer.”
“I don’t know. All I know is she thinks that if I succeed, Arariel can bring my father back from the dead.”
“It can’t do that… can it?”
Magnus’s mouth twisted in annoyance. “Alerich, if you spent half the time you spend reading Shakespeare on your magical studies, you would know the answer to that question is, ‘Of course not.’ It’s playing on your grandmother’s hopes and fears, though she refuses to listen to me on the matter.” He shook his head. “And if you paid attention to me more often, you would know that Arariel is unique, even among its own kind. It’s ancient beyond the telling and I’m sure keeping secrets from us. It’s not a normal demon lord, if such a thing exists.”
Alerich forced himself to not look back toward the dining room. He had his own reasons to hate and fear Arariel, and to think too hard about it could draw it out. He looked at his father, instead. The man who had raged at him, beaten him, and belittled him all his life. A sorcerer. A murderer.
How could he let the demon eat him?
Magnus looked out to the barn again. “I need your help, Alerich. There is one last Mulcahy and I need your help to kill her. Just one more and this is finally over. I am out from beneath your grandmother’s control.”
Alerich’s shoulders sagged and he nodded. He did not want to be part of this—any of this—but he could not let his father die. If this was truly the last, then maybe… maybe nothing. Arariel would still be there, demanding sacrifices. Demanding deaths. But maybe this one death would bring his father a species of peace. “What do you need from me?”
Thanks to A.E. Lowan for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I got back last night from the first con of 2019, ShadowCon in Memphis. I got invited to the convention a couple of years ago because it’s essentially an SCA household holiday party writ large. Schedules have prevented me from going previously, and that’s too bad because I had a very good time.
Given its origin and its billing as a Relaxacon, you would be correct to assume that it’s laid back. It has all the stuff. In fact it’s got a ton packed into Saturday, but it’s pretty laissez faire about structure. This is a virtue for a con of its size. I was able to get on three panels, play a round of Pathfinder Society, and socialize until 3pm on Friday. I’d have done more but, as a Cowboys fan, I essentially took Saturday evening off to watch them play the Seahawks.
The first panel I was on discussed books new readers should look for to get started in science fiction and fantasy. There was some confusion on where it was supposed to be, and I think it might have actually been done in two places. For me, I sat with four or five people and discussed where to go and some of the subgenres. In all honesty, this was probably the best way to have this sort of panel. It might be fun to schedule a session with a number of authors in a room with various tables and interact with new readers on this level as opposed to lining us up in front.
I intended to join the Indie Publishing Pros and Cons panels. Unfortunately, I wrote down 2pm Saturday on my notes instead of 12noon. Of all the panels, it was the one I wanted to be on and I missed it. Next time, I suppose, but I’m still frustrated with myself on that one.
The one panel the organizer wanted me to take was a comparison of Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville. He had a scheduling conflict at the last minute and needed help on that panel. Humorously, I’ve never watched either, though Orville looks fun. The other person on the panel had only watched a few episodes of either, but was a major Trekkie with a ton of experience in that fandom. We ended up riffing on the kinds of characters that draw us into shows and the kinds of writing keep people watching. More than anything, we talked about how Babylon 5 did both of those things well, as did some other shows. All in all, it turned out OK, but I sure felt clueless walking in.
Immediately after was my favorite panel, Where Did It Go Wrong. We panelists all had slightly different viewpoints where we going with that, and we sort of settled on where movie adaptations of books go wrong. The first answer, which is fairly obvious, is that two hour long movies will always struggle with a novel. Short stories, like the ones that spawned Shawshank Redemption and Blade Runner, are much more likely to translate well to the big screen. Novels that do translate well will tend to be fluffy, short, or both. Other novels, like Lord of the Rings or Dune will need mini-series or seasons of a regular series to tell their complex stories well. The second answer is that the producer of the movie needs to know and love the ethos underlying the book. My personal pet peeve is the animated Beowulf, where they did not have any recognition of personal responsibility. Contrast this with 13th Warrior, which gets it. That’s what makes 13th Warrior a much, much better film and, in my opinion, the best retelling of Beowulf on the screen so far.
In general, it was a good schedule of panels. Had I made the Indie Publishing Panel, it would have been about the right number for Friday and Saturday. I could have done more, but about right.
Nothing was officially scheduled for Sunday, by the way. It’s a decision I’ve thought about on the drive home. On the one hand, scheduling stuff for Sunday allows time more panels and more things to do. On the other hand, Sunday panels and events, especially those at 10am, are inconsistently attended. In the case of ShadowCon, which is at its core a social gathering, setting it up that people can hang out until whatever Saturday night without any real need to be at a thing Sunday morning makes a lot of sense. At some other cons, where the basic foundation is different, Sunday scheduling is important, but not ShadowCon.
I really enjoyed myself, though I must mention the quality of the hotel. Or rather, lack thereof. It’s the first hotel I’ve dealt with that will not allow, under any circumstances, room entrance before 3pm. It’s a request I often make, and only a request, but every other hotel I’ve asked tries to accommodate it. Then, at 3pm, they had a shift change, but if the next shift is late, as this one was, there was literally nobody to check anyone in. That meant there was a ton of people in the lobby trying to check in, waiting for way too long. Panels and other events started at 4pm and I barely made it despite being one of the first in line. For all this, I blame the manager, who was rude and clearly did not want to deal with anyone. How dare customers intrude upon her job? Oh, and as a side note, the posted hours for the breakfast aren’t actually true. Get there early, or you won’t get anything. It’s a decent con space, especially for a con the size of ShadowCon, but I’d suggest not going to the West Memphis Clarion for any other reason.
Despite the hotel, the con is worth it. The people were helpful and relaxed. Lots of good conversations. The gaming was good and there was lots of it. The con suite was one of the best I’ve seen. I didn’t go to any, but there were a number of SCA and Larping demos. The dealer’s room was bigger than most of a con its size. The panels all had attendees who were interested and had good questions. I am intending to go back every year that my schedule allows.
Welcome to 2019. I’m excited about the upcoming year as I have a bunch of opportunities. Before I get to that, though, it’s time to look back at 2018 and give myself a grade.
I didn’t write enough. My goal was 365,000 published words. I included blog posts with that in part to ensure that I would update the blog consistently. My final total was 245,900. Essentially, I was one novel away from my goal.
I should have, indeed, finished The Feeding of Sorrows. That would have put me around 350k and I would not be too disappointed. However, I did not, nor did I finish None Call Me Mother.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
The good news is that next year I won’t have to move, nor will I start it in a cramped house. Furthermore, I won’t have to replace the flooring in seven rooms of my house. There are still major projects to do, but we’ve made huge progress. It is not unreasonable to admit to myself that I put most of my spoons in late 2018 into getting the house under control.
Next year, however, I can’t allow that to happen again. I need to publish 3 novels. My plan is to finish The Feeding of Sorrows by the end of January. I think I can, though I still have some 60k to go.
Then I will return to Shijuren with None Call Me Mother. I will release that in May. After that, I plan for a new Edward novel in December. When I started Where Now the Rider I had a mystery in mind but went a different direction. It’s time to finish that. Edward has a long way to go.
I don’t know how many short stories I’ll do next year, but I have one scheduled already. I also have several that I’ve been playing with for a while that need to get finished.
I’ll also continue to count my blog words. Again, I do that to ensure I update the blog consistently. The three regular columns will continue. I’ll do a creator interview aiming for Tuesday, a magazine review aiming for Wednesday, and my update for Friday. That regular schedule will start next week.
My goal for 2019 is 400,000. A nice even number.
My other professional goals were to improve both the Shijuren and Four Horsemen wiki. I did well, but like with my writing, not as much as I’d hoped. The Shijuren wiki is up-to-date, but needs to be improved and cleaned up.
As for the Four Horsemen Wiki, I had hoped to do more. It stands at 479 entries. My goal for 2019 is to get that up to 1500 or so. That’s about 20 entries per week, which I was doing for a while in 2018 before things got too busy.
I’ll continue to travel as much as I can fit in during 2019. I will be at ShadowCon in Memphis this weekend and ChattaCon at the end of the month. In March, I’m excited to be one of the featured panelists at FantaSci, which is the first Four Horsemen Universe convention. There’ll be lots more, including LibertyCon, which of course I’ll announce here and on my mailing list.
My personal goal in 2019 is much like what it was in 2018, improve my health. I started 2018 at 384.8. I ended it at 387.2. In other words, I held steady. Give all the upheaval of 2018, I call that a win.
Along the way I also spent much of the fall getting myself a good relationship with a local doctor. I haven’t had a standard doctor in well over a decade, and it’s nice to get that relationship going. It meant I had about fifteen different medical visits during the fall, including a colonoscopy.
My next step is to consistently exercise. My basic daily goal is to get 1000 and one. That’s 1000 words and one mile of walking. That’s the minimum I aim for each day. Most weekdays, I’ll hope to do more, lots more when it comes to writing, but it’s an easy to remember daily goal. If I do that, then at least the day hasn’t been a waste. Can’t waste days in this business.
Overall, my professional grade for 2018 is C-. I didn’t write enough, nor did I do enough of the background stuff. Personally, I would give myself a B+. I’m in better shape, both physically and mentally than I was in 2017. I’m in a comfortable home, with a great sweetie, and things are going well. My final grade for myself in 2018 is a B-. I can do more, but it wasn’t awful.
Now to go do more.
Have a great year everyone. May we all do more and smile doing it.
It’s Christmas Eve and I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Thanks for making my holidays better.
I apologize for the lack of updates the past few weeks. It’s been extremely busy, but also extremely productive. We completed most of the projects in the house, and for the first time since I bought the house, I feel like I’m on the downward curve. I knew this house would be a major undertaking from the day we walked into it, so it was no surprise that it would take years. It’s a great feeling to see so much progress.
That’s my biggest Christmas gift to myself. I had a great deal of fun getting gifts for my family. We have ten here this year: my sweetie, her parents, her daughter and son, her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, and my mom. It’s been great and Christmas isn’t even here yet.
I also had fun sending out gifts to readers. I hope the recipients all enjoy their loot.
I’ve also done better than you might expect with writing as those tasks got finished on the house. Since several of the tasks were something like: “finish the room, then unpack the moving boxes intended for the room,” we’ve actually been able to get close to fully unpacking from the move. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re almost nested. It’s a good feeling, and I think the work and need to nest bothered me more than I realized.
I’m over 40k on The Feeding of Sorrows now with scenes popping up. Better yet, I haven’t even written the battle scenes, and I’ve noticed that writing battle scenes are usually the easiest parts. I’m targeting the end of January to finish it.
I’ve also made progress on None Call Me Mother. That story is writing itself in my head, and I’ve had some scenes jump at me to get it written. I’m not sure on any kind of date yet, but it’s coalescing.
Last week, I got asked to contribute to another anthology. I had the germ of a story jump out at me on that one as well. I expect it will be published in the summer.
I’ve two other short stories that are coming along in my head, along with some of the older ones I’ve dabbled with. This pleases me, as I need some more of the short fiction foundation. There are some Shijuren stories, too, and I’m planning on a Shijuren anthology hopefully by the end of 2019.
This isn’t a full update, but I plan on a full 2018 in review and list of 2019 plans in the next two weeks, and will return to normal updates following that.
Again, thank you for reading my books, giving me reviews, and generally making this possible for me.
Have fun these holidays and I wish you all a great 2019.
This week I’m reading through the Galaxy, Vol. 20, No. 2, of December, 1961. It’s got a story by Poul Anderson that I’m looking forward to, and I always wonder what Willy Ley had to say. Also of note is that Frederik Pohl is the editor, and of course I always think of him as a writer. I loved the Heechee series.
As I grabbed the links for Pohl and the Heechee series, I noticed that Gateway was also originally published in Galaxy starting in November of 1976. That issue was edited by Jim Baen. Ah, the fascinating trail of science fiction publishing.
Anyway, the initial editorial is by Pohl. It’s a fun one about the size of the galaxy and the possibility of alien life. Also, he talks about some planetary conjunctions.
There are all sorts of time capsule moments when reading these books and Pohl provides one. He says that Jupiter is “monarch of more than a dozen moons. (p. 7)” Right now we know of 79 moons around Jupiter. Yep, that’s definitely more than a dozen.
The issue’s first story is The Day After Doomsday by Poul Anderson. The story begins with a starship returning after a three-year mission to find the Earth destroyed. Carl Donnan is the one man who keeps his head, barely, and he tries to lead the 300 men of the ship’s crew to find those who killed his world and maybe even find some of humanity’s other spaceships. If he gets dead lucky he can find one with women on it and humanity can survive.
The story is fantastic. I’d be on pins and needles waiting for the next issue to show up in my mailbox. There are a couple of data dumps, but the rest of it is fast-paced and full of action. Aliens and politics. Ship battles. A mystery. Clues hidden here and there. And the possibility of answers more deadly than the crimes.
Fun stuff. I’m looking forward to the conclusion.
Next we have Miriam Allen deFord’sOh, Rats. DeFord is not an author I’ve read before, though she wrote in both of my two favorite fictional areas, SF/F and mystery.
This is a twist on the Flowers for Algernon idea. SK540 is a super-rat engineered in a lab. Unfortunately, the engineering was too successful. He understands what is going on, leads an escape from the lab of his choice of the other rats, and then takes them to the house of one of the scientists.
Then he leads a fairly diabolical campaign against the scientist and his wife. He tricks them into befriending him and keeping him secret for the moment. Then he reveals that he has impregnated two other lab rats and the scientist realizes that it’s a war.
But he realizes it too late. SK540 has used rat poison (nice irony from deFord there) to kill the scientist and his wife. The story ends with the note that it’s the tale of the founder of their race and the end of humans.
This is a great story in many ways. I love the twist at the end. Yet, I’ve sat here for a bit to figure out why I detest it and I think I have the answer. SK540 wins because the wife recognizes him as a person and treats him nicely. I don’t like characters that take advantage of people being nice, so I simply can’t want him to win, not that way.
However, despite my dislike of the result, I can’t help but admire the quality of the work.
We move on to Willy Ley’s monthly essay. This one focuses on Dragons and Hot Air Balloons. In it, he talks about the possibility that the Chinese candle balloons are ancient. His argument is that they are not because Western travelers would have spoken about them prior to the 18th-century. I’m not sure I buy his argument completely, but that’s mostly because I wonder what research has occurred since 1961. He talks about the possibility that dragon banners might have been early balloons, but dismisses that too. He does so based on weight/volume ratio of the long tail.
His last segment discusses some of the biggest guns in history. He details the ones we know of and if they fired. Interesting stuff.
Then we move to Joy Leache’s Satisfaction Guaranteed. I don’t know much about her. She only had three stories published and I can’t find much about her on the internet.
This is a cute little story that where an account administrator from a promotions company is sent to a small planet to figure out something it can export so it can join the Galactic Empire. They have to have something they can contribute before getting accepted.
The problem is they have no resources. They aren’t artists. Their planet isn’t terribly attractive. As a species, the Felicians are attractive. They look like leprechauns, and they could get by setting up a tourist industry to take advantage of that. However, that would be demeaning and likely to lead to their extinction.
The get the promoter drunk, and while he’s drunk his steno, the real hero of the story, manages to figure out that the Felicians are excellent cobblers. So they set up a method to sell the shoes and it seems like the problem is at an end.
However, the Felician shoes don’t wear out and they only produce one style per species. Any others would be inefficient and demeaning for the leprechauns. That means the sales dry up within a few years.
So they go back to Felix to figure out a new plan. While there, the steno breaks a tooth. The Felicians don’t have teeth, ergo no dentists, so she has to go elsewhere. When she comes back she realizes that the Felicians, with their small size and skilled, dexterous fingers, would make excellent dentists.
It’s a cute story, but limited. It’s the kind of thing that suggests a promising author-in-training. Unfortunately, the was Leache’s last published story that I know of. Too bad.
Next is Algis Budrys’sWall of Crystal, Eye of Night. All I can say is wow! This was an amazing story about a media mogul getting to the top of the heap, so he thinks. However, his rival has gotten advanced tech from the ancient and dying Martian race to ruin him.
The tech essentially creates a sort of virtual reality, but with less on the virtual and more on the reality. It allows someone to essentially program a person’s future within broad guidelines. In this case, the mogul’s rival curses him with an adventure that will end with sorrow and pain.
Much of the story is the mogul trying to escape this doom. He kills his rival, sort of. However, the Martian tech keeps him alive as a sort of zombie to follow the mogul and push him into wilder and wilder bad decisions. To ruin his life. Very Shakespearean.
The Martian tech succeeds and the mogul dies at the end of the story. However, he leaves behind the seeds of his revenge by using the tech on the guild agent who eventually kills him. These agents are surgically altered to make incorruptible by removing their ability to feel, or taste, or enjoy much of anything. It’s sort of like a Blade Runner thing where they are changed into replicants and can’t ever go back to being human.
The mogul’s revenge is to change this one back. Suddenly, he can feel centuries of things he’s seen and done. And now he goes back to get his vengeance and the mogul’s.
Fantastic. Would make a great movie. And, as you can see from the ISFDB, it’s been republished a number of times. Find it if you can.
To fill out the final page of Wall of Crystal, there’s an ad for one of those book clubs. I could get 6 books for $2, including stuff from Asimov, Leinster, Farmer, Anderson, Aldiss, van Vogt, and a bunch of others. Here, take my money.
The next story is Rainbird by R.A. Lafferty. Lafferty’s an inventive writer, and this is a good example.
“Inventive” jumped to mind as this story is about an inventor who is greater than da Vinci. At the end of his life, he laments about all the things he meant to improve but never did. He has done amazing things, like wiring Philadelphia for electricity in 1799, but there’s some much else to do. So, he invents a time machine and goes back to himself while his younger self was hawking.
He lays out to his younger self a huge amount of information, to which that version of himself listens intently. The younger version puts away the joys of hawks and falcons, and invents at an incredible pace. Even gets us to Mars by 1830. However, when he is 85, he curses himself for being an idiot as he has never quite gotten around to corporeal immortality. He decides to go back to yet another younger version and impress upon him the importance of immortality to allow him to achieve all that he wants and needs to.
But this younger version is distracted by the hawk and the falcon and the joys of life. Now he is remembered for a number of useful things like a safer nutmeg grater and better wedge for splitting logs. And this one never figures out the time machine and never can do anything about all the things he meant to do someday.
Very good story, but with a limitation. It’s oddly structured in that it is almost pure exposition. This structure works, though, and you get caught up into it. It needs more of the main character doing, though, to become great.
I had never heard of this anthology before, and it’s no wonder. It’s not published anymore, and the only places I found it was ABEBooks where I could get it for $75 or $150. No Amazon or ebook.
I’m not a huge collector of things, but this may just happen anyway.
But I don’t think this was her best story. She was Wiccan, and this story is a melange of Christian, Norse, Wiccan, Zoroastrian, Native American, and other mythologies combined with an evil time traveling company from 3000 AD fighting over when and how to use electricity.
The main character is a reverend who wants to return to simpler, more traditional Christmas’s. One way to do that is to avoid using electric lights and rely on candles, firelight, etc. His wife is beautiful, but she was a spy implanted by the electric company to get him to stop preaching against using electrical lights after dark.
If that all seems complex, it is, and the melange has too many elements. She loves Easter Eggs, and I’ll bet most of what’s in here exists because “So-and-so will love this!” I’m not unfamiliar with the vast majority of the mythology she uses, but it whizzes by so fast I can’t quite connect all the pieces together to make the story really work for me.
I’m also not entirely fond of the ending. In the end, he wins, and a great beings says, “You want an old-time Christmas, you can have it.” The last scene is the reverend, now converted to a Druid, getting ready to sacrifice a number of Christians in honor of the winter solstice. The main character, who is a good man that you root for, then becomes evil. I love endings that aren’t happy.
Had he been the Christian sacrificed and faced his ending with pride and honor, I’d have loved it. He’d have won, though he’d have died. In this case, he’s corrupted into evil through no fault of his own, only the great evil deus ex machina making him murderous. That’s too heavy-handed for me to enjoy.
Next we get to The Watery Wonders of Captain Nemo by Theodore L. Thomas. This is actually a long form review of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Thomas’s main criticism is that Jules Verne’s science is awful. He didn’t look for the technology given the submarine advances that had already been made when he wrote the story in 1870. He didn’t double-check the viability of the scientific-sounding things he says in the novel. Furthermore, we may think he advanced submarine science with his ideas, but Thomas points out that what readers think is there is not, actually, there. Batteries for the Nautilus, for example.
However, Thomas loves the way Verne tells stories. He might have missed some tech that was available to him, but he captures us in such a way that even an expert glosses over things. He calls it “non-science,” though a good story.
This story is about a guy who pulled himself up from the gutter, but he goes back from time to time to remind himself what he once was. While there, he meets two men, one large and obvious, and the other so withdrawn as to be almost invisible.
Turns out the withdrawn man is sliding from this universe to the next. He’s not really a part of this place, and this place is not really a part of him. That means that only people who are out of touch of this place, like those on skid row, can even see him. The main character can only see him when he’s visiting skid row, but not when he’s back at his job and real life with a newspaper.
The withdrawn man leaves, saying he’s found some other friends, so he disappears. He comes back to introduce his friend and the friend is terrifying. He has a form that seems to embody a sort of Platonic Ideal of the viewer’s greatest terror. Spiders, snakes, heights, whatever.
The terrifying creature says that’s the way it always goes and the withdrawn man promises to come back with more of them. The main character and the large man hope that the withdrawn man is so connected to the large man that if he cannot connect to the large man, he can’t get back. So the main character helps the large man succeed in society and escape skid row, where the terror lies.
Great story that catches you almost immediately even though there’s not much action, just a vague hint that yanks at your curiosity for a time until you can’t get away.
This was a very good issue. The worst story might simply be the worst because of my taste, and others might find it excellent. To me, that’s a great compliment for magazine.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week’s interview is A.M. Freeman, a really sharp cookie who likes to dress up like a cow every once in a while. Don’t let that fool you, she’s udderly brilliant.
Interview: A.M. Freeman
What is your quest?
To share the stories that build up in my head and preserve my sanity. (or whats left of it)
What is your favorite color?
My color is green. Green is the color of growth. I like to take a spark and work and mold it until it is a fire that others can be warmed by and enjoy. I’ve found my way to do that is to list the ideas from the spark, do research to get more ideas, then organize them. I think over the setting, the people, the conflicts, what motivations goals there are. I group them into rough scenes, like making a skeleton. I keep molding, filling out and adding flesh to the scenes, until the story and actions are clear. Then I form it, adding the skin, hair, eyes, the details so that everyone else can see and understand. Then I beat it over and over and over again, until the shape and textures are just right. At last my Golem is complete! And I set it out on the masses! Muhahaha!!!
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Sloooooow. I like to say I can’t read or write, I’m just good at telling stories. In truth, I couldn’t read until I was 10. That hasn’t stopped me much, just provided some hilarious spelling mix-ups. I’m not too slow at writing, just reading. There was also the time I lost ALL the editing on a novel I was trying to write. I’m talking months spent going over the entire 100 pages. Then, the very day I finish the edits, the file goes corrupt. This was before I started constantly saving my projects in multiple places. So the last saved version of the story I had was before I started editing. So I lost all that work, plus about ten pages off the end. That was cripplingly painful. But after taking a break I got back to it and pushed on.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
It bursts forth characters. They like to pop into myself. I feel like I can translate emotions pretty well, giving others a chance to feel them. The most emotional story I’ve written is probably my most well known (relatively speaking since I’ve only got short stories out so far) I’m not even sure how much credit I can take for that story. It was a very strange and inspired story that came to me late one night when I was 15. But my technique was strong enough to convey it, so I’ll take that. It was my first publication, at the age of 18. Came out in a little (and by little I mean epic) anthology called Forbidden Thoughts. Look it up!
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Miss Piggy! That sass tho….
Favorite Sports Team? Pink Panthers! I was the star goalie back in my glory days.
Cake or Pie? Piecaken It’s a pie baked into a cake.
Lime or Lemon? Limon
Favorite Chip Dip? The tasty kind, just nothing too spicy.
Wet or Dry? Depends on the weather
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Ellie Lawrence!!! We grew up in the same neighborhood. She was on season 9 of the voice. Has a real cool voice and style, and has an EP out somewhere called “If you Knew Me”
Whisky or Whiskey? Underaged!
Favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman
Favorite 1970s TV show? …. I don’t know any.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Anything that isn’t winter! I’m Florida born, and my skinny body can’t handle the cold.
Favorite Pet? My mustang! She’s a pretty buckskin. Got her at 10 months old, from the wild and untouched by humans, and trained her myself. She’s about 5 now. We like to ride around the pasture bareback.
Best Game Ever? Ugh! You just made me lose it!
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, even through it makes me crazy sometimes.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Both, at the same time, rolled into a big ball of awesome, with cool technology and fantastic people/creatures.
What question(s) would you like to ask me? Have you ever seen a chicken run around without it’s head? (I have, it’s pretty funny, almost cartoonish)
Rob’s Answer: Nope. For a guy who’s mostly a Kansas boy, I haven’t spent much time on farms. My headless chickens have all involved BBQ sauce, sesame oil, or and/or rosemary.
LibertyCon Spring of 2019. I’ll be legal to drink then! So things should get interesting. (Rob’s Note: The Four Horsemen Universe party at LC is going to get lit! And her too!)
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how Muse is today. My imaginary cat gets very cranky when people don’t give him attention. (Rob’s Note: Cats don’t have to be imaginary to get cranky without attention. My office cat has been biting me as I type this entry. Like now! Ouch!)
Thanks to A.M. for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m way behind in doing interviews. Blame it on #FourHorsetober and the dozens I did during the month.
But it’s time to get back on the horse. This week, R.J. Ladon is joining me. She, too, is part of the 4HU, but I couldn’t squeeze her interview in during the month. My apologies to her for the delay.
Interview: RJ Ladon
What is your quest?
To cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with a herring! When I was young (8-9ish) Gary Gygax purchased our family Arabian horse ranch. He gave my siblings and I, “Dungeons and Dragons” books and modules. He even played a short game with us noobs so we could understand what D&D was all about. I learned from him that some of the most interesting and entertaining stories, creatures, and environments come from your mind. Years later, I learned who that Gygax fellow was, and how important he was to my journey, er quest.
What is your favorite color?
Yellow, no blue. You know the adage “write what you know”? Well, I had to sacrifice many children to my Nerf Guns to make the “foam dart scene” come to life. I try to learn the “how” of the things I write about. The hands-on experiences of the SCA and Rendezvous groups have been excellent. Write what you know–if you don’t know–go learn, go experience. (Rob’s Note: I really appreciate how my SCA experience helps me add touches to my writing, especially with medieval materials and food).
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Would that paint brush be male or female? Where do I start. My biggest challenge was, and to some extent still is–finding time. The only way for me to get over this copout was to schedule time into my busy day. In effect treat writing like a job–you have to do this or you won’t get paid.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’ve been told my scenes are easy to read and understand. Like watching a movie inside my brain. Not sure that is a success or not but it makes me happy.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Sweetums
Crunchy or Creamy? sure
Favorite Sports Team? I don’t have time for sports.
Cake or Pie? Cake
Lime or Lemon? Why not both
Favorite Chip Dip? Hot salsa
Wet or Dry? TMI
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? https://www.tartanic.net/ Drums, Bagpipes and Belly Dancers – what else do you need?
Whisky or Whiskey? Not without Tango and Foxtrot
Favorite Superhero? The Tick
Steak Temperature? How about some chicken?
Favorite 1970s TV show? Fantasy Island – no M*A*S*H
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Yes please. All seasons have their merits.
Favorite Pet? Too many to choose from–someone would get jealous.
Best Game Ever? Blood of Heroes!!!! (Rob’s Note: Somewhere, my friend Pavel is smiling at this response. Then he’s punching an angel and saying, “The level of violence in this heaven is too low).
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Wait…is there a difference?
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
I understand you are a wealth of knowledge of the Myth and Culture of Renaissance and Medieval time periods. Where did you learn this information? School? Books? Other? Please explain.
Rob’s Answer: Yes to all of it. I loved Bullfinch’s Mythology as a kid and prowled through every Arthur thing I could find. At around 10 I read Tolkien, then stumbled on Susan Cooper’s The Tide Is Rising series. Somewhere along the way I realized that reading Beowulf and epic poetry out loud was magical and amazing.
So when I had the choice of what to study in grad school, I chose Anglo-Saxon England. Not only was wallowing in Beowulf, the Wanderer, Anglo-Saxon riddles, and all the rest fun, but there’s good solid historical evidence hidden in them. That meant reading more and more myth and legend to find small nuggets of cultural gold. I still do that.
And yes, that helps me build worlds, both because it gives me extra tools and because it’s so much fun. Shijuren is a deep, rich world that I’ve barely started to show to all my readers.
Coming soon: The first book in the Bloodstone series, to be available in 2019.
My short “The Felix” can be found in “Tales from the Lyon’s Den: Stories from the Four Horsemen Universe.
Two short stories “Gwen’s Gamble” and “The Poppet” can be found in “Sha’Daa Toys”
And where can we find you?
Liberty Con 2019– May 31st to June 2nd at the Read House in Chattanooga Tennessee.
Do you have a creator biography?
My name is RJ Ladon. I’m a Design Engineer by trade. I’m also an author. I have contributed one Military Science Fiction story to the best-selling Science Fiction Anthology ‘Tales from the Lyons Den: Stories from the Four Horsemen Universe’, and two horror stories to ‘Sha’Daa Toys’. Currently, I’m writing ‘Bloodstone’ a Young Adult Urban Fantasy novel. ‘Bloodstone’ will be the first in a series, and released in early 2019.
I’m a native of Wisconsin, where I still live today, with my husband, daughter, two adult sons, and a menagerie of animals. I also maintain a vast garden, and a fruit and nut orchard.
Thanks to RJ for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I decided I wanted to spend time with the family last week instead of reviewing a magazine. I suspect I’ll do that again around Christmas as I had a great Thanksgiving.
Anyway, this week’s magazine review is the Analog of August, 1962. It promises to be an excellent issue with a cover story by , plus other works by James Schmitz, Mack Reynolds, and one of my favorite authors, Randall Garrett. It also has a hilarious ad on the inside cover.
The hilarious ad inside the front cover is for the Remington Rand Microfilm Camera. It talks about how its unfair to SF, because it doesn’t have have enough knobs, doesn’t hum, has no green light, nor does it have an oscilloscope. Plus it weighs in at a svelte 155 pounds.
The first story in the issue is Christopher Anvil’sThe Toughest Opponent. This is an excellent story pitting a solver of problems against a tough test. He is on a planet where the natives can eat virtually anything, meaning they really can’t run out of food. Their population explodes, but they never need to organize past the individual. As individuals, the natives are intelligent. However, he has to face them as an amorphous mob.
What I loved about this story was the solution. He found a native insect that terrified the natives during the day, but which was quiescent at night when the natives hunted them. He could, and did, use the insects as a defense to protect various enclaves around the planet. This worked, but left the situation back where they started.
So he set up these insects in defensive positions that required two or more natives to defeat. Eventually, this forced the natives to start working together, which then began the creation of tribes and larger units.
Someone mentioned that this was their toughest opponent yet, but the hero looks in the mirror and says, that’s our toughest opponent. We forget to think, and that lack of thinking is the root of all our problems. There’s a lot to that.
There was another striking quote. “The trouble with life, Towers, is that it presents an endless selection of choices between undesirable alternatives. For instance, if a man wishes to act sensibly, he should first understand the situation thoroughly. But, if he waits till he understand the situation thoroughly, the opportunity for action passes (p 12.)” I love that truism.
Our main character is a nuke plant technician in a plant on the Moon. He wakes up to find that two of his co-workers are unconscious and one of their reactors is having real problems. The only other co-worker around is ineffectual and panics easily. So, he goes in to do what needs to be done.
He saves the unconscious guys and slows the reactor, but does not solve the problem. However, in the process, he forgets the chemistry of the situation and his protective suit gets covered in radioactive mercury. He needs to be able to get out of the suit in order to go back to the control center to put an end to the problem, however, a shower won’t remove the mercury from his suit, and he can only reach a small fraction of the mercury to scrub it off. If he takes the suit off, he’ll die, and if he doesn’t, the reactor will blow.
But Mercury-203 mixed with Helium-4 in a fusion reactor fuses to Lead-207, which is a stable element. So his solution is to go back into the reactor and wait until the process is completed, even though it becomes a bit uncomfortable at 350 or so Celsius. Then he simply leaves the reactor, takes off the heavy, but non-radioactive suit and goes into the control panel to set everything back to normal.
One of Garrett’s greatest skills is ending short stories, and this is a great example. During the process of solving the problem, the hero ruefully laughs that he’s a knight in shining armor. When the rescue crew arrives to find him dozing, our hero mutters, “I am a knight in dull armor” (p. 67), which is humorous enough, but then Garrett adds this brilliant bit: “Hi yo, Quicksilver, away” (p. 67).
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but if you can get your hands on The Best of Randall Garrett, do it. It’s some of the best short story writing you will ever find.
Next we get to Watch the Sky by James H. Schmitz. In this story, our protagonist and other plotters arrange a hoax to further their careers. Humans have been in a war with the Geest for decades and hundreds of millions on each side have perished.
The hoax is the duplication of a Geest weapon war relic owned by the protagonist’s great grand-uncle and the subsequent “discovery” of that duplicate on his planet. It’s a backwater planet that at one point had another intelligent species on it, but is now on the other side of human space from the existing front of the war. The problem is that the duplication machine does not have access to certain Geest materials so a molecular scan proves it must be a forgery.
That puts the plotters in a bad place. This is, essentially, treason during a war, and as such is a capital crime. That isn’t all, however, as the main character discovers that the only place his ancestor could have found the weapon was on this planet, so his hoax is not actually a hoax. Worse, there’s evidence that this planet will become the focus of a new attack by the Geest.
Can’t prove it though, and they have no credibility because of their actual hoax attempt. However, in the conclusion, the government hears their theories, agrees with them, and then sets a trap. In the end, the plotters all become heroes and the Geest are slaughtered when they attack.
I’m telling this story abruptly in this blog post, but that abruptness mirrors the story. I like this story, but I would have liked it a lot more with some subtle hints of what was coming.
When I write my mysteries, once I figure out the bad guy and the ending, I always make sure there’s a subtle line of bread crumbs that, when the book is read again, make sure the reader knows the evidence was there all along and that the reader had a chance to figure it out.
I’m reading some Nero Wolfe stories and while I am enjoying them, we are not always presented with all the information we need to solve the story. That’s the case here. I would have liked more hints at the provenance of the MacGuffin.
Also, the transition from bad guy to good guy at the conclusion was too fast. All of the twists happen in only two pages and the plotters need to be hammered a bit before getting their reprieve in my opinion.
It’s still a good story, though, and I wonder if Jack McDevitt has read it. It reminds me a bit of his A Talent for War, which is a fantastic book.
Next we come up to a pictorial essay about building the Cambridge MIT particle accelerator called The Big Job of Moving Little Things by John W. Campbell. It also discusses its capabilities and goals.
That is followed by another science fact essay on The Color of Space, also by Campbell. Here, he discusses some of the particulars in taking pictures of space.
We get to another story, this one by Mack Reynolds called Border, Breed nor Birth. This is part 2 of 2, so we miss much of the story. What I did read was reasonably well-constructed, but this is one of the worst stories I’ve read since starting this exercise. If I run across part 1, my opinion might change, but I don’t think so. The lack of the first half is not the problem with it, it’s the conclusion.
The story is basically of a Westerner claiming the name al-Hassan who creates a new country in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s more of a thriller than SF, as the SF aspects only appear in terms of a few technological items. It could be a good story, especially given the context Reynolds wrote in. The world powers are all jostling for their best outcome. There’s spying, assassination attempts, and a guerilla war, so there are building blocks to make a good story.
But the story’s conclusion is awful. One character says, “You know, Isobel, in history there is no happy ending ever. There is no ending at all. It goes from one crisis to another, but there is no ending” (p. 156). This is absolutely true of history. In this case, the story ends with the al-Hassan learning there’s a new challenge to face, a new warleader arrayed against him. Yeah, sure, that’s historically the way things often happen, but I want the story to have some sort of conclusion.
This doesn’t have one. At all. It literally spends more time on the grammar of Esperanto than on having a conclusion. It is simply pages and pages of rambling events whose final words are “…there is no ending.” Really? That’s it? My reaction when I got to it was unprintable as it frustrated me immensely.
All in all, this was a fun issue. Two very good stories and another solid one well outweigh the clunker. Plus, you have plenty of contribution from Campbell, who I wish I could have argued with over beers for hours on end.
Oddly, the issue I randomly grabbed has a direct tie in to this issue. It’s the Galaxy of December, 1961, and its cover story is The Day After Doomsday by Poul Anderson. Should be fun.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week, we’ll look at the Fantastic Universe from December, 1957 edited by Hans Stefan Santesson. He also edited a couple of anthologies I’ll need to read that focus on characters such as Conan, Thongor, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Elric of Melnibone.
The issue starts with a humorous thing on the first page. It’s an add asking “Are you giving your wife the companionship she craves?” I didn’t realize Cialis and Viagra ads were that old.
The first story is Bear Trap by Alan E. Nourse. Like so many authors of the Golden Age, he’s an interesting guy. He wrote SF to pay for medical school.
A side note, the movie Blade Runner got its title form his story The Bladerunner, though nothing of the story in the movie comes from the book.
Bear Trap is a pretty good story with a number of worrisome thoughts. The main character is a propagandist tasked with helping control American society. He has to frame words to get the emotional impact his bosses desire.
And what they desire is to create a war. The people behind it, though, are not what they seem. In a fun twist, the people behind the system are creating a war not to make a profit, but to push humanity to create offworld habitats. The mastermind’s analogy is that humanity is caught in a bear trap. We are trapped on Earth and will die if we don’t escape it, but to escape it we have to gnaw off our own leg, so to speak.
Again, a good story, though not a great one. The last bit drags because the mastermind has to explain why he has done all of the bad things he’s done to get out of the trap. That exposition eliminates the tension at the end.
Then there’s a small essay about the “Coming Conquest of the Moon.” Sad to say, their optimism has proven unfounded.
Man, it was disappointing. It had such promise. “Min and I were just getting settled into the spotel game when the leg turned up” (p. 49) That should have been the first sentence, but even as the first line of the third paragraph, that’s got so much power in it. What leg? What are space hotels going to be like? Where is this story going?
It is a great setup for a good hardboiled detective mystery, but it’s not that kind of story. They find out fairly quickly a robot called Frank Nineteen has been smuggling up his one true love part by part. They catch him reassembling and activating her about a third of the way through.
That, too, could have had promise. A tragic romance that can never be or Robot and Juliet. Instead, it then turned into a boring bit about Frank Nineteen becoming the face for robot civil rights, becoming a movie star, and parading around Earth with a different female robot chosen as his co-lead.
Even then, the story could have been salvaged, and almost was. His love sees the coverage of him and the leading lady gallivanting around. She tries to commit suicide, which would have been a heartwrenching story when Frank finally returns to her. But, no, they manage to save her and they go off happily ever after.
Sigh. Once again, a potential story ruined by some supposed need for a happy ending. Bleah. It’s close, really close, to being very good, but it’s almost like every time Knight had a choice, he choose the boring option.
After that is My Father the Cat by Henry Slesar. In German, it’s Mein Vater, der Kater. I accept that I’m just an immature little boy, but that makes me chuckle. Slesar is another interesting guy. He might very well have coined the term “coffee break.” Starbucks should pay him royalties, if true.
This is a great story. All of the potential the Knight ignored, Slesar pursued. The main character is, in fact, the son of a Breton noblewoman and big, intelligent Angora. The cat is a lover of art, and literature, and good food, and all such things. He educated his son in these things, and the son comes to America to excel at a university on this side.
Over here, he finds the woman of his dreams and he brings her back to Brittany to get married. However, he has not told her of his, shall we say, different parentage. He is determined to tell her once back at home, but his father tells him he would lose her if he does. He refuses to believe that and tries to force the issue.
The father stops it by breaking his son’s heart. He comes to dinner and meows. The butler gives him a saucer of milk in the corner, and he acts like a normal cat. The scene is powerful and excellent.
But this is a fascinating rip on Ivan Sanderson, who follows next with Comments from a Scientist. Kornbluth has many complimentary things to say about Sanderson, but tears him to shreds for losing his scientific mind and proselytizing about UFOs.
Sanderson’s rebuttal is quite fun, actually. He says that while he’s never met Kornbluth, after reading his critique, says, “I think I will like him too, when we meet. In the meantime, I am genuinely appreciative of his criticisms for it will be a sad when everybody agrees about everything…” (p. 79). Then he proceeds to eviscerate Kornbluth’s argument.
I sure hope they had a chance to argue over pints, for that would have been lots of fun.
A Martian explorer called Klimp
Found earth, but it left him quite limp.
Tho’ man merely bored him,
The weather here floored him –
So he hurried back home in his blimp.
It’s been snowy and in the 20s here most of the past week. I don’t blame him for heading back to sunny and warm Mars 😉
We get more whimsy with the next story, Inside Stuff by Theodore Pratt. It stars Young Gastric Juice and Old Gastric Juice. Young GJ falls in love with a spritely Celery who has such lovely eyes. Young GJ refuses to push her out of the stomach because of her beauty, despite the fact that Old GJ has seen this story before. The two GJs spend much of the rest of the story dealing with the variety of foods coming through, including a tough old Steak.
Unfortunately, the love story ends when Celery turns her affections to a newcomer, Bonbon. Young GJ, in pain from getting spurned, promises he will never fall in love again until, at the end, he muses that maybe there’ll be celery again tomorrow.
Hilarious, cute story.
Next is another essay called Shapes in the Sky. This one lists a variety of skyquakes in the hopes of determining the reality of UFOs. It’s written by CSI, the Civilian Saucer Intelligence. Now I want a mash-up of Project UFO and CSI. Gil Grissom should be in charge of Project Blue Book!
The story Moment of Truth by Basil Wells follows. This is a disappointing story about a woman who has emigrated to Mars but has at some point lost connection with reality. Her husband tries to save her by showing her the Mars desert, but she merely incorporates it into his vision.
It’s disappointing because nothing really happens. If literature needs to show some change in characters, then this does not qualify. The main character lives in a dream. Her husband tries to bring her out of the dream, but she remains where she was. What’s the point?
This story is incredibly good. It’s about the ability of new science to restore life to any human being if there are any cells left. A woman asks to hear the whole story of one of these resurrected people. It’s a great conversation, and is the start of a fantastic story.
But it’s less than two full pages. There’s no result. There’s no action. You don’t even get to finish the initial conversation. Gah! This could be a great series of novels, not a few hundred words. Less than this review. It’s a damn shame.
Gah! It happens again, exactly the same thing, in Forgotten Ones by Stephen Bond (really, Hans Stefan Santesson under a pen name). It’s a robot artist staring at a statue of humans amazed that they might in any way be involved with the creation of the First Ones. But it is, again, less than two full pages.
It’s a fantastic introduction or ever just raw world-building for an interesting robot universe as they struggle with religion, creation, and all such things. Asimov would have done amazing things with it.
Sadly, you can basically see the entire story on the front cover. No real need for those few hundred words.
L. Sprague de Camp is next with an essay about Ignatius Donnelly Pseudomath. This essay is de Camp pointing out just how wrong Donnelly, (Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_L._Donnelly) was about Atlantis, how Francis Bacon was Shakespeare, and other ideas.
Donnelly is another fascinating character, though. He wrote SF in the 1800s. He was a fairly successful politician and a leader in the Populist Party. The things you learn reading these magazines is amazing.
The last story is Kenneth Bulmer’sBy the Beard of the Comet. It’s another potentially fun story that lacks fleshing out. It’s about a man frustrated by an evil boss and a nagging wife. He goes to the local VR theater, which interprets his thoughts and gives him the VR experience his mood wants. So the VR makes him a pirate on the spaceways, fighting and defeating his boss. He has jewels, wealth, skill with the rapier, and many other defeated enemies.
But his wife tracks him down and inserts herself into his VR. She does it as much as anything to continue yelling at him. In the end, though, he comes out filled with the confidence installed as a pirate captain, and he vows to take his boss’s place.
The transition happens too swiftly, though. There’s not enough of him fighting through his inner demons. Nor is the twist at the end anything terribly surprising.
As you can tell, this issue frustrated me. The prose is all well-constructed. There’s a good kernel to every story but they’re just not executed well enough. Sigh.
Anyway, next week I’ll be reading the Analog of August, 1957. I’m really excited about this one because it’s the first one I’ve run across with something by Randall Garrett.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
After a tumultuous October, it’s time to get back into the normal groove.
This week I’ll review Imagination, Vol. 1, No. 1 from October, 1950. Yes, that’s right, it’s the first issue of this magazine. I’m actually curious how it might differ from a regular issue, so let’s dive into it.
Inside the front and back covers is a neat blurb and pictures about the new “scientifilm” Rocketship X-M. It’s a very 1950s sort of film, especially in how it looks at Mars, but it looks interesting.
We start reading with a rather large Editor’s column with one part by Forrest J. Ackerman and the rest by the regular editor, Raymond A. Palmer.
Most of you probably recognize Ackerman, but maybe not Palmer. However, Palmer was a foundational piece of SF magazines. He helped start one of the first fanzines and as editor for Amazing Stories bought Isaac Asimov’s first professional story. Imagination was his baby, for all intents and purposes.
In general, the editorial promises what Imagination would be. It is not terribly remarkable as it states that it will provide a freshtake on the SF magazine. However, based on what I see in the editorial and his biography, I think Palmer would have loved to be at the 20Booksto50K conference this week. He seemed to really enjoy bringing in new authors.
The first story in the issue is Chester S. Geier’sThe Soul Stealers. It’s a workmanlike story, in my opinion. It suffers, I think, from a little too much plotting, in that I struggle at some of the transitions. A certain thing has to happen, so it happens, but I was not convinced by the events in the story that the thing was going to happen. It’s got action and mystery, but it didn’t quite mesh for me. It’s technically good, but left me wanting a harder fight for the protagonist.
Immediately after is a small space-filler that discusses the amazing impact of trucking and heavy earth-movers on American society. This is the most striking line: “All this is a harbinger of the future. Instead of concentration in cities as has been happening all over the world for the last few centuries, it is possible for a civilization to spread itself out all over the country and still produce as effectively as if it were in one spot” (p. 39). This is coming to pass, but Palmer could have had little idea of the internet. Still, it’s a prescient thought.
The next story is Wind in Her Hair by Kris Neville. I confess that when I see the name Neville I *always* think first about a shield bearing the device gules, a saltire argent, with 50 troops attached from the game Kingmaker. Sorry, not sorry.
Anyway, this Neville is a Missourian I have not ever heard of before. The reason why is SF was too limiting for him and after publishing a number of stories, he went to do other things that interested him. Namely, epoxy resins.
After reading this, I really wish he hadn’t shifted to epoxy resins. Wind in Her Hair is one of those “what happens on generational ships” kind of stories. How will our society evolve, and that sort of thing. This is a great example of the subgenre, because, in the end, it’s not really human society that’s evolved, but our physiology.
A screwed up environmental system meant the people on that ship now cannot breathe Earth air or live on Earth at all. The only way they find out is by actually returning to Earth. They’re excited about coming home, dreaming dreams of a future outside the ship, only to have their dreams crushed. Fantastic story.
Rog Phillips is next with One for the Robot – Two for the Same … Phillips, actually Roger Phillips Graham, is vaguely familiar to me, but I cannot recall reading anything by him. I’ll look for him in the future, though. His writing career is a tad tragic, and it’s a shame, because he looks to be a very good writer.
This story is about a scientist who tries to figure out how to transfer a human’s brain to a new, robotic body to make himself immortal. He figures out the secret, but in so doing he discovers something that essentially destroys him. He loses his reputation and becomes an alcoholic.
Another scientist replicates his work and tracks him down. He wants to know what it is that the main character discovered that destroyed him. He wants to try it himself, but doesn’t want to make the same mistake.
The main character’s first name is January. It’s a cool hint at the answer. The procedure doesn’t transfer the brain, it copies it. There is now a second one of himself, one facing back to what he has done, and the other facing to an immortal, robotic future. I’m not sure what I’d do in that situation, either. Very good story that kept me wondering until the end. It is only afterwards I really understood his first name.
Next is a couple of short essays. One discusses how brains work much the same as a TV or telephone does. The second essay talks about the brand new instrument, the encephalograph, and how it can help us understand sanity and why people murder other people. I wonder what we think of as cutting edge will seem so quaint to people in 2090.
We move on to the next story, Look to the Stars, by Willard Hawkins. Hawkins is another author I can’t remember having read before.
I’m a sucker for anyone who writes a mythology to start the story from whence that mythology derives. I like piecing the clues together, and this has all of that.
A crazy scientist creates a spaceship. Eight others come to him, not really by choice. By seeming accident, they get on the ship and it activates, sending them to the stars. But the ship has been encased in a special form of clay that holds anything with a spark of like in stasis, and takes them, along with all of the creatures and plants it has captured to a far distant world. These then repopulate the planet. The mythology is that of the eight’s descendants.
Part of the fun is the fact that seven of the eight are criminals and awful people. But the last line is, “All were gods, stupendous beings of high courage and noble aims…” (p. 149). It’s a good story. It drags a bit, and could have been smoothed, but it is still a fun read.
The last story is Inheritance by Edward W. Ludwig. This is actually his first published story of 25 or so. It’s a solid story and creepy. A dog and her puppy run down into a cave and gets lost and her master chases them into the tunnel. They get lost for several days. During that time a chemical attacks kills everyone else on earth, but never reaches them.
He is initially terrified of being the only person left alive and contemplates suicide, but decides to have a last meal. He enjoys the best steak he can find, cigars he could never have afforded, and good scotch. He decides to enjoy these good things for a bit. Then he remembers there’s so much left to see on earth, and he decides to go visit them. There may not be people, but he’s got his dog and her puppy and he loves them more than people anyway.
After this story is a personal ad section. These include:
Have you seen flying disks or believes invisible beings walk the earth?
Selling a collection of SF/F books 3 for $1.
The Universal Musketeers , an unofficial fanclub around Newport News, VA, is looking for new members.
An F.J. Ackerman at 236 1/2 N. New Hampshire in Hollywood seeks certain magazines and books
Last is the letters to the editor page. First off is one by Chet Geier, yes the first author in this issue, thanking Palmer for the opportunities he has given him. There’s also a similar letter by Rog Phillips. My favorite letter is the one announcing all the things happening at Norwescon 1950. I wonder when this issue of Imagination was actually released, because Norwescon was actually on Labor Day, 1950 and this was the October, 1950 issue.
Anyway, though I didn’t really know any of authors coming into this issue, I really liked it. There’s no earth-shatteringly amazing story in here, but they’re all at least solid. Altogether, it’s an auspicious beginning and I look forward to future issues.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
Chances are, if you like military science fiction, you might have run into J.R. Handley on Facebook. He has science fiction podcast and serves as an admin on the Galaxy’s Edge fansite. He’s a hard worker who adds a ton to the MilSF community. And, oh yeah, he’s a good writer as well.
Interview: J.R. Handley
What is your quest?
I strive to tell compelling science fiction stories that are fun escapism from the drudgeries of the modern world. I love space opera and military science fiction, which are the two spaces where I excise my demons and weave them into the tapestry of my futuristic universe. I let my real-world experiences from serving 8.5 years in the Army, with two tours in Iraq, flavor the action and the soldiers I write about. Hopefully I succeed in creating warriors worthy of the genre that I love to read.
Growing up I devoured science fiction from Orson Scott Card and the plethora of books written in the Star Wars Universe. I read those books clear up through the end of high school, only taking a break from reading for fun when I was in college and then in Iraq. When I rediscovered reading, I found authors like Chris Kennedy (The Theogony Universe), Tim C. Taylor (Human Legion Series), Terry Mixon (Empire of Bones Series), Richard Fox (The Ember War Series) and the deadly duo of Anspach and Cole (The Galaxy’s Edge Series). All of those styles effect the story teller I’ve become, which I hope to bring to the Four Horsemen Universe I enjoy reading.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color? I’m color blind so I don’t really have a favorite. I only see the basic primary colors, but I guess I like blue and green. Okay, my former fire team would skewer me alive if I didn’t say Infantry Blue!
As for what I like in my creations, I strive to balance the details that make the story come alive with the fast pace expected from the genres where I play. I don’t want to tell the readers about the far-flung battlefields, I want them to BE there with my characters. I would love for them to be able to envision the story, like a movie playing in their heads. One of the biggest tricks I use for my battlefields, since you’re looking for advice for other creators… I make a sand table of the space where the action happens. It lets me see the battlefield in 3D and plot realistic strategies for the situation at hand. Plus, it’s fun playing with Legos and calling it “work.” Unless my wife is reading this, then it is TOTALLY work!
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
An unladen paint brush flies at the speed of sound, divided by pie and multiplied by the weight of a porcupine on Mars. Oh, and make sure you don’t mix in the metric system or you’ll create a space-time singularity that will destroy the fabric of the universe!
Now, on a more serious note… I swear I can be serious! My biggest challenges revolve around overcoming the traumatic brain injury I suffered in Iraq. Sometimes I get my words mixed up, and my minions have to go back and help me figure out what I really meant. Most of the time it’s pretty easy sometimes involves rewriting entire sections because the gibberish was indecipherable. I can get confused very easily and have a finite number of cognitively viable hours in the day, which cuts into my writing time. Overall, I do it all again and still enjoy telling the stories even if I’m slower than molasses. It just means I have to get creative as I fight through the Amazon churn model that is in vogue.
The hardest part to answer here was regarding some of my failures. Even when I have stories rejected by anthologies, I don’t consider them failures. I write as therapy, as a way to process what happened overseas. I also write to keep exercising my gray matter so I can fend off the inevitable dementia that is often associated with dramatic brain injuries. Every day I write something, I call it a win. Most recent failure, or rejection, was from the previous 4HU anthology. I got so distracted by the shiny idea, that I lost sight of the universe canon and the story was rejected. Again, this wasn’t a failure because I can pull out anything that is proprietary to the universe and still salvage the story. Failure is only a thing if you don’t learn from it, or you have a warped view on things. I try to take everything in stride, avoid dwelling on the negative, and appreciate that I’ve got another day above the dirt. Losing so many friends definitely alters your perspective, and I try to honor their sacrifice by not giving up.
Since we focused on the negative, well on failure anyway, I want to take a second to talk about the good things. I truly feel that the story and the upcoming anthology is one of the best I’ve ever written. I’ve read all of the previous anthologies, and many of the main storyline books, and wanted to bring something a little different to the universe. I tried to honor the warrior, by remembering why they fight with this submission. I really hope that comes across and would love for your feedback once you’ve read it!
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
The Holy Hand Grenade is all knowing, it comforts us when we are hurting and smites our foes with impunity! Who doesn’t worship the Holy Hand Grenade? Point me at the blasphemous soul and we will smite them together!
It sounds like what you’re really asking for are my tricks of the trade, and the biggest one I use I’ve previously mentioned. I rely heavily on sand tables to block out my action scenes, and I feel like that’s where I do my best work. I can’t really pinpoint one specific success that I’m proud of, other than to say that my latest work is always my favorite and I hope that I’m growing at every step along the way. The two stories I’m most proud of are the one in the upcoming 4HU anthology titled “CASPers Widow” and one written in my Sleeping Legion Series titled “No Marine Left Behind.” I feel like they are some of my best published work, and I hope the readers agree.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit the Frog
Crunchy or Creamy? Coffee
Favorite Sports Team? Yay sports ball!! Wait, I don’t have one… I prefer watching the USA Rugby Team or just reading a good book.
Cake or Pie? Coffee
Lime or Lemon? Coffee
Favorite Chip Dip? French Dip with those ridged chips
Wet or Dry? Wet… cause COFFEE
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Joey and Rory, Dropkick Murphy’s or maybe Dar Williams? I’d guess that these are pretty main stream though.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whichever one fills my glass the quickest!
Favorite Superhero? GI Joe or Captain America!
Steak Temperature? On my plate!
Favorite 1970s TV show? Wait, did they have to be back then? Let me run to my local museum and get the historians to answer that one for me!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Yes, as long as no deserts are involved. I’ve had my fill of deserts! For more serious answer though, I prefer spring or fall because the weather is in the Goldilocks zone.
Favorite Pet? Our benevolent leader, Lord Cthulhu.
Best Game Ever? Chess, though DnD is pretty fun as well. But that might just be because I haven’t played the 4HU game that is coming out soon!!
Coffee or Tea? Hot coffee or sweet iced tea, the ying to my yang! Clearly the secrets of an awesome life
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? D, All of the Above!
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Well, I can tell you that the secret of the universe is 42, but you didn’t ask me that! Or that everyone knows the Devil invented pineapple pizzas, but you didn’t ask that either! Oh, and we can all agree in the heathen blasphemous nature of unsweetened iced tea!! What about the proper temperature one should drink beer? I swear it should be properly chilled, but heathen Brits like Tim C. Taylor drink it warm.
Rob’s Answer: You are correct. Beer must be *properly* chilled. That temperature is different for various types of beers. Lagers, especially light lagers, are best really cold. Real Ales, especially cask-pulled ales, are usually better at about 55 degrees. If they’re too cold, you lose much of the flavor.
Stouts like Guinness are perfect examples of this. Cold Guinness is rather bland. Let it warm to about 50, and suddenly it’s rich and vibrant. So, yes. Chill your beer properly.
And one last thing. If you like beer and you go across the pond, look up CAMRA to help you find some absolute treasures. I’m sure Tim C. Taylor would agree.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
You can find my books on Amazon or hear my insanity over at the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast. My website is an option too, I post a lot of book reviews there! Finally, we can chat on Facebook!
I’ll be attending the 20 Books to 50K author conference in Vegas in the first week in November 2018! Not sure about any other scheduled dates, since my life is so crazy at the moment. If any event comes up, I’ll be sure to post it on my website.
Do you have a creator biography?
J.R. Handley is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. He is a veteran infantry sergeant with the 101st Airborne Division and the 28th Infantry Division. She is the kind of crazy that interprets his insanity into cogent English. He writes the sci-fi while she proofreads it. The sergeant is a two-time combat veteran of the late unpleasantness in Mesopotamia where he was wounded, likely doing something stupid. He started writing military science fiction as part of a therapy program suggested by his doctor and hopes to entertain you while he attempts to excise his demons through these creative endeavors. In addition to being just another dysfunctional veteran, he is a stay at home wife, avid reader and all-around nerd. Luckily for him, his Queen joins him in his fandom nerdalitry.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Clearly, you need to ask the Religion Question; Star Wars, Star Trek or Firefly! The right answer is Star Wars, pre-Disney, of course! And then Firefly, though the show was murdered prematurely by the Evil Overlords over at Fox.
Thanks to J.R. for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This interview is with someone I hope to hang out with in his neck of the woods. It’s been a while since I’ve been across the pond. He’s also got a wicked sense of humor, as you’ll see.
Interview: Tim C. Taylor
Tim C. Taylor
What is your quest?
My quest is to fill my backpack with many coins of gold and electrum. I shall win magical treasures, attain level 31, poke my doubters in the belly with a 10-foot pole, and sell a million books.
A million seller, eh? True, it’s just a number, but I love to think that long after I’m gone there will be someone to proudly say, “My great grandfather was an author. He was a million seller.” It’s an achievement that won’t need a word of explanation to be amazing a century hence, unlike for example the Nebula award for Best Novella (not that I’d dismiss such an award, but even today you have to explain what a Nebula award is, who SFWA are, possibly what a novella is, and undoubtedly why anyone not an industry insider should care).
And though it’s just a number, the implications are just as important. You don’t get to sell a million books unless you have an audience who loves what you do, and in that special form of love that means you get paid.
And like all good quests, even if I never catch up with my friends who have already finished this one, the journey itself is awesome.
What is your favorite color?
Bilious orc green.
I like to keep a rough working outline of the entire story before I start crafting scenes. I don’t require much detail; I don’t want it. What I will have is an understanding of the key twists and developments. I update the list as I write and discover more about the characters and the story, but I’ll have enough that I’m always sneaking in foreshadowing, clues, and early signs of big shifts to come. That way, when I throw a surprise twist it doesn’t feel contrived because it hasn’t come out of nowhere. That’s the theory, anyway.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Fast enough to hurt, but not to kill. Stippling brushes can maim, though. Always wear protection.
Imagine the scene. You’ve a great idea for a novel series. It’s commercial. It’s part of a hot new subgenre, and every author you know is already earning thousands from this subgenre every month. But your idea is better. You have the logo. You’ve crafted the killer tagline. Your coffee is freshly brewed, and you’ve even cleared your desk of all clutter.
It’s time to get your fingers dirty and write.
Two months later, you still have the great idea, except that’s not what you actually wrote. Maybe, in retrospect, you wrote a spin-off or a prequel, but it’s no longer matching that awesome tagline.
I’ve had a few like that. My hard disk is littered with the dismembered corpses of good books – and they would have been good books – but they weren’t the commercial idea I set out with. The bodies will lay slowly festering for decades because I’ve already cut out the juiciest morsels and used them in work that did get published.
These days I’m much better at being my own editor and ask myself ‘how I will sell this book’ all the way through the writing process.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
My holy hand grenade has the power of light. Dark, ruddy, dappled, strobing, actinic, artificial and primeval: if I can’t get a vivid sense of how the light works in a scene that I’m about to write, then I know I haven’t imagined it well enough to craft it as viscerally as I would like.
I might skim through a rough outline of the scene and come back to it later, or go somewhere else away from my desk, shut my eyes (not advisable while driving or operating heavy machinery) and imagine harder.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? James Corden.
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. Especially satisfying if it’s the bones of my enemies.
Favorite Sports Team? Colchester United Football Club.
Cake or Pie? Pie. Obviously.
Lime or Lemon? Both. With plenty of ice.
Favorite Chip Dip? Thick gravy. Maybe with melted cheese. Oh, you mean crisps. Something with garlic, then.
Wet or Dry? Dry and then wet for a smooth finish.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Rick Derringer. Maybe he’s better known by American mercs, but he draws a blank when I mention him to Brits. Favourite slab of Derringer vinyl: Sweet Evil (1977). Here’s the official Sony upload of Drivin’ Sideways on YouTube. Rick gets such a rich tone in the solos, not only from his axe but also the Coke bottle accompaniment. https://youtu.be/Qqp1xW8MmjA.
Whisky or Whiskey? Yes. Speyside whisky mostly, though also Islay malts. I do enjoy a Bourbon or Connemara occasionally. One day, I’ll try an English whiskey; they’re just starting to get bottled after a hundred-year break.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Winter. Strong ales, an open fire in the lounge, and plenty of writing.
Favorite Pet? Gandalf the Grey and his late brother, Saruman the White. Here’s a pic of them watching their favorite guinea pig movie series: https://youtu.be/xy2RpVmAQPI
Best Game Ever? Best game with clothes on would have to be the Four Horsemen: Omega War Game. Since that’s not available yet, I’ll run with Kevin Zucker’s Napoleonic games with OSG. Pick of the bunch is Bonaparte in Italy (1979).
Coffee or Tea? Coffee. Strong. Black.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? When I was a kid, it was an even mix, but for some reason – maybe I overdosed on epic fantasy during adolescence – I spent several decades reading almost exclusively science fiction over fantasy. A few years ago, I became curious about Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files because the novel Skin Game placed below No Award in the Hugo Awards. This means that a majority of voters felt the book was so bad that the opinions of the voters who did like Skin Game were invalid. I had no er… skin in the game, because I’d never read Mr. Butcher, but that curiosity led me to pick up a copy from my library where I used to do most of my writing. Did I like this return to reading fantasy? DidI! Within a year, I’d read all sixteen books in the series. Jim Butcher is a superb writer. In fact, he’s so good that I suspect assistance by demons… or maybe that alien octopus beastie, Nemo, who works for Winged Hussars. I reckon Wroguls make fine fantasy editors.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Here’s what we need to know, Rob. How many times have you thrown a critical hit against innocent passersby on your D20 of Doom? (Or were they so innocent…?)
Rob’s Answer: I would say that, in the context of a show, a critical hit is one where someone buys a book solely because of the D20 of Doom. I get at least one critical a show. It’s important enough for my sales that I bought 2 more that sit on my shelf to replace the original when needed.
I also get at least one fumble where I drop the D20 and it bounces across the aisle. I’m klutzy enough that I bought 2 more that sit on my shelf to replace the original when needed.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
You can find out what I’m up to at humanlegion.com where you can join the Legion and download a starter library of eBooks for series written by myself and by fellow horseman scribe, JR Handley.
Other than my novelette in Tales of the Lyon’s Den, my latest release is my first ever horror story, which is in the Lovecroftian pulp adventure anthology: Adventures in the Arcane: Cthulhu Edition.
Tim C. Taylor lives with his family in an ancient village in England. When he was at an imprintable age, between 1977 and 1978, several mind-altering things happened to him all at once: 2000AD, Star Wars, Blake’s 7, and Dungeons & Dragons. Consequently, he now writes science fiction novels for a living, and has been doing so full time since 2011. For a free eBook starter library, join the Legion at humanlegion.com.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I think there’s a future for serialized science fiction?
It’s funny you asked me that, Rob. Yes. Yes, I do. In fact, I can even put a name on that future: Chimera Company.
My current project is a weekly serial for fans of classic Star Wars. Each episode will be about the length of a story in one of the 4HU anthologies and I’ll run around seven episodes per series. Why not join the Legion and check out some of the Chimera Company prequels?
Thanks to Tim for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Benjamin is another author I’m looking forward to chatting with at conventions. He’s quite thoughtful, as you’ll see. Also, he said he really liked “Where Enemies Sit,” my story in For a Few Credits More, so clearly he’s a smart man.
Interview: Benjamin Smith
Benjamin Smith
What is your quest?
My favorite stories are the ones that feature cool characters in an awesome setting, fighting against the odds with their fists and their wits. And you can find that in just about any genre, but especially in the realms of fantasy and science fiction. I started off reading Arthurian legends when I was a kid, and playing games like Final Fantasy II (IV in the correct numbering system) and Betrayal at Krondor for the PC. When I learned that Betrayal at Krondor was based off a book series by Raymond Feist, that’s what got me into reading as a full-time hobby. Looking back on it, the world of Midkemia is still my go-to example of what world-building looks like, and it’s what I try to emulate with my own stuff.
So, yeah. Cool characters in an awesome setting. With the Four Horsemen Universe, we’ve already got an awesome setting, so that’s half the work right there. It’s my hope that the characters and situation I came up with in “Return to Sender” are cool enough for the readers to enjoy! And if they do enjoy reading about Jackie and her Justin Timers, then let Chris know! I’ve got some good stuff already in the works.
Writers that I really enjoy include Raymond Feist, Brandon Sanderson, Larry Correia, Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Dan Abnett, and — more recently — Mark Wandrey, Kacey Ezell, Marisa Wolf, Kevin Ikenberry, and the rest of the 4HU crew.
What is your favorite color?
I’d like to think I strike a good balance between action, dialogue, and description in my scenes, even scenes that are sometimes little more than the characters sitting around a table formulating a plan. By mixing a little bit of action and description into a conversation, it keeps readers engaged and makes the scene seem more alive. If all you’ve got is dialogue, it’ll basically just be talking heads in a white space. But, if you put too much description in, you’ll either wind up with paragraphs describing how a chair looks or loads of background information that’ll grind everything to a halt. A lot of writers call this the dreaded exposition dump. I try to describe just enough for the reader to get a sense of where and who, then through action and dialogue fill in the what and why.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
My biggest failure early on was not pushing the emotional envelope far enough. I’m pretty laid back and reserved in real life, so tapping into extreme emotions (Whether sadness or rage or whatever) can be a little bit of a challenge. I thought it would alienate readers, and yet that’s what readers are wanting. It wasn’t until I read David Farland’s “Million Dollar Outlines” (Gimmicky title, but whatever) that I realized just how important emotional connection was in stories. I’d never really thought about it, but it was what I was most interested in as a reader.
I’ve gotten better about it in my more recent stories, but I think a huge reason why a lot of my earlier stuff went through the submission/rejection mill was because of this weakness.
My advice for anyone dealing with this is: take a risk! If a character needs to fly off the handle or fall to pieces, write it to the max, then dial it back in editing if you need to. When it’s raw, it’s real. And when it’s raw, it can be refined.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’ve always heard that I’ve got a knack for dialogue in my stories, so I try to play to that strength. Rather than focusing on a lone wolf character, stories will usually feature a team of at least three individuals, most likely more. Witty banter between different characters makes scenes a joy to write, and hopefully to read as well!
That said, my rough drafts tend to be dialogue heavy, so any editing is usually spent trimming out unnecessary dialogue and creating a better balance between description and action.
I spend a lot of my pre-writing time coming up with backgrounds and personalities for a story’s main characters. In “Return to Sender” I’ve got fairly extensive backstories figured out for the lead character Jackie Warren, her right-hand man Marcus, and the team sniper Sayra. It’s my hope to flesh the others out as the story progresses, and to add in some new characters. In addition to a dropship pilot, I think Jackie’s team needs a dedicated driver for when they’re on the ground, not to mention a finance guy and logistics expert.
Another thing I try to nail down early on in story planning/writing is the flow of the plot. Larry Brooks writes about the 7-point plot format in his book “Story Engineering,” where he describes 7 key points in a narrative that have to occur to achieve a dynamite plot. He’s not the first to come up with this idea (K.M. Wieland talks about it, as does James Scott Bell, etc), but he was the first one I read where it really made sense to me. And once I started planning out my stories a bit better, more of them started getting accepted.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Do Rigel and Pilot from Farscape count as muppets?
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy chips. Creamy soups.
Favorite Sports Team? The Midway Monsters from Mutant League.
Cake or Pie? Cake serves as a vehicle by which buttercream icing gets into my body.
Lime or Lemon? Lemon on fried catfish. Lime in pie.
Wet or Dry? Both. Dry rubs for home-smoked ribs and pulled pork, then slathered in barbecue sauce once at the table.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Does Hatsune Miku count? She’s a little on the artificial side, but what singer isn’t these days?
Whisky or Whiskey? Bourbon-infused chocolate pecan pie. Oh, and barbecue sauce.
Favorite Superhero? All-Might from My Hero Academia.
Steak Temperature? Gray enough to know it’s dead, pink enough to be edible.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Dukes of Hazzard
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) Long live the Calico Countess!
Best Game Ever? For console RPGs, gotta be Chrono Trigger for the SNES with Final Fantasy VI and Shadowrun as close second and third. For PC RPGs, my favorite is still Betrayal at Krondor by Sierra, followed by Baldur’s Gate and its many clones (Icewind Dale, Planescape, etc).
Coffee or Tea? Sweet iced tea, and nothing else.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? If I can only have one, then fantasy. Anything from sword and sorcery like Conan the Barbarian or Record of Lodoss War, to epic fantasy like Wheel of Time or Mistborn, with some urban fantasy like Dresden Files or Monster Hunter International. I like pretty much all of it. With sci-fi, I prefer the action-oriented and character-driven rather than the overly technical, and fantasy elements never hurt. Warhammer 40000, Shadowrun, Star Wars (Before the prequel and sequels). Basically, I like to know how a hyperdrive or ion cannon works, but not if entire chapters are spent dissecting one, unless it’s integral to the plot.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
1. What’s your pre-writing and writing process for short stories and novels? I’m always refining mine, so any tips would be helpful!
Rob’s Answer: If I have a setting or a theme, I wallow in it for a week or two if I can. I started doing this with different medieval poetic types. I have written a bunch of SCA scroll texts, which I usually write in a poetic style to reflect the recipient’s persona. So, I might get one that would want a Shakespearean sonnet followed by something in Norse drottkvaett and then maybe something Mongol.
Whether or not I was familiar with the genre, wallowing in it helps make the writing process flow. Every genre or culture has word choices and rhythms that are sort of expected. Not having them jars me as a reader, so I believe it’s important to other readers. It would be like going to an Italian place and finding they’d never heard of basil.
What I’m looking for in any short story is a bit of a twist. The ending has to be at least a little unexpected. The writer who did the best in my opinion was Randall Garrett. Once I have the twist, and the feel, it’s merely a process of putting words into that particular hole.
Novels are trickier. I usually start by creating a few interesting characters and a situation they have to deal with. I’m not good at outlining, but part of character creation is my expected end result for those characters. I don’t lock myself into those endings, because sometimes the story demands otherwise. I had a character in I Am a Wondrous Thing that I designed to be a longer term character but, uh, well, uh, I could never figure out a way not to kill them.
2. Mind giving us a tag line for your story in the “Luck is Not a Factor” anthology coming out next month? I really enjoyed “Where Enemies Sit” in “For a Few Credits More.”
Rob’s Answer: Thank you very much. I’m actually awful at taglines. I tend to explain too much. So, just for a change, I’ll try to explain too little.
“A Sword for Striking”: What story will your choices tell?
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
My blog is at BenjaminTylerSmith.com, and there you can find links to the short stories I’ve had published over the years, as well as updates for the couple of books I’m working on. I try to post a few times a week (The operative word is “try”), mostly about books, audiobooks, games, and anime. Feel free to post comments! I’m always happy to discuss whatever I write about, or to take the blog in different directions.
I’m also on Facebook as Benjamin Tyler Smith, and on Twitter as @BenTylerSmith. And I’m following Chris Kennedy’s guide to indie publishing by getting my Amazon author page up, so you can find me there, as well.
A few of my most recent publications can be found in the following places:
“Return to Sender” in Tales from the Lyon’s Den in the 4HU. Sci-fi action. “When an emergency weapons delivery goes sideways, a young and tenacious arms dealer stops at nothing to save her team, her client, and her bottom line.”
“A Salt on the Rise” in Issue 30 of On the Premises Magazine. Dark fantasy, in my own universe featuring an undead city called Necrolopolis and all the shenanigans that go on within its walls. “An overworked necromancer struggles to prevent a war between opposing factions of undead.”
“Bag of Tricks” in the Sha’Daa: Toys horror/dark fantasy anthology. This one is also dark fantasy, about a magician who wields magical paints and holy .357 magnum rounds against demons and mindless college kids threatening to destroy his hometown.
And while it is still seeking publication, my short story “Ash-Eater” (Set in the same fantasy world as “A Salt on the Rise”) earned itself a finalist spot in the 2018 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest. So, if you enjoy “A Salt on the Rise”, please look for “Ash-Eater” to appear somewhere at some point in the timeline! Wish I could say something more definitive, but it is getting shopped around.
And where can we find you?
Barring any sudden life changes, you’ll always find me at LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN. It’s a bit of a drive, but well worth the journey! It’s where I first found out about the 4HU, so that alone makes it worth the journey!
Do you have a creator biography?
By day Ben earns his bread keeping track of the dead with digital cemetery maps, and by night he corrals the undead into whatever story he’s working on next. While the focus of his writing is typically in the realm of fantasy, he has a taste for science fiction, and the more action-packed the better. Married to a saint of a woman, ruled by a benevolent calico countess, he can be found at BenjaminTylerSmith.com.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
The lightning round should include the greatest of all internet questions: “.45 or 9mm?” I can only assume you didn’t include it because it’s largely a rhetorical question, as .45 is the one true answer. (Rob’s Note: I’ll add it in the next version)
And the obligatory “What are you working on now?” question is always a good one. To answer that, I’m working on an unnamed Jackie Warren novel. In it, the fate of an entire planet will rest in the hands of our young, yet resourceful arms dealer. This has not yet been accepted, and I haven’t even completed the proposal for it yet. But, it’s in the works, and if the Lord is willing, the book will get finished and hopefully there will be more to come!
I am also working on a novel set in the aforementioned Necrolopolis universe. It will be titled “A Soulful Job” and the tag line is: “Souls are vanishing from the city of the dead, and it’s up to an overworked necromancer to find the culprit before he gets the blame!”
Thanks to Benjamin for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Lots of catching up to do. I realized this weekend that I my office had gotten cluttered and I did a bunch of cleaning up and arranging. This included a bunch of unpacking (still).
I’ve been fighting The Feeding of Sorrows. I have put a bunch of words on the page, and then cut them out. This seems normal anymore, though, since i seem to reach this point with every novel. Just gotta keep fighting through.
I’ve had a lot of fun with #FourHorsetober, but I’ll be glad when it’s done. Doing one interview is easy. Doing one a day gets challenging, especially when you’re juggling other stuff.
Still, I’m really excited about the release of Luck Is Not a Factor. That’s a fun story that I hope you all enjoy.
Well, I have to take the sweetie to dinner. She’s been working on new weaving techniques this weekend and she has lots to tell me.
Current Playlist Song
The Pass by Rush. It has one of the most powerful lyrics I’ve ever heard, which you’ll find in right below in the Quote of the Week.
Quote of the Week
No hero in your tragedy
No daring in your escape
No salutes for your surrender
Nothing noble in your fate
– Rush The Pass, Presto
One more full week of #FourHorsetober, so take a look at all the interviews above.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: 228,712
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 443 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Jon R. Osborne is currently editing his draft of When the Axe Falls, his next Four Horsemen novel. You’ll want to read it when it comes out, because I’ve enjoyed his other stuff. He’s also a fun guy to stand next to at a con.
Interview: Jon Osborne
Jon Osborne
What is your quest?
I run cinematic games, relying heavily on ‘theater of the mind’, seeking to tell a fun and immersive story. When I write, I try to bring the readers into the world – I want them to see the action and hear the characters’ voices – and have fun along the way.
What is your favorite color?
As my stories are character-centered. I like for characters to have distinctive traits. I feel it not only makes the story more immersive, it helps the readers readily identify and keep track of the characters.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
My biggest challenge is focus – it is hard to banish the squirrels and be more productive. I admit, I am a little envious of the output of some of my fellow authors. (Rob’s Note: Me too, brother. me too.)
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I think character interaction is my strength. The relationships between my characters are organic – I want them to feel like real people.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy
Favorite Sports Team? Colts
Cake or Pie? Pie
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Chipotle Hot Salsa
Wet or Dry? Huh?
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Patty Gurdy
Whisky or Whiskey? Whisky
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine
Steak Temperature? Medium
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) I don’t have one
Best Game Ever? D&D
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Do you find it as hard to write about yourself as some authors (myself included) find it?
Rob’s Answer: Depends on the question. If we’re talking about my philosophies, not really. I like good philosophical discussions. I can also talk about things I’m fanatic about, like Rush or the Dallas Cowboys or Firefly.
But there’s a lot of questions I ask that I’ll struggle with when I do my own one of these. Also, some of the questions other authors ask me are really tough. I’m awful at tooting my own horn, so much so that it hurts my sales dramatically. It’s something I need to work on, actually.
Jon R. Osborne has been gaming since he was thirteen. He studied journalism in high school and majored in journalism in college. Many years later, he finally combined writing and story-telling with his first published work, a short story in the military science fiction Four Horsemen Universe.
A year later, Jon has had a second story published, as well as two novels in his urban fantasy series, The Milesian Accords. The second book, A Tempered Warrior, is a Dragon Awards finalist for Best Fantasy Novel.
Jon lives in Indianapolis, where he continues to play role-playing games, and is working on the third book of The Milesian Accords as well a novel in the Four Horsemen Universe. You can find out more at jonrosborne.com.
Thanks to Jon for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I have not yet had the pleasure to meet Charity, but anyone who teaches English in high schools definitely has my respect. Especially given the fact I don’t want her to ever wonder just what kind of play-doh is in my chest.
Interview: Charity Ayres
Charity Ayres
What is your quest?
I create stories to live in. The settings might not always be a tropical island, but they’re interesting and unlike normal life in some way. The worlds are magical or strange in a way that is intriguing to the sense of being or interesting to explore. I want to build characters that you love, or hate, or want to be around. My goal is always to create villains who are heroic, or heroes that are screwed up because perfection is overrated.
What is your favorite color?
Coffee. Wait! Spiderwebs. No. Is mythology a color? I love taking known ideas or worlds and sticking my hand right into the chest cavity until I can rip the heart out, squish it around like play-doh, and then I put it back. Known entities in magic, history, war…nothing should ever be the same way twice or what’s the point?
When you read one of my stories, I want you to feel like your senses are aware of every movement until you’re inside the story wondering how the F you got there. A reader should look at my settings and think it’s a tiny bit of Deja Vu or something from a dream they almost recall having.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paintbrush?
Writing is hard. No, seriously. That was the most difficult lesson for me to learn. I’ve always loved to write or create something new, but I never understood why it didn’t just happen for me. Why was it that I didn’t want to sit down, every waking moment of every day, and write these masterpieces that everyone would love and rave about? Writing is easy, right?
Anything you love is work. It’s hard. It ticks you off but then it becomes the most beautiful thing in the world when you can drop your bullshit at the door and create. The hardest failure I’ve ever faced is that I couldn’t just simply write without making myself do it. It didn’t come like breathing, it was hard. I didn’t know everything in the beginning and still have a lot to learn.
I’m still waiting to live on a mountain somewhere and write prose that my adoring masses will fawn over and throw money at me for. I’m still wondering why it’s so damn hard to explain stories to someone in a way that makes them see it’s something they’ll love. Why is that hard when I know I can turn around and write out an amazing story to share?
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I evoke laughter to the point that you should not have a mouthful of drink when you’re reading. My characters are funny, realistic, and sometimes annoying but they’re real. One thing that I hear from readers is that my stories have a strong voice and that’s an amazing compliment. They tell me they can hear the characters when they speak. What’s better than that?
I write what makes me laugh. I write a running dialogue for my character. You know the comments that flow through your head when you’re talking to someone that you’d never say because they’d get upset with you? Yeah, my characters don’t care.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Sweetums because of the name and the fluff.
Crunchy or Creamy? This puts the peanut butter song in my head. Thanks.
Favorite Sports Team? Does Quidditch count?
Cake or Pie? Whichever has chocolate? Or pecans. Or both.
Lime or Lemon? Green
Favorite Chip Dip? I don’t eat chips. My favorite dip is chocolate-peanut butter.
Wet or Dry? My deodorant is working fine, thank you.
Favorite Musical Performer, We’ve Never Heard Of? Me? You should totally hear my shower compilations or how great I sing with headphones on.
Whisky or Whiskey? Is this a trick question? How about, yes, please?
Favorite Superhero? Hmm. Can I say my dog? She does some pretty amazing things and can bring joy with a single spastic jump.
Steak Temperature? Depends on the day. Today, I prefer it mooing
Favorite 1970s TV show? I don’t remember the 70s. I’ll say A-Team or He-Man cartoons
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall, fall, and fall. Can we have endless fall tinged by winter, please?
Favorite Pet? I LOVE ALL THE FURRIES!
Best Game Ever? The ones that I win. Probably a MMORPG of some kind. I used to Everquest and there was never another I liked quite as much, but something along that lines.
Coffee or Tea? Both. Or any hot drink, preferably with that formerly-mentioned Whiskey? Irish or other.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I lean into Fantasy. I like the lack of rules and the ability to make anything happen that you want. I read both, write both, watch both…but I still lean a little more into Fantasy but I like them mixed, too. Did you see the new DC’s Legends of Tomorrow? Holy glittery heart-eating unicorns, Batman!
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Name the first five stories that come to mind. Now rank them. Now identify them by mental color. Next, which one would make the best mixed drink?
Rob’s Answer: Let’s see. Lord of the Rings. Foundation. Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. A Catskill Eagle. Odds Against. That would be Gold (from the One Ring). Black (from the galaxy). Red (from Simon Jester). White (from the cast Spenser wears). And green (from racing turf).
Now to discuss their drink potential. Goldschlager. Hmmm, not my thing. Black porter, definitely my thing. Red IPA. More definitely my thing. Ice cream to make milkshakes. Hmmm, I guess I could use the Goldschlager here. Oh, yeah, and creme de menthe. No, no, no. I don’t drink creme de menthe after an unfortunate incident when I was 3.
So, I think the winner is the Red IPA.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
Amazon, order through Barnes & Noble or any book retailer, random conventions, etc.
I have two new releases on the horizon: Winter Born which is book 2 of the Ice Burns trilogy, and another unnamed steampunk Pirate novel that I might be publishing through an amazing independent publisher I’ve worked with before. Shhh.
And where can we find you?
The only scheduled con so far this year is LibertyCon. I can’t wait!
Do you have a creator biography?
Charity Ayres is a Navy Veteran, teacher, mother, and wife in Virginia. Her novel-length works currently include Loki Bound, Loki: Hellbound, Secret in the Wings, and Ice Burns. She has also been published in the Wylde Times anthology, a Four Horseman Universe anthology: A Fistful of Credits, and has won awards from Writer’s Digest and the L.Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest for her short works. Upcoming works include the second and third novels for Ice Burns and a surprise new series.
Thanks to Charity for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Tonight it’s time for the Docfather, Philip Wohlrab himself. He’s a writer and a combat medic. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him at LibertyCon and several other conventions. If you’re at a con and see a guy in a heavily-adorned Imperial Andermani Navy uniform, it might just be him.
Interview: Philip Wohlrab
Philiip Wohlrab
What is your quest?
Ultimately, I want to tell a good story, whether it is set in the future, the past, a past that never happened, or complete fantasy. I want to entertain people, pull them out of the land of the mundane, even if for a little bit. Right now, I have a couple of projects that I am working on, first is my novel set in an entirely new universe known as the Squidverse. Think WWII meets Star Wars, with a helping of the Mind Flayers from D&D. I am also writing a short alt history of the Battle of Jutland, where the US and Germany are allies, and lastly another short set in Black Tide Rising, though whether it gets published after certain people read it is going to be interesting.
What is your favorite color?
Cyberpunk Electric Blue? Hmmm, I do draw a bit from nature when I am creating new creatures. The Akkorro, aliens in the 4HU, are literally drawn from Cuttlefish. In fact, I like squids, and octopi quite a bit so you will see them featured in my stories in some form or another. I also try to get the little details right, what were the sounds, what were the smells. As a combat vet I can tell you that certain smells will never be forgotten, and I try to bring that out in my writing.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Time management is my biggest issue. I should be writing more, but I find myself getting distracted by things. I also tend to idea hop, so I have to make that work for me when I am working on multiple projects. This is a bit of a learning curve.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Emotion, I think I do that well. The Beach was an emotional short to write, for me, and I know it has hit readers pretty hard based on some of the feedback I have been given. I like to give people the emotions the characters are feeling, as it allows the readers to connect with the characters. You may have never experienced combat, but you have had some experience that has terrified you, or gotten the adrenaline flowing. So, if I can tap into that, and give the reader some personal idea of what the character is feeling, I am going to try and work that in.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Doozers from Fraggle Rock. I mean these guys spend all their time building stuff that the Fraggles just eat anyways. That has to take some fortitude not to poison the Fraggles.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy for the WIN!
Favorite Sports Team? Atlanta Falcons, I am used to disappointment.
Cake or Pie? Why not both?
Lime or Lemon? Definitely Both.
Favorite Chip Dip? Ranch
Wet or Dry? Wet
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Gunship, seriously if you like 1980s Cyberpunk go give these guys a listen.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey
Favorite Superhero? Darth Vader. What? He has comic books!
Steak Temperature? Damn near still mooing.
Best Game Ever? Hmmm I am currently very much enjoying Battletech.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, drank black as hell, or perhaps Irish. Never adulterated with cream or sugar.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Rob how do you find time to do all the stuff you do?
Rob’s Answer: Uh, I do a bunch of stuff? I don’t feel like it, especially right now when I’ve been fighting a bit of a dry spell with writing.
I do try to do at least a little bit each day, though. One of my favorite sections from the Prince Roger series is the bit where Roger talks about eating soup with a knife. It’s not always easy, and it requires determination, but you have to keep doing a bit here and there.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I have a couple of things up on Amazon, and a few more on the way. I have a short I independently published entitled The Medic. My short The Beach is available in The Good, the Bad, and The Merc. I have another short that will be published in the Homo Stellaris anthology, that I cowrote with Kacey Ezell, about the first pregnancy in space, and I have a short coming out in the next 4HU anthology involving a German merc company, and the Akkorro.
I attend Libertycon and Dragoncon each year and can be found at other Cons in the North Carolina or Virginia area, schedule permitting.
Do you have a creator biography?
From my Amazon page: Philip Wohlrab has been a medic with the Army for over 12 years, and he has served his time in the sandbox. He currently trains the next generation of Combat Medics and runs a schoolhouse medical section. When he isn’t doing Army things he can be found at various Sci-Fi Cons, and writing.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how my service has affected my writing. I have served both in the United States Coast Guard, and the Virginia Army National Guard. This has given me a unique look at very different service cultures, and I use that to ensure that when I am writing characters that they are unique to their service branches. Army speak doesn’t always translate well to Naval speak, things of that nature.
Lastly a small snippet from my upcoming Squidverse novel. Thanks for doing this Rob!
Outer Luzon System
Space itself seemed to blur as ship after ship of the Taiyo battlegroup emerged into the realm of physics that Einstein and Newton would recognize. Atago, a heavy cruiser, formed up the center of the battlegroup alongside the Taiyo, while two Nagara Class light cruisers took up station as the inside defensive ring. Six destroyers formed the outer ring of warships that would protect the heavy cruiser, and light carrier.
Admiral Lady Hitomi Izumi scanned her repeaters arrayed around her command dais, she was looking for any flaws in the deployment of her vessels. Admiral Izumi was known to be exacting in her expectations of junior commanders. Finding no faults, she sat back in her command chair and crossed her legs.
“Commander Sasaki are there any indications of enemy ships nearby?” inquired Admiral Izumi. “Also, what was it that they were calling these things now?”
“They are calling them squids My Lady,” said a moon-faced heavy-set officer sitting at the sensor station. “Also, our scopes are not showing anything out here My Lady, however the sensor drones we left back in system is still showing a sizable Squid fleet around Marigold. Most of the ships though are either transports or supply vessels.”
“Interesting, I wonder where their warships have gotten off to? If they had been present in force we would never have been able to sneak in our own transports, but you would think they would have reacted by now to our presence in the system.”
“As you say My Lady, but we have no indication as to where they are, or when they left. Perhaps these Squids are harder pressed for ships than we previously thought? Could it be that they have used their entire fleet in the attacks across the entirety of the Fan and left nothing in reserve?”
“I think that most unlikely,” chimed in another officer. This worthy was Commander Asuna Hasegawa, Izumi’s chief intelligence officer. “I suspect that we have yet to see any reserve formation for these squids as you call them Commander Sasaki, it is more likely that we are seeing just the tip of their frontline units.”
“Then where are their warships Commander Hasegawa, and why aren’t they here?” growled back Sasaki.
“That is a good question Commander Sasaki, and one I wish I had an answer for.”
Oort Cloud
Luzon System
Fleet Controller 672 was proud of the fact that she had predicted that the human battlegroup wasn’t going to jump completely out of the system. It was rare that a Squantalavi female would be elevated to a position such as hers, but she had consistently demonstrated that she was one of the most agile thinkers in her cohort of officers. Even in a society dominated by males, 672 had both excelled, and been recognized as one of the best officers of her generation. That didn’t mean that she didn’t experience her fair share of hiccups in her career though. She had not been given a position in of the first assault fleets, but instead had come in as a second-tier commander, as the males of her cohort jealously guarded the prime assignments. Still Fleet Intelligence 11 had seen her potential, and rather than relegating her to one of the Skazi battlecruisers, he had given her command of a Saltze battleship.
Thanks to Philip for taking the time to answer my questions and the fun snippet.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This guy is brilliant. He’s a neuroscientist working on how humans remember stuff and he’s a science fiction writer as well. He’s also a very nice guy and fun to chat with. If you can, sit down with him. You’ll learn something, I guarantee it.
Interview: Dr. Robert E. Hampson
Dr. Robert E. Hampson
What is your quest?
My quest is to entertain and inform. An online friend once remarked that I teach as naturally as I breathe. I’m a scientist, so much of my nonfiction writing is basically: “How do I break this down so that the average reader can understand (with maybe some recourse to Google)?” Sometimes while writing nonfiction I hit on something that I think would make a good plot point for fiction. I grew up reading Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, so I want to write stories that take people on adventures in a future that has a certain hope for spreading mankind to the stars.
Then again, one of my strongest influences was James P. Hogan, so I also lean toward having sympathetic scientist/engineer characters and include the human side: love, laughter, longing and loss.
In person at conventions, I definitely like to entertain, and often I find myself in the position where my main contribution is to be the comic relief. Strangely, that doesn’t make it into my fiction very often. “Headspace and Timing” in Tales from the Lyon’s Den is the rare exception, and I hope folks like it. (Rob’s Note: This was released on 25 September as the first of a new set of Four Horsemen anthologies. You should buy it. You should especially buy the second one, Luck is Not a Factor, because I have a story in it 😀 )
What is your favorite color?
I like to take something from my education and professional work and weave it into the story. Again, I tend to have sciency-type characters, although I’ve also shamelessly borrowed from friends’ careers as well. For “Unto the Last, Stand Fast” in The Good, the Bad and the Merc I was heavily influenced by “The Last Stand” by Sabaton. I’ve also written stories that draw heavily from dreams. My stories for John Ringo’s Black Tide Rising series were influenced by some things I remember from free-association musing and dreaming after reading John’s stories.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I think any writer has this – there’s something we think is funny, or cute, or an essential reference – and the reader doesn’t get it. One of the problems with having lots of ideas, writing them down, even writing the stories (but not selling them) is that I create a character. I *like* the character. The character has adventures. In my mind, I know all of these things, so when I write something else in that universe or with that character, I incorporate the known background. Unfortunately, if the other stories never see the light of day, the reader has no idea why the fact that “Mr. Davis” was a Boy Scout camp counselor should mean anything.
I’ve had an anthology editor tell me I’m just not ready for prime time… after I’d already sold 4 stories to anthologies. Granted, I haven’t sold to big name magazines (Analog, etc) yet, and I definitely known that I have much to learn. But it’s certainly amusing to contemplate that 10 stories sold (by now) is “not ready.”
Rob Hampson playing the trumpet.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
My proudest production is a story that was submitted to the US Army’s Training and Doctrine Command’s (TRADOC) Mad Science Writing contest. My story “To Serve and Serve Again” is one of my favorites. It has a bit of history, though – I wrote the story “They Also Serve” about a cardiovascular surgeon dealing with his own version of PTSD having to patch up soldiers and send them back to war. It was for Tom Kratman’s Riding the Red Horse and he wanted a sequel that would continue the story. (Alien invasion, and a treatment the doc developed was key to allowing human soldiers to survive). TAS was around 10k words, TSaSA told the tale of a combat medic, since one of my best friends served two combat tours as a medic – and it came in at almost 15k… I actually figure I could probably write 3-4 more stories in that setting and compile into a book if I ever get the time.
…And then the sequel anthology fell through. The TRADOC contest wanted stories of no more than 5k words. The problem from my perspective was that TSaSA was just right for the contest (and I was right – it was a finalist) so I had to cut it. So I trimmed some of the explicit character development and left scenes that would allow the reader to fill in the gap. I had to cut what I thought was important backstory, but it had to go. The final product was lean but read well. I was proud of it, and obviously the jurists liked it – it was in the finalist compilation of the best 25 stories submitted.
Interestingly enough, someone did an analysis of how the stories submitted to the contest were a pretty close match to the Department of Defense’s advanced research solicitations. It seems that a keyword search of the “research wanted” announcements by DoD was a pretty close match to a keyword search of the stories submitted. The article singled out one particular story to illustrate a fictional “portable medical record” that was nearly identical to a DoD solicitation for a “portable medical record” … and that story was mine. So, yeah, I’m particularly proud of that one. Military SF, ripped from the pages of actual research… kinda. .
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? The “Doctor Russ” muppet. This one’s pretty obscure, but a long-time friend of mine worked with Sesame Street to develop educational videos for children of deployed and returning service members. For Russell’s retirement from the Navy and DARPA, one of the Sesame Street producers showed a video featuring Elmo and Dr. Russ and presented him with the Dr. Russ muppet.
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. More character
Favorite Sports Team? San Antonio Spurs.
Cake or Pie? Why not both? (actually, Pecan Pie, but I can no longer eat it due to the high sugar content)
Lime or Lemon? Again, both. Lymon.
Favorite Chip Dip? French Onion
Wet or Dry? I’m a big guy who’s always sweating. Definitely prefer dry.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Not a performer, but I’m a fan of video game music. The guys composing music for Halo, Mass Effect, Destiny, etc. are composing fantastic symphonic epics.
Whisky or Whiskey? Shame on you! There is no “e” in whisky. Single malt. Neat. Preferably old enough to pour itself another.
Favorite Superhero? DC: The Flash, Marvel: Captain America
Steak Temperature? Medium rare, especially if it’s well-aged beef. The longer the aging, the rarer I would cook it.
Favorite 1970s TV show? The Six Million Dollar Man… it influenced my career, so this is a no-brainer.
June 29-July 1, Guest, LibertyCon, Chattanooga, TN.
July 13-15, Guest, ConGregate, High Point, NC.
August 30-September 3, Guest, Dragon*Con, Atlanta, GA.
Thanks to Dr. Hampson for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
You have my apologies for not getting a chance to review a magazine last week. It will happen again next week as I’m on the road for most of the week.
This week, I’ll be reviewing the Astounding from May, 1941 (Vol. XXVII, No. 3). This is the first time I’ll be reviewing a magazine where I’ve read the issue immediately before or after. You can find my review for April, 1941 here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1352.
This issue starts out with an editorial by John W. Campbell entitled History to Come. The opening line is a fun one to remember. “Fundamentally, science-fiction novels are “period pieces,” historical novels laid against a background of a history that hasn’t happened yet” (p. 5). I like that thought, especially since Campbell uses this editorial to discuss what that means. He focuses especially on the research involved and emphasizes that what an SF author should be doing is “mental research into possible future” (p. 5). He does this to set up Robert A. Heinlein’s “History of Tomorrow” timeline, which we’ll discuss in about 120 pages.
As I research this editorial and wallow in Campbell’s brilliance (and, of course, Heinlein’s), I discovered something very interesting. Alexei and Cory Panshin said in The World Beyond the Hill that this idea of world creation, which seems fairly obvious to me, changed science fiction. “Science fiction hadn’t been seen in these terms previously. But the publication of Heinlein’s Future History chart would force a general alteration of perception of what science fiction was about and how it was made” (Alexei and Cory Panshin, Heinlein and the Golden Age (excerpt of The World Beyond the Hill), https://www.panshin.com/critics/Golden/goldenage3.html). I suggest you all read the whole article.
Baseball Yearbook Cover
Then there’s an ad for the Street & Smith Baseball Yearbook of 1941. As a guy who got into sabermetric research in the late 80s, I think this is awesome. It’s the forerunner of Bill James and those who followed him.
That’s a young Bob Feller on the cover, by the way. He would play the summer of ’41, and do well, though not as well as in 1940. Then, of course, he loses 1942-44 and most of 1945 for the war, serving part of that as a Chief Petty Officer on the USS Alabama. I hadn’t actually caught that before, and it makes my time roaming around the Alabama a bunch of times as a kid even that more awesome.
These magazines are like traveling in time.
Anyway, I suppose we should actually turn to the fiction. The first story is Universe by Heinlein. Not surprisingly, given Campbell’s editorial, we see some of Heinlein’s most intricate world-building in this story.
The story is about a generational ship on its way to the stars. One fascinating little touch Heinlein used was the standard greeting, “Good eating.” With just that little bit, we learn a ton about the time and place. He’s so deft.
And the story is really good. What happens to humanity if they’re on a generational ship and many generations pass? What happens to their understanding of science? To their society?
It would change, undoubtedly. Our hero is someone who has grown from that society, raised by exiled muties, and learns the truth of their ship. His is now the job of tilting at the windmill of those generations’ evolution to get them, perhaps, finally, to Centaurus.
Oh, look. We move from Heinlein to Isaac Asimov. What a darn shame, having to read these two hacks. Such a bummer. Anyway, the story is another early Robot one starring Susan Calvin called Liar.
You’ve probably read this story as it was reprinted a bunch of times, but here’s a synopsis anyway. A brand new robot has the astounding ability to read minds, though how its positronic brain gained this talent is unknown and is completely not repeatable until they learn just how it happened.
RB-34, Herbie, is programmed with early versions of the Three Laws of Robotics, so this ability is a real problem for it. When it talks to people, it knows what they want, so telling them the truth might actually hurt them. So, it supplies the answer that the person talking to them wants.
Of course, this leads to conflict as Calvin desires the love of one of the other scientists and another character hopes to be the next director. After they realize Herbie is providing different answers to each person, they confront him. Now, Herbie is in an insoluble situation. No matter what he says, he will hurt at least one of the humans. In the end, he collapses in positronic insanity.
I love Asimov’s Robot stories because he’s so good at creating logic puzzles. Reading these stories in original form is incredibly fascinating because the laws of Robotics aren’t actually specified until 1942. In some ways, this is Asimov fumbling towards something amazing.
And yes, its a great story. Shocking, I know.
So we move to a story called Solution Unsatisfactory by Anson MacDonald. There’s a goodly amount to unpack in the author here, because that’s a pseudonym for Heinlein. Yes, he’s got two stories in this issue. What a fascinating time that was for science fiction.
And dates are really important when unpacking this story. This issue was released in May of 1941. The story is, essentially, about Mutually Assured Destruction. He’s asking the same questions that Truman would have to answer in 1945 and in the years following.
MAD was, and is, an unsatisfactory solution. Heinlein proposed another, that of a world-wide dictatorship which has a monopoly on the superweapon, but even he points out that will never work. Campbell has a follow-up to this story where he asks for any better suggestion. The request is almost pleading.
Moving on we get In Times toCome, the preview of the next issue. It promises a neat murder mystery, a “whodunit-to,” if you will, that helps deal with the challenge of writing a murder mystery in science fiction. The story is Ross Rocklyne’sTime Wants a Skeleton. I’m looking forward to reading that when I find that issue.
Also on that page is the scores from the ratings of the previous issue. Yeah, Heinlein might be good and really prolific at this time. The April issue also has one by him and one by him as Anson MacDonald. They were, by a large margin, the best-rated stories of that issue.
The next story is Eric Frank Russell’s Jay Score. This wasn’t a bad story, but I’ve had the twist before. It’s about a freighter that is blown off course by a micro-meteorite. It’s headed directly to the sun with broken rockets. They get the rockets going, but even so a slingshot around the sun will be difficult.
They only manage it because of Jay Score, the assistant pilot. He’s a larger than life figure. Six foot nine or so, laconic, immensely capable, and so good at chess that he’s actually able to be the Martians on occasion. He is, of course, a robot names J.20.
As I said, it’s a twist I’ve seen before and done better. It’s the kind of deus ex machina that bothers me. Surviving only because he’s a robot means that there’s no real heroism involved. Robots can be heros, just look at Asimov’s examples. But here we’re expecting to see a hero and instead we see something superhuman. It lessens the story for me.
Next is a cute little entry called Fish Story by Vic Phillips and Scott Roberts. Basically, it’s about a an old colonel telling tall tales in a bar. This particular story is about catching highly poisonous giant frog-like creatures on Venus. He succeeds by the use of creative chemistry.
As I said, it’s a cute piece of fluff, but highlights one of the few drawbacks of this exercise. I often wallow in the history of these stories, like I did in Solution Unsatisfactory. However, that’s a two-edged sword. So many of these are set on Venus or Mars as if they’re teeming with life, which we now know isn’t true. It’s a case of knowing too much sometimes.
We move on to Subcruiser by Harry Walton. This is ripping yarn of a ship captain drugged by his executive officer so he can steal their subspace cruiser and take it to their enemies. The captain thinks the drugs are simply part of alcoholic fits brought on by depression from a previous battle.
In the end, he manages to defeat his XO and save his ship, and in the process regain the trust of his crew. Great story. To bad Walton didn’t write more.
This story is a mashup of a number of different threads. A bit of Ivanhoe. A heaping helping of Romeo and Juliet. Some Purloined Letter. However, there are a ton of loose threads. The heroes survive and live happily ever after, so that’s fine, but I feel like the ending was rushed and condensed. De Camp almost built too much depth into this world, and I didn’t think all of it was explored enough.
If you go to the story’s Wikipedia page, it has a number of comments from a variety of different perspective and I think that’s part of my frustration. So much is going on, it’s written well, and it’s full of action, so it’s a good novella. It’d be a better better novel, though.
That’s it for this issue. It was another great issue, but it’s hard to go wrong with two Heinleins and an Asimov.
I’ll probably not have a chance to do a review next week, so I’ll plan on getting one out Halloween day. That being the case, I’ll review the Imagination of October, 1950. This is actually the first issue of this magazine. I’m curious what I’ll find in a debut.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week’s interview is with Ian J. Malone, who I met while on the same panels at a number of conventions. He writes SF, including a short story in For A Few Credits More along with me.
He’s also a guy who works hard for all of us independent writers. At least once a week, he’s posting useful links or websites in his Facebook group the Alliance for Indie SF&F Authors. If you’re an independent writer, it’s a good group to keep track of.
Anyway, here’s the guy himself.
Interview: Ian J. Malone
Ian J. Malone
What is your quest?
I’m easy to peg on that one, brother. I aim to live on the beach one day, making enough money as a full-time SF author to support my family. That’s it. If I can pull that off, I’ll be over the moon.
What is your favorite color?
As the tagline goes, I write “character-charged sci-fi with a shot of country.” That’s a fancy way of saying I write stories about every day, blue collar folks who wind up in situations that aren’t so every day in nature. Most of the time that involves high flying space ships in some capacity, plus aliens, other worlds, AI, and so forth. Inevitably, though, most of my protagonists tend to be human as I’ve always found them more relatable to read/write.
As an aside, I also really enjoy wearing hats… a lot.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The biggest challenge I faced, particularly in the beginning, was learning how a story is supposed to look in text, on the page. I’m legally blind, and have historically done all of my reading via audio. So, when the time came to write a novel of my own, I had A TON to learn about style and technique.
Example: I never knew when penning my first book that a character’s thoughts were presented in italics. You kinda don’t get that in an audiobook.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’m a chronic lister. My daily tasks at work, chores around the house, writing goals. You name it, and I’ve probably got it dictated onto a note in my phone somewhere.
As social media goes, I’m also a big fan of the list feature on Twitter. I keep lists for every topic imaginable, from craft and publishing to geek culture, news and sports. Moreover, the tweets on those lists come exclusively from sources that I’ve vetted, which helps to cut down on the whole fake news thing.
Note: I wish Facebook would give me a feature like this. It’s absurdly efficient. Alas, Father Zuckerberg hasn’t seen fit yet in his infinite wisdom to bestow upon we, the little people, such an enormously helpful tool. *sigh*
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? ANIMAL!
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy, all the way.
Favorite Sports Team? Florida State Seminoles
Cake or Pie? Gotta go with pie, especially when it’s my wife’s homemade apple.
Lime or Lemon? “He was green! Like a lime!”
Favorite Chip Dip? I make a Mexican layer dip that I’m told is legendary back home in Florida.
Wet or Dry? Wet makes me think water, so I’ll go with that.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Joe Bonamassa featuring Beth Hart
Whisky or Whiskey? Never was a Scotch guy, so gimme that e.
Favorite Superhero? Superman.
Steak Temperature? Medium
Favorite 1970s TV show? 70s were before my time. Best I can do is early 80s, in which case I’ll go with Miami Vice.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall = college football season and chili weather
Favorite Pet? The Cranes!
Best Game Ever? John Madden Football
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, black
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Why in the holy name of frak are you a Cowboys fan, Rob? Come on, man. I thought you were better than that! :p
My Answer: Because I grew up in Hillsboro, TX in the early 1970s, which is near Dallas. I’ve been a Cowboys fan since 1973 or so. In other words, I come by this fandom honestly.
Every night at Pennsic I’ll spend some time checking on Twitter and my feeds for news from Cowboys training camp. I’m really excited about this year’s team. Last year was lost to Roger Goodell being a jerk, and at some point we’ll win it all again and I can’t wait to see him have to give Jerry the Lombardi Trophy.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I’m for sale “wide” in all the usual places: Amazon, Kobo, B&N, iBooks, etc.
As a graduate of Florida State University, sci-fi author Ian J. Malone has written in a variety of arenas ranging from public health to news and sports. When it comes to his fictional work, however, he’s a firm believer that nothing shapes a person’s writing like experience. That’s why he credits his tenures in radio, law enforcement, and military contracting for much of his inspiration, plus the legion of family and friends who’ve stood with him along the way.
Beyond writing, Malone is an avid fan of audiobooks (he’s legally blind) and the outdoors. It’s also not uncommon to find him at a ballgame, a concert, or somewhere out by a grill.
Malone is an active member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and a resident of Durham, North Carolina — but he’ll always be a “Florida boy” at heart.
Colonies Lost
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You might have asked, “where can readers test drive your work before buying?”
Answer: Anybody who signs up for my email newsletter at ianjmalone.net gets not one but two free short stories! The first is titled Mako: Genesis, and serves as the official prequel to my SF adventure series, The Mako Saga. The other is titled Nightfall: A Roanoke Short Story, and serves as the prequel to my new book, Colonies Lost.
Subscribers will also get first look sneak peeks at new book materials, as well as occasional updates on release schedules, events, and discount/freebie promotions.
Malone’s latest book, Colonies Lost, tells the story of a disgraced US Marshal who takes a freelance case to feed his family, only to come face-to-face with America’s greatest unsolved mystery: What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island?
You can find Colonies Lost for sale on Amazon, or wherever ebooks are sold.
Finally, let me know any suggestions or comments you have about this interview format so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Today, it’s an interview with another new author in the 4HU, Christopher Winder.
Interview: Christopher Winder
Christopher Winder
What is your quest?
My quest is to write stories that I’d love to read. Stories that make people laugh, cry, get angry, feel joy, or smack their foreheads really hard.
By doing that, I want to move into full-time writing. For me, writing is play – not work. I’m mentally exhausted after a long writing session, but I have yet to sprain my ankle, get a sliver, break a leg or suffer third-degree burns because I wrote something. Yes, it’s work. Yes, it’s hard. But no, it’s not hard work. I love it.
My greatest influences in writing are Stephen King (his non-horror stuff, except Four Past Midnight, which was absolutely wonderful), and R. A. Salvatore. Both, but especially Salvatore, could drag me around by my emotions, beat me over the head with them, and force me to come back asking for more. I’m not there yet, but one day I’d like to surpass even that master of words.
What is your favorite color?
I don’t really have a favorite color overall. For cars, it’s copper. I love the look of a copper-colored vehicle – where it looks like the whole thing was made from the same stuff as pennies.
For book covers, I love contrast. I admit that my favorite covers are those of the vampire genre. Dark grays and black with a splash of red. Sometimes literally a splash… because vampires… you know. I don’t write in that genre – at least not yet – but their book covers are gorgeous.
As far as colors having influence on my writing, as far as I know, colors don’t influence me at all. I say that, but I try to surround myself with as much green as possible. I read somewhere that green helps people think scientifically. Since my main genre is science fiction, it seems to fit. I don’t know if it helps or not, but I do like the color.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The most frustrating thing about being an author, my greatest challenge, is staying on task. I can’t visit the grocery store without thinking-up a new story idea. I can’t sit down at the computer without seeing another story that I really want to write – that isn’t going to write itself. Staying on task until each story is complete is the hardest part of the job.
The next-hardest part is character names. I know that once I write them, I’m stuck with them. I guess it’s the equivalent of jumping out of an airplane, trusting that your parachute is folded correctly. Because, once you jump, you’re committed. (Rob’s Note: Behind the Names is awesome, especially the Random Name generator)
Besides that, I also struggle with imposter syndrome. I feel a little better knowing that most authors do, but I wish none of us did. Sometimes it’s paralyzing, but I push through by reminding myself that I enjoy the task of writing even when I think it’s no good.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
The one thing I’m good at more than anything else is learning. I can learn anything I put my mind to. I learned how to write by listening to others, reading others and reading books. Throw a few YouTube videos into the mix and POOF – author.
My second magic power is teaching. I’ve learned that anyone can be taught, and the more I teach something, the more concrete it becomes in my own brain. So, I do my best to teach new authors everything I know because not only does it help them, it helps me.
Speaking of which – my doing so does not hurt my own sales. I don’t compete with them. We write in the same genre. People consume our work and move on to the next. It’s not something like a refrigerator where they buy it and hold onto it as long as possible. We are entertainers, and once the entertainment is over, it’s time to move on to something new. (Rob’s Note: Agreed, we’re not competitors because it’s not a zero-sum game)
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Mister Snuffleupagus
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy
Favorite Sports Team? Winnipeg Jets
Cake or Pie? Pie, but only if it’s chocolate.
Lime or Lemon? Lemon
Favorite Chip Dip? French Onion
Wet or Dry? Vacuums? Both. Personally? Dry.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Nikki McFarland (Nikkitanix)
Stay tuned for several new releases both from me alone and from myself and JR Handley with our co-written stuff. Plenty of Pew-Pew, red shirts getting decimated and starships. The first should be released in October.
And where can we find you?
I’ll be at 20 Books Vegas in November. Just look for the charming, handsome, tall, great-smelling, hysterical, humble guy.
Do you have a creator biography?
Chris Winder is a United States Marine Corps veteran who spent nearly half his eight years training other Marines in the fine art of field wire and switchboard operation.
Each class was dosed with a big helping of humor, which he learned is the key to helping people absorb and remember information. Therefore, Chris tries to sneak some humor into every book he writes.
His first novel, Cloud Development, is a technothriller revolving around a ten-year-old boy, his parents and the corporation his father works for. For years, LumoTech has been trying to unlock a dangerous secret and when their research targets the little boy as the key, his parents aren’t given much of a choice.
He currently works as an Information Technology Specialist for his local government where he spends much of his days wondering if there’s life on other planets, if aliens will be bipedal and if they think we are delicious space-cows.
Chris lives in a small town in northern Arizona with his wife and son, (his two oldest, daughters, are grown and live in the greater Phoenix area), his two cats, (Squeaker and Max), and his elderly dog, Scout.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Everyone has a dream – a really big thing that seems like it’s out of their reach and it too hard to accomplish. You should have asked what’s my really big dream?
And I would answer it’s to teach kids how to write creatively. I find that writing is not only fun, it’s therapeutic. I have at least a million words which will probably never see the light of day because I wrote them for me and me alone.
I’ve confronted demons which I’ve held deep inside for decades. I’ve learned things about myself I’d forgotten. Most of all, I’ve learned to be okay with who I am.
My dream is to travel the state of Arizona speaking to kids about how to do what I do. I’d first like to visit juvenile detention, residential treatment centers and the like. Once I have a cadre who can learn to write, who I’ve helped build the confidence in, I want to publish their work and donate all the proceeds to the charity of their choice.
Once that’s done, I’ll move on to the adults.
That’s the great thing about being an author. We don’t need resumes. We don’t need job experience. Nobody cares if we had a rough past, if we’re in jail, if we have a history of drug abuse, or anything else. So long as we can string words together in a way that is entertaining, we can make a living.
I’m not the same person I was before I started writing. I’d like to pay that gift forward to as many people as possible. Even if they don’t become full-time authors, they will know they have the ability. If they only publish one book to prove they can do it, that’s still a win.
Writing makes people better.
Thanks to Christopher for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Another writer who’s in the Four Horsemen anthologies. I’m looking forward to getting to know him.
Interview: Jake Bible
Jake Bible
What is your quest?
My quest is to continue writing novels that my fans/readers enjoy. I currently have 60 published novels by three small press publishers, but I still have plenty in me. I’ve also started stretching my writing skills by writing screenplays and TV pilot scripts. Fingers crossed my TV agent came make that dream come true!
What is your favorite color?
I always aim to create fun, action-packed, humorous scenes and dialogue. I need to make myself excited, make myself laugh, make myself want more when I go back and read what I’ve written. If I’m not enjoying the story/characters/dialogue then how can I expect my readers to? (Rob’s Note: This is so true)
Flipside Cover
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The constant ups and downs of the publishing world are a little frustrating. Okay, more than a little frustrating. The current climate in publishing is chaos. What had been stable genres are now being upended by new players. What had been sure things are now questionable because the strategies for success are ever changing. I’d love a little stability, now and again, but I guess I’m in the wrong industry for that. Le sigh…
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I am a prolific writer. I can write a 75K word novel in four weeks, including editing. I write fast and I write tight. Some editing is needed, but the majority of the time I’m able to get things done the right way the first time. I am also a varied writer when it comes to genre. I don’t stick to just scifi, but write fantasy, horror, urban fantasy, thrillers, humor, and in all age groups. It’s impossible to pin me down. I hope that’s a good thing…
Lightning Round
Roak Cover
Favorite Muppet? Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy.
Favorite Sports Team? Seahawks.
Cake or Pie? I refuse to choose.
Lime or Lemon? Lime.
Favorite Chip Dip? Ranch. Ranch is the dip to rule them all!
Wet or Dry? Wet? No, dry. No, wet. Wet…
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? In the age of Spotify, I don’t think unheard of performers exist. Sky Cries Mary comes to mind.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey.
Favorite Superhero? My wife.
Steak Temperature? Still alive, since I’m vegetarian.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Six Million Dollar Man
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? All you have to do is call and I’ll be there. ‘Cause you’ve got a friend.
Favorite Pet? We have two rescue chows, so I can’t choose because they are both awesome.
Best Game Ever? Poker.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What do you consider to be you at your peak potential? When are you happiest with your output?
Rob’s Answer: Whew. Another tough question. I don’t know that I can answer that because I don’t think I’ve gotten there yet. I’ve had some insanely productive times, but I’ve also had some less so. I need to get more consistent, and once I do I think I’ll be much stronger.
I will also say I’ll never reach my peak. It’s a truism, but I get better every time I write. I’ve had help from my editors, too, who make me understand why something is a mistake so I can understand the craft better. I think I’m a good writer, but at the journeyman level right now. Mastery only comes with more practice.
Z Burbia Cover
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
I have new releases coming out monthly. Best way to find those are to sign up for my newsletter. Never any spam! Click here! Or just go to my website at jakebible.com
And where can we find you?
I co-host the Asheville/WNC Writers Coffeehouse every month at ZaPow pop art gallery in Asheville, NC. Usually third Mondays of the month (but sometimes changes). Come out and see me if you’re in the area.
Do you have a creator biography?
Jake Bible is a Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel. He has entertained thousands with his modern pulp fiction tales. Jake reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.
Jake is the author of 55+ novels, including the bestselling Roak: Galactic Bounty Hunter series of space crime novels, the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, and the MEGA series for Severed Press. He is also the author of the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the middle grade ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press. As well as Stone Cold Bastards and the Black Box, Inc novels for Bell Bridge Books.
Jake hosts and produces a semi-weekly podcast,
Writing In Suburbia, where he gives his take on being a full-time professional writer while also living a suburban life as a father and husband.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how I got started?
I started writing professionally in 2008 when I released my first novel as a free podcast on iTunes. This was just before the Kindle hit the market, so if you wanted to get your work out there digitally, podcasts were the way to go. I made a ton of friends that I still have today and was lucky enough to know folks like Scott Sigler before they hit it big. I still podcast today, although not my fiction. I host the podcast Writing In Suburbia where I talk about being a writer in a suburban setting and how I go about living a normal life. Because, surprisingly, writers are people too!
Thanks to Jake for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This was not my best week, at least in terms of writing. There were a variety of reasons for that, and they’re all good, though. I got to help my mom and a friend of hers out. I got to do some major work around the house. I get to see the proto-incipient step-daughter this weekend. That all adds up.
So I’m not going to chat much more as we’ve got plans.
Current Playlist Song
Sober by Tool. What an amazing song. It’s one of those that made me love a band immediately.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 243rd birthday of the US Navy. This week’s quote is actually my favorite John Paul Jones quote, though it’s not the one everyone thinks of first.
“I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm’s way.”
– Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778
This week’s spotlight is on more of the Four Horsemen authors. Check the Recent Blog post section for the complete list.
Today’s Weight: 384.4
Updated Word Count: 214,609
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 435 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’m interviewing Eric S. Brown who is, among other things, one of the many writers like myself writing in the Four Horsemen Universe. He’s also written a bunch of horror, military science fiction, and kaiju stuff.
I am a professional horror and SF writer. I’m also a collector of all things comics and SF. David Drake is my hero. I learned how to write by reading his work when I was younger. One could blame my whole career on Dave.
What is your favorite color?
I like the color green. I also like to scare people with words. I’ve been writing horror for about 17 years now. I write the type of stories I want to see as a fan. That’s how my book Bigfoot War came about. I had been writing zombie stuff for a long time and even did a Z novel for Simon and Schuster (War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies). I was burnt out on zombies and really wanted to do something different. Bigfoot War is that. It makes Sasquatch truly frightening beasts and unleashes hordes of them upon the world. Bigfoot War (Bigfoot Wars on IMDB) was adapted into a feature film by Origin Releasing with C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders) and Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club). While the paycheck was nice, I really didn’t care for the movie and it didn’t have a lot to do with my then series of Bigfoot War books.
Eric S. Brown
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I like to think that the books I write are FUN above all else. From Bigfoot War to Kaiju Apocalypse to Casper Alamo (set in Chris Kennedy’s Four Horsemen Universe) my books are about guns and monsters with loads of action and more than a little gore. I have a Mech/Psionics/Vampires book coming out later this year entitled Psi-Mechs Inc. I am biased but I think it’s the best thing I have ever written. It’s about mech pilots and psychics who hunt monsters.
Lightning Round (answer any or all, be as verbose and whimsical as you wish)
Casper Alamo cover
Favorite Muppet? The Shrimp guy.
Favorite Sports Team? I don’t do sports so I am going with The Micronauts on this one.
Cake or Pie? Cake
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Don’t have one.
Wet or Dry? Wet. Always wet.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Sorry but to me music consists of Rush, more Rush, and a little more Rush. (ed. note: I knew I liked him for a reason)
Whisky or Whiskey? Don’t drink.
Favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman for DC and Daredevil for Marvel.
Steak Temperature? Well Done. (ed. note: Sigh)
Favorite 1970s TV show? Battlestar Galactica.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) I love cats. The favorite cat of my life was Howard, named after Lovecraft. I had him for seven years but he passed from health issues.
Best Game Ever? I don’t really game so I will go with 2nd edition D&D from back in the day.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee!!
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi all the way.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How did you get into interviewing people?
My answer: I had been interviewed by other people, and I wanted some more content on my blog. Also, it turns out that perhaps the most time-consuming aspect of writing my weekly email is finding someone to spotlight. This way, I don’t have to worry about it.
Do you love the rebooted BSG as every right thinking SF person should?
My answer: Oddly no, mostly because I haven’t actually seen it. Much like Eric, I loved the original and I found it hard to give it a chance. Also, I don’t watch many TV shows. Usually, my personal preference is something to do with sports.
I try to attend Liberty con every year. Aside from that, I am a very stay at home sort of writer.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
My newest release is The Squad. It’s a Bigfoot horror book set in the south. Other books I have had released this year as Casper Alamo, Day of the Sasquatch, Bigfoot, and a dark fantasy, Lovecraftian Roman novel entitled Beyond Night.
Thanks to Eric for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Marisa is another person I met at LibertyCon. She is chock full of awesome, as you will see here.
Interview: Marisa Wolf
Marisa Wolf
What is your quest?
To write stories that people can’t put down, to imagine what the future could look like (both in a “yaaay!” and a “yeee-ikes” sort of way), and to write characters people think about after the books let them go…
What is your favorite color?
Characters that feel real – thinking about how they might react in all kinds of situations that never make it to the story so I have a better idea of their life choices. Thinking through the emotional response I’d like to provoke. Sometimes that means reading out loud to make sure what was snarky-funny in my head lands outside of my actual head. Sometimes it’s writing a fight scene to Immigrant Song so I get the mood right. Sometimes it’s brainstorming gut-punch moments with authors who are really, really, really good at such things (coughKaceycough) (Rob’s Note: Kacey Ezell’s interview is here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1470).
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Whewwww the voice in my head is an ASSHOLE. Can we curse here? (Rob’s Note: Don’t hurt my saintly ears)
I feel like you curse when you go hurtling off the bridge, and also that voice is the equivalent of being thrown from the bridge in the middle of your grail-quest. Right, the voice – the one that tells me I’m not good enough, that people are going to notice I don’t belong with all these amazing writers, that I should probably not bother to write because no one’s going to like it…UGH that voice makes setting and keeping a writing routine hard. (Rob’s Note: That voice deserves to get cursed at)
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Character development – where they end up is not where they started, even if they deny that growth to themselves (I’m a big fan of characters in denial about something, which maybe says something about me? Unclear). This is for sure a skill I developed through fanfiction, where I had characters I wrote for yearsssss.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Cookie Monster. The right answer.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy. Except when I want crunchy, and then crunchy.
Favorite Sports Team? Bad News Bears. Hufflepuff’s Quidditch team. (for real I was raised on Boston sports and so believe firmly in the underdog and then my teams did all the winning and it’s an identity crisis, I tell you #hardproblemstohave)
Cake or Pie? Peanut butter pie, then everything else = yes, please, excellent runner up
Lime or Lemon? Someone already made the lime in the coconut joke, didn’t they?
Favorite Chip Dip? Cheese.
Wet or Dry? #thatswhatshesaid
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? #imnotahipster #basicmusicaltaste #idontcareitssogood
Whisky or Whiskey? YES, please and thank you.
Favorite Superhero? Kitty Pryde #shehadaDRAGON
Steak Temperature? Medium rare, I will accept only rare-r temperatures as valid answers.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Not gonna lie, all the ones I thought of were 80s. Early 80s, but…yeah.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? …all you have to do is call! (dammit now that song is in my head) (Rob’s Note: My job’s done here)
Favorite Pet? I can’t pick a favorite, or I will be haunted by all the good boys and girls who went before. All dogs are the best. All cats are also the best. Even the jerks.
Best Game Ever? Either Uno or Apples to Apples with my family (each side has claim to one) – there is always loud arguing, snorting, attempts at cheating that are immediately seen through, and so much laughter I’m honestly sore the next day.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee. Unless I want tea, and then tea. But for real: coffee.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? YES. Also you have a typo, ‘or’ should be spelled a-n-d.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What was the first book/story that GOT you? The one that made you catch your breath and need to read and re-read and maybe also re-re-re-re-read it?
Rob’s Answer: Well, I would probably have to say the Hardy Boy books. For a while, they were my babysitter when my parents both had classes to teach at the same time. They would buy me one that I didn’t have, which usually took me about 2-3 hours to read. That meant I got a lot of them one semester when I was five.
I’d also like to toss out The Ghost of Dibble Hollow. I read that book like a zillion times in 4th grade. I still have a copy and I might just read it again this weekend.
Marisa Wolf is the author of “Under the Skin” in The Good, the Bad, and the Merc, and the co-author of Assassin, with the fabulous Kacey Ezell. With more to come in the 4HU, she’s also co-authored a short story in another universe with Kacey (“Underneath” in Sha’daa: Toys, from Copper Dog Publishing), and has apparently decided to have five or more projects going at the same time all the time.
She was born in New England, and raised on a healthy diet of Boston sports teams, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the longest books in the library (usually fantasy). Over the years she majored in English (in part to get credits for reading which…partly worked), taught middle school science and history, was headbutted by an alligator, built a career in education, earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and finally decided to finish all those half-started stories in her head.
She currently lives in Texas with three absurd rescue dogs, more books than seems sensible, and one deeply understanding husband.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what nerd property do you desperately want to see come to some sort of media life in a very high quality way? That way I could have answered Dragonriders of Pern. Now! Please and thank you.
You should have also asked if there will be a sequel to Assassin so I could mention that Hunter is coming soon.
Thanks to Marisa for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Doug Dandridge is one of the great independent writers out there. He’s done really well in part because he puts out a ton of good material. My personal favor is his Exodus: Empires at War series, but he has over thirty published titles, including two other series, Refuge techno-fantasy and The Deep Dark Well trilogy. Now he’s started Kinship Wars, a traditionally published series. Let’s just say I’ve visited his Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/Doug-Dandridge/e/B006S69CTU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1522973584&sr=1-2-ent a number of times to get his books.
Exodus: Empires at War, Book 1 Cover
And I’m not the only one. According to his bio, “(h)e has amassed over 5,000 reviews across his books on Amazon, with a 4.6 star average. 5,000 reviews! And about that same number on Goodreads. I am learning just how hard it is to get a single review out of readers, so that’s even more amazing to me than the hundreds of thousands of books he’s sold.
Clearly, he knows both how to write and how to market online, so I was excited when he agreed to answer my questions.
Doug Dandridge
What is your quest? I like to craft technically sound science fiction (and fantasy as well) in an interesting and well thought out setting, with strong characters. Sometimes I actually succeed. I like the physics, chemistry, biology to stay as close to accurate as possible. Which doesn’t mean I don’t make up whimsical of utterly fantastic elements, but I see no need to step on real world principles when not necessary. My major influences include Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, David Weber, Robert E Howard, Jim Butcher, R A Salvatore and Larry Niven. I get a little bit from each one and possibly blend them together into something of my own. It seems to work, as I was able to not only quit my day job, but make a very good living at it.
What is your favorite color? Like Jim Butcher I start off with a map most of the time. I do a lot of research. Even in fantasy, I look up a lot of information, put a lot of it on paper. I world build to an extreme, probably more than I need to, but then, when I have a series, I just need to add onto the already detailed world. And I draw a lot of things out on graph paper, which allows even a poor artist like myself to visualize my settings. Spaceships, star systems, castles, even the look of dragons. All goes down on paper. And when I’m creating a star system I like to use programs to look over the configurations of planets and make sure it all works (wouldn’t do to have your inhabited planet go spiraling into the star). Probably more than I need to, but I read the horror stories of people finding fault with the science in other works. I even use Nukemap to make sure my things that go boom have an accurate damage radius.
Doug Dandridge with Helicopter
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? I wrote a series called Refuge, which actually started off really well. Both of the first books sold over 5,000 copies. They mixed modern technology with magic, with people from Earth crossing over to another dimension against their will and having to fight wizards, dragons and things that go smack in the night. With tanks, attack helicopters and a couple of tactical nukes. Due to the physical and magical laws of the planet, the technology would only last for a short period of time, and the humans had to use it or lose it. So by book three they had lost it, and I had lost my readership. Turned out that the majority of people who bought the first two books loved the idea of technology versus magic, so book three sold just over two thousand copies, while four barely made it over a thousand. I’ve tried to salvage the series with book five, resorting to magic imbued steam tech. But I’m afraid once you lose readers you’ve lost them for good, at least for that series. The lesson? When something is working, don’t make radical changes.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? I am really proud of the Exodus: Empires at War series and the spinoff, Exodus: Machine War. This is the universe that turned me into an independent success. Of the 240,000 odd books I have sold, over 200,000 of them are in these series. They have been well received, and I have collected a lot of fans from all over the world from these books. I feel that I write battle scenes really well (see R A Salvatore and Jim Butcher above), and I’m also good at putting in technical details without overwhelming people with info dumps. The Exodus series is nearing its end, but I will start another side series, going back in time to the origins of my human Empire.
Lightning Round
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy.
Five by Five Cover
Favorite Sports Team? Florida State University, because I went there and I live in Tallahassee. Any of the teams, not just football. I go to women’s soccer, both basketballs, softball, volleyball, even sometimes baseball.
Cake or Pie? Pie, because cake is too rich.
Lime or Lemon? Lime, because lemon is just too sour.
Favorite Chip Dip? Home-made French Onion dip. None of that weak store made stuff. The Lipton’s Onion Soup with sour cream.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? A German Jazz guitarist named Vogel Kreigel. He played in a little hotel in North Germany back in the late 1970s. One of the best jazz guitarists in the world at that time.
Whisky or Whiskey? I used to love Wild Turkey 101. Haven’t had a drink, for health reasons, in fourteen years.
Favorite Superhero? Spiderman. I’ve been a Spidey freak since I was five years old, and I bought the issue of Amazing Stories that featured the webhead.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Man, go back to the sixties and I might have something. The seventies did nothing for me, and I spent half of them in the Army.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall, love the crispy temps. Best time for going to football and soccer.
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) I had a ginger cat years ago named Beau who was the smartest pet I have ever had (and I’ve had an Australian Shepard). He died way too young at age nine.
Best Game Ever? Video Game? Fallout New Vegas, with lots of mods. Best gaming world, best story, a lot of fun to play in VR.
Coffee or Tea? I’m a big coffee drinking. Buy the beans and grind them myself before brewing them.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I love them both. I would actually like to write more fantasy, but somehow I slid into the scifi niche, so there I am.
What question(s) would you like to ask me? How do you come up with these questions?
My Answer: I think the first time I asked questions like this happened because I got tired of internet question memes, so oddly that made me make my own. The ones out there were just bland and boring, and so I made a whimsical one to have fun with my friends.
I used the idea again when I got married to my second wife. We wanted to make it fun, so I asked a larger series of questions to everyone involved in the ceremony. Then, we had a friend who is great at such things introduce us all as if we were wrestlers coming into a WWE event or something like that. We had a fantastic wedding.
As everyone who answers the interview questions realizes, I want to get some idea of your methods. Hopefully, this will help me and my readers find things that might improve our writing and publishing skills. However, I didn’t want it to be bland and boring, hence the Monty Python way of asking the questions.
But I also wanted to give each of you a chance to be something more than a name on an e-book. For example, I think it’s awesome that I now know you’re a Florida State fan. Plus, given how much I like to host people, it’s always a good thing to know how to cook their steak should the opportunity arise.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not? How did you ever decide to get into this crazy business?
I was out of work and pissed off at the employer that had just fired me, and decided to write a book exposing the corruption of mental health organizations. I sat down and wrote that book in two weeks, then started on an alternate history. When that was done, I went to work on a 260K word fantasy.
Refuge, Book 1 Cover
I wrote on an off for over a decade, collecting over three hundred rejection slips, but trying to do it the old way, through a publisher. Finally, in 2010, I was really sick of my job and wanted to become a full time writer. I wrote the equivalent of 7 novels that years, including the books that were turned into the first two volumes of Exodus: Empires at War and Refuge: The Arrival. I didn’t actually put anything online until December 31, 2011, and nothing much sold for the first eight months. I did a giveaway for a book called
The Deep Dark Well, and 4,100 went off the Amazon hard drive. When Exodus came out in November (I had put out Refuge first, thinking it would be the breakout novel), I started selling 100 books a day. In January of 2013 I sold 8,900 books and the sales continued into February with 5,400. I kept getting good sale the first couple days of March, and I turned in my two week notice and never looked back.
What’s Your Upcoming Event Schedule? I will also have books coming out later this year from Arc Manor Publishing (Kinship War) and Chris Kennedy Publishing (When Eagles Dare).
Doug’s Book Biography:
Doug Dandridge is the author of over thirty self-published books on Amazon, including the very successful, Exodus: Empires at War series, the Refuge techno-fantasy series, The Deep Dark Well Trilogy, as well as numerous standalone science fiction and fantasy novels. In a five year period as a self-published author, Doug has sold well over two hundred thousand eBooks, paperbacks and audio books. He has amassed over 5,000 reviews across his books on Amazon, with a 4.6 star average, and a similar number of ratings on Goodreads with a 4.12 star average. He has also written his first traditionally published novel, the first of a series, Kinship Wars. He served in the US Army as an infantryman, as well as several years in the Florida National Guard in the same MOS. Doug, who holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Alabama, lives with his five cats in Tallahassee Florida. He is a sports enthusiast and a self-proclaimed amateur military historian.
Thanks to Doug for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Sorry I haven’t posted anything for #Four Horsetober in a few days. I had to help my mom out for a bit and that threw me off schedule. I’ll start making it up this morning with Jason Cordova.
I met Jason Cordova at LibertyCon and he immediately said something sarcastic to me and offered good scotch. I liked that so much I went out and bought Wraithkin, book 1 of the Kin Wars Saga. I liked *that* so much I bought books 2 and 3 in that series.
Interview: Jason Cordova
Jason Cordova Portrait
What is your quest?
I try to include my own life experiences into the writing. The problem I have is I find oftentimes that some of the things I’ve done are so farfetched that nobody would believe it! So I borrow techniques from the best in the business – Jim Butcher, Larry Correia, Tim Zahn. Zahn especially has been a huge influence on my writing career, since the very first SF series I ever read was his Conqueror’s Trilogy.
What is your favorite color?
I love a vivid action scene, but I noticed over the years that I’m a little vague when it comes to describing a character’s appearance in detail (unless it’s a plot device!). I think it’s partially due to a deep hatred some authors have of overly describing things (“info dumping”) that can yank a reader out of the story. I’m all about pacing, dialogue, and character development without talking about how pretty/handsome they are. If I can write a 100,000 word novel and people are complaining that it’s too short and they “just started it, how come it’s over?”, I feel like I’ve done my job. (Rob’s Note: I agree, and strive to limit my Raymond Chandler tendencies… most of the time)
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The English language continues to vex me. In my head everything is part Spanish, part English, and translating a lot of it means I mix up order of words and verb tenses. I have the same issues when I try to write in Spanish (too many English-isms). Fortunately, I’ve had fairly decent editors over the years who are patient and willing to shoot me an email with a question. The most common one is “What are you trying to say here?”
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’m definitely proud of my Kakata Korps short stories set in the Four Horsemen universe. Using a relatively unknown group of behind-the-scenes guys who are struggling to find their way in a war-torn universe appeals to me. I enjoy writing about Mulbah and his crazy little band of hard-charging Liberians. I also am immensely pleased with the Kin Wars Saga. I love writing in that universe, even if it’s a constant reminder of the friends I’ve lost over the years due to illness.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? GONZO!!!
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy
Favorite Sports Team? Atlanta Braves
Cake or Pie? Both?
Lime or Lemon? Lemon-lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Salsa, but homemade and onion-free (onion allergy will kill me one day)
Wet or Dry? Dry
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Mindless Self Indulgence. They’re my guilty pleasure indie band of weirdos.
Whisky or Whiskey? Scotch
Favorite Superhero? The Flash
Steak Temperature? Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? Little House on the Prairie
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall/Winter
Favorite Pet? My cat Casper
Best Game Ever? Civilization V (Rob’s Note: Over Civ VI?)
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fi
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How do you find time to do all that you do and continue to have a life?
Rob’s Answer: You tell me. I do this full-time, given that I’m too educated to get any job that I’m qualified for. You also work, so I would say you’re the one with the more challenging path.
Working for yourself is hard, though, especially the motivation to do things every day. That’s my big struggle. In school, I would binge work. You can do that some in this job, but not as often because you don’t have gaps like you do in school.
As for my life, it’s not terribly active outside of going to cons and SCA events, which have become my work. My sweetie and spend most nights watching TV together or working on projects around the house. I’m surprisingly domestic anymore.
FantaSci (probably, still waiting on confirmation) – March 22-24, 2019
Libertycon – May 31-June 1, 2019
Dragoncon – Aug 29-Sept 2, 2019
Do you have a creator biography?
A 2015 John W. Campbell Award finalist, Jason Cordova is probably best known for his popular Kin Wars Saga series, as well as the Kaiju Apocalypse trilogy with Eric S. Brown. He also has written a YA science fiction series called The Warp. He was also featured in John Ringo’s bestselling Black Tide Rising anthology, and the highly-regarded Forged in Blood anthology set in Michael Z Williamson’s “Freehold” universe. He will have a story in the upcoming Freehold: Vengeance anthology (Baen Books). Jason currently lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. He is also a kaiju enthusiast.
Thanks to Jason for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m continuing #Four Horsetober with an author who will be making his debut in the Four Horsemen universe in Luck Is Not a Factor. I may have mentioned it’s coming out on 2 November. I may have also mentioned I’ll be in that anthology, too.
But never mind all that, this is Joseph Capdepon II’s interview. More than most, he took my instruction to be as whimsical as he wanted to be in the Lightning Round seriously. So to speak.
Interview: Joseph Capdepon II
Joseph Capdepon II Portrait
What is your quest?
To write fun and engaging stories that people want to read. To create universes and worlds that draw people in, be it novels, short stories, graphic novels, screenplays, or whatever other mediums of entertainment I can do it in. To bring just a tiny bit of light and fun to a serious world. Also telling the stories of the voices in my head. They can be a bit demanding at times.
What is your favorite color?
I tend to concentrate more on dialogue in my writing. I am a bit light on scene description, though when I describe a scene, it is the big description. I don’t often get down to the small things in the scene. I also rarely give hard descriptions of characters. You get an idea of what they look like, but I’m more interested in trying to bring them to life through their actions and words. I think my love of dialogue comes from being a very avid movie watcher, and wannabe screenwriter. For me, while the background of a scene helps, it is the dialogue that I love. The back and forth between characters. How their words help the reader to be drawn into the world through the characters words. Movies have had a huge influence on how I write dialogue. (Rob’s Note: This is much like my philosophy, too)
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Showing and not telling. Describing a scene so that it is not clunky and gives the reader an accurate impression of the world. Writing dialogue that is not clunky or sounds like two robots talking. Trying to get the dialogue to sound natural. Battling that sometimes crippling self-doubt that The Enemy throws at you. (The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a must read for any aspiring author)
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
While I sometimes struggle, I do believe I write some damn good dialogue and some convincing characters.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal, because he will beat you to death and eat your face.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy. Crunchy peanut butter is for commies. (Rob’s Note: We may disagree on this.)
Favorite Sports Team? Houston Astros. Life long fan.
Cake or Pie? Bro. Pie is the best. Pecan Pie. Pumpkin Pie. Coconut Cream Pie. Key Lime Pie. Banana Cream Pie. Even fruit pies are superior to cake, unless it is Tres Leches Cake. Tres Leches Cake is the bomb, especially if it is Chocolate Tres Leches Cake from the Chocolate Bar here in Houston. (Rob’s Note: You’re missing the best pie of all, butter pie.)
Lime or Lemon? Are we talking as garnish, in a mixed drink, or in a savory dish? The only dessert that is allowed to use lime is Key Lime Pie. No dessert should ever have lemon in it, for that is heresy, and Odin weeps when people make lemon dessert.
Favorite Chip Dip? Salsa, the hotter the better.
Wet or Dry? Dry rub for brisket, smoked all night. After it is cooked, I will eat it wet or dry.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Explosions in the Sky. Sigur Ros.
Whisky or Whiskey? Scotch, because the gods love us all.
Favorite Superhero? Punisher/Wolverine. Everyone else are pikers.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare. Less and you are not breaking down the fat in the meat, which means there is no flavor there. More and you are destroying the flavor of the meat.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Was Simon and Simon on in the 1970s? (Rob’s Note: Close enough. I love that show)
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Winter. I live in Houston. Winter is the only bloody time of the year that it is comfortable outside.
Favorite Pet? Oberon, King of the Standard Poodles.
Best Game Ever? Final Fantasy VII.
Coffee or Tea? Both. All the caffeine!
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Again, both! Though combining the two is always fun.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Why are the British so weird when it comes to food?
Rob’s Answer: I’m guessing it’s because their humor is so dry they can’t get the appropriate amount of juiciness in their food. That and coconut migration is not what it used to be. Swallows these days just don’t put forth the effort they did back in our day.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff? I don’t have much stuff yet.
Hopefully if things work, I will be at LibertyCon 2019.
Do you have a creator biography?
Not really, but I should probably come up with a good one soon. (Rob’s Note: This might be a subtle hint 🙂 )
Thanks to Joseph for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Been a good week here, though a little disjointed. Since I’ve moved back I’ve been to the doctor a bunch. During the time I was in Omaha, I kept waiting to figure out where we were going to live before getting a doctor. Since we didn’t actually find a place, I kept putting it off. Now that I’m 50, it’s not smart for me to avoid doctors, so I’ve been getting my 250,000 mile checkup, so to speak. That means a bunch of visits, and I had several this week.
The good news is that I’m doing pretty good for 50. I’m also really pleased with my new doctor. My last KC doctor took forever once you got to see her. She’s very smart, but I simply don’t want to wait three hours once I get there. This new doctor is actually incredibly quick. Other than the procedure I had last week, I’ve had something like ten office visits in the last month and a half. I’ve spent less time total in those visits, including with the specialists, than I did the first time I visited my old doctor. Nevertheless, each time takes out a chunk of the day.
What isn’t in as good of shape is my old phone. I didn’t want to upgrade to a Note 9 just yet, but I dropped my Note 5 and broke it. Ah, well. I did want the 9, and frankly the 512Gb of storage has already proven useful.
Still, I titled this week “Serendipity” because of last weekend. I got a chance to go to the Great Plains Ren Faire because a friend mentioned it. I did well and I got to briefly see my mom. I’ll be back in April.
Then, once I was there, another friend posted they were at the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Fayetteville, AR. Idly, Friday night, I checked their tour dates since I wanted to see them at least once. And, lookee there, they’re playing Saturday night after the Ren Fest closed in downtown Wichita. Definitely serendipitous.
I was a little disappointed in the Marshall Tucker Band, who opened for them. For whatever reason, their sound was a bit off. Can’t You See was fabulous, though. Anyway, I really enjoyed Skynyrd. The bits where they interwove parts of Ronnie Van Zant singing on the screen were powerful. Tuesday’s Gone live was worth the price of admission.
And I got to yell for someone to play Freebird without irony.
Oh, and I also named this post “Serendipity” because I love that word. It’s so mellifluous. It was also the title of our English reader in 6th grade. It had some great stories.
Ah, well, that’s enough about me. I’m going to get back to work. Have a great week.
Current Playlist Song
Acadian Dance by Rik Emmett from Triumph. This is from his acoustic album where he basically plays around and shows off all he can do. It’s good writing music.
Quote of the Week
Today is Neils Bohr’s birthday. He’s got a number of great quotes, but this is one of my favorites, especially since I started writing. And before you ask, I still have quite a few to make.
“An expert is a person who has found out by his own painful experience all the mistakes that one can make in a very narrow field.”
– Neils Bohr
News and Works in Progress
The Feeding of Sorrows (approx. 20,000)
CB (8,418)
AFS (2,556)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
This week I started #Four Horsetober, a bunch of interviews of other authors in the Four Horsemen Universe. You can expect a bunch of interviews throughout October in honor of the two Lyon’s Den anthologies.
This week’s spotlight is on the Four Horsemen writers. See the list above for all the interview links.
Today’s Weight: 382.8
Updated Word Count: 209,771
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 417 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week’s interview is with the amazing Kacey Ezell. She is, I can say without doubt, the first person I’ve interviewed who has over 2500 hours flying Hueys and Mi-17s.
She’s also one of my favorite writers right now. I really enjoy her Minds of Men alternate history and am waiting for the next one in that series. She’s also one of the writers in the Four Horsemen Universe, collaborating with Marisa Wolf to write Assassin and show us all the might of the Depik.
Interview: Kacey Ezell
What is your quest?
To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their women. (I’m sure I’m not the first to say that!) For real, though, I just want to tell good stories that I’d like to read. And I want to be a dragonrider. For Science. (Rob’s Note: SCIENCE!!!!)
What is your favorite color?
Blue. I like emotional gut-punch moments in my writing. Specifically, I always try to have a moment or moments where I put the reader in the mind of the character and make the character’s emotions resonate within the reader. If I can make you cry, or laugh, or grieve, or rage, or exult, then I’ve done my job.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I always feel like I’m never writing enough, especially when it gets busy with the day job. I get frustrated when I fly long days and then don’t have the energy to do more than drag myself into the shower and then into bed. My discipline demands that I at least try to write something every day, but a recent string of 12-hour days has shown me that sometimes, when I’m drained, I’m drained. So I’ll settle for writing 100 words that day and call it a win.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
In writing, my personal Holy Hand Grenade is what I’ve described above. I’m always proud when I can make the reader feel something. In life/marketing, I think my personal Holy Hand Grenade is my ability to connect with people and make friends quickly and easily. I love getting to know new people, and that’s been incredibly helpful in my career!
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy
Favorite Sports Team? Pittsburgh Steelers
Cake or Pie? Apple Pie / Guinness Cake (it cooks out! I promise!)
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Spicy salsa heavy on the cilantro
Wet or Dry? wet
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Leo
Whisky or Whiskey? I’m Mormon, don’t care.
Favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? Um, I’m too young for that. 😉
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer
Favorite Pet? I can’t choose. I love them both. 😊
Best Game Ever? Shadowrun
Coffee or Tea? Again, Mormon. I’ll take Sugar Free Red Bull, please
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Again, por que no los dos?
What question(s) would you like to ask me? What is your superpower?
My Answer: Hmmm, in my younger days I could walk into any neighborhood bar in any country and become Norm before the night was over.
I suppose now my greatest superpower is drinking the bitterest beer. I’ve had brewers try to out-bitter me. I welcome their attempts to tilt at this windmill, as it means free beer for me.
FantaSci and LibertyCon 2019 for sure. Maybe some others along the way if I can talk my husband into it.
Do you have a creator biography?
Kacey Ezell was born in South Dakota in 1977. Her parents joined the US Air Force in 1984, and she grew up around the world on various military bases. When she was seven, her mother gave her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragondrums, and shortly thereafter, Kacey decided that she wanted to be a dragonrider when she grew up. In 1999, she followed her parents into the “family business” and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy before going to pilot training. As dragons were in short supply at the time, she reasoned that flying aircraft was the next best thing. She earned her wings in 2001, and has over 2500 hours in the UH-1N and Mi-17 helicopters.
From the time she was a small child, Kacey made up stories to tell to her friends and family. In 2009, while deployed to Iraq, she wrote the military-themed supernatural story “Light”, which was accepted for publication in the Baen Books anthology Citizens. She was asked to consult on John Ringo’s 2015 novel Strands of Sorrow, and wrote the cover story for the Black Tide Rising anthology set in Ringo’s zombie apocalypse universe. That story, “Not in Vain” was selected for inclusion in the “Year’s Best Military SF and Adventure Fiction” anthology produced by Baen Books.
In addition, she’s written a story for each of the bestselling Four Horsemen Universe anthologies, and her story “Family Over Blood” is included in the national bestseller “Forged In Blood” set in Michael Z. Williamson’s Freehold Universe.
She and Christopher L. Smith are currently collaborating with John Ringo on a new post-apocalyptic steampunk trilogy from Baen, and her first solo novel, “Minds of Men” was released by Theogony Press on 10 November 2017. She returned to the Four Horseman Universe to collaborate with Marisa Wolf on “Assassin”, a novel about an alien race of felinoid killers-for-hire. “Assassin” is available now from Seventh Seal Press.
Kacey writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, noir, romance… etc. fiction. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two cats.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not? You should have asked me about my plans for world domination, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you about them. You’ll just have to find out.
And if you are interested in a FREE short story in my Psyche of War universe, you can absolutely have one by simply signing up for my mailing list! It’s also the best way to stay up to date on what’s going on with me, and how that whole world domination thing is going. You can join by going to www.kaceyezell.net.
Also, Mark Wandrey and I released Weaver at Liberty Con this year, and we’d love to have your readers check it out and if they liked it, leave a review! (Rob’s Note: Please give us reviews. Please, please, please. It’s huge)
Also, also, Minds of Men was just selected as a 2018 Finalist for the Dragon Award for Best Alternate History Novel! <cue excited screaming!> The Dragon Awards are a big deal to me, because they’re a truly fan-favorite award.
Many thanks to Kacey for taking the time to let me interview her.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
The next entry in #FourHorsetober is Christopher Woods. He and I have been in panels together and hanging out at cons for a few years now. I really enjoyed his novel Soulguard, especially since part of it was set in Wichita, my hometown. He was recently nominated for a Dragon Award with his novel Legend, which is set in the Four Horsemen Universe.
Interview: Christopher Woods
What is your quest?
Christopher Woods
I never expected to be an author, so my initial answer would have been to get a general contractor’s license and build houses. But then I wrote a book. And another. When I published the first two, I realized that my goals had completely changed.
Now? Now, I want to write stories. I want to write stories like Louis L’Amour. Like Roger Zelazny. Like David Drake, John Ringo, and David Weber. There are so many authors I read over the years and I find that I want to do the same thing as they have.
I want to entertain people with my stories like Jim Butcher and Larry Correia. These are the things I never thought were possible until now. So now my goals are to write books and, hopefully, make enough money through that career to be able to say “Sorry, I don’t build anymore. But I know a guy who I can put you in touch with.”
What is your favorite color?
According to the Psychology of color, it should be yellow. I don’t particularly like yellow so I will say purple. The reason I say yellow is the fact that it is associated with laughter.
There are many techniques that can be used in writing. My specialties would be humor and dialogue. People like to laugh and it makes the reading that much easier with a smile on your face. The easiest way I have found to express the humor is through dialogue. The interactions between characters are fun to work with and I find a great deal of places to draw inspiration for these characters in the people closest to me.
My whole family is a family of smart-asses. I’ve been around them my whole life, and I find that the friends I am drawn to are much the same. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment
Christopher Woods at his booth
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I would say the speed depends on how frustrated you become. Sometimes it can reach deadly speeds. I’ve never been quite that frustrated in my quest to be an author. Perhaps in other things. What is the average speed of a thrown hammer? It will chip concrete floors.
I guess the most frustration I have felt as an author has been trying to get fans to follow me into another series. I wrote Soulguard, Soullord, and Bloodlord, then tried to get the fans to follow into a new series that just didn’t happen. Round two with that series is in the works and going to be published by Chris Kennedy. I never built the online presence to truly push my work out there. The Soulguard series did what it did on its own. We’ll see how Fallen World does through a publishing company that has a talent for putting the work in front of the right people.
I think my next highest frustration point was something similar. After I wrote the first four Soulguard books, I wrote a fifth about another character. His storyline is three books long and already plotted out to some degree. Once again, I just didn’t get the follow from Soulguard fans. I understand this one, I’ve been guilty of doing the same thing. When I read The Magic of Recluce, I did the same thing. When Modesitt wrote the next book about another character, it took me some time before I read it. Same with his Corean Chronicles, I think the name was. What I found out was that the second part was as good as the first, if not better. The Freedom’s Prophet story line, in my own opinion, is better written than the first ones. The following two books are still happening. It wasn’t a flop, by any means, but it made about a third of the amount of money as any of the first four. I think it will change when they see it is going to be three books. Another of those things we’ll just have to wait and see.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Dialogue is probably my greatest strength in writing. The banter between characters gives them life. They could be the fellow next to you in line at the store. They develop as people you can care for.
I’ve been told that my prose is too simple by some but that’s what I like to read. I don’t want to have to think too hard about what I’m reading. I read to relax and escape. Some call it a weakness but I consider it to be a strength.
If you want flowery language, there are many other authors out there. We aren’t competing. How many people do you see that read only one author? I feel that an author’s competition is television and video games. I try to make it as easy to read a book as it is to watch a show or play a game. That’s my theory, anyway.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Is Cookie Monster a Muppet? Cause I sure love cookies.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy
Favorite Sports Team? I don’t do sports but I do live in Tennessee so I might get killed if I don’t say Vols
Cake or Pie? Pie, of course. What sort of silly question is that? (Rob’s Note: *MY* kind of silly question, thank you very much)
Wet or Dry? Hair or cement? Those would be totally different answers.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Leo Moracchioli, I think that’s how to spell it.
Whisky or Whiskey? Why not both?
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare. Not sure what temp that is.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Probably The Dukes of Hazzard. Don’t laugh.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall. Summer is the fat man’s bane and winter is the old man’s bane. I love the Fall colors. (Rob’s Note: Boy, do I understand this)
Favorite Pet? We used to have this huge black horse named Jack. He’d chase me around the field for a while. Then I would chase him for a while. I really liked that horse. Unfortunately I have no pictures.
Best Game Ever? Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Been playing it for five or six years and still enjoy it.
Coffee or Tea? Tea for me. But I am developing a taste for coffee. If I put enough cream and sweetener in it.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I can’t even discuss this one. My first work is a mix of both. I lean toward Sci-Fi at times and Fantasy at others. I love them both.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What sort of History degree do you specialize in? I’m sure I’ve heard it at one of the Cons, but for the life of me, I can’t remember.
Rob’s Answer: I am ABD in Medieval History with an MA in the field along the way. My dissertation focused on 10th-century Mercia during the time of Aethelflaed. I sought to answer whether the law codes she wrote specifying certain numbers of troops in various places were plausible or mere hopeful goals.
My answer, by the way, is that it looks like they did have the population to support those troop strengths *if* they could pull troops from more populous areas to fill gaps in lesser populated areas like what would become Cheshire. It seems likely they could, given a couple of hints that I found, but it is not confirmed.
More importantly in this context, it changed my writing plan. I decided to write fantasy over space opera / military SF initially because I wanted to use what I had learned. That focus, along with my experience in the SCA, also prompted me to use real-world cultures in my world. I feel I can write deeper cultures that way, and it’s not like Tolkien didn’t do much the same thing.
If anyone wants to join my email list, it’s accessible from the web page and they will have a free pdf copy of This Fallen World for signing up.
And where can we find you?
SphinxCon, Atlanta, GA, Nov 2-4
FantaSci Durham, NC March 22-24
Do you have a creator biography?
Christopher Woods, writer of fiction, teller of tales, professional liar, and holder of the original BS degree was born in 1970 and has spent most of his life with a book in hand. Soulguard is his debut novel. It is followed by several sequels; Soullord, Bloodlord, Rash’Tor’Ri, and Freedom’s Prophet, with more to come. With other projects in Post-Apocalyptic and Military Sci-Fi in the works there should be something for everyone. He lives in Woodbury, TN with his wife, Wendy. As a former carpenter of 25 years, he spends his time between various building projects and writing new books.
Thanks to Christopher for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This week’s magazine won’t be the first I’ve reviewed published in my lifetime, but it’s the first one published after I’d learned how to read. It’s the Fantastic, Vol. 23, No. 2, published in March, 1974.
This month’s cover is disappointing. Not the artwork, because the art is a great example of this genre, but rather it’s the arrangement. The art is secondary to the text, as you can see. That’s a mistake, in my opinion.
However, there’s another treasure on the inside cover. It’s an ad for a book that will teach you about ESP. Better yet, it’s from the Rosicrucians. The AMORC is the kind of thing Dan Brown writes about. His stuff is a guilty pleasure, but I wish he would learn to write conclusions better.
Back to the cover, briefly. This issue’s cover price is $0.60 cents. In today’s dollars that’s about $3.20. Yeah, it’s smaller than a regular book, but that seems like a great price, especially since most people probably got this via a subscription at the corresponding reduced price.
Enough of me meandering. First is an editorial by Ted White. White’s name is not entirely unfamiliar to me, but if you had asked I could not have named a single place where I had read anything of his. He’s had a fun career, though. He’s also a jazz musician and critic. He’s written a Captain America novel. Where I might have seen him, though, is as an editor and writer for Heavy Metal. I read some of the magazines after the film came out. The soundtrack is still one of my favorites, by the way. OK, so maybe I’m not done meandering.
Anyway, in it White discusses why this issue bears no resemblance to any of the previous ads. He also talks about changes in typesetting and the challenges of an editor dealing with print companies. Interesting how the particulars change but the overall challenges do not.
White also discussed Alexei and Cory Panshin, Brian Stableford, and their respective works on science fiction and its place in society. Since I have not read the Panshins’ The World Beyond the Hill nor Stableford’s The Sociology of Science Fiction I am generally lost, though I will undoubtedly look all that up at some point, especially since we get a hint of what’s going on in Stableford’s essay later in the issue.
The big story in this issue is Part 1 of Brian Aldiss’sFrankenstein Unbound. This story, shockingly enough, is the basis for the movie titled Frankenstein Unbound. I know, I know. You wouldn’t have guessed if I hadn’t told you, but it’s true nonetheless.
Much of this story will be familiar to you, of course. The main character, however, is someone who gets sent back in time because the use of nuclear weapons in space has damaged the space-time infrastructure. Nevertheless, the story, at least the first part of it, asks similar questions of what makes humanity human. It’s also about whether progress is really progress.
Overall, I haven’t liked this story much, to be honest. There are a number of good scenes, like a discussion including both Shelleys, Byron, and the main character. However, I struggle with time travel stories because I can’t suspend my disbelief as much. They have to be precise and consistent, or I get knocked out of the story. This one has a number of jerky time movements that mess things up.
Also, there are a couple of scenes that threw me out of the story, including a weird thing with the main character’s children that seemed gratuitous. I suppose it could play a prominent role in Part 2, but I don’t know what that could be. Overall, I will hold off on final judgment until I finish the story, but thus far it’s not my favorite thing that Brian Aldiss wrote.
However, there’s a great line in Part 1 that I really liked: “…[H]ell hath no fury like a reformer who wishes to remake the world and finds the world perfers (sic) its irredeemable self” (p. 37). This especially resonated with me.
This story is pretty good. It’s about a Roman who tries to cure his impotence by buying a slave girl in Egypt. Unfortunately, this girl is already married to Sebek, the Egyptian crocodile god. It turns out Sebek isn’t jealous, but he does care that the protagonist doesn’t mistreat her. So he watches the couple and leaves crocodile tracks all around, even though where they are has no crocodiles.
However, the hero is tricked into thinking that the governor of the province has sent him a letter directing him to get rid of the girl. He doesn’t want to leave her, and the only solution he can think of is to marry the slave girl and then kill her, telling her “Ave atque vale.”
Sebek still isn’t enraged, but he is miffed and he and the slave girl start harassing the main character. Eventually, the main character confesses to the authorities, hoping to be put into jail for his own safety. Of course, he’s to be put to death… in a battle against crocodiles. Yet there’s another twist. Sebek intervenes and saves his life. At the end, he thinks he hears the slave girl whisper “Ave atque vale” to him.
His Last and First Woman by B. Alan Burhoe. Burhoe didn’t write much SF, but he was a well-known professional chef and a contributor to a bunch of magazines.
This story apparently got him complaints from Robert E. Howard fans and I can understand why. The main hero, Cirnon the Barbarian, returns home after gaining his throne. He meets a girl and they sleep together, but he soon finds out she is his daughter kept looking young by her mother, who has only slept with one man: Cirnon when he left his homeland. Now he wonders what he has always been.
While I can understand why some Howard fans got mad over this story, I kind of think that Howard himself might very well have liked it. Conan was a deeper character than is often portrayed, and while he is the bad guy in this story, he was not always the good guy.
All in all, a well-done homage, in my mind, with a bitter twist at the end. Stories do not have to end on a happy note to be good.
Barry N. Malzberg is the next author with At the Institute. This is a grim story about a murderer getting treatment at the clinic. The treatment consists of putting him into a dream world where he has the choice of killing, or not. In the last dream, he kills himself for his own good.
It’s got all of Malzberg’s cynicism with a dash of cruelty. In general, his style is not my cup of tea and this story is in some ways merely another example. However, it’s a good story. It’s paced well and it brings the reader in. Those who like that style may love this story.
Images by Jerry Meredith comes next. I can find very little about Meredith, at least, I don’t know if I’m finding stuff about the same Meredith. He didn’t write much with only one other ISFDB listing, and I can see why. It’s a mediocre story about what reality is or isn’t. It could have been interesting, but misses some beats and lacks some information that might have made it better. I don’t usually want more exposition, but maybe I would have liked this story more with some.
However, there’s little I can think of that would make The State of Ultimate Peace by William Nabors any better. It is, by far, the worst story I’ve read so far in this sojourn through SF magazines. It’s message fiction about how war is bad. OK, fair enough, except the story is incoherent, rambling, an awful protagonist, and has no real plot. It’s like he threw a collection of words together that will offend people just to offend people. Bleah.
David Bunch is next with Short Time at the Pearly Gates. It’s about a guy hit by a truck who ends up near the entrance of Heaven. While there, he meets a strange fellow who first offers him a job and then cleans him of his sins in a bath of lye soap, pebbles, and later harsher materials. I may be dumb, but I didn’t find a narrative here, really, just a few things happening. At best, it’s a mediocre story, though the premise could have been fun.
Let’s see if F.M. Busby can get us out of this rut with I’m Going to Get You. He can’t, though this is a much better story. The main character is out to get God. He knows God exists because of all the bad stuff that has happened to him. His family dead, he’s paralyzed, his child dead at birth, and his wife dies. Now he is committing suicide in order to get back at God.
As I said, it’s a decent story, but really, not one that I’m glad I read.
Next is some of Brian Stableford’s sociological discussion that I mentioned at the beginning of this review. Stableford is trying to get a handle on SF’s role in society. Since this is but a part of what went into his monograph, I won’t talk about it much, since there’s only a tidbit of what Stableford is researching here.
Next are some movie reviews by Fritz Lieber. Lieber’s dad, also named Fritz, was a notable actor in early movies, so the younger Fritz grew up around theater and screen.
In this column, he shows how Ingmar Bergman was a fantasy writer, though many of his movies are set in modern day and don’t, at first blush, appear to be fantasies. Then he lists his dozen favorite in three categories: SF, Horror, and Fantasy. His top in each category: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Phantom of theOpera (I’m guessing he meant this version which included Fritz, Sr.), and The Seventh Seal.
Now we get to According to You, the letters to the editor. These were disappointing too, though there’s quite a bit of space devoted to them. They were generally frustrated with something that was published before based on the messages in the fiction. One, however, was fun, because it wanted more fantasy and less SF. I won’t argue with that.
Another pointed out that in an earlier edition it’s the Gray Mouser in places and the Grey Mouser in others. You know, this sort of type doesn’t bother me a ton. However, I’m not surprised that it showed up. There are a *bunch* of typos in here. I’d guess a minimum of 2 per page, so around 250. Sheesh. Kicked me out of a number of stories.
Overall this was a drab, dreary issue with a bunch of stories that left you either wanting more, or wanting way less. It is especially disappointing as I had high hopes, but the depressing cynicism of awfulness that runs throughout this issue really brought me down. I said that a story doesn’t have to end happily to be good, but a happy ending can save a bad story.
There are no happy endings in this issue, except, perhaps a little fun with the ads in the back. I wonder if my dad ever ordered a .38 Snub Nose from one of these ads. He might have at $24.95. It also has a couple of ads seeking poems for songs and and records. Hmmm, I wonder if my drottkvaett or Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse is what they’re looking for.
I think it’s time to get back to something I know I’ll like, and that’s an early Astounding from my mom’s birth month.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
I am continuing Four Horsetober with Jamie Ibson. Most of you will know him as the boss of 4HU – The Merc Guild Facebook group, but he’s also a writer and will be in Luck Is Not a Factor, the second Lyon’s Den Anthology in the Four Horsemen Universe. Take a look at another writer that Chris Kennedy has fostered.
Interview: Jamie Ibson
Jamie Ibson
What is your quest?
I’m right at the beginning of what may eventually become a career, so getting published is my main story quest. I have a non-sci-fi story out with Supervisive, my 4HU story “The Human Inside”, and a story in next year’s Freehold anthology called “Cry Havoc” about the FMF leopard handlers.
Influences include all the usual Baeniacs, Mad Mike, The ILOH, Oh John Ringo No, David Weber, David Drake, books I found on my dad’s bookshelf like Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Joe Haldeman, Spider Robinson, Gordon R Dickson, as well as the next generation of up-and-coming authors like Kacey Ezell, Jason Cordova, Chris Smith and Mike Massa. My horizons were broadly expanded when I discovered the Four Horsemen series at LibertyCon 30. They say if you want to write you need to read. I read a lot.
What is your favorite color?
I like stories that get you out of the normal human perspective. Some of my favorite 4HU stories are the ones where the aliens are front and center. (Kacey does alien Very Very Well) so in my leopard story, I have parts where the narrative shifts from 3rd person limited to 1st person present and the cat tells the story. My current project, I’m doing full-conversion cyborgs and I try to imagine how alien it would be to have your entire interaction with the world be done through artificial/constructed means.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I write too much dialogue and have to find ways to show action rather than rely on conversation.
I have a fantasy short meant to be an intro to a setting I put together but it has not been accepted yet for publication. The last response I got was that there was too much slang (I didn’t think I used hardly any slang), and that it tried to squish too much world into too short a story, which was the opposite of what I’d been told elsewhere. But I recall that one of my favorite Freehold stories, The Humans Call It Duty, was rejected multiple times before it was finally published, so maybe it’s just not the right time.
That, perhaps, is the biggest lesson I’ve learned in writing, is being patient. Things take time. (Rob’s Note: So true!)
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Somewhere along the way, a certain retired Navy SEAL declared that I was the Loremaster with regards to several of my favorite series and I’m rather honored to be called that. I think when writing in someone else’s universe it is vital to get the details and fiddly bits consistent. When I first talked to Mad Mike about what eventually became Cry Havoc, I made a point to review as much as I could on what Freehold had to say about the leopards and the handler program. Somewhere along the way I ended up writing a series bible for Mike which we’ve made available for everyone else writing in the anthology. I’ve been approached by others to give their universe a similar treatment so it can be opened up to a broader writing crowd, or I’ve been asked how I do what I do. (Notes, painstaking notes and multiple rereads!) So when I write in someone else’s universe, I try to keep a very clear idea on “What is canon” vs “Where can I expand” and ensure nothing I write conflicts with established lore. You only have to look at what happens to a series that becomes a show or movie to see whether it is accepted or rejected by fandom, based on how closely it remains true to the original. (I’m looking at you, Starship Troopers).
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Pepe
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy
Favorite Sports Team? Olympic Hockey Team Canada. I pretty much ignore everything else. (Rob’s Note: This is where I get to make a gratuitous note about watching the 1980 Miracle on Ice on a 12-inch black-and-white TV)
Cake or Pie? Cookie dough ice cream cake
Lime or Lemon? Lemon
Favorite Chip Dip? 7 layer but no olives
Wet or Dry? Umm
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? If you’ve seen my 4HU music playlist you will have seen Leo Morrachiolli. Norwegian metal cover god. Sultans of Swing and Feel Good Inc are always good, and then there’s 230+ more tunes to pick from. Seriously, the dude’s a machine. (Rob’s Note: And he makes the most amazing facial expressions)
Whisky or Whiskey? Please.
Favorite Superhero? Canadian ones, obviously, that may not be as well known as the Avengers, like Wolverine and Deadpool, for example.
Steak Temperature? I’m going to be a heretic and admit I prefer burgers over steak. But if steak is what is being served, medium rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Heh, sweet, it counts. Dukes of Hazzard started in 1979 so… yep.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Spring
Favorite Pet? I love all my cats, past and present, but Naomi is our house panther who has declared me chief of staff.
Best Game Ever? Fantasy: The Witcher III. Sci Fi, Horizon Zero Dawn.
Coffee or Tea? Razzleberry Iced Tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci fi.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Best place to learn to write/code wikis?
Rob’s Answer: Honestly, they’re not difficult. The most difficult thing to learn is the CSS coding to set up the main stuff. Wiki coding is mostly set up to use toolbars, and there are plenty of references.
They are like much else, though in that they become easier and quicker with practice. It takes time to think about what the most effective way to organize it, like what categories you’ll have and such.
Two things I suggest, though. First, download Editpad Lite. It’s my favorite text editor and you need a good one. If you already have one you know well, stay with it, but if not, Editpad is great. Second, as you’re editing create yourself a set of snippets. My philosophy of wiki editing is that it is better if you can standardize as much as possible. Similar things should be displayed in similar fashion as it will help the reader. Unlike writing prose, where you want to vary your word choice, consistency is useful in this context. Snippets help.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
My forthcoming 4HU story will be in Luck Is Not A Factor.
“Cry Havoc” due 2019 sometime.
Priorities via Superversive Press in To Be Men.
And where can we find you?
I’m north of the PNW so look for me at LibertyCon once a year (until I convince America to let me immigrate).
Do you have a creator biography?
Hey, I’m Jamie. Thanks for checking out my page. I’m Canadian, born and raised in Ontario and now on the left coast. Spent some time in the CF reserves and went on a peacekeeping mission when I finished highschool. Now I’m in law enforcement and write in my spare time. I’m married to the lovely Michelle, and we have cats.
Thanks to Jamie Ibson for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
On Thursday, Tales from the Lyon’s Den was released. On November 2nd, Luck Is Not a Factor will be released. In honor of the fourth and fifth anthologies in the Four Horsemen Universe, I have decided to do a bunch of reviews of authors who have contributed to the universe throughout October.
We’re going to start with a re-run of an interview I did in June. Chris Kennedy is one of the founders of this universe, along with Mark H. Wandrey. He’s a really sharp guy who has done amazing things in the self-publishing world. He’s taught me quite a bit already, and I suggest you listen to him and watch what he does.
Interview: Chris Kennedy
What is your quest?
I want to sell a million books. Failing that, I want to help my authors sell ten million books.
What is your favorite color?
Science fiction…with a side of fantasy.
Chris Kennedy
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Not coming from a writing background, I had to learn to do it right. I read blogs for 15 minutes a day for four years to help develop my craft and my ability to sell more books. I’m still not totally where I want to be, but I’m a much better writer than when I started, and I’m a lot closer to the goal.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I like writing gritty combat and a good motivational speech once in a while.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Definitely crunchy. I don’t know why they make that other stuff.
Favorite Sports Team? UNC Tarheels basketball (despite their showing in the NCAAs last year), NY Yankees baseball, and Atlanta Falcons football.
Cake or Pie? Pie…but why can’t I have both?
Lime or Lemon? Lemon…because you can put it in Corona and make it taste better.
Favorite Chip Dip? Helluva Good Sour Cream and Onion
Wet or Dry? Sopping wet. (Rob’s Note: He’s a Navy guy)
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Two Steps from Hell. Outstanding for combat writing music.
Whisky or Whiskey? Bud Light. (Rob’s Note: Sigh)
Favorite Superhero? Gal Gadot Wonder Woman. Because Gal Gadot.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Game Ever? In # of hours played? Everquest.
Coffee or Tea? Diet Pepsi
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Scifi, with a side of fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How many MAC rounds can a trooper survive?
Rob’s Answer: If we’re talking a magnetically accelerated piece of tungsten, then zero if the trooper isn’t in a CASPer. If we’re talking the fully-loaded magazine of MAC rounds we’re going to have at our LibertyCon party, I would say most can survive five or so, depending upon rate of fire and body mass. However, this survival is likely to be more painful and the target might prefer the quick death of tungsten.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “Do you have any free book promotions coming up soon?”
Why yes, yes he did. Back when this was run in June.
However, right now he does not have any promotions but take a look at Tales from the Lyon’s Den on Amazon. And if you haven’t read any of the Four Horsemen Universe, check out the first one, Cartwright’s Cavaliers.
Come back tomorrow for another author in the Universe.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
The good news is that I reached my 50th birthday this summer. The bad news is that reaching 50 comes with some new, fun routine medical stuff. One of those things happened this week. I had an unpleasant Tuesday, a worse Wednesday morning, and a stoned Wednesday afternoon. Suffice to say, while I’m glad I did it, I didn’t enjoy it despite the doctors and nurses doing a great job taking care of me.
That slowed me down this week, but I still had a productive week. I sent off a short story to an editor this morning. I *think* it’s pretty good. The story certainly jumped into my head and demanded to be written. However, I never know if a story is any good until someone else sees it. Now all I have to do is wait until the editor reads it and gives me some feedback. Argh.
Anyway, I didn’t do much with The Feeding of Sorrows this week because I wanted to get that story out of the door. What I did do was add some scene ideas. I discovered that while I’ll never plot huge details, I am having some success scribbling scene/chapter ideas on 3×5 cards. I used a similar technique when heralding an SCA court and I’ve already seen some benefits.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a writer it’s that there’s one true way of writing and that’s what gets words on the page. Unfortunately, that one true way is not necessarily obvious and I keep trying to improve my methods. Keep plugging away.
However, I’m in the second of these two anthologies, which will be called Luck Is Not a Factor, which is coming out in about a month. The Four Horsemen Universe is huge, and I’m glad I get to play in that sandbox.
I head down to the Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita today. I’ll be in the Author’s Pavilion, so if you’re out there, come on by.
Have a great week, everyone.
Current Playlist Song
The Trees by Rush. Lots of listening to Rush lately. Shocking, I know.
Quote of the Week
I mentioned it yesterday in my Magazine Review this week, but it’s such a good quote I’m going to use it again.
“Let the truth of Love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the Heart and Mind united
In a single perfect sphere”
– Cygnus X-1, Book 2: Hemispheres, Rush
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week I’m reviewing the If (Volume 7, No. 4) from June, 1957. I guessed I was going to like this one, given that it has an Asimov and a Biggle, but if I had any doubt, the rocket rotorship Mars lander by Mel Hunter that’s on the cover with the diagram on the inside front cover.
This issue starts with the Editor’s Report by James L. Quinn. It’s a bunch of short, interesting things he’s found in the previous month. He had a good eye and in this day and age he would probably be a well-followed blogger.
In this case, much of what he included relates to this issue of If, including small biographies of a couple authors in the issue. I wish more editors had done this, actually, as it’s quite interesting to see what the editor thought at the moment, especially before I read the stories.
He also talked about the Industrial Bulletin, which was a small sheet of interesting, fact-filled information. 1957 Clickbait! I’m a sucker for that sort of thing, and now I’m putting A Scientific Sampler, which has the best predictions, facts, and notes in my Amazon wishlist.
And if you need help with math you can get the IBM 709. The stats are amazing. 42,000 additions or subtractions per second. Multiplication and division at 5,000 per second. 327,000 decimal digits can be stored in it’s magnetic core, and any word in the core can be found in 12 millionths of a second. And then the piece de resistance, “You can get a typical system for about $3,000,000, or rent one for $56,000 per month! (p. 3)”
If (June, 1957) Cover
So, I suppose I should actually talk about the stories in this issue. First is Pretty Quadroon by Charles Fontenay. It’s a fascinating story about a number of different timelines related to whether there’s a second Civil War. Basically, if Beauregard Courtney meets and loves Piquette, then there will be a second war of varying results. In one, the South wins, in another the North wins, in a third the Russians nuke New York and other cities. If he doesn’t meet her, the second war does not happen.
This story is both well-written and fascinating, given that it’s written by a Tennessee man during the beginning of integration in the south. Not only that, it has the backdrop of the Cold War and fears of nuclear war. The story is thoughtful, challenging, and yet smooth to read. It is no wonder it was republished in Jim Baen’s Universe of October, 2008.
The story is a fun one about the US Army trying to build a tunnel through the Appalachians for a monorail track. They have a converter which easily cuts through the stone and creates a perfect tunnel, but suddenly it stops, having hit on a large gold brick. They try a pick, otherwise known as a manual converter, but that doesn’t work.
Then the Army tries a variety of increasingly absurd ideas. They convert the *entire* mountain, but all they manage to do is end up with a gold brick sitting in the air about four feet off the ground. A physicist comes in and says this is the point, the fulcrum point, of Earth’s orbit. Ultimately, with a super bomb, they manage to move it, which sends the Earth on an orbit which will fall into the sun.
As a side note, this is message fiction done right. The story is humorous, catchy, and the reader keeps wanting to know more. In some ways it is a short story version of Dr. Strangelove. This story makes me wonder if Peter George, who wrote Red Alert, the basis of Dr. Strangelove, had read it, because it has the same sort of humor and message.
Next is an essay by Robert S. Richardson entitled the Face of Mars. You might have read his science fiction under the name Philip Latham. This essay talks about telescope images he worked with when Mars approached very close to the Earth in 1956. Reading the science articles in these magazines is odd to me.
I am no scientist, though I’ve read quite a bit about various scientific topics (and more now that I’m a writer, shout-out to my monitors at the FBI and NSA). However, I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I know more about Mars than Richardson did, yet he was widely recognized as an expert. He even helped as a technical assistant for Destination Moon. It’s a weird thought that’s hard to avoid as he’s describing specific aspects of astronomy and it all seems fairly basic. Amazing what’s transpired in 62 years.
Aldo Giunta’sJingle in the Jungle is the next story. I had never heard of Giunta before, and it’s no surprise. This is the only speculative fiction he ever published. He was a playwright and a cabinet maker, as you can see from the linked obituary.
This story is about a future where boxing is much like it was in the 1930s, especially with all the corruption and fixing, except with robots.
This was another great story. A trainer, Charlie Jingle, has been working with an old boxing robot, Tanker Bell, for fourteen years. It’s way out of date and they can hardly get any fights. Then they stumble into a fight and beat the contender robot made by the shiny, big fighting-robot corporation.
But it’s a fix. It’s all a fix. The goal is to build up an outsider and suggest it has a chance. Then the champ wins big and looks even better and better. But Charlie has another idea and he tricks the Tanker into thinking he hasn’t got a chance and gets the robot mad and tricky. Ultimately Tanker Bell wins, and it is only then that he realizes his trainer has tricked him and gotten him to fight better than his best. Rocky before Rocky and with robots.
Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers. The Foundation and Hari Seldon shaped a style of magic in my world of Shijuren. Elijah Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw helped convince me hardboiled detectives can work in any time period. His entry in this issue shows why.
This issue’s entry is Does a Bee Care? If you click on the title links of most stories, you’ll find that the links almost always go to the bare ISFDB page. There’s rarely much on those pages, and I link to them as much to highlight the title as I do to give you places to find more information. In this case, though, the story is so powerful that it has its own Wikipedia page.
The story goes like this. An ovum was placed on Earth. The ovum grew to a creature that looked like it was human, though it was not. For 8,000 years it influenced civilization to help humanity achieve spaceflight. In the story, it has ensured that in one of the first rockets to the moon there’s space enough for it to fit inside. When the rocket reaches space the creature achieves full maturity. It is, finally, able to return to its home.
The twist is that while we see the creature manipulating things, Asimov guides us along the path of focusing on its point of view. Then at the end, asks if the bee cares what has happened to the flower after it has gotten the pollen. What a neat take on things.
Lloyd Biggle, Jr. is next with …On the Dotted Line. The story is about a car salesman getting transported to the year 2337. He’s a great salesman, but in 2337 salesmen are hypnotists, and all he’s got is psychology.
But that’s what he is, a salesman and he’s got to figure out how to make his way. Fortunately for him, after a couple of years the hypnotists are discovered and Congress passes laws outlawing hypnotism in sales. This is the salesman’s chance.
And he does pretty well, for a time. However, with his sales comes publicity, and after people have seen his pitch, they don’t buy and he loses his sales job. He’s a smart man and he succeeds in the field of space mining. He finally, however, figures out how to sell one more thing, essentially the moon Callisto, and retires, confident in his ability. At the end, though, the compulsion is still there, and he’s looking about for something else to sell.
It’s a good story, which doesn’t surprise me. Biggles had a neat way of looking at things, I’ve found, and this is an example. He made a *salesman* into a sympathetic figure.
Dan Galouye is another new writer to me. His story here is Shuffle Board. This is the first average story in this issue. Earth in a century or so will be filled with various radioactive waste. The main character is tasked with preventing the radioactivity from contaminating as much as possible. In the end, the increased radioactivity changes humanity so we’re not as susceptible to its affects.
I think this story didn’t catch me because it seemed a little obvious to me, but that’s in part because of my perspective in 2018 as opposed to 1957. I sort of expect humanity to adjust, if needed. More importantly, I felt the underlying causes see farfetched now. This is unfortunate, because the story is well-written. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Galouye, and maybe the twist at the end will surprise me.
As a side note. Dear Editor of any magazine, please avoid, “Continued on page X” for any story, especially for the last 3 paragraphs. Ah, well.
Anyway, the next story is called The Human Element by Leo Kelley. It’s a fun story that connected to me because our protagonist hearkens back to an earlier time. Unfortunately, in his era, living in the past would get you sent to the Psych center.
If (June, 1957) Science Quiz
However, our hero has expressed his rebellion by putting on a clown suit and running onto stage in a modern day circus. The circus is nothing like we would think, and no one there had seen a clown before. He’s a hit, and the circus owners hire him. In many ways, this story is nothing but the cotton candy the hero reminisces about. But I am someone who lives in the past quite often, and I do wonder about today’s society.
Next is a fun little game, a science quiz. I’ve included the image. Have fun.
Then we have a series of science briefs. More little notes and tidbits from science. The most interesting one to me was the idea that we’d have nuclear-powered aircraft in the early 1960s.
Finally, we get to Hue and Cry, the letters to the editor. I always enjoy reading these, and this one had several focused on the idea of humanity and humanism as discussed in a previous If. Oddly, as I type this, I happen to be listening to the album Hemispheres by Rush. The title song is about humanity’s challenge to balance thought and emotion, which apparently the earlier If issue talked about. Odd timing, there.
But it’s an excuse to include this wonderful Rush quote:
“Let the truth of Love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the Heart and Mind united
In a single perfect sphere”
– Cygnus X-1, Book 2: Hemispheres, Rush
Overall, this was one of the better magazines I’ve seen so far. It didn’t sell well, though, and is one of the shorter-lived SF mags of the time. It’s a shame, though, because I’m looking forward to reading more of them.
Next week I’ll be reviewing the most modern issue I’ve read so far, the Fantastic from March, 1974. This issue’s cover story is by Brian Aldiss and Fritz Lieber reviews some books. Good stuff to look forward to.
Have a great day, everyone.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week I’m interviewing Wes Yahola. We met at the final ConStellation in Huntsville, AL. It’s a shame it was the last time they had it, because it was a great con. One reason was getting to meet Wes, who shared a panel with me and we got to know each other while sitting in Author’s Alley.
Interview: Wes Yahola
What is your quest?
I seek to craft the most interesting of thrilling fantasy, the types of stories that keep people up late at night and turn them into bleary-eyed zombies for the next day at work because they couldn’t stand to put down one of my books and go to sleep.
What is your favorite color?
The color of determination. The color of sitting down and getting to work. The color of getting out of my own way. I think these are all red, but they might be more of a rose or apple color.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The same speed as that of an overburdened editor. Go-Work-On-Something-Else-While-They-Get-To-You miles per hour. Limit: Just Short of Exhaustion, Minimum Speed: Don’t Let It Distract You.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Explosive pacing that sends out shrapnel made of cliffhanging chapter ends. Actually hearing from people who really did stay up later than they intended because of the way my chapters ended, and their smaller then usual size, has been very gratifying.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? The canceled ones.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy.
Favorite Sports Team? The football team of my son’s high school.
Cake or Pie? Yes, please.
Lime or Lemon? See Cake or Pie.
Favorite Chip Dip? A good home made meaty “rotel”
Wet or Dry? Dry.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? I doubt I’m cool enough to give a proper answer so I’ll say the Yeah Yeah Yeahs followed closely by Metric.
Whisky or Whiskey? Just one, neat, and I don’t care how you spell it.
Favorite Superhero? Mr. Kent
Steak Temperature? Not hot, but warm enough to not be sure if it’s crossed that line.
Favorite 1970s TV show? M*A*S*H
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall.
Favorite Pet? The one and only Mia the border collie.
Best Game Ever? D&D 3.5, core books only.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee first, then tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me? What are your favorite Conventions to attend as a panelist/guest?
Rob’s Answer: The best convention out there by a long mile is LibertyCon. The people who run that con are by far the most efficient of any con. I’ve always appreciated Rich Groller, who has run their programming and he is amazing. He responds almost immediately every email I’ve ever sent. Brandy does a great job organizing and making sure everyone has fun, while still being in charge. Those are just two of the con’s staff, but I could compliment all of them. Truly it’s a step above in terms of organization.
It’s also a step above in terms of the happenings at the con. It’s limited to 750 attendees, which is a fantastic size. The quality of the attendees is fantastic, too. I have learned more at the LibertyCons I’ve attended than everything else combined.
To be fair, there haven’t been many cons that haven’t been fun and productive. Even at DragonCon, where I really didn’t have enough to do professionally, I had a good time. Frankly, LibertyCon is like Ted Williams. It’s not a criticism to say that Joe Dimaggio wasn’t as good a hitter as the Splendid Splinter.
The first chapter to The Artifice Conspiracy is available at WesYahola.com. The book is available in hardback, trade paperback, and e-books of various types. I enjoy doing conventions and panels and recently worked with fellow Dark Oak Press writer Pat Sawtelle on a World Building panel which was recorded and will be available on the Dark Oak Press website. On my website I list most of the panels I have been on and they include everything from world building to other aspects of writing, to gaming and fandom.
My second book, The Treasure Betrayals is in an editor’s hands. My third is in the plotting and draft zero stage.
And where can we find you?
Next at the Memphis Comic and Fantasy convention, then MidSouthCon, also in Memphis.
Do you have a creator biography?
Wes Yahola is the next best thing to a lifelong Memphian, having bounced around from Raleigh to Midtown to the University Area to just at the eastern fringes. His high school days got him started on the strange path of radio, which brought him through the night to his place as a producer and co-host on the Drake in the Morning show on 98.1 the Max (WXMX). He can also be heard playing rock songs in the middle of most Saturdays on that same radio station.
A lifelong reader who began devouring comics before he could understand all the words, Wes has long been a fan of fantasy and science fiction, and also enjoys thrillers and books about history. Once in a while he’s written stories of his own. He’s been playing games even longer, enjoying new and classic board games, card games, and tabletop R.P.G.s. Once in a while he’s designed and written his own.
All this came together with the publishing of his first novel – the Artifice Conspiracy, a fantasy thriller involving spies, sabotage, rebellion, and the unleashing of a powerful weapon of magic. Thanks to Black Oak Press for publishing it, and to everyone who’s bought and read the thing.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not? Why do you do this to yourself?
You should have asked what kind of stories I like to read. I want to read the kinds of stories I’m writing. I’m compelled to contribute something of what I like to the rest of the world to see who else wants the same thing.
Thanks to Wes for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This was not my best week ever. I caught a bit of con crud at TopCon and never really got myself going. That’s one reason why every one of my weekly posts happened today. Sorry about that.
I don’t get con crud often, and this time was kind of odd because the con had very little traffic. I sold enough, I suppose, but only because it was close enough for me to stay at home.
However, I’m glad I went because I got to hang out several friends, including James L. Young and Christopher Woods. In fact, Young helped me add a new event, the Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita next weekend. If you’re in Wichita, come on by, I’ll be in the Author’s Pavilion.
Anyway, I didn’t get much written or done, which is annoying. My big accomplishment was making sure my sweetie got fed. That’s about it, though it’s important.
Today, I’m watching football and catching up with stuff, including my update. One thing I’m doing now is trying some new social media things. You’ll see me using hashtags much more often. Here are some you’ll see from now on.
#RobInterviewsCreators: My weekly interviews
#RobsReviews: Primarily for my magazine reviews, but I’ll tag anything I review on this blog
#RobsUpdate: These reviews.
#Shijuren: Anything related to me or Shijuren
I’ve also added the ability for you to share my posts at the bottom of each entry. If you like what I’m doing, please don’t hesitate to share.
It’s Cowboys v. Seattle, so I’m going to pay attention to that and write later. Have a great day.
Current Playlist Song
Since I’m watching the Cowboys game right now, I’m going to chat about my listening habits of late. Thanks to a buddy’s suggestion, I’ve been listening to Rush in album order. I keep forgetting just how good some songs I don’t listen to often actually are, especially in the context of the album. Clockwork Angels continues to amaze. It really is the best album of all time.
Quote of the Week
Friday (when I was supposed to my update) was the release of The Hobbit in 1937, so this one was easy.
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort
– J.R.R. Tolkien
This week’s spotlight is on Mel Todd, and it’s one of the more fun interviews I’ve had. You can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1401.
Today’s Weight: 384.2
Updated Word Count: 1057
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 417 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Sorry I’m a bit late with this. I caught a bit of con crud at TopCon and was not terribly energetic earlier in the week. Anyway, this week I’ll look at Galaxy, Vol. 20, No. 6 (August, 1962). It’s got quite a few interesting names on the front like Jack Vance and Frederik Pohl and an armored knight charging into battle on odd insect-looking dragons. Right up my alley.
This issue starts with an editorial attempting to define progress. It is, not surprisingly, a moving target, and the conclusion is that we need science fiction so we can look at ourselves from the outside. I agree that we need to look at ourselves from the outside, but I’m not sure we needed a 750-word or so editorial to tell us that.
Ah, well. Deadlines make for hurried editorials, as well I remember from my newspaper days way back when.
First is Jack Vance’s novel The Dragon Masterswhich won the Hugo in 1963 for Best Short Fiction. This is a story consisting of four main foes. Joaz, the protagonist of the story and leader of one faction of humans on Aerlith. Elvis, the leader of the other humans. Then there are the sacerdotes, who view themselves as overmen. Finally there are the Basics, a race of intelligent lizard/insects who live on a different planet that only visit Aerlith when their stars approach each other.
It is from genetically adapted Basic captured in a previous visit that the humans on Aerlith develop a variety of dragons. These dragons are armed with maces on the end of tails and axes on arms. These weapons all go along with the normal spikes, horns, and claws. In return, the Basic developed their own army from genetically altered humans. The sacerdotes have genetically altered themselves and set themselves to a regimen of contemplation and learning.
Humanity as a species is nearly extinct, yet none of the human groups are willing to work with Joaz, though he seeks their help. His desire for assistance is pushed by the approach of the Basic planet. In the end Joaz wins, after a chaotic four-way fight.
One moment that struck me is when a character interacts with a sacerdote. It reminded me of the Readers in my world of Shijuren. People who gather knowledge but stay out of the fray. I did not get the idea from Vance, rather the Readers are a combination of Asimov’s Foundation, Gandalf, and a few other tidbits here and there. It’s fun to see other authors have similar ideas.
However, I did not particularly like this story. Maybe it was the artwork, which was sharp, and odd as you can see from the cover. Jack Gaughan did the artwork and he drew just about every kind of creature involved. The image on the cover was fun and creepy, but by the end of the story had a wrongness.
And that mirrors my view of the story. It was long, almost 90 pages, and I never really got caught up in it. I can see why it won the Hugo, as there are a lot of elements that I suspect many other readers will like, but for me it was a slog. It was perhaps too complex in some ways yet too simplistic in others. I don’t know. In any case, while I normally like Vance, this story didn’t suit me.
Next was Handyman by Frank Banta. I don’t know much about Banta but I liked this story. Unlike The Dragon Masters, Handyman was very short, only three pages. However, that worked for the story. Our hero, James, is constantly chopping up wooden doors so he can burn them for heat. The building’s carpenter cheerily comes to replace it every time. James keeps asking to help with the heating plant, as the carpenter doesn’t have the skills to fix it. However, James is a prisoner and prisoners aren’t allowed to work on things.
Throughout the story, James tries to find solutions to his various problems, but certain things aren’t proper, like him working on the plant. He tries to dig a tunnel, but the foundations of the prison go too deep. He can’t even call for help because he and the carpenter were left behind when all other humans left Earth.
And the carpenter is a robot.
Next comes a science article by Willy Ley. This particular article discusses the odd nautical phenomena of big, bright pinwheels. He goes through all the logged entries of this phenomena, maps them, and then goes through a few ideas of what might cause them.
Humorously, the ISFDB page on our next author, Jack Sharkey, only lists his Danish Wikipedia page. The only Jack Sharkey in the English Wikipedia is a boxer from the 1920s, and he’s an interesting guy too being the only person to fight both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis.
But I digress. Shocking I know. Anyway, his story is A Matter of Protocol. The story is about making first contact. Humans have developed a system to allow alien zoologists to meld with the minds of creatures on a planet. in this case, the planet is a green jungle where it turns out there are only a few species. These species work in a close symbiotic relationship. Unfortunately, simply landing on the planet ending up damaging some of the trees, and in two months the planet is a lifeless ball.
I have mixed feeling about this story. On the one hand, it’s got a couple of plot holes that I don’t like. The planet only has a few species, and and find that difficult to accept. Two, I grew up in Kansas, where the Flint Hills are routinely control burned because the prairie grass evolved to get hit by lightning and then burn, uncontrolled, so it can refresh itself. I find it challenging to think that the creatures on this planet are so simple to destroy when crazy, accidental stuff is just going to happen.
On the other hand, the story is well-written, innovative, and talks about the tough question of first contact. I’m glad I read it, and I’d like to read more of Sharkey, but this story fought me.
Before I get to the next story, I have to mention the ad on page after Sharkey’s story. For $2.00, you can order a copy of The Complete Guide to Orbiting Satellites. It’s actually loose-leaf, and promises consistent updates. I don’t actually know how many satellites were in orbit in 1962, but it goes over the communication, weather, navigation, and reconnaissance satellites at the time. Even in 1962, I’d have paid $2.00 for that.
Frederik Pohl is next with a story called Three Portraits and a Prayer. Pohl was actually the editor of this issue, but of course he was a fantastic writer. I loved the Heechee series.
But this isn’t his best story. Basically, a dying genius physicist gives an evil billionaire enough knowledge to become dictator, but eventually manages to kill him. This story could have been great, because Pohl’s prose is excellent, but there are two problems. One, it’s message fiction. Knowledge should be free, among other things. Message fiction is not necessarily bad, but the story has to be better, in my opinion. Unfortunately, all the action happens off screen. Our narrator is the genius’s doctor and all we see is what he sees and much of the story is his opinion. I want to see the action, not what someone else knows and thinks of the action.
And I liked this story too, though it’s a bit confusing. A crew mutinies and maroons its captain on a planet occupied by Quronos. These are androids developed by someone in the past. They will “geoplanct” and “xenogut” every day on a schedule. The tagline is, “You too can be a Qurono. All you need do is geoplanct. All you need know is when to stop!” The captain emulates the Qurono and they revere him as a master, but then he continues and they realize he’s not actually anything special and they send him into space.
The crew that mutinied had tried to escape, but the Qurono forced them back and they rescue the captain. Then he imposes a new regimen on the crew, forcing them to geoplanct. Reluctantly, the crew obeys.
My confusion is that I simply don’t know what geoplanct or xenogut exactly mean, nor can find them any definition. I suspect Harmon hid some extra punch in those words, but I just don’t know. Still, Harmon is clearly a skilled writer as you are following intently what is going on.
So we move on to the essay The Luck of Magnitudes by George O. Smith. It discusses just how lucky we are that Earth is at the convenient place that it is, not simply for life but also for humanity’s ability to look at space around them, especially the moon. It’s a neat article, more interesting than I expected when I started it, because it involves how ancient astronomers looked at the sky.
The last story in this issue is One Race Show by John Jakes. John Jakes? Yep, the same guy known for historical fiction. I had no idea he wrote SF/F and now I see a lot of stuff I want to read like the Brak the Barbarian series.
Anyway, this is perhaps the perfect story for this issue. It’s about the owner of a gallery jealous because another gallery got amazing pictures from an unknown artist. They discover that the artist is so powerful because he draws what he sees in people’s heads.
It’s the perfect story for this issue because it’s well-written but not enjoyable. At least to me. Other people may find this issue really good, but I’ve found much better.
There’s not many ads in this issue, so other than the ad I mentioned earlier, there’s not much to talk about.
If you have any comments or would like to request I keep my eyes open for a specific issue or month, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week I am reading Analog, Vol. LXXXII, No.1 (September, 1968). This, and others in this time period interest me, because I was a month or two old when it hit the stands.
This has been my favorite cover so far. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show well online, as the colors are fairly dark. However, it has giant otters and one’s carrying a trumpet. How cool is that?
Now, one would expect that if a serial was turned into a full-length novel, it was probably a pretty good story. And one would be correct, at least in the case of Tuvela. I really enjoyed the first part, am looking forward to finding the second part, and may just skip ahead and read The Demon Breed instead.
The story involves a race called the Parahuans, who had attacked humanity previously and been defeated. How the humans won puzzled them, as in their world view they were the most superior creatures in existence. However, they hypothesize that humanity is controlled by a greater version of humans called the Guardians or the Tuvela. They choose to test this hypothesis out on a water planet called Nandy-Cline.
This hypothesis is crap, of course, but it gives our heroes a chance to bluff the Parahuans into not attacking again. Schmitz does a fantastic job of giving us active prose when much of it is solving a puzzle.
As part of this story, our heroes are aided by otters that have quickly evolved on Nandy-Cline to be intelligent at some level. At this point, we don’t really know just how smart they are, but we can guess they are very smart indeed. I suspect there’s a twist coming related to them in the final part of the story. I look forward to reading it.
The next story is by Harry Harrison and is called The Powers of Observation. Obviously, Harrison is remembered most by the Stainless Steel Rat, which I read a long time ago and clearly need to read again.
This story, however, is actually set in a Cold War Yugoslavia. As such this lets me do one of my favorite tricks when it comes to reading books now, and that’s looking at the satellite imagery of places that are mentioned. The Powers of Observation gives me a cool one by mentioning the Maslenica Bridge. Why is this cool? Well, that bridge has its own story to tell. It was destroyed in the war, a new one was built in 1997 near it, and then a new version of the old one was built later on. I find that sort of thing fun, call me crazy, and in any case I was able to follow the chase in the story from the sky.
Chase? Oh, yeah, the story itself, I should talk about that. It’s a very Bond kind of story where the hero spots a man sinking too deep into the sand at a beach. Some kind of superman, dense bone structure or something. Anyway, the hero has to chase him down, which he eventually does and they get into a fight. He shoots the bad guy but bullets bounce off of him, and we discover he’s a robot.
Our hero manages to defeat him, and then tears him apart to get pictures of his engineering. He takes a bunch of pictures with his chest camera. Chest camera? Oh, our hero was a robot too, and Harrison lets him sneer at the difference between Russian and American design philosophies at the end. I was so caught up in the chase that I didn’t see the hints until until I went back later.
Wallace West is next with Steamer Time. I’d not heard of West prior to this. He wrote quite a few stories in the 50s and before. This particular one is an essay on the possibility of replacing internal combustion engines with steam engines in cars. I was kind of bemused by the idea, but there are advantages to steam power.
One that West focuses on is emissions, based on the Air Quality Act of 1967 in response to the smog in California at the time. There are a number of other technical topics I’m not smart enough to grasp, but it’s an interesting topic. I’ve no clue if this is practical now or not, but there were steam-powered cars built in the 1960s so there’s probably a way to do that engineering now.
The next section is John Campbell’s column on what’s coming next. The following issue includes a Poul Anderson story about the effects of a fairly close supernova’s radiation effects on Earth. Also here are the tallied ratings for the June, 1968 issue in which Poul Anderson’s Satan’s World took first place.
Back to this issue, we move on to Peter Abresch’sHi Diddle Diddle. Abresch is mostly a mystery writer, with only a couple of SF short stories to his credit. After this, I’m definitely looking up his mysteries.
The story begins when Paul Lama, an Air Force reservist, tasked with tracking down UFO reports is thrust into a press conference with hostile press trying to trick him into admitting there are aliens. So he does. He says the aliens exist but they’re actually animals that evolved to live in space. Spacecows.
Lama expects the press to double-check, in which case they find out it’s baloney. The press, of course, does not, and everyone who hears about this gets sent into a tizzy, including Senators and the like wondering why they’re hearing classified info on TV. Spacecows everywhere. I can only imagine what that would be like in today’s media.
And it’s hilarious. The President hears about it from his dog-walker (p. 107). One senator feels, “…like he had just found out the Statue of Liberty was an unwed mother” (p. 107). Russian spies find out from their doorman. “When Isvestia says we know everything, it means we know nothing, and when the Air Force says they know nothing, it means they know something” (p. 124).
Later on, there’s this hilarious sequence where Lama gets tracked down first by the reporter who’s staking his career on the actual existence of spacecows, then Russian spies come in and say, “You Lama?” to which he replies. “Me Lama, you Jane?” This gets repeated when the FBI barge in. Then we get an Air Force captain that later comes on stage and says, “You Lama?” “Me Lama, you Jane?” “Yeah, Melvin Jayne, how’d you know?”
In the chaos, Lama’s secretary Jimmi manages to help him escape, but it turns out that Lama was just about right and Jimmi is one of the spacecows. His guess has forced her species to leave one of the best pastures in the galaxy and ruined her student grant project.
Great story.
The next story is Stanley Schmidt’s first story ever, called A Flash of Darkness. This story is about a Mars Rover who sees in darkness by, essentially, lidar. However, he discovers another light source that is blinding him with too much light. The robot discovers the problem and navigates to find solar cells.
This story seems incomplete. It’s the kind of thing James P. Hogan had a blast with in the Giants series, but Schmidt doesn’t go far enough. The Rover discovers something that requires intelligence to craft on Mars. Who made it? We don’t know. I wanna know.
Parasike by Michael Chandler is next. I had not heard of Chandler before and can’t find him on the internet. I don’t think he’s the Old West gunfighter reenactor writing westerns, at least.
Anyway, this story is about a new investigator for a federal Fraud agency. He’s tasked with finding fortunetellers and the like who are trying to bilk customers. What he’s actually looking for are people who have a paranormal skill. These often use such jobs as fortuneteller or magician to hide their abilities. The twist is that our hero can tell when people are telling the truth, so not only does he discover one parasike, he discovers he is one too.
The next section is the review section by P. Schuyler Miller. He starts with a discussion of a number of fun series out there including Doc Savage and Conan. He then reviews a number of books. The review I found most interesting was his review of Philip K. Dick’sDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. He sums it up by saying it might take a couple of reads to really understand what Dick was saying, but that we should “Try it” (p. 171). I agree.
Then we’re to the Brass Tacks section, which are the letters to the editors. This set of letters has a theme. Apparently Campbell asked in the April, 1968 what “widdershins” meant and what word is the reverse. Campbell got a flood of responses, all interesting to an etymology geek like me.
Overall, this was a great issue. It’s only drawback was its lack of striking advertisements. Inside the back cover is one that says we should “Discover America, it’s 3000 smiles wide.” I kind of like that.
However, that’s clearly a minor thing when you look at the great stories here.
Next week, we’ll look at the Galaxy of August, 1962. It inlcudes Frederik Pohl, Jack Vance, and Willy Ley. It’s full table of contents is here: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?58677. See you then.
If you have any comments, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
Unlike last week, there’s not a single author in this one that I have much familiarity with. Even the ones I recognize like Jack Vance and Algis Budrys are authors I don’t know well.
Vance has the first story, Meet Miss Universe. At a grand expo, they invite a number of aliens to submit their candidate for the most attractive woman in all the universe. Now, with all these species having different ways to judge beauty, they also ask them to submit their qualifications. The winner gets whatever they want.
The winner is, to human eyes, the most loathsome. The twist is that it’s not really a story about the women, but rather a story about an employee getting back at a lazy boss. She falls in love with an employee who, despite hating them, dutifully smokes the boss’s favorite cigars. As her reward, she tries to take him back, but the employee manipulates the situation so she realizes the boss is the one with the heavenly smell.
Overall, a cute story, but not necessarily among the best.
Next is Just For Tonight by Russ Winterbotham. I’m disappointed I’ve never at least heard of him, either under his own name or as J. Harvey Bond, previously as he’s from Salina, Kansas, which is a place I’m very familiar with.
I’d also like to read more of his stuff. The story was story, but I enjoyed the twist. It’s about two explorers examining a new world and it starts with the hero getting shot out of nowhere. He responds by destroying the area where the trouble came from with his beam gun.
He and his partner then decide to return to the ship and declare the world hostile, but the world isn’t having any of that. It warps time and space, making them walk in a circle sending them backwards. The hero sees a figure breaking a branch, then realizes what has happened, but not in time to stop his spooked partner from shooting at the figure. Who, of course, blows them both away.
I didn’t catch the twist, in part because the story is so short and tight there’s hardly any time to wonder. There’s also a great line I’ve got to remember. After the initial shot, the hero says, “No trouble at all… Just a light workout with one of Caesar’s legions” (Fantastic Universe, Vol. 3, No. 2, p. 23).
Moving on we get to Thing by Ivan Janvier, actually a pen name of Algis Budrys. This story made me think of LibertyCon, because in the opening we see them disassembling the Statue of Liberty because it is too irradiated from what we discover later is a nuclear war. In that war, an ordinary man survives a bomb, but somehow the bomb seems to have made him hyperintelligent.
But, as might be guessed by the title, it’s actually a ‘Thing’ that provides the man with his superhuman abilities. The man in question actually doesn’t really enjoy the abilities and he wants to pass them on. The Thing also wants to move on, because he’s lived on Earth for a while and likes it here when no one’s tossing nukes around, so they agree to find someone new for the Thing to work with.
The twist is that the Thing moves not to one person, but to three, none of whom knows the others have it as well. To be honest, this is a great leadup to a novel, but we’re left wondering with this short story. Which, I must say, is what short stories should do.
Next is Action-Reaction by F.B. Bryning. He was an Australian who did more editing than writing. It’s too bad, because Action-Reaction is a good story. The short bio I saw of him mentioned he was good with hard SF, and it shows here. It’s set on a space station researching whether certain forms of life can survive space, allowing it to travel and then procreate.
That’s interesting enough, but the action here is two people have an accident and are loose from the space station. One is a normal resident of the station, the other a beautiful doctor sent up to operate on one of the others on the station. She asks for a spacewalk, and things happen. How do they survive? Basically the astronaut is prepared to sacrifice himself by throwing the doctor at the station. Fortunately, both survive because of the intelligence and quick thinking of the doctor.
Jack the Giant Killer by Bryce Walton is the next entry. He’s another author I’d never heard of. This is a creepy story about a world that has done everything it can to eliminate dreams and other “mushy” things. A person standing by themselves for over ten minutes can get picked up and have their brain wiped.
The main protagonist is nine, and struggling with memories of his mother telling him stories like Jack and the Beanstalk. However, he’s overcome that to become a Junior Investigator, and he is sent after the old man who ran the Omega Calculator which ran the society with perfect rationality and who had gotten dreamy.
He does all of this and manages to brain wipe the old scientist. Then, however, he succumbs to dreams of his mother, at which point a girl of seven traps him and wipes his brain. Overall a creepy story that’s pretty well written, but I didn’t enjoy the topic.
Coming up next is The Big Jump by E.E Smith. Not him, but Evelyn E. Smith. She’s most known for the Miss Melville Mysteries, but she had quite a few credits to her name in SF. She was also a crossword puzzle, and I hope I find BAXBR/DAXBR, which involves Martian crossword puzzles.
This is an interesting story about the challenges of time travel. Like many others, it involves a time-traveling cop, but the results are much different than might be expected. The target’s name is Leinwand, and basically he manipulates the flow of time so that he and his family play with the cop and they end up in charge. A quirky story. Overall pretty good, but not great.
We have Brave New Strain by Lee Priestley. I didn’t know him before and I don’t know that I know anything now. I found a Lee Shore Priestley who was born in Iola, Kansas in 1904. As a side note, right next to Iola on US-54 is Gas, Kansas, which put on the back of their welcome signs “Now Passing Gas.” Fun as that fact might be, I have no clue if it’s the same guy. What I can say is that Priestley didn’t write much, with only eight published works from 1953 to 1959.
Anyway, this story is about creating a strain of algae that will grow fast enough in starships to help feed crews, but what it’s really about is the difference in men and women based upon the idea that men are logical and women are filled with intuition. It doesn’t take much logic or intuition to guess at the ending, which in this case is told by the female character. It is her intuition that develops a new strain. Really, a bland story, much like the thought of eating algae.
Next is The Sixth Season by Jacques Jean Ferrat, which is a pseudonym of Sam Merwin, Jr. I didn’t recognize either of his names, but he wrote the Amy Brewster mysteries which I dimly recall and will now have to check out some time.
I rather enjoyed this one, though it’s fairly straightforward. It’s about a Broadway play, “The Sixth Season,” which was condemned by reviewers but still getting sold out shows. One of the actresses, Maralyn, is trying to convince another, Lora, she should date a guy named Bobby, but she wants nothing to do with a long life in the theater.
Then, they have a visitor who is from the future. It turns out Lora and Bobby start a renaissance of the theater and end up getting married. It’s not terribly tricky, as the only twist is that Maralyn discovers she’s going to marry the guy that’s about to ask her out on their first date.
Now we have another entry by Algis Budrys, this time under his own name. As a side note, he would have another story the following month under a different pseudonym.
Assassin is another good story. Basically, an “organization” finds a way to allow someone’s soul to live after death in such a way as to kill other souls. That leaves bodies alone, but they become essentially mindless. The assassin they choose then kills all the world’s leaders at their behest.
The interesting twist is that the organization is trying to create a *peaceful* world. The assassin was aimed at those who are belligerent, which they then replaced with people who were in the organization.
But the assassin they chose was too much of an assassin. He did the job because he was good at it and didn’t have any moral scruples. In fact, he intimidates the leader of the organization into starting a new war because he “…likes the thought of people dying because of something I’ve done” (p. 101). Good twist. I think I’ll be looking for Budrys and his pseudonyms in other magazines.
They Are the Possessed by Irving E. Cox, Jr. is next. I’d seen his name in other magazines, but don’t recall if I’ve read anything by him. This story is convoluted and involves a symbiotic virus living inside humans shaping their reality.
In my reality I didn’t like this story much. It didn’t flow, though the idea is interesting. Maybe I’m not smart enough to get the complexities, but I was jarred out of the story by confusion a number of times. It’s a shame, because I think there’s a good kernel in there, but it was lost on me.
Next is Exiles of Tomorrow by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I’ve not read much of Bradley before, and it’s hard to separate out the story from what I understand of her life.
This story is about punishments in the future. Those who have committed crimes are not executed but sent back in time to an era where they fit it. It’s an interesting concept, and includes, again, the idea of time police. This time, the main character kills his target, who has learned enough that he threatens the entire fabric of time. A decent story, but hard for me to enjoy.
Last is James Blish. The only thing of his that I’ve read are the Star Trek novelizations, to be honest, so I was exited to find a story by him in this book called Translation.
Translation is about the frustrations of a Vegan archaeologist studying the lifeless planet Sol III. They find a few artifacts, but after the nuclear war killed everyone, there wasn’t much left. What’s interesting is that they discover one relic in particular that they cannot interpret. All it does it hammer at them with sound.
Fantastic Universe (March, 1955) Back Cover
Thus the last surviving score of Beethoven’s Fifth is reviewed by a tone-deaf listener. Good ending, and I enjoyed the frustration of the archaeologist.
One of my favorite parts of reviewing these magazines has been looking at the ads. I suppose it’s funny to say, but this had a disappointingly small number of ads.
This week I’m going to review Astounding, Vol. XXVII, No. 2 (April, 1941). You can find its complete table of contents here: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?57379.
Unlike last week, where the Spaceway had few recognizable names, this issue is filled with them. John W. Campbell was the editor and if you ever wondered how much Campbell actually did, take a look at his full ISFDB page: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?14. Wow. He starts this issue off with a short essay pointing out the importance of sea-water sources in the future.
Robert Heinlein, L. Sprague de Camp, and Isaac Asimov in 1944
Before even reading the story, though, I had my nose rubbed in one of my weaknesses: taglines. “The Stolen Dormouse: Part One of a new serial concerning a stolen semi-corpse – an engineer in suspended animation touches off a war in a later-day feudalism!” (Astounding, Vol. XXVII, No. 2, p. 9).
You had me at “stolen semi-corpse.”
I really enjoyed the story, especially the way de Camp interwove 1940s business terminology with feudalism. As an SCA ceremonial geek, I found the passage where the hero, Horace Juniper-Hallett is elevated to the rank of businessman delightful. “I hereby present to you the gold-inlaid fountain pen and the brief case that are the insignia of your new status. Guard them with your life” (p. 12).
Getting to wallow in the history of science fiction and fantasy is one of the prime joys of this exercise, but The Stolen Dormouse highlights the greatest drawback. This is Part One of the story. I have no idea when, or even if, I’ll grab the volume with Part Two. At this point, the story ends with, “A snore answered her” (p. 32).
At least I have Reason by Isaac Asimov to console me. This story is a robot story, but before the Three Laws of Robotics, which were originally published in the story Runaround first publish in the Astounding of March, 1942. It involves a robot who refuses to believe that humans invented it or, in fact, that anything exists outside of its mile-diameter solar energy generation station, completely dismissing Gregory Donovan and Mike Powell’s protestations. Despite, QT’s religious obsession with the “Master,” the robot continues to perform his duties at a level far surpassing human abilities. In other words, even though his “reasoning” is based on false assumptions, he retains his ability to do the job so they leave him in place and in fact plan to program all future models in the same way.
What’s fun, of course, is that it’s clear that Asimov is working his way up to the Three Laws. In Runaround Donovan and Powell return, this time with the explicit use of the laws. But that’s another issue, which might be on the shelves behind. I don’t rightly now, though I will do September, 1941 one of these days, which includes Nightfall.
Anyway, next we move on to Theodore Sturgeon’sMicrocosmic God. I love this sentence, “He never opened his mouth without grabbing a stickful of question marks.” (p. 47). The character he’s talking about is a bio-chemist named Kidder who creates a microcosmic race called the Neoterics who are fantastically intelligent. Their life cycle is much faster than humans, meaning that problems that take scientists generations to solve are solved much quicker, as their generations are that much shorter.
Kidder is oblivious of power and money, except when that allows him to expand his laboratory. Of course, not everyone is oblivious and his banker finally decides to kill the golden goose. In the end, the Neoterics create an impenetrable shield for Kidder, another scientist named Johansen, and the Neoterics to live out their lives in peace.
It’s a fantastic story and is included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964. Let’s see, three stories in and we have a fun serial, a prequel to the Three Laws of Robotics, and one of the best short stories in science fiction history. Talk about the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Next is Campbell’s column about what’s to come in the May, 1941 issue. The column talks about a story by Anson MacDonald called Solution Unsatisfactory. The story is about what happens if there’s a superweapon and what happens after that. In the story, all the solutions are unsatisfactory, but MacDonald goes through a number of them. “And MacDonald suggests that the weapon will come – and come in about three years. Personally, I’m most desperately afraid he’s absolutely correct. Now, remember this is April, 1941. Missed the prediction by a little more than a year, but is a fascinating question to someone who grew up during the Cold War.
Oh, and Anson MacDonald is one of Heinlein’s pseudonyms.
Anyway, we move on The Scrambler by Harry Walton. This story starts something like Moby Dick, in that a ship is trying to capture a living creature in space to help a man named Storm, who is searching for intelligent alien life. They succeed, though the captain is convinced it happened too easily. However, neither Storm nor the captain believe this could be the one until suddenly they find their personalities scrambled from man to man. They try to do roll call, but the personalities keep switching. Finally, they realize that Storm has actually had his personality switched with Comet the ship cat. The creature was testing the crew, and if they could realize Storm was in Comet’s body, learn from Storm that it was the creature’s doing while he was still a cat, they would all return to their rightful bodies.
So Storm has to endure the entire thing trying to get everyone to listen to him while as a cat. Oh, and it turns out that Comet had had a big night with a cat at the Martian fuel depot and was pregnant. A fun story, not a classic, but well worth reading.
Slacker’s Paradise by Malcolm Jameson is next. Another officer in the US Navy, he was forced out by cancer despite helping improve late World War II-era naval ordinance. He died in 1945 at the age of 53. It’s a damn shame, too, because Slacker’s Paradise is a great story.
Jameson uses his experience in the Navy and his knowledge of naval history to create something that would make a fantastic series of novels. This particular one draws on the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian battleships SMS Zrinyi and SMS Radetsky in 1918. The story is reminiscent of the Lieutenant Leary novels by David Drake. The only problem with Slacker’s Paradise is that it needs to be longer to draw out the tension.
Next is Not the First by A.E. van Vogt. In this story humans first break the light speed barrier, discovering that it shifts their perception of the universe they exist in. In so doing, it propels the ship at many thousands of times the speed of light. As it flies through the universe, their luck runs out and they find themselves sailing directly at a star so they try anything that comes to mind. In the end, they find a way to reverse time and send them back to where they were.
Right when the situation started with no change in the factors and for the “multi-billionth” time, the process begins again. Creepy. I like it.
Astronomer R.S. Richardson gives us our next article, Trepidation. While this is an excellent name for a short story, this is actually an article on trepidation in the astronomical sense. I found this article confusing because the only theory of trepidation in an astronomical sense has been obsolete for centuries. This trepidation has to do with the speeding up and slowing down of astronomical bodies, as discovered by E.W. Brown. That led to questions of measuring time, including the difference between Universal Time and Terrestrial Time, and fluctuations of mass.
Back to fiction, we get Bird Walk by P. Schuyler Miller. This was an odd story to me. Basically, the birds of Venus include one that can tell when someone is lying, and the hero manipulates the thief of one of the, essentially, Crown Jewels of Venus into being within range.
But the story didn’t work for me. It could have, but I think it might have tried to do too much. The red herrings were too easy and the hints at strange powers by other Venusian animals not dealt with well enough. It could be a good story but much of what was in there was extraneous and the mystery too easily solved.
Next is another odd essay, The Homemade Gun of Jamrud by Willy Ley. It’s only one page about 2.75 inch hand-crafted gun made by a blacksmith in Jamrud. It was apparently more accurate than the official British Army ones. And that’s all there is to this.
Old Mr. Boston Apricot Nectar
The next short story is Mutineers by Karl van Rachen, which is actually a pseudonym of L. Ron Hubbard. This was a frustrating story for me, maybe because I was tired when I read it. It’s got a lot of moving parts and there’s too much exposition at the start. I got into it some when we got past the exposition into the action, but by that point I had lost my enthusiasm.
Doc Savage
And it could have been a good story. Multiple mutinies and various different players are right up my alley. The hero wins by good tactics, awareness, and flat out bluffing. There’s a bit of a forced happy ending, which I hate, but it’s not awful. However, I just didn’t get into it.
Another possible reason are the great ads throughout this story. It’s at the end of the issue, so there are more ads and some are just wonderful from my perspective. Old Mr. Boston 70 proof Apricot Nectar as shown above from page 135? Maybe, but you might have me with the Wild Cherry version. There was also this Doc Savage ad on page 147.
But the piece de resistance was this wonderful Harley-Davidson ad. “See the 1941 models with their airplane styling, zooming power, rugged dependability and important mechanical improvements” (p. 145).
The most common advertisements in this issue, by the way, were ads to train you as a radio operator.
Anyway, at the end of Mutineers was an interesting postscript that I assume was written by Hubbard, as it doesn’t have any other name attributed to it. It’s a very short essay entitled Two Plus Two Equals 100. Obviously, it explains the binomial number system and points out that it is useful for “electrical calculating machines.” (p. 154) As someone writing on a fairly up-to-date computer and looking at my cell phone, I enjoyed this quote: “The resultant machine is bulky, but simple and positive in action” (p. 154). You don’t say?
Now we’ve gotten down to Brass Tacks, the letter’s to the editor section of Astounding. Several of this issue’s letters discussed a new rating system put into place by Campbell. In these Slan by Van Vogt gets a lot of approval. There’s also an announcement for the formation of the Minneapolis Fantasy Society, whose monthly meetings were held at the home of Clifford D. Simak, its director.
Another laments that Campbell could not come to the Chicago SF Convention because, “I’d hoped to see you and Doc Smith exchange diverse comment as of yore – remember the days of your glorious feud over the alleged – who did win those battles? – chemical vagaries in ‘Skylark of Space'” (p. 159). That would have indeed been fun to watch.
Then there’s a section of letters relating to hard science. The first discussed some new, higher resolution images from Mars showing conclusively the canals. The next one starts, “From the results the R.A.F. have been obtaining with their electrical enemy-airplane detectors, it looks as though spaceships when, as and if, won’t have to worry about developing meteor-detecting devices” (p. 163-4). Then it goes on to explain in some detail how radar works and how it blunted the Luftwaffe’s attacks in the Battle of Britain. Nothing new to us, but fantastic to see it from someone to whom it was new.
Well, I think that’s it from this issue. Clearly since I’m only two issues in, it’s a little silly to say this was my favorite issue. I’m sure I’ll find others, like perhaps the Astounding with Nightfall when I get to it. However, this was a brilliant example of the SF magazine concept. Great stories, writers who would become legendary, good scientific discussions, and good artwork.
Speaking of which, I suppose I should talk more about the art, but I got too much into the stories. Maybe next time. Speaking of which, I grabbed Fantastic Universe Vol. 3, No. 2 from March 1955. It’s table of contents is here: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?89712.
If you have any comments, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
It’s been a fun week for me. I have been settling into my new desk, which is awesome. I haven’t completely nested, but I love it. Many thanks to my friend Johan for building it for me.
I’ve also started a new weekly article on my blog called “Mag Review.” I have about 700 SF/F mags from the 30s to the 70s and each week I’ll read through one, reviewing each story and riffing off whatever strikes my fancy. The first one looked the Spaceway of June, 1954 and you can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1313.
I’m doing that exercise for a variety of reasons. I’ve had this collection for a while and only read a few of them. I’ve needed to fix that. Also, it’s good professional development, both as a writer and to spark ideas. Plus I know a lot of people who will enjoy reading these reviews. Like my interviews, I think it’s a win-win for everyone.
My big writing announcement is that my story A Sword for Striking was accepted for one of the new Four Horsemen Anthologies. I really appreciate Chris and Mark for giving me a part of their sandbox. Next week I’ll start working on The Feeding of Sorrows, which is the next chapter in the Foresters.
In terms of writing, I’ve been nagging at my short stories. I’ve also been plotting some others. I’ve not really done much with them in terms of different number of words, in fact I’m not changing the totals from last week, but I’ve been polishing and thinking, which is hard to quantify.
Projects and ideas are starting to flow like mad, actually. I spent today with a writing buddy brainstorming ideas.
So I think I better go write.
Current Playlist Song
“Piano Man” by Billy Joel is playing overhead at Brewbaker’s. I know that it’s overplayed in some ways, but I actually really love the way he captured the various personalities at a bar.
Quote of the Week
Oliver Hazard Perry died on this day in 1819. After the battle of Lake Erie he provided a brilliant and succinct after action report.
“We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.”
– Oliver Hazard Perry
This week’s spotlight is on my friend Steve Kubien, who is a fantastic woodturner. You can find his interview at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1306.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: 177, 026
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 376 entries
Wiki updates will resume this week, so expect those latter numbers to change.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I have a decent sized collection of science fiction and fantasy magazines from the late 30s to the 70s. It may not look like much from here, but there’s a second layer behind each of these stacks. There’s about 700 of them, all told. And since I tend to keep my eyes open for new caches, I’m sure there’ll be more sooner or later.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to read one each week, picked basically at random, and then review it. Not only will I comment on the stories in each issue, but I’ll comment on ads and anything that catches my interest.
Oh, one other thing. There will be spoilers. I am writing these with the expectation that few of you will ever get a chance to read most of the stories and I don’t want to leave you hanging. If I get enough comments that suggest you want me to leave the spoilers out, I will, but for now, consider yourself warned.
Spaceway June, 1954 Front Cover
The first magazine I grabbed was the June, 1954 issue of Spaceway (Volume 2, Number 1). Here is the table of contents and complete list of credits for this issue: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?203789.
Spaceway‘s entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Ficton is here: http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/spaceway. As you’ll see from this page, Spaceway was a minor magazine which held few works by big name authors. Still, there might be a treasure or two. Let’s find out.
It begins with a novelette, X of Mizar by Arthur J. Burks. Burks was an interesting guy who left the Marine Corps in 1928 to write full time. He returned to the USMC during World War II, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. In terms of his writing, he was prolific enough to earn the title of the Speed-King of Fiction by one reviewer.
X of Mizar is a creepy tale about a world that’s a living creature in itself. Not only that, it’s much more powerful than humanity. The closest analogy to me is Q from ST:TNG. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for this story. It started with all of the arrogance of Q, but there was little comeuppance. In fact, there was little in the way of conflict. It’s disappointing, because this story had a ton of potential, but was little more than a character’s internal monologue.
Next was The Green Earth Forever by Christopher Monig. Monig was actually a pen name used by Kendell Foster Crossen, who is best known for the Green Lama series. This particular story is a gloomy look at nuclear holocaust. Humanity is pushed to into a holocaust so great it destroys Earth by the species who has been watching us from flying saucers. It’s another disappointment, sadly, as it’s really just a series of events and then the Earth blows up.
That is followed by an essay on hypnotism by A.E. van Vogt. This is clearly part of the research he did while writing The Hypnotism Handbook. Much of this essay praises the research and work of Charles Edward Cooke, who was his co-author on the larger book. There’s an ad for the book later on in the magazine.
Spaceway June, 1954 Page 50 Advertisement
The essay wasn’t terribly interesting to me, but the ad for SFCon in 1954 at the end was fun.
Take a look at the registration price.
Anyway, the next story is The Human Thing To Do by Kinsley McWhorter, Jr. I know absolutely nothing about McWhorter. A Google search says he had a column in the Roanoke World News, and here’s a reprint of one in the Biloxi Daily Herald: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-jun-09-1955-p-13/.
And it’s too bad he didn’t write more because this was a fun story. The world has been invaded by a species of, essentially, dopplegangers called Galol. They take over people and no physical study can determine if someone is human or Galol. Once inside people, they serve as a Fifth Column. The solution, therefore, is to find what makes humans have a human personality. To McWhorter, the answer is our sense of humor.
I also love the conclusion.
“‘What beat Henley – what can beat all the Galol if we use it right – is a sense of humor. Laugh; it’s the human thing to do.’
George Morton smiled wearily.
Everyone was very careful to smile back.”
– Spaceway, Vol. 2, No. 1 (June, 1954), p. 65
Let’s see. Have a sense of humor or you get shot. Yeah, I’d be smiling too.
Melvin Sturgis wrote the next story, The Long Night. Again, I can find little about Sturgis, though I did find that he wrote a novel called The Unprotected Species. One of its reviewers said it was, “OK but not outstanding. Somewhat predictable.” To be honest, I felt the same about The Long Night, at least in terms of predictability. It’s a very short story (less than 3 pages) where radioactive smog covers Los Angeles after a nuclear war. Humans have to flee the smog, but rats survive, evolve, and then view the remains of LA in wonder at humanity’s stupidity. More of an info dump than a story.
Atlantis Hallam is the next listed author. What a name! Gotta be a pseudonym, right? That’s just too perfect for a science fiction writer. Well, it’s not entirely, as the author’s full name is Samuel Benoni Atlantis Hallam and he wrote Star Ship on Saddle Mountain.
His entry in Spaceway was a treasure called Martian Pete. It’s a very cute story where the spokesdog of Wooftie Biscuits flees after having an ‘accident’ on live TV. A crewman on a ship heading to Mars gathers him in and takes him to the Red Planet. Pete meets and, after woofing and snapping, befriends one of the local rooks. When Pete is discovered, he is sent back to Earth. The rook decides to stick with his buddy, meaning the crewman is going to be in trouble again, this time for carrying an unregistered animal from Mars to Earth. Fortunately, Colonel Willoughby, the sponsor of Wooftie Biscuits, has missed Pete and it’s a happy ending as he takes them all back. Pure fluff, but impossible not to enjoy.
Spaceway was Forrest J. Ackerman’s baby so it’s not a surprise to see an entry here. He reviews the movie Gog, third in the Office of Scientific Investigation (OSI) trilogy of movies by Ivan Tors, following The Magnetic Monster (1953) and Riders to the Stars (1954). Ackerman really loves the movie, and now I want to see it. Unfortunately, while Magnetic Monster and Gog are available on DVD, I haven’t found Riders to the Stars. Still, they look good.
Next is The Plague by Albert Hernhunter, whose name is actually Albert Hernhuter. As a guy who grew up loving the 1980s Robin of Sherwood series, I heartily approve of this subtle change.
However, the Plague is a story that has only one saving grace: it’s short with only 3 pages. Basically, it says that humanity tries to destroy another race with a bioweapon, only to find out the bioweapon saves that race from an already existing plague and to then have the plan backfire and destroy humanity. Not my cup of tea, and entirely predictable.
The second novelette is The Uncompromising People by Jim Harmon. Harmon, too, is an interesting guy, known at one time as Mr. Nostalgia. He was also a good writer. I rather enjoyed The Uncompromising People and it had seeds that might very well have influenced other writers.
The story is that Calvin Thomas Moss is a throwback to a sneakier time. He is a conman, a thief, and all-around scoundrel in a time when people have become more honest. That means that he is useful to those in power who need those skills, and once he got caught for a scheme, he was under their thumb.
Facing awful sorts of imprisonment, he ‘agrees’ to go to Vega to help discover why their number of registered voters is decreasing. This is odd because the Vegans, while similar to humans in size and shape, evolved from a rabbit analogue with all the same reproduction rates. Also, they are albinos who aren’t exposed to as much ultraviolet light. Anyway, they believe that not registering to vote is a capital crime. It’s important because manipulating these votes allow the Galactic Federation of Earth to remain in power.
So he gets sent in a rocket that has a computer to help him along the way. And a nuclear warhead to make sure he actually goes to Vega and does his job.
What’s fascinating is that the computer is neurotic just like Marvin the Paranoid Android. Here’s one quote: “‘Go on,’ said the brain. ‘Shut me off. Leave me lifeless, now that I’ve served my purpose, now that you’re through with me…'” (p. 95). I can even hear that in Alan Rickman’s voice from the last Hitchhiker’s movie. It’s so close it makes me wonder if Douglas Adams read this novelette.
But it’s not just that. The story has the same feel as Keith Laumer’sRetief stories. The only real difference is that Retief is never out of control of the situation and Moss is rarely in control until the climactic scene. Admittedly, that’s a big difference in storytelling, but it’s still got that same sly sense of humor and twist.
The answer, by the way, to the population dilemma is that the female Vegans have been impregnating themselves purposefully, meaning they only have daughters. Since only male Vegans are allowed to vote that means the number of voters is decreasing, while the population is expanding.
He tries to report back, but is halted by the paranoid rocket ship, which doesn’t believe that he knows the answer. While they argue, the Vegans catch up to him and are about to kill him, but he uses a Retief-esque trick. He convinces them that he has a secret hidden under his toupee, which requires a great deal of work including a special type of light to remove. He doesn’t have a toupee of course, but this gives him a chance to hit the albino Vegans with ultraviolet light, driving them away.
Then, just as expected, he gets his comeuppance. Just because he succeeded at this mission doesn’t mean he’s out of hot water with the powers that be. Nope, it means he’s more valuable. I don’t know if Harmon wrote other stories with Moss, but I do hope so. And, like Adams, I wonder if Laumer read this story.
The next story is Pearls of Parida by Alma Hill. Hill was not terribly prolific, but she edited a number of fanzines. This is another story that’s short, only 7 pages or so, and in this case needed to be longer. It could have been interesting, but ends up as just a shoot-em-up battle scene.
The last story, One Out of Many, is by Mark Pines. This is the only bibliographic entry for him in the Speculative Fiction Database. The story is of an archaeological expedition to a desert planet. At the end we discover that these are some other species and they are examining earth, as shown by the discovery of a small metal disc that says “E Pluribus Unum.” This is another story that could be really good, but seems curtailed. Not enough tension. It has a Randall Garrett sort of idea, but not Garrett’s skill at tricking the reader.
Spaceway June, 1954 Back Interior
That’s the last story, but not the last bit of fun. I always enjoy looking at the strange ads at the back of old magazines, and you can expect me to show them in most of these entries.
One interesting thing I learned came from looking at these addresses. Notice anything missing? For some reason I thought Zip Codes were in use prior to 1963, but that’s when they officially came into being. This is also when the two-letter state codes came into existence. You all probably knew all this long ago, but it was new to me.
Overall, this was not a great collection of stories. I would give it a 3 on a scale of 10. None of the stories had enough conflict or tension, though I enjoyed a few of them. I might raise it to 3.5 if I really love Gog and the Magnetic Monster.
Despite the fact that this will not be my favorite in my collection, I really enjoyed the exercise. I’ve been wanting to go through these for some time because I know there are all sorts of cool things in them. I also can already tell it will spur some fun ideas.
If you have any comments, feel free to comment here or send an email to me at: rob@robhowell.org.
This week’s interview is with a friend I met in the SCA. As you’ll see he’s a woodturner, taking chunks of wood and making beautiful things out of them.
He’s also a really generous guy. When he sees that someone’s lost a mug, or had a bad day, or whenever he thinks one of his cups will brighten someone’s day, he makes one and gives it to them.
Interview – Steve Kubien
What is your quest?
Steve Kubien
I am a woodturner. I use the patterns and textures of wood to make cremation urns and bowls (mostly). Each of these creations is as unique as person they are for or the circle of friends who use them daily.
What is your favorite color?
Favourite colours are blue and green, though they have little to do with my work (generally). As a turner, I try to create curves which are pleasing to the eye and feel good in the hands. The easier way to describe this in a concrete way is to look at an egg. Every tiny segment of the shell is a wonderful, perfect curve. Stand it on the narrow end and you have a classic vase. Use the lower half and you have a bowl that looks, feels and functions marvelously. I make parts of the curve of eggs.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Urn by Steve Kubien
Completing pieces is often difficult for me. From a technical stand point, the final stages of making an urn are the most risky (in terms of ruining a piece). Thus, I often get stuck in ruts where a number of pieces are almost complete, but not quite.
I am also not a fast worker. As an independent artist, that’s a big disadvantage.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I am very good at finding a nice curve.
Green Urn by Steve Kubien
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? On the 9th day, God created Kermit. He would have done it on the 8th but he was busy creating Led Zeppelin.
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy, but not so much to break teeth.
Favorite Sports Team? Whoever is playing against the Toronto Maple Lrafs
Cake or Pie? Apple pie or death!
Favorite Chip Dip? Helluva Good Dip, original
Wet or Dry? Currently?
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Derek Trucks
Whisky or Whiskey? Bourbon (Rob’s Note: My current favorite bourbon is the New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon casked in the same casks as their Dragon’s Milk Imperial Stout. Not expensive, but delicious)
Favorite Superhero? Thor
Steak Temperature? Pass it through a warm room. (Rob’s Note: The internal temperature of a cow is 107 Fahrenheit. That’s about what my sweetie prefers as well 🙂 )
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Game Ever? The Riddle Game
Coffee or Tea? Tea
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Why do you do this?
Rob’s Answer: Well, some reasons are cynical and some less so. The cynical reason is that this gives free publicity to people I like while at the same time encouraging their fans, readers, and friends to visit my blog. Some of those will continue to read my stuff. I
I also like knowing a little more about my friends. Given how often people stay at my house, there’s a non-zero chance knowing how people like their steak or what kind of whisk(e)y they drink might be useful to know. Plus, who doesn’t want to know everyone’s favorite Muppet?
n short, it’s a win-win thing for all of us, and I like positive sum games. And it’s fun.
Thanks to Steve Kubien for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This year’s Pennsic is approaching the end and I should be writing more on the short story I started tomorrow, but my brain is tired. Instead, I thought I’d go ahead and write my AAR.
Ever since Gulf Wars in March I have been almost continuously on the road between conventions and our move. It has been a wonderful time, and wonderful for my future given that I have (generally) met all my writing deadlines, made new customers, plotted new plots, and ended up in my wonderful house with my wonderful sweetie.
I am so happy to be at this point. I am also beat.
Nevertheless, this has been one of the best Pennsics I’ve had in many years.
The main reason is that my sweetie joined me. Not only was it fun to have her around, she did the vast majority of the camp chores and cooking so that I could focus on work. I ate better than I have in years and yet had less work than ever. Also, my apprentice was able to come. It was, basically, the first time my SCA household was together at a major event.
I’m a lucky man. Well, until they gang up on me 🙂
From the work side of things I would grade this a solid B+/A-. I was a little cramped for space in the trim shop, but even so this was my best-selling Pennsic. I went well past my basic sales goal, thanks to a very good Friday.
I have proof of concept that selling Ren Faire, Celtic, Traditional, and SCA CDs can make money. I’m ending up with about half the number of CDs that I brought, even though I bought 9 more from a couple of performers here on site, Emer nic Aiden of Ealdormere and Finnech inghain Labhrainn from Atlantia. I’ve got more artists coming, as well.
We are looking at ways to expand my portion of the trim shop so that my growing stock will be better displayed. I also have a number of fun ideas to increase traffic. There’s a lot of moving vectors, so it’s hard to say exactly how things will be arranged next Pennsic, but I am clearly leveling up.
Again, I have to thank Master Andrixos for giving me the opportunity to sell with him. I wouldn’t have had a chance to get off the ground without his help. He’s also been looking at ways to facilitate that leveling up. We’ve made a pretty good team so far and I look forward to continuing that partnership.
In other news, I did my first live interview as opposed to the form I send out. You can find my interview with Vincenzo here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1283. I think that went very well, so I will start planning on more face to face interviews at future events.
From a writing perspective, I finished a short story and sent it to an editor. I don’t know yet if it was accepted, but it’s always good to get things sent out. I also made good progress on a couple of other short stories.
I had more energy than in past years, mostly because I had help. That meant I was able to do more bardic than in past years, which was nice.
Tonight we will empty the shop and do the pre-packing. Tomorrow, we’ll finish packing and get on the road as early as possible. We’ll get as far as we can before getting a hotel and finish the drive on Sunday.
With that, I’ll start doing my prepacking in the shop. Catch you all when I get home.
Last night was Moonlight Madness at Pennsic. What does that mean? It means that every merchant here stays open until at least 11pm or so. It’s often a lot of fun as the merchant area is lit up and filled with laughter. There are various different groups who do parades or some other pageantry. It’s a neat time, as well as good for sales.
It’s also exhausting.
My big news this past week is that I submitted a short story to an editor. I haven’t heard back whether they accepted it, but even so it’s progress. Plugging away.
I spent the early part of the week working with another short story. It’s close, but it needs more umph. I’m going to let it gel and get back to it next week. There’s a core to it that I really like, plus some fun openings for the future, but it’s not quite there yet.
So today I’m going to work on a new short story in Shijuren. I have had a couple of ideas I want to explore and I don’t really want to dig into something big until I get back and settled.
Finally, if you haven’t watched it yet, please take some time and watch my interview with Vince Conaway. This week I decided to do my weekly interview face to face and I think it came out great.
And with that, I’m off to toss words at the page.
Current Playlist Song
As mentioned in earlier updates, I’ve expanded the products I sell at conventions and events to include Celtic, Ren Faire, SCA, filk, and convention music. Most of Pennsic has been me listening to Pandora Celtica and Bedlam Bards.
Right now, I’m listening to “Leaf In the Wind” by Bedlam Bards, one of the great songs from their CD “On the Drift” of Firefly-themed songs. Great CD. I’m out of stock but will try and get more.
Quote of the Week
Today in 1854, Henry David Thoreau published Walden, so here’s something from that that seems pertinent.
“How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book.”
Today’s Weight: Not sure, will update after Pennsic
Updated Word Count: 171,032
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 376 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Since I’m at Pennsic and there are a ton of fantastic creators here, I thought I’d do something different for this week’s interview. Vince Conaway, known in the SCA as Vincenzo, and I did this week’s interview under my shade fly. Many thanks to Richard Larmer for being our stellar camera dude.
Thanks very much to Vincenzo and Richard for letting me try something different. I had a lot of fun, and I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.
Finally, let me know any suggestions or comments you have about this interview format so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Greetings all. I’m writing from Calontir Trim’s shop at Pennsic. It’s been, and will be, a wet Pennsic. The advantage is that it’s been very cool. My sweetie would prefer warm and clear, but I’m happy with the low temps.
I run a bardic circle every year on the first Monday of the way. That went very well this year as the rain held off until there were few enough that we could squeeze under my shade fly. Lots of great performances and it’s a chance to see some wonderful people I’ve not seen in a year.
Speaking of which, you’ll get to see one of those wonderful people on Tuesday. I have a special interview lined up so stay tuned.
It’s been an weird week in terms of getting things going. We’ve had a number of delays and we really only got operational yesterday. We still have some set up to do, but that’s mostly the lights for Midnight Madness next week.
As I’ll expand on below, I’ve been fighting the short story for the 4HU that’s already late, but I realized a few nights ago the solution. I’ve been powering through a brand new start on it today. Despite all the distractions, I’m really pleased with the new twist that fixes all the frustrations that blocked my way.
This kind of thing is fairly standard, by the way. I write and bang my head until what makes the story work comes to me and I switch everything around to fit the better story. The extra stuff that doesn’t fit goes into another story, and the stuff I’m not using will go into the next book.
Anyway, back to work for me.
Current Playlist Song
We don’t have any music playing in the shop. However, Faye from Atlantia is here and her favorite SCA song is “Vivat the Dream” by Warjna Waleska Katzjmjr (Varina Suellen Plonski) because of the lines:
“Chivalry, courtesy, honor, and love
Are ideals we cherish all others above”
So she sang them for me. I’m a lucky man.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of Kevin Smith. He’s one of the reasons I write, because he keeps pushing people to follow their dreams. He took a huge plunge when he wrote and directed Clerks, which is still one of my favorite films. Side note, if you want a grim ending, watch the alternate version of Clerks.
In any case, he’s one of the people I admire the most and he’s one of my inspirations. He recently had a heart attack and barely survived. Today, on his birthday, he posted one of the taglines from Clerks:
“I’m not even supposed to be here today!”
– Kevin Smith
News and Works in Progress
CB (6,560)
LD (2,451) (Formerly TAV) I was actually up to well over 5,000 and I realized I wanted to do something different. I’ve made great progress on this new version this morning. I’ll get another bunch this morning as I decided to show, not tell, something from the previous version. This will help set up the novel better, provide more action, more explosions, and more rounds downrange.
Today’s Weight: Not sure, will update after Pennsic
Updated Word Count: 161,170
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 376 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I’m sitting in an Eat n’ Park in New Castle, PA about to get some supplies for Pennsic. Pay no attention to the fact that Beer 4 Less is across the parking lot.
People often say that coming to Pennsic is coming home. I get that, but to be honest, after all this time coming here, I find that New Castle is a big part of that.
It’s a rust belt town, with all that entails. Still, there’s some amazing buildings here, including a stone house I’d love to someday be wealthy enough to save.
I look forward to Pennsic for different reasons now than the first time I came. I no longer look forward to the big battles like I used to. Now what I enjoy is a couple of weeks of a great work space, writing and selling in Calontir Trim.
I greatly appreciate that Master Andrixos gives me space in his booth to write and sell. I get good traffic, plus I can sit and write in a work environment. In many ways, it’s the closest thing to an office environment I have.
I’m sure those of you who work in offices every day are looking at me like I’m crazy, but I haven’t really had a 9-5 job in fifteen years or so. I kind of like having the schedule for the time I work here.
Maybe I am crazy after all.
Anyway, speaking of work, I need to finish a short story today.
Current Playlist Song
Ah, the joys of restaurant music. This week’s song is “Lotta Love” by Nicolette Larson. There’s a lot of great music from the 1970s. This isn’t necessarily one of them.
Quote of the Week
I return to Master Andrixos and move to a much better song for this week’s quote. He is in the process of moving to be with his stepdaughter and (any moment now) grandbaby. He’s been a fixture of Calontir, and he’ll be missed. He moved away for a bit for work a while ago before coming back, and at at the time wrote a song that seems like the perfect source for this week’s quote, especially since we’ll sing it quite a few times this war.
“Farewell, my companions, my comrades from birth.
Well tested swordsmen who wander the Earth.
Many a bottle we’ve emptied in mirth
And in many a battle we have proven our worth.”
– Master Andrixos, “The Leaving Song”
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
First, welcome to all the new subscribers. There’s quite a few of you from LibertyCon, InConjunction, and OComicCon. Thanks for joining in to my little corner of weekly madness.
Well, it’s usually weekly, scheduled for every Thursday. However, this is actually last week’s update. Also, this week’s update is going to be a little late. I’ll probably do it on Saturday at Pennsic since most of Thursday will involve hundreds of miles of interstates between here and there.
Why am I late this week? Well, mostly because I spent the last week nesting and organizing.
Some of that is because my Mom gave me a new desktop computer for my birthday. I’ve needed one for a while, as my old system no longer could keep up with my typing speed. Thanks, Mom!
The new system also allows for up to 4 monitors, and I’m in the process of figuring out how to use all of them. I also spent the week organizing a variety of data, including some old CDs I uncovered while unpacking. I found a bunch of pictures from my 2006 trip to England and Macedonia that I thought I had lost. I’ll post some of them one of these days. You might even get to see pictures of Achrida as I remember it.
I’ve also been nesting and organizing since the move. Thanks to Johan and Tigernan, the house is now merely a home with some clutter as opposed to a storage unit with showers.
Part of the challenge has been to replace as much of the carpet as we could before moving stuff on to it. We’ve replaced it with bamboo flooring. I can’t recommend this stuff enough, at least up to this point. It’s cheap ($1.69/sq ft), looks good, and has already shown to hold up pretty well. We got the heavy stuff, 5/8 inch, and it has a solid feel to it that thinner laminates don’t have.
Anyway, we have cool new floors in the TV rooms and office, which we are really enjoying.
Then, yesterday, Tigernan came over and moved box after box to get stuff at least to the right floor. The garage is now open and useful again. All of the furniture, with the exception of Giulia’s desk, is in the right place for now. Also, there’s a huge pile of trash that Olathe will take tomorrow and be gone. Much of this is stuff from the storage shed, which he took up front.
I am, for the first time since I moved to Olathe in 2011, truly organizing my workspace.
It’s nice, especially since I want to be more productive going forward.
Current Playlist Song
Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood’s live version of “Can’t Find My Way Home.” One of my all time favorite songs.
Quote of the Week
Today is the birthday of John Rutsey, the original drummer of Rush. He only played on their debut album, so today’s quote comes from that album.
“I’ve been gone so long
I’ve lost count of the years
Well, I sang some sad songs
Oh yes, and cried some bad tears”
-Rush, “Finding My Way”
News and Works in Progress
CB (6,560)
TAV (2,841)
AFS (2,681)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Not a darn thing as I’ve been nesting, though I intend to do a OComicCon AAR
No spotlight this week, as I have been focused on other things. However, I have some neat ideas for Pennsic if we can make them work.
Today’s Weight: 384.4
Updated Word Count: 156551
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 376 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
InConjunction went reasonably well. I didn’t sell as much as I’d hope, but I made some new connections that could be very useful. I also really enjoyed my panels and spending time with Jon Osborne, who was next to me.
Still, I was really glad to get home. I am not as enthralled with 11 day trips as I once was. This is especially true since I knew there was work to do on unpacking.
This week has not been terribly productive in terms of writing. I’ll have to focus on that next week. However, it’s been a productive in other ways and been an enjoyable week.
My apprentice came down for a few days. She helped us unpack, organize, and joined us on a variety of errands. The best part, however, is that I had planned to visit Finola, the Fyrd Mom and founder of Calontir’s Soup Kitchen, to read a portion of Brief Is My Flame. This portion was the one where I first describe the character I based on her. Her daughter Jenna provided chicken soup and cookie dough, traditional Soup Kitchen choices, and told some stories of Calontir’s past. I had a great time as was very happy the apprentice was with me.
We also did some nesting. The floor in the main portion of my office was completed on Tuesday, so we got to move in the two big bookcases I planned to put in here. We also moved in a bunch of things, and unpacked most of the old SF/F magazines that I own. I’m putting them in here because I’ll be reading one of them a week and writing a blog post to review them starting in late August.
This week, I’m off to OComicCon. I’ll set up tonight and we’ll see how this show goes. I’ve never been here before, but I think I’ll do well.
Have a great week, everyone.
Current Playlist Song
Right now, it’s the “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot. I enjoy this song for a variety of reasons, but as a writer I’m amazed at how much he packs into every word. Great song.
Quote of the Week
On 12 July, 1862, Congress authorized the establishment of the Medal of Honor for the US Army. So, today’s quote comes from Alvin York, who won the Medal of Honor for taking a machine gun nest. This quote came from his memoirs.
“I had orders to report to Brigadier General Lindsey, and he said to me, ‘Well, York, I hear you have captured the whole damned German army.’ And I told him I only had 132.”
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I met J.L. Gribble on a panel at ConFluence last year and we had a very good time.
J.L. Gribble Portrait
What is your quest?
I love writing books that I want to read. For too long, the publishing industry has determined the trends and fads, so I love that my small press lets me experiment with my fiction and tell stories that don’t fit nicely in any one genre. Romeo and Juliet with werewolves and weredragons? Time travel with a twist? I’m free to stretch the limits of my imagination, regardless of whether such things are “not done” in the urban fantasy genre.
What is your favorite color?
For a long time, my favorite color was blue. I was never a girly sort of girl, so I felt that acknowledging my love of purple would be a betrayal of things I pushed against. Now, as I take a look around my computer desk, at my purple Kindle cover, my purple post-it notes, my purple computer mouse, etc., I’ve learned to embrace what I love no matter what I think others might interpret from it. So while I love epic high fantasy tales and intricate, politically driven space opera, I’m also not afraid to shout my love of contemporary and historical romance novels with their happily ever afters. In embracing that love, I’ve learned a lot about how to create real, well-rounded relationships in my own storytelling.
Steel Victory
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
It all boils down to time, doesn’t it? You can’t measure speed without it. Like everything else, time has a price. When you’re working full-time, writing at least one book a year, managing two blogs, and trying to maintain at least some semblance of health, time isn’t free. I had to learn that it’s okay to say no to things that might be “easy” on my end but would still cost me precious time. It can be frustrating and guilt-inducing, but the best thing possible for a creative’s mental and physical health is sometimes to NOT take every opportunity that comes along.
Steel Magic
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I wish I was the sort of writer who could sit at a computer for hours on end and crank out the words. Instead, I’m a huge fan of the concept of “writing sprints.” Set a time for as little as 5 and as many as 30 minutes and write as fast as possible until the alarm blares. Then get up and do something else for a bit, preferable a task that does not include the computer. My best writing day ever was 3500 words. I also cleaned every window in my house.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Grover! Ironic, considering I’m not always a cheerful person.
Favorite Sports Team? I married into a Brazilian family, and the World Cup is currently happening. I am legally obligated to answer with the Brazilian Men’s Football Team.
Cake or Pie? New York style cheesecake. Preferably one I made myself.
Lime or Lemon? Lime, as long as it’s in a caipirinha.
Favorite Chip Dip? Queso
Whisky or Whiskey? Tawny 10-year port
Favorite Superhero? My husband
Steak Temperature? Medium-rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? M*A*S*H
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer!
Favorite Pet? I live with three amazing Siamese cats who definitely remember their species were once worshipped as gods.
My schedule for the rest of 2018 includes Pittsburgh’s Confluence in at the end of July, Salt Lake City’s FanX Salt Lake and Washington DC’s Capclave in September, and Baltimore’s ChessieCon in November.
Do you have a creator biography?
By day, J. L. Gribble is a professional medical editor. By night, she does freelance fiction editing in all genres, along with reading, playing video games, and occasionally even writing. She is currently working on the Steel Empires series for Dog Star Books, the science-fiction/adventure imprint of Raw Dog Screaming Press. She is also the film review editor for SpeculativeChic.com. Previously, she was an editor for the Far Worlds anthology.
Gribble studied English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She received her Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where her debut novel Steel Victory was her thesis for the program.
She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband and three vocal Siamese cats. Find her online (www.jlgribble.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jlgribblewriter), and on Twitter and Instagram (@hannaedits).
Steel Blood
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked when is your next book release?
People keep congratulating me on finishing my book trilogy. LITTLE DO THEY KNOW: Book 4 in the Steel Empires series, Steel Time, will be released September 2018 from Dog Star Books. Steel Time brings together the leading ladies from Steel Victory, Steel Magic, and Steel Blood as they encounter a literal race against time. The cover reveal is coming soon, so readers have plenty of time (haha, see what I did there?) to catch up on the three previous books!
Finally, let me know any suggestions or comments you have about this interview format so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m in Indianapolis at the Lincoln Square Pancake House getting ready to load in for InConjunction. They have a take on biscuits and gravy involving jalapeno cornbread and queso. I had to try it.
Anyway, I’m slowly recovering from LibertyCon. What an amazing time. My detailed after-action report is here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1224. LibertyCon is so good, that all 750 tickets for 2019 sold out in 6 hours yesterday. Actually, 5 hours, 52 minutes, and 20 seconds, but who’s counting.
I’ve got mine, don’t worry.
The big result, from my perspective, is a slight change in priorities and focus. I’ve got two books currently planned, None Call Me Mother and The Feeding of Sorrows (working title for the Four Horsemen novel). However, I’m going to turn more focus on some short stories.
This weekend is InConjunction, which is a much different con. I’ll be involved in a variety of panels plus I’ll be selling in the author’s alley next to Jon Osborne, another writer in the 4HU. Then I get home as quickly as I can. I should be back to Olathe on Sunday night.
I’m ready. It’s been a crazy last two months, and I still have a month or so to go. It’s been productive, and I’m really happy with the direction everything is going, but I am so glad I don’t have anything huge scheduled for a while after Pennsic.
Anyway, the stories aren’t going to write themselves, so I better get back to work.
Current Playlist Song
Something too low to hear over the voices of other guests, but with the occasional country twang.
Quote of the Week
I heard this song on the drive yesterday, and as my birthday approaches, it seems more and more relevant.
My life is slipping away
I’m aging every day
But even when I’m grey
I’ll still be grey my way
– Rush, “I Think I’m Going Bald”
Updated Word Count: 154,715 (Finally totaled up everything)
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 376 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I first met Rob Hobart in the mid-90s when I was often going to gaming conventions. He was one of the best DMs around working with Living City and the RPGA.
He, along with Parvez Yusufji, gave me one of my favorite role-playing experiences ever. At a Weekend In Raven’s Bluff I hosted in Wichita mumblety years ago, they DMed a Cthulhu scenario using two parties of six, one on a boat, the other on a submarine, with each group only communicating by walkie-talkie.
We all died, of course. Cthulhu is like that. But man, that was fun.
What is your quest?
After many years working in the RPG hobby and industry, primarily for Call of Cthulhu and Legend of the Five Rings, I’ve decided to move on to writing fiction – which is actually what I intended to do back in my college days, before I got distracted by those pesky games. J I’ve recently self-published my novel The Sword of Amatsu, the first volume of an epic fantasy set in a samurai-themed world.
What is your favorite color?
I’ve always had a taste for adventure stories – whether fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, or otherwise – that have more serious and sometimes tragic themes. This probably goes back to my lifetime interest in history, especially military history. Even in gaming, the RPGs I was drawn to most strongly were the ones rooted in history and that took danger, death, and Evil seriously.
On the other hand, I reject nihilism, and I don’t care much for the “subvert for the sake of subversion” trend that I see in a lot of recent storytelling, fantasy and otherwise. I write stories that incorporate tragedy and suffering, but that nonetheless seek to evoke heroism and virtue. Both of the five-year organized-play campaigns I created for Legend of the Five Rings were built around this duality of tragedy and heroism, and I am trying to do the same thing in my fiction.
Rob Hobart
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
For me, actually getting started writing is always the hardest part. I can tell stories in my head all day long, but forcing myself to just sit down and write them is often incredibly hard. During my time working on Legend of the Five Rings, it was usually the hard reality of deadlines that forced me to overcome this obstacle and actually get work done. As a self-published writer I still wrestle with this challenge, and have developed a variety of tricks – such as posting word-count updates on my FaceBook page – to try to create a sense of obligation that will keep me from procrastinating into oblivion.
In my early days of writing, during and right after college, my other big challenge was in writing characters who were markedly different from myself, especially female characters – like many young men of a nerdly persuasion, I was hapless at dating. I actually wrote two entire novels then which were unpublishable (though proving to myself that I could write entire novels was valuable) and the flat, shallow depictions of women and relationships in those books makes me cringe now. This weakness was partially solved by sheer practice, and partly by marrying and having a daughter.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I think my strength, when I’m writing at my best, is found in evoking a strong emotional response from the audience. The second Legend of the Five Rings organized play campaign I ran ended with a room of a hundred people crying and cheering, which was exactly the result I was hoping for. So far, if reader feedback is to be believed, I think I’ve managed to do the same with my fiction.
One of my touchstones in this regard is actually drawn from the (in)famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. That story as a whole was – at least in my view – a hideous evocation of cruelty, nihilism, and despair. But the “Asuka awakens” sequence in the final Evangelion movie, in which she regains her mojo, connects to her long-lost mother, and annihilates the invaders – all to the accompaniment of glorious, triumphant music – is a brief divergence into a different and infinitely better movie, one in which heroism and virtue would have redeemed the whole series. A lot of what I’ve written over the last fifteen years has been an attempt to create a story like the one that scene should have belonged to, and to evoke the emotional response that scene creates in first-time viewers.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? – The Skeksis
Crunchy or Creamy? – Creamy. (This question better be about peanut-butter…)
Favorite Sports Team? – St Louis Cardinals
Cake or Pie? — Pie
Lime or Lemon? — Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? – Queso
Wet or Dry? – Um…
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? – Two Steps From Hell
Whisky or Whiskey? – Yuck!
Favorite Superhero? – The Punisher
Steak Temperature? – Medium
Favorite 1970s TV show? – None. They were all terrible.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? – Spring
Favorite Pet? – Sweety, a mixed-breed dog I got when I was 9 years old.
Best Game Ever? – Legend of the Five Rings, of course!
Coffee or Tea? – Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? – Probably Fantasy, although I enjoy both
Rob Hobart is a lifelong fan of fantasy, science-fiction, Japanese pop culture, role-playing games, and military history. He worked for eight years in the role-playing game industry, serving as line editor, co-designer, and eventual Lead Design of Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition. He lives in rural Missouri with his wife and daughter.
He may, or may not, also be the immortal 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m sitting at Prince Street Pizza in Gallatin, TN and I’m exhausted.
Which means my plan is proceeding apace.
I’m in Gallatin because I’ll be staying at Mark and Joy Wandrey’s place for a few days before going to InConjunction this weekend. I’m exhausted because LibertyCon is the best SF/F convention around.
The best part of LibertyCon is the amount of professional networking. I got to plan for new projects and learn from some of the best in the SF/F world. It’s changed my writing schedule a bit, and that’s a good thing. I’ll talk about that more as time goes by, but some of it is too ill-formed at the moment to really discuss yet. However, I’ve planted some seeds in Shijuren and other universes that should end up being very fruitful. I begin the AAR with the networking comments because those started on Thursday before anything else.
I’d like to especially thank Steve Jackson, Bill Fawcett, and Chuck Gannon for taking the time to answer questions and pass on some of the lessons they’ve learned. Great stuff for all of them, and they’re the biggest reason I’ll be adjusting my plans over the next year.
My first panel happened on Friday at 2pm. This panel discussed historical fiction and also history in fiction. It went very well because Louise Herring-Jones, David B. Coe, and I all had good experience with historical processes as well as fiction. We all had lots of good stuff to say. Coe, in particular, showed off why he was a deserving guest of honor with his discussion about his Thieftaker Chronicles set in Revolutionary War-era Boston.
The rest of Friday involved getting this arranged for Jamie Ibson’s party, Opening Ceremonies, and my Author’s Alley stint. That all went smoothly, including a number of sales in the Alley, which can often be hit or miss. We held Jamie Ibson’s room party in my room to make life easier for Brandy, and it went well. I went to bed late.
Even though I fell asleep late, I was up and lively at the Four Horsemen Roundtable at 10am on Saturday. I had the new laptop set up and showed off some of the wiki, along with showing the author pages. I also edited and added a few Wiki pages live, much to the delight of the audience in a few cases.
Then was the banquet at noon. The banquet is always an interesting animal for me. I don’t usually get big sales or networking, but it’s always enjoyable. Chuck Gannon, by the way, was an amazing MC.
At 3pm I then had a reading. I used Chapter 7, which is the chapter including Olga Belobashnina Cherepanova. It’s actually a perfect section for reading, as it’s essentially an entire story arc on its own. It’s only about 15-18 minutes, which usually means I have more time, so I also read the Epilogue to Brief Is My Flame, which doesn’t really include spoilers, does include the riddle, and hints at what’s coming in None Call Me Mother. The reading went well, though there weren’t many people there. Unfortunately, a woman who heard my reading last year and wanted to hear this year’s showed up after I was done. I ended up giving her my reading copy of the text at the Kaffeeklatsch. Nice, very smart woman who I’m glad likes my stuff.
Anyway, then was my autograph session. That was not particularly well attended, at least not for me, but I got to do some more networking.
At that point, it was time to prepare for the Brief Is My Flame / Four Horsemen room party. I’d like to thank Jamie for helping and contributing, even though he had to be at a different party. Anyway, it was a huge blast. My new drink, the MAC Round, went very well. I sold a few books, made a number of new readers, and we had a great time. I got to sleep about 3.
Which meant the Kaffeeklatsch at 10am was damned early. I made it, but I was generally content to let people swirl around me.
Following that was the Upcoming in the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel. I was in that panel because I’ll have two follow-ups to “Where Enemies Sit” from For a Few Credits More. The first is a short story for the Lyon’s Den anthology that I’ve talked about a couple of times. The second is the full-length novel. I announced the working title of the novel, The Feeding of Sorrows, which, like “Where Enemies Sit,” is a line from the Havamal.
I just want to take a quick moment and thank Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey for letting me be a part of the 4HU and tagging along on their coattails.
Anyway, that was the last thing I had scheduled for the con itself. I went to closing ceremonies, entitled the Bitch at Brandy session where they actively solicit ways to improve LibertyCon. I have no doubt this is one reason this is the best-run convention going. The big announcement was next year’s LibertyCon will be at the Read House on 31 May – 2 June, which is about a month ahead of their traditional date. However, that means LibertyCon 2019 is only 11 months away.
Sunday night at LibertyCon includes a traditional trip to a Brazilian steakhouse and more socializing / networking, and then back to the hotel for the Dead Dog party. Last year at this party, I got to do a play-test of a game similar to Cards Against Humanity with Steve Jackson. This year, I got to play one of the newly released versions of the game, Conspiracy Theory, and even won a copy to bring home. It’s a hoot.
The only real problem with LibertyCon is that there’s so many cool people to talk to and only three days to do so.
Again, I’d like to compliment the staff of LibertyCon. I’m quite serious when I say it’s better run than any other con I’ve ever seen, and it’s not close. Brandy Spraker does a fantastic job organizing things. Rich Groller is the most on-the-ball programming guy around (by a wide margin). It’s actually kind of silly how quickly he responds to stuff. Matthew Fanny keeps track of memberships, and I was a bit of a jerk to him this year as our circumstances kept changing and I switched plans with my membership four or five times. He just took care of me, even though I wasn’t easy. Misty Kat Gutierrez-Walker had the game room thrown at her at essentially the last minute, but, as she has done in the past, kept things going.
This year had to have been hard on them. They didn’t know if they were going to have a site in 2018, so they basically did the normal work of a con in about 6 months, instead of a year. That also included adapting to a new site (the Marriott Downtown), which had very particular rules. A great hotel in many ways, but not necessarily great for LibertyCon. Anyway, they did it all and the only real issues I saw came from hotel weirdnesses (like not having stairs from floor 3 to floor 2 that did not go through “employee only” areas!?!?).
This is my fifth LibertyCon, and like all the others, I’ve come out with improved plans and greater goals. I’m definitely earning a place and a name in this business in great part because of this con.
So, I know where I’ll be the weekend after Memorial Day in 2019.
An ancient foe threatens the realms of the west. Irina Ivanovna gave up her throne to search for that threat, and now finds herself pursued by a skilled runelord. Etain Muirghein must discover the truth before the other captains of the Western Isles rise against her. Ivan Yevgenich has spent his life defending his people but now faces the greatest Kreisic leader ever to hold a sword. And Geirr Stronghair wishes only to keep Svellheim at peace, but uncovers something more terrifying than war.
Fear and anger have seeped into the very stone of the Kreisens. No one knows the source of the poison, but all can see the flashing steel and searing flame that come in its wake.
Will rivals overcome centuries of hate to become allies? Will a riddle nearly two thousand years old reveal the means of saving Shijuren? Or will the swords of good men taste the blood of those they should protect?
The rulers of the western realms are right to worry…
Anyway, no need to worry about me because I am safely in orbit at LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN. This is by far the best SF/F con I’ve ever seen. The people who run it are excellent, and the quality of the guests is fantastic. I’m honored to be a part of it.
However, while I made the trip successfully, my laptop did not. It was not unexpected, so I had budgeted for it. I’m now typing on an Acer Predator Helios that one review said was not full-featured enough to be a proper gaming computer and not cheap enough to fill that niche. Oddly, it fits my qualifications perfectly.
The only issue was that it took most of my day to go down to Atlanta and get it from Micro Center. They have a fairly wide choice of laptops, unlike most places, and there’s at least one in the KC area if I need servicing. Two hours each way, but that did mean I could have lunch with Duke Thomas, and that’s always fun.
My friend Bryan challenged me to listen to the entire Rush corpus in chronological order. Listening to Rush songs I haven’t listened to in a while is amazing. I always like them even more than I already did, and something new strikes me. The one yesterday was “Before and After” from the first album. Even then, they were something more.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 92nd birthday of Mel Brooks, one of my favorite film creators. Here’s a fantastic quote that we should remember more often in my opinion.
“Humor is just another defense against the universe.”
– Mel Brooks
This week’s interview was with Chris Kennedy and you can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1215. His Amazon page is here: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00E4MIJA8/.
Today’s Weight: 386.8
Updated Word Count: Still have collected, but it’s around 160,000.
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 369 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Brief Is My Flame is done! It’ll be live on Amazon next week.
I’m excited. I have definitely leveled up, both in terms of writing and in terms of production. I’m very pleased with it.
I want to take a moment and apologize for not getting last week’s update out on the blog. For some reason, WordPress wouldn’t take it. I did email it out to my list, however. Also, I should be back on my normal schedule.
The move is going apace. We have gotten a floor replaced in one room, and that has helped tremendously. The cats are adjusting. Nearly all the stuff is in the house in Olathe. We will be starting my office in the next couple of weeks, and when I get back from Pennsic I’ll finally have something designed to my specs in a comfortable room.
Over the next week, I clear up a bunch of things I’ve not paid attention to between the move and the book. I also will finish TAV, and hopefully make some progress on a 4HU novel, but that may wait until after LibertyCon.
A week from today, I should be in Chattanooga getting ready for LibertyCon. This is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m really looking forward to it.
My next month is still extremely busy, but I think I’m at the top of the roller coaster.
Current Playlist Song
I’m with my mom today at the hospital for a scheduled procedure, so I’m not really listening to music, so I’ll quote something I used in Brief Is My Flame. Many thanks to Jonna Bernstein for letting me use these words.
For our hands shall be the harder, and our will shall be the wiser
And our hearts shall be bolder as our strength must end
Come and follow me to glory, so that when they tell the story
We shall not be forgotten in the halls of men
– Jonna Bernstein (Rosalind Jehanne), “Battle of Maldon”
Quote of the Week
This week’s quote is the blurb for Brief Is My Flame:
An ancient foe threatens the realms of the west. Irina Ivanovna gave up her throne to search for that threat, and now finds herself pursued by a skilled runelord. Etain Muirghein must discover the truth before the other captains of the Western Isles rise against her. Ivan Yevgenich has spent his life defending his people but now faces the greatest Kreisic leader ever to hold a sword. And Geirr Stronghair wishes only to keep Svellheim at peace, but uncovers something more terrifying than war.
Fear and anger have seeped into the very stone of the Kreisens. No one knows the source of the poison, but all can see the flashing steel and searing flame that come in its wake.
Will rivals overcome centuries of hate to become allies? Will a riddle nearly two thousand years old reveal the means of saving Shijuren? Or will the swords of good men taste the blood of those they should protect?
The rulers of the western realms are right to worry.
I didn’t do an interview this week, so I’m putting the spotlight on Jonna Bernstein, who let me use one of her songs in my book. You can find her stuff at: http://www.rosalindjehanne.com/
Today’s Weight: 385.2
Updated Word Count: Something like 150k, but I’ll know for sure next week.
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 349 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Thaddeus Nowak is another KC-area writer. He and I had tables near each other at Planet Comicon and we got a chance to chat with each other about writing philosophies and styles. You’ll find some similarities in the way we like to write.
Interview: Thaddeus Nowak
What is your quest?
To be a lumberjack? Or maybe to get funding for my walk? Not decided yet.
Thaddeus Nowak
As a writer, my aim has always been to write what I like to read and that tends toward realistic fantasy. I want a somewhat gritty world that has echoes of our own world’s conflicts and struggles mixed with a magic system that obeys balanced rules. I want to feel the character’s struggles and know they have to use their minds to overcome what they face.
Some of my favorite books include The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin, The Firekeeper Saga by Jane Lindskold, and many of the books by Barbara Hambly. In those series, the magic remained subdued, few people in the worlds mastered the power, and most did not fully understand how it worked. To me, that helped to keep the world in balance and forced the characters to be deeper and more well-rounded.
I do enjoy other genres, including scifi and urban / high fantasy. I even made a trip to England to buy the English copy of Harry Potter (okay, I was there for other reasons, but I bought the whole set and shipped it home when I was there).
A theme across all the genres I read is a desire for stories with strong female protagonists. I grew up in a neighborhood where my family had the only boys and all my friends at an early age were girls. That has greatly influenced what I like to read and write. The key here is to make the protagonist someone who makes decisions and who inspires others to follow her. I really get turned off by indecision.
What is your favorite color?
Heirs of Cothel
I like subtlety. I want to be nudged in the correct direction and allowed to make the connection before it is revealed—if it is ever fully revealed at all. It is a hard thing to do because you have no way of knowing just how much a reader does or does not know, and therefore, some hints might miss the mark. You don’t want to leave the reader wondering why something came out of seemingly nowhere, but you also don’t want to hit them over the head with facts that they feel are obvious. The needed understanding must gradually show up as the story progresses.
I also love Easter Eggs. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was a fun story filled with little bits of geekdom that simply resonated with me. I enjoyed both the book and the movie, and while that story was specifically about paying homage to countless parts of my childhood, I like other books that slide in one or two items for the geek in all of us. It is a good way to share a common bond.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Failure is such a friend of mine. I remarked the other day that the best way to learn is to pound your head on the keyboard for a few hours until you find the very obvious mistake you made. Granted, that was in reference to some C# code I was working on, but the same applies to writing. Failure is the greatest of teachers, as long as you can step back and take a clinical look at why you failed and how you were able to overcome it. You cannot wallow in it, even if you want to.
Another challenge I continue to face is one of perfectionism. My first manuscript got eaten up the edit loop and bloomed into more than 200k words and was only a third of the way done. I made a few calls and put a hit out on my internal editor. It wasn’t cheap, but it helped.
Another change I made while the editor’s body was dragged off was that I moved from being a discovery writer to being more of an architect (just at a high-level outline). I won’t advocate one form over the other for anyone, but if you are struggling, try changing your writing style from one to the other. Give it an honest attempt and see if it works. When I did, I finished writing Mother’s Curse in two months.
(Rob’s note: There’s one true way of writing, and it’s whatever helps *you* get words on the page. Thaddeus is absolutely right. If you’re stuck, change something. It could be your style, environment, chair, music, food, medium, whatever, just change something.)
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I am excellent at counting to five—three.
When I moved to the architect style of writing, I found that I was able to very accurately judge the word count I wanted for a given scene. I would get a reasonably idea of what I wanted the scene to do from my outline and based on how I wanted the pacing to go (fast, slow, or in between) I would come up with an estimate on the number of words / pages it would take me to write the scene. When I plotted out Mother’s Curse, I was aiming for 100k words. The final word count came in at 96.5k and I was proud to have been so close (as well as under my estimate).
Another realization I had when writing my series is that when you have royalty or powerful people involved in the story, you suddenly have another major character to keep track of: the general populace. When a normal person does something publicly, few people will notice or care, but when a person of influence is seen in public, word will spread, and as a result, the citizens of the world will have a reaction, quite often a mixed one depending on their personal perspective. This means I had to calculate societies responses, how fast the information would travel, and look at the political agendas of everyone who would learn of any given event or statement.
Lightning Round
Pip
Favorite Muppet? The old grumpy guys. (Rob’s note: Statler and Waldorf)
Crunchy or Creamy? No peanut butter for me. Caramel instead.
Favorite Sports Team? Sporting KC
Cake or Pie? Tea and cake, not death.
Lime or Lemon? Mostly lemon, but lime on certain things.
Favorite Chip Dip? Don’t laugh, but I like sweet pickle relish on chips.
Wet or Dry? Wet.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? The Rogues (best pipe and drum music around)
Whisky or Whiskey? You want me to choose between the Scots and the Irish?
Favorite Superhero? Hard one. I’ll go with Hit Girl
Steak Temperature? Medium well
Favorite 1970s TV show? Monty Python’s Flying Circus of course … though I watched more WKRP in Cincinnati
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? (Right now, Pip (named after Chiana in Farscape)
Best Game Ever? 1990, Risk, six people, New Year’s Eve
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Fantasy
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What is your favorite obscure event in history?
My Answer: The easy answer here is the Martin Koszta Affair which many of you have seen me discuss in panels at conventions. I had a to do a project in grad school based on the letterbook of the USS St. Louis during the time of the Koszta Affair and I became perhaps the world’s leading authority on this particular event. That’s not actually hyperbole, oddly enough.
However, I have so many other ones I could choose. I modeled Edward to an extent on Imma from Chapter XXII of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People.Imma gets knocked unconscious in a battle and wakes up in a pile of dead including his lord and all his brother warriors. He is sworn to die before the lord, which does not happen. However, he is limited in what he can do after the fact because of the oaths he has sworn as a Christian. I love when characters have competing oaths that cannot be reconciled.
In all honesty, I get curious about everything. There are too many fun and wonderful moments in history to limit myself to just one.
Usually at Planet Comicon. My schedule this year is light because of some local moves I am making. Next year I plan to be back on the convention train.
Map of Cothel
Do you have a creator biography?
Thaddeus has always been interested in fantasy and science fiction. Early on, when just starting high school, his avid reading grew into a desire to write. A desire which has turned into a lifelong pursuit.
When not reading or writing, he enjoys hiking in the mountains, landscape photography, drawing, and spending time with his wife and two demanding cats.
He has degrees in Chemistry, Computer Information Systems, and Business Management and has held a handful of jobs: some in retail, some in healthcare, but primarily in the technology fields.
Thaddeus currently lives in Kansas with his wife and two cats, but wishes there were more mountains visible on the horizon.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
What are your current and/or upcoming project?
Life events have delayed me about a year, but I am working on two different pieces. The first is another series set in the same world as The Heirs of Cothel Series, but with new characters living in the far north. I am borrowing bits from Norwegian and Scottish history and culture and the main character is living in an occupied country and she has to figure out what she wants to do about that.
The second item is an urban fantasy that involves a young woman who has been living off the grid with her parents deep in the Rocky Mountains. However, both of her parents die and she has to discover the modern world and why her parents isolated her from everyone.
Finally, let me know any suggestions or comments you have about this interview format so I can keep tweaking it.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This week’s interview is with Jesse Oak Rise, an author and videographer I met in Pittsburgh last year when I went to Confluence during the middle of Pennsic. I was struck in our conversations about how much they have studied technical details of making videos, something I know very little about and Jesse taught me about.
Interview: Jesse Oak Rise
What is your quest?
Presently I run a blog dealing with topics surrounding the trans and non-binary community, mental health, and Crohn’s Disease. In the future I have several plans for my YouTube channel, The Knighted Nerd, which are creating video reviews of trans related media as well as video game content through a trans perspective. This would include Let’s Plays of various games. Interviews with trans and non-binary community leaders. Hopefully gain interviews with politicians and political leaders. Attend trans and mental health related conferences and, hopefully, document them.
I wouldn’t say I have success. My influences, however, are as follows: Lyndsey Sickler, educator and advocate, among other things. Created and runs TransPride Pittsburgh. The late Nancy Evelyn Gold, who inspired me in the first place to learn Adobe Premiere Pro / Final Cut. Anthony Q. Artis, author of The Shut Up and Shoot Freelance Video Guide and The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide, Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt, The Art of Voice Acting: The Craft and Business of Performing for Voiceover by James Alburger.
Also these YouTubers: Caleb Wojcik, creator of FIT Video Guy, DSLR Video Shooter, Lindsay Ellis, Chase Thomas, PushingUpRoses, MarzGurl, and, of course, Markiplier / Jacksepticeye
What is your favorite color?
I’m, by no means, a professional videographer, voice actor, or YouTuber. What I am is a person that has worn many hats.
No matter which of these you do or want to do the biggest lessons I’ve learned in all three are: Make sure your audio is on point. No $10 microphones. Go for a Blue Snowball or Yeti. If you want to go XLR, go for Rode Mic with a usb interface. Make sure you’re audio is shielded in some way, even if you have to build makeshift plywood walls to stick soundproofing on, it’s better than having anything under or over your voice.
Video, depending how you want to do it, look for either a quality web cam or a camcorder. If you got the bucks, look into getting a DSLR camera. Look into 3 or 4 point lighting. This will bring your video game up a notch.
If you’re going to do green screen, YouTube and your local library are your friend to learn. These are how I have learned everything I know now.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
What do you mean? African or European paint brush?
The biggest challenge I have has plagued me all my life: money. I don’t have the funds to do the things I want to do the things I mentioned above, much to my dismay.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I’ve been taught all my life that I’ll never amount to anything. Over the last two and ½ decades I’ve learned that I have an innate ability to quickly learn almost any skill quickly. With this tool I know I could succeed at almost anything, if given the opportunity.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? The mahna mahna guy
Crunchy or Creamy? Both at once
Favorite Sports Team? What’s a sports?
Cake or Pie? Piecake
Lime or Lemon? Lemon
Favorite Chip Dip? French onion
Wet or Dry? Yes.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Myself, Jesse Oak Rise.
Whisky or Whiskey? Jagermister
Favorite Superhero? Deadpool
Steak Temperature? 650
Favorite 1970s TV show? All in the Family
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall, cause every day is Halloween
Favorite Pet? Can I own Death as a pet?
Best Game Ever? Will it blend
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Have you thought about adding authentic transgender characters in your writings?
My Answer: Thought about it, yes? Done it? No, because it’s never been relevant to the story I’m telling. Given that I write hack and slash, swords and sorcery action novels, I generally focus on whether my characters are strong, smart, fast, tough, or wise because those things matter in a fight. Rarely does plumbing of any type affect the outcome of a fight or a story, so I don’t talk about it much.
If it ever matters to a story, I have no problem including transgender characters. However, I’m not going to throw one in simply to throw one in. I think that sort of thing is dishonest and disrespectful if the only reason to do so is to say, “Here, look at me, I put in a transgender character, aren’t I awesome!” If and when I put a transgender character into a story, it’s because the “transgender” part matters. Otherwise, transgender people are simply “people.”
It all boils down to what makes a good story. If a character being transgender makes a better story, I’ll make that happen in a heartbeat. If it doesn’t, I already try to strip everything I can in my writing that doesn’t push the story along.
Currently I only attend Confluence in Pittsburgh, PA
Do you have a creator biography?
Presently on my blog, which needs work
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I went down to Wichicon this past weekend. Overall, I did far better than break even, though it was not entirely because of sales.
Traffic was sparse on Sunday, at least early on, and it was an odd crowd for a con. Wichicon is part of the Wichita Riverfest, which is a week long thing that’s been going on as long as I can remember. It’s got all sorts of stuff that in general is not related to SF/F/comics/anime at all.
Entry to the con only required a Riverfest button, which in general gets you into everything. Nominally, those are $10, but they’re in just about every radio competition, given away as parts of specials in stores, and many businesses just give them to all of their employees and their families.
I expected that would mean a completely different flavor of crowd, but in general, I saw little difference between that crowd and that of Planet Comicon. The primary difference was a much smaller percentage of cosplayers. In my suggestions to the con, I will suggest that they do more to make it fun for them, which I think will improve traffic for us all.
I did, in the end, break even with my sales. Cost for the artist/author table was $80, so it wasn’t a terrible risk anyway. Also, since one main reason I attended was to visit my mom, I did not have to worry about hotel expenses, and those vendors who did have hotel rooms probably did not break even.
The big profit from the weekend was the interview that ConCast did for their podcast. I don’t look completely stupid! And it’s a video. As soon as I have a solid link, I’ll be posting it everywhere.
Many thanks to ConCast for doing that.
The best news, I think, is that the Riverfest wants to make Wichicon a success. I was asked by quite a few officials at a variety of levels how I was doing and how to make things better. This came from actual Riverfest people and the normal organizers of SF/F/comic type things in the Wichita area. Everyone seems to be all in.
So here are the criticisms I see that they can fix.
One, the Bob Brown Expo Hall was too big for Wichicon. The good news is that they also held a gaming event this past weekend. The plan is to combine the two. This is all e-gaming, but the crossover is there. Plus, if they reach out to the local game stores there shouldn’t be a reason not to have more than just Magic: The Gathering tabletop gaming going on.
The load-in could have been better. Primarily, the big thing is Friday setup. It turns out a bunch of people were allowed to set up Friday, but they did not mention that and I didn’t think to ask. It made Saturday morning far more hectic than it should have been. I have a lot more patience when I have a whole evening and morning to set up than a 7am to 10am window, and it would reduce the hit on the dock.
Wichicon did not do enough to support cosplayers, as I mentioned. Some specific changes I’d suggest is making the cosplay contest a big thing. They had one, but make it as big as they can make it within the structure of the Riverfest. Perhaps even inviting cosplayers to walk or ride in the parade the Friday before Wichicon opens.
Whatever else, cosplayers add a level of wow to cons that brings people in, and I’d like to see more of them.
Oddly, since some of the con organizers are in a pirate band, there wasn’t any music. They had a stage set up for panels, but only one. It would seem like that stage, which was too big for most of the panels, could be used for music.
Panels, on the other hand, might be able to go along another wall. The expo hall, as far as I know, is one big open space, but one wall has some half-contained areas that might work for at least one panel room.
There was absolutely room to have an SCA demo, plus other similar groups like belly dancers and such. Put it this way, we vendors occupied about 1/3rd of the hall, and we were not squished together. They were 8ft tables, which meant rows were 20ft wide (8ft table – 4ft gap – 8ft table), then about 50 feet long (5 8ft tables with 2ft gaps between them). Plus some endcap sections which were something like 20×20.
In other words, they could add a ton to the event and it wouldn’t feel squished at all.
Overall, I had a good time. I doubt it will ever be hugely lucrative for me, though some vendors did pretty well. I do think it can be expanded, though, with maybe even some cross-overs I’ve not thought of.
I had a great time at ConQuest last weekend. Met some cool people, sold a few books, learned some things. Good stuff. My complete AAR is here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1142.
The first edited copies of Brief Is My Flame are starting to come in. I’m truly humbled by all the work my Advance Reader Team is doing for me. Thanks for helping me make a better book.
It’s clear to me that I’m getting more skilled at the technical aspects of writing. I have dramatically reduced certain mistakes that I commonly made in A Lake Most Deep. I still have a long way to go, of course, but it’s progress. I may not be designing better furniture and it may not have fantastic decoration, but at least I’m building the items better than ever.
This weekend is Wichicon, a small con held as part of Wichita’s Riverfest. I don’t that it will be a great selling con, but Wichita is home and it’s a chance to see Mom.
Today, I’ll start going through some of the edits, though next week will be when I start focusing on that. I’ve also started the short story for the next 4HU anthology. I’m in the throw words at the page and wait for me to make some sort of connection that actually turns into a story.
Current Playlist Song
“Piano Man” by Billy Joel. I know it’s overplayed, but I really appreciate the line “they’re sharing a drink called loneliness.” I’ve been there often enough.
Quote of the Week
Today is Walt Whitman’s birthday, so this quote seems obvious to me. He was so good with evocative language. We remember this part of Song of Myself mostly because of the “barbaric yawp” and perhaps Robin Williams in Dead Poet Society, but here’s more just to give the ‘yawp’ its context.
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab and my loitering.
I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.
The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow’d wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.
I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
Updated Word Count: Too many computers, the count file is on the desktop
Shijuren Wiki: 756 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 349 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
This week’s interview is with Gray Rinehart. My first experience with Gray was at LibertyCon, where he was the toastmaster. He performed a fun filk of Major Tom so I listened to some of his other music. It’s very good, and even appeared on the Dr. Demento show. I intend to add some to my booth in future events.
He’s also a writer and editor, currently serving as Baen’s ‘Slushmaster General’ while publishing a number of short stories and a novel. Oh, and he was in the Air Force, serving a career that sounds fascinating, though probably the kind of thing he can’t entirely discuss.
Anyway, let’s hear from the man himself.
Interview: Gray Rinehart
What is your quest?
I seek the Grayl … it’s a bit like a Grail … no, to be honest, it’s nothing like a Grail … it’s uglier, and less useful.
More seriously (perhaps too seriously?), my writing quest is to write things that ring true. Obviously nonfiction ought to do more than “ring” true, and the “truth” of music is something a bit different from the truth of a text, but we’re mostly talking about fiction. In my fiction, I want the story to feel real, to feel true, to the reader even when it’s obviously not true. I want to convey a sense of reality even in the unreality of the story.
Gray Rinehart
What is your favorite color?
Grey! No, wait: orange! [Aaaah….] (Rob’s note: Finally, someone with the right answer 🙂 )
Speaking of things I didn’t get right when I started writing, it took me a long time to grasp the fundamentals of point of view. I’m a long way from mastering it, but I think I’ve gotten better at staying consistently with a character and delving deeper into what that character is thinking and feeling at any given moment of the story. I think (I hope?) that adds to the overall realism I want my stories to have.
In addition, I try to make sure my characters have some emotional depth — not that they wear their hearts on their sleeves, but that they process through emotions in ways that readers find appropriate. If something happens to them or to people they care about, whether it’s good or bad, I try to show their reactions and to make those reactions fit the characters’ personalities.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
If it’s one of my wife’s paintbrushes that she’s flung at me for some snide comment I’ve made, those things fly at near lightspeed….
Walking on the Sea of Clouds
In terms of things I had to learn the hard way, I mentioned above that point of view has been difficult for me. Back when I was still in the Air Force, but I was trying (after a long hiatus) to write fiction, I gave a story to a friend to read. He turned out to be that most valuable kind of friend who would actually tell me the truth — and in this case, the truth was that the story was awful, largely because I had no idea how to handle POV. I still struggle with it at times, whether I’m trying to capture the POV of one character or other and stay consistently in that POV within a scene, or just trying to figure out whose POV to use in a particular scene. I don’t know that I’ll ever master it.
And, just to be clear: That story remains unpublished! One day I may try to fix all its many problems.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
“Three shall be the number thou shalt count …” These questions are awesome, by the way. (Rob’s note: Thank you, and again with the right answers 😀 )
I feel as if my strength lies in stringing words together to form coherent and hopefully interesting sentences. My skills tend to falter, though, when I’m trying to put those sentences together to form stories. Sure, sentences become paragraphs and paragraphs become scenes and scenes become stories, but I find that I’m not a natural storyteller. As a result, beyond the mechanical level of words and sentences, writing is hard for me.
I liken it to carpentry. I’m a pretty fair journeyman carpenter. I can frame something that’ll be solid, and I can even do some fair finish work, but I’m not a very good architect. I have a tendency to forget certain features, or to neglect the building code, so the end result will stand firm but it may not be the prettiest house on the block. So in my fiction the prose itself will be fine, but it’s hard for me to make the narrative live up to the narration.
Truths, Lies, Make Believe
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? I’m not a drummer, but I always get a kick out of Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy! (Or, if you prefer, smooth….)
Favorite Sports Team? Clemson Tigers, in whatever sport they’re playing.
Cake or Pie? As much as I like cake, I’d give a good chocolate chess pie the nod over most near anything. (Rob’s note: NOM!)
Lime or Lemon? You’ve got me thinking about pies, so I’d go with lemon, as in lemon meringue pie. (Although lemon bars are good, too….)
Favorite Chip Dip? Crab dip.
Wet or Dry? Dry rub, whether on ribs or any other to-be-barbequed meat, but I do enjoy a good barbeque sauce on the side.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? This question hurts my head! How do I know who you’ve heard of and not heard of? And how am I supposed to decide on a favorite, especially when so many of my family and friends are musicians and singers?
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey with an “e”, please.
Favorite Superhero? Hard to say, but for a different reason than with the musician question above: I’m not much of a superhero fan. I suppose of all the superheroes I know about, I appreciate Captain America the most.
Steak Temperature? Medium.
Favorite 1970s TV show? (Was there TV in the 70s?) Probably Charlie’s Angels, just to watch Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson. Although I also enjoyed Baretta, and Quincy, M.E.…
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? (“All you have to do is call, and I’ll be there….”) Anything but winter!
Favorite Pet? Alas, we are down to a single pet these days: a very rambunctious shepherd mix named Mr. Tumnus.
Best Game Ever? Great song! (You did mean the Mikey Mason song, right?) (Rob’s note: Uh, yeah, sure, I was totally thinking of that all along)
Coffee or Tea? Tea, most often of the cold and sweet variety.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? More science fiction than fantasy, usually.
Mr. Tumnus
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How do you find the patience to put up with slackers like me who promise to turn in their answers and then don’t? Whatever your secret is, I appreciate it.
Rob’s Answer: Easy. I send these questions out to a bunch of people and I only need one person a week to answer. Strategy for the win! In all truth, I usually have one or two waiting, and if I don’t, it only really takes a couple of “Howdys” on IM and people are all like “I’ll get it to you today.”
Doing these interviews have actually been a blast for me. I enjoy seeing other people’s methods and thoughts. And their favorite muppets. Plus, if any ever come to visit me, I know how to make their steak on the grill.
If I’m being cynical, I will also say that I’ve seen a good uptick in traffic to my blog, more people on my mailing list, and more contacts in the creator community. It’s been a win-win, I think, and I love positive sum games.
The first weekend of June I’ll be at ConCarolinas in Charlotte; the second week of June I’ll be a featured author on the “Lorehaven” book club Facebook page; and at the end of June I’ll be at LibertyCon in Chattanooga. Meanwhile, folks are welcome to friend me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gray.rinehart), follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/grayrinehart), or connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/grayrinehart).
If anyone wants to see what some of my music is about, I put montage videos for three of my songs on YouTube:
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
How about: Beach or mountains?
We’re beach people, mostly, but we just spent a few days in the mountains – that’s the advantage of living in close proximity to both!
(Rob’s note: For me, mountains every time. I’d much rather climb than be bored in the sun)
Author Biography:
Gray Rinehart is the only person to have commanded an Air Force satellite tracking station, written speeches for Presidential appointees, and had music on The Dr. Demento Show. He is the author of the near-future science fiction novel Walking on the Sea of Clouds (WordFire Press), and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, and several anthologies. He is a contributing editor (the “Slushmaster General”) for Baen Books, and a singer/songwriter with two albums of mostly science-fiction-and-fantasy-inspired music. During his rather odd USAF career, he fought rocket propellant fires, refurbished space launch facilities, “flew” Milstar satellites, drove trucks, processed nuclear command and control orders, commanded the largest remote tracking station in the Air Force Satellite Control Network, and did other interesting things. His alter ego is the Gray Man, one of several famed ghosts of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, which is why his web site is graymanwrites.com.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m finishing my recovery from ConQuest this evening by sitting in Brewbaker’s getting ready to work while the Golden State Warriors play the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of their series.
I was a big NBA fan in the 80s and early 90s, but as the greats of the Dream Team disappeared, so did my interest. However, the new style that focuses so much on long-range shooting has piqued my interest, and these two teams are both three-point shooting teams. Should be a great game.
And I need a bit of a break, given my silliness. I know I shouldn’t have a dealer’s booth *and* do panels at the same convention, but that’s what I did. Things went well, though I do feel somewhat stretched thin, like Bilbo did with the One Ring.
However, things went very well. I moderated two panels, one on how a costumer interprets the writer’s vision and the other on LIGO and gravity waves. I asked to do the first one because I thought I’d learn something, and I did, but I didn’t realize how much I might have to contribute. Next year, I’ll ask to be on that panel because it will go better with a writer and a costumer comparing experiences. The LIGO panel went far better than I expected, given that I had no idea what to ask. Fortunately, the panelists all had good contributions and I really just had to stay out of their way.
On Saturday night I was put on a Geek Trivia panel. This was a lot of fun, and I came in second place. I’m pretty good at trivia in general, but sometimes geek trivia gets incredibly obscure, and frankly, there are large swaths of geek culture I know very little about, like comic books. Still, I did pretty well, losing out in the end to Van Allen Plexico, who was clearly better than all the rest of us.
The exciting part is that it is supposed to be broadcast on a syndicated radio station. I’ll let everyone know when I find out about the details of that.
On Sunday, I had my only regular panel where I was a participant, this time about historical costuming. I was again a little concerned that I didn’t have much to contribute, but it turns out that through osmosis and a general understanding of how to research stuff, I’ve got a goodly amount to contribute. I even got to name drop Drix and Calontir Trim.
The last thing on the schedule I participated in was my reading. That went very well. I chose the chunk involving Olga, which includes sarcasm, pottery, and a battle. There were five people there, and they listened throughout.
I also tossed out the riddle, which I need to add to the front page of my website. I’m offering a challenge. I’ll give a signed copy of the entire trilogy of The Kreisens to anyone who answers it before I reveal it in None Call Me Mother.
Sales were reasonable, and I netted a little money. I spent it immediately on new product, though.
I’ve added some CDs to my selection. Currently, I have the Bedlam Bards, Pandora Celtica, and Consortium of Genius with a number of other artists coming soon.
I also had Hand of Gold, the new Pussy Katnip anthology including my story “A Gift of Crimson.” My table is starting to have a decent selection, and I look forward to expanding that with Brief Is My Flame very soon.
I didn’t do a lot of socializing after the main stuff because I was simply too tired. However, I got to meet a number of good writers and spend time with Chaz Kemp of Pandora Celtica for the first time in years. Wonderful to meet his wife.
I was tired and frazzled afterwards, but all in all, a very good weekend.
Brief Is My Flame went to my editor and Advance Review Team. They’ll have it until the 8th, at which point, I’ll do my edits and get it out the door.
I don’t have the cover art yet, but it’s on the way. I’ll pass that on here where I get it.
Other than that, I’ve been focused on the move. I didn’t email yesterday for the simple reason that I decided not to look at anything on the computer related to this. I did do a bunch of work, getting set up for ConQuest, but other than that, not much.
The move is proceeding. The Pod is emptied and gone. The storage unit in Omaha is mostly emptied. I’ll go up next week and get the last stuff. That’ll mean no more expense there.
However, that still leave’s my sweetie’s house. Going to be an interesting time here over the month.
Anyway, I’m off to ConQuest. I’m in the Dealer’s Room with a bunch of new things, including the new anthology I’m in and also some SCA/Ren Faire/Convention CDs.
Have a great day.
Current Playlist Song
I’m on hold. Why is it that hold music is not only bad, it’s also coming through skewed or staticy, so even if it was good to listen to, it would be irritating. The only reason I can think of with today’s technology is that it’s a way to get people to stop calling and instead go to the internet. I may be a bit cynical, but I can’t think of a better reason.
Quote of the Week
This poem was published today. Little did Coleridge now he would become my favorite poet, of course it helped that this poem was made into a song by Rush and Rime of the Ancient Mariner was made into a song by Iron Maiden.
“In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree
Where Alph, the sacred river ran
Through caverns measureless to man
I thought I was going to add to the wiki this week, but it’s likely going to be in a couple of weeks that I do the major add of characters and places for Brief Is My Flame
This week’s interview was with J. Edward Neill. You can find the interview at: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1131 and his websites are (art and books): http://downthedarkpath.com and (art, philosophy, and humor blog): http://tesseraguild.com.
Today’s Weight: 388.4
Updated Word Count: Not sure, will know next week
Shijuren Wiki: 756 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 342 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
One of the best parts of this profession is getting to meet all sorts of creative people. J. Edward Neill is one of those people. I really enjoy his covers, and I think 22 May is the perfect day for me to interview him here.
Interview: J. Edward Neill
What is your quest? To seek the Grail…of full-time creativity! I’m an author and artist, and my subject matter varies wildly. For my books, I like my readers to enjoy vivid, approachable stories while maybe…subtly…encountering moments of introspection. Meaning, I like to dip into philosophical discussions without anyone really knowing it. As for my art, I prefer to explore darker themes. Beauty coupled with death. Peaceful suffering. Unholy deathpunk machine demons. You know…the usual.
Dark Art of J. Edward Neill
What is your favorite color? Ever heard of sculpted paintings? No? Yeah, I get that a lot. Used to be, I’d paint typical 2D images on flat canvasses. By typical I mean portraits, monsters, weird abstract trees and cities. But in the last two years, I’ve paired with another artist to create 3D paintings. We use paper mache and spackle to build up images atop canvasses, and then we go nuts with a variety of dark, metallic acrylics and soupy watercolors. It’s crazy and loads of fun. I recommend everyone try it. (ed. note: Much like the Dread Pirate Roberts feels about masks)
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? Time, time, time. There’s never enough of it. In trying to balance writing full-length novels, creating philosophy handbooks, painting every night, and enduring the perils of single-fatherhood, I find myself permanently stretched. If I spend too much time writing, I crave to pick up a paintbrush. If I fall too deep into a new canvas, I beat myself up for not hammering out more words. And then there’s my son, who just wants to sword-fight in the backyard. He always gets to be Link. I’m just a lousy Bokoblin.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? I’ve definitely (along with my art-partner) achieved some pretty cool successes with 3D art. Our styles, whipped together in a blender, are both light and dark, beautiful and terrifying. Last year we spent about a month sculpting and painting a giant, futuristic robot-spider hanging inside a web of machinery. It was exhilarating to finish! As for my books, I think I’ve struck a chord with my Coffee Table Philosophy books. I researched these, quite literally, by going to various Atlanta bars and asking tipsy strangers to answer philosophical questions. The results were…well…interesting.
Sticky the Laser Eyed Cat
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal!
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. I like my food to break beneath my teeth.
Favorite Sports Team? Chicago Cubs. 2016, baby!
Cake or Pie? I’m a cake guy. Marie Antoinette speaks to my soul.
Lime or Lemon? Lemon. Especially Chik-Fil A lemonade, aka diabetes in a cup.
Favorite Chip Dip? Queso with mega-spicy jalapenos.
Wet or Dry? I’m an ocean lover. Despite the jellyfish. Wet.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Robert Rich. He makes these trippy, gloomy soundtracks. Absolutely perfect to paint by.
Whisky or Whiskey? Scotch whiskey. The older, the better. Balvenie 21 Port.
Favorite Superhero? My grandmother. Faster than cancer. Stronger than a speeding Alzheimer’s. (ed. note: The hero Gotham needs, not the hero it deserves)
Steak Temperature? Medium. But really, I’ll eat any steak in the world if there’s scotch involved.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Was Lost in Space from the 70’s? I can’t remember.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall. I like to enjoy long runs in the woods with the leaves tumbling all around me.
Favorite Pet? Sticky, the laser-eyed cat!
Best Game Ever? Magic the Gathering. I’m a recovering addict. (ed. note: I had 3 of the Moxes. Then I gave them away *before* they got valuable)
Coffee or Tea? Tea. Strong and sweet.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Oooooo…tough question. I’ll go with fantasy, if only because the possibilities are even greater.
What question(s) would you like to ask me? I’m looking at your website, and I’m thinking you might like to LARP. True or false?
My Answer: One might make the case that there’s little distinction between LARPing and the SCA. And the case would be a good one in many ways. This year marks my 20th anniversary of joining the SCA, and it has helped me grow, including as a writer.
I have done very little of actual LARPing, though I did get to help run one at GenCon in the 90s. I was a designated NPC, and at one point they told me to “die interestingly.” So, I died half-on, half-off an elevator. And then they did the body tape thing. People who were just in Milwaukee, not there for Gen Con, got to the hotel elevator and there was half a body silhouetted in tape. The rest was on the 4th floor.
Also, I’d love to know your answer to this— if you could lock any two historical figures (dead or alive) in a cage for a fight to the death, which two would you pick?
My Answer: Wow, that’s a fascinating question. Here’s an answer, related to your interest in philosophy. Let’s go Hammurabi and Justinian in a duel of legal wits. But man, there’s so many fun choices.
Also, Pancakes & Booze Atlanta in July. Eat free flapjacks, get tipsy, and buy my terrifying paintings!
J. Edward Neill Cover Art
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked: If you had to choose one creative outlet, and only one, which would it be?
So I could answer: Painting. Late at night. Alone in my dungeon-like basement. With music playing and a too-strong cocktail on the table.
You should also have asked: What have you done recently?
And I would answer that I’ve very recently finished up my big fiction trilogy – Eaters of the Light. Each cover was created by Amanda Makepeace, whose interview introduced me to you. This series will appeal to lovers of both fantasy AND sci-fi. Space vampires, holographic blue girls, and intergalactic heartbreak. It’s available now on Amazon.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
This week’s interview comes from Kit Daven who I met at Ad Astra a few years ago. I was invited to go to it by my friend Pasi who ran the con suite and I’m really glad I did. I met a bunch of great people, including, as you’ll see, Kit.
Kit Daven Interview
What is your quest? As a writer, my current quest is rooted in the exploration of fictional narrative, primarily novels and short stories. In my youth, I spent many years exploring poetry and short fiction, published my own zines, and attempted several longer works, including an unfinished, abandoned epic fantasy. The maze of fictional narrative is vast, and the paths to be taken many. Here are some of the authors who have stood at pivotal intersections and either handed me a power key or pointed the way.
Roald Dahl was the first to hand me a golden ticket and lead me to the entrance of the maze. In the earliest turns and bends, C. S. Lewis pointed out the rabbit holes and mirrors, and Astrid Lindgren provided me a young companion, a strong girl with carrot-coloured pigtails, who took me in a little deeper. From imaginative hallways down into dark tunnels, Edgar Allan Poe showed me mood, atmosphere, and mystery. H. P. Lovecraft showed me that the unknown and the ambiguous could be effective, and William Hope Hodgson made the sea forever creepy. Later on, a young man in a possessed car drove me a good distance with Stephen King, from whom I learned that in-depth characterization can be done without putting a reader to sleep. William Blake showed me how to develop my own eclectic rhythms and that without self-publishing his work, no one would know his writing today. Tanith Lee pointed the way to the flat earth, where I explored style and concision and how to bend fairytales and myths. Douglas Adams showed me you can be funny and smart at the same time. There have been other writers across the mediums who have been influential, all noteworthy yet too many to list. Recently, I took a turn at George RR Martin and am exploring world building in more depth.
All of them have been teachers. All of them have told me, “Go forth but beware trolls!”
What is your favorite color? Purple. My favourite colour is always purple.
Experimentation is an important aspect for my stories. I tend to start with rules and see how I can bend them. One rule in particular was quite fun to play with while writing A Xiinisi Trilogy. The rule goes like this: unnamed characters shouldn’t be given dialogue. So, I went ahead and gave the occasional unnamed character dialogue, by putting it in italics. I made sure there were several background characters available to chime in on whatever was happening, offering three to four bits of dialogue that acted together as a beat in the narrative. I did this sparingly throughout each novel to great effect.
Who does she think she is?
You can’t do that.
Hack!
Rules Schmules! I learn them mostly to break them, then I play with them until they cry.
When it comes to characters, I love creating foils, because like real people, they want to show you how they see themselves. A foil, however, peels away that veneer and shows you what they are like beneath the surface. In The Forgotten Gemstone, the main character Ule is hungry and tired. She has been invited to sit by a fire where she patiently listens to stories told by a boy. The boy offers her what he’s been cooking over the fire, and after she discovers she’s nearly eaten a roasted spider, she storms off into the desert in a temper tantrum. At this point in the narrative, she’s not as mature as she likes to think she is.
Kit Daven Portrait
In general, I really love to listen to what the story wants, how it wants to be told and presented. A project that I’ve been working on for a couple of years has been calling out for multiple POVs. When I mean multiple, I mean every character will get at least one turn in contributing to the narrative. I’m not sure how to present that yet, but I’ll figure it out.
Oh, and I love the colour orange, too.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? (What are some of the challenges you’ve faced that have frustrated you? Maybe some creative failures that you’ve learned from)
The biggest challenge I face is rooted in a huge fail on my part. I quit writing for many years over a decade ago. I’d quit before, but this last time was for good. I was writing straight literary fiction, and I crashed into this wall. I’d get dry tongue when I sat down to write. My body would vibrate and not in a good way. I used to love poetry but couldn’t bring myself to write it anymore, because my favorite pieces elicited zero response from readers. My readers (mostly family and friends) liked the literary stuff. It was good, never great. Then, I decided to try a new approach, and I found this beautiful intersection of writing from both my heart and my mind. However, the reactions I received were ones of discomfort and I often heard, “I couldn’t say that.” At the time, I interpreted these reactions as negative responses.
No longer enjoying the process, I gave up. I stopped writing fiction. I stopped reading. I must have purged a couple hundred books out my library and got them down enough to fill two tall bookshelves, then channeled my creative energy into art. It was, at that time, the right thing to do and a huge relief. Later, however, I realized being a writer is very much a part of who I am, whether I like it or not. To reintroduce myself to the subject, I began reading online about writing and writers and discovered something interesting. Those reactions my readers had all those years ago were, in fact, progress, but I hadn’t recognized it at the time.
The first challenge was to get my writing skills back up to where they were before I quit. So I decided to dive into writing a novel and completing it By Any Means Necessary. That novel turned into a trilogy, and not only has my skill level returned, but I’ve leveled up. The second challenge I continue to struggle with is catching up on reading, especially currently published books. I’m a tortoise. I read slowly, and I write carefully, so I always feel behind the times and suspect I may never catch up to where other writers are. Doesn’t mean I won’t try. 😉 Who knows, perhaps with enough practice and time, I’ll pick up speed.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? My Holy Hand Grenade is all shiny and gold and beveled, and on each bevel is a mark: the question mark. The almighty question. That is by far my biggest power. I ask questions, a lot of them. Questions drive characters, they propel plots, they make you think, and when something doesn’t make sense, I ask What’s wrong? How can I make this better? Can a woodchuck chuck wood? And why am I suddenly channeling Chuck Wendig?
The Other Castle
When I was a kid, my parents got so annoyed with my questions, they bought me an encyclopedia set. My teachers cringed when I tried to articulate questions and did their best to answer but couldn’t quite grasp what I was asking. People run when they see me, because I ask hard questions, the kind that can’t be answered with glib, greeting card responses. I’m a question monster, and I finally realized that my super power is, in fact, troubleshooting. I do it all the time with everything now, especially my writing.
Questions lead me down interesting rabbit holes in my narrative, and they help me get back out again when the rabbits down there want to serenade me or paint my toenails. Questions are sensitive beasts. Can I write a short story? isn’t the same as How can I write a short story? One questions the writer’s ability, the other questions their approach.
For the longest time, I didn’t think I could write a short story. Every time I tried, it turned into a novelette or longer. The short story format eludes me most of the time, but I persisted with my questions. Then last year, for the CBC Short Story Competition, I finally wrote a legitimate short story, less than 2100 words. That in itself has been my biggest achievement lately. So, when I found out the story didn’t make it to the long list or win, I honestly didn’t care. I’m in the process of going over it again, making a few more changes, and then will start submitting it to other markets. Now I want to know, How long will it take until someone wants to publish it? Who will publish it? And where’d that rabbit go?
When I finish The Starry Rise, that’ll be my next huge success. Not only will it complete the trilogy, it’ll be a third novel under my belt, which I think is a notable milestone, and a tricky one, too. I’ve read a lot about writers throwing the towel in after the third book, but that isn’t going to happen for me. I have too many stories I’d like to tell, too many questions to explore.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal. No! Sloan. Wait! Animal with Sloan. Oooo, is there a fan fiction forum for this? Oh, and Beaker.
Crunchy or Creamy? Depends.
Favorite Sports Team? Hell, no!
Cake or Pie? Neither.
Lime or Lemon? Both.
Favorite Chip Dip? My mouth.
Wet or Dry? Towels?
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? My mom; she plays the harp.
Whisky or Whiskey? Hell, no!
Favorite Superhero? Unfortunately, growing tired of them, but I am looking forward to the second Deadpool movie.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare to well done, because I’m a heathen.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Laverne & Shirley
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Autumn
Favorite Pet? Siren and Skye, sibling Siamese cats, as opposite to one another as you can get. Siren is one of those quiet surfer, vegan, yoga, pansexual, meditation cats, who gives you these looks that say, “It would be really wise for you to pet me, dude.” Skye, on the other hand, is an all around brat, very direct, very forceful, very demanding of attention. She walks like she’s cruising for a fight, and she’s likely to be heard saying. “Pet me, dammit! Now!”
Best Game Ever? I go through phases. My last phase was Skyrim. I picked up a special edition with three or four add-ons. Installed them all in one go. I don’t get much time to play anymore. I figure it’ll be years before I finish it.
Coffee or Tea? Tea. I just quit coffee, so tea.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What kinds of tactics do you use to keep yourself on the writer’s path?
My Answer: I think the biggest thing is to listen to your body and see what’s working. For example, I built a really good office in my basement. Then I realized I never used it. I put an office in a first floor room, and it worked well, even though I never really set it up completely. I’m excited, because as I’m moving back into the house that room will be my office from the start, meaning I can arrange it exactly the way I want.
But I’ve also found that I sometimes need to work in a different environment. Right now, I’m sitting in my favorite place, a bar called Brewbaker’s. They have good beer, a tasty salad I really like (especially with extra jalapenos and avocado), and a tall half-booth near an outlet that is just really comfortable to me. It’s been perfect, and I missed it while being in Omaha. Basically, it gets back to
the main rule: “There’s one true way of writing, and it’s what works for you to get words on the page.” If you find you’re having problems being productive in your home, go to a different room. Or go to a coffee shop. Or a bar. Or a library. Change the music you listen to. Turn it off. Turn it louder. Put sports on in the background. Or Supernatural. Or Firefly. Or whatever.
And if you’re stuck on a project, start a different one. Asimov apparently had a bunch of stories/novels going on at once. When he’d get stuck with one, he’d shift to another. By the end of the year, I hope to have built that process up so I can get more than a couple of short stories each year to go along with 2-3 novels. For me, if I know what a chapter/scene will be, i can write the first draft pretty quickly. If I’m fighting one novel, going to a short story can let my backbrain come up with the next set of scenes or vice versa.
Basically, if you’re stuck in a rut, change something. Anything.
For more detailed information, please have a look at my events page on my website. I may be adding new events at the last minute. http://www.kitdaven.com/appearances/
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “What is A Xiinisi Trilogy?”
A Xiinisi Trilogy follows the adventures and misadventures of Ule, a trans-dimensional world builder with the ability to manipulate matter and energy, including her own body.
The first book, The Forgotten Gemstone, is primarily a fantasy, in which Ule finds herself trapped in a world she created and must find a way back to her realm. In doing so, she discovers an unprecedented phenomenon, the presence of demons. In the second book, The Other Castle, the story takes on a more violent and mysterious tone when Ule discovers she’s been poisoned. Determined to figure out who murdered her and why, she returns in a new form, that of a man, and discovers there’s more to these demons than she first thought. And in the third book, The Starry Rise, fantasy segues into science fiction and a bit of cosmic horror as Ule embarks on the last leg of her journey, during which she figures out why the demons are there and her true calling as she undergoes her final transformations. The trilogy explores themes of self-identity, transformation, the shadow self, and finding purpose. Also, it is queer friendly.
You should have also asked, “Do you have any sample fiction of your work available online?”
And, jeez Rob, why didn’t you ask, “When is the third book in A Xiinisi Trilogy coming out?”
The Starry Rise is coming out in Late Summer/Autumn 2018.
Author Biography
Kit Daven is a long time writer but has only started promoting herself as an indie writer in the latter part of 2013. To date, she has published the novels The Forgotten Gemstone and The Other Castle, the first two installments in A Xiinisi Trilogy, through her author press Eager Eye Books. She enjoys writing along the darker spectrum of fantasy, and blends her fiction with science fiction, suspense, adventure, horror, mystery, and romance. Weird tales are her favourite kind of story. She resides in Cambridge, Ontario.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Last weekend was Demicon. I’d like to give it a full AAR, but I’m tired and stressed about getting Brief Is My Flame completed. However, I will say that I had a great time, especially because there were so many of my SCA friends there.
The other event news is that I’ve decided to go to InConjunction on the way home from LibertyCon instead of going to Battlemoor. Part of the joy of Battlemoor was to get to go with my sweetie, but there’s a family reunion that week as well. In any case, I guess I’ll try Battlemoor next year, if the schedule works.
This week is all about getting Brief Is My Flame off to the editor and to my advance team. That’ll happen Tuesday.
Advance team? What’s that? Well, it’s a bunch of people who are going to get the raw, not-yet-fully-edited version of the book in part to help me avoid obvious mistakes and in part to help push initial reviews. Early reviews are important to Amazon.
Anyway, I’m still looking for about 10 people who are interested in helping with this. If you wish to help, drop me an email at rob@robhowell.org or direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.
With that, I’m going to get to my plans for the weekend. Write. Sleep. Write. With some sleeping. Maybe food.
Current Playlist Song
Tool’s cover the Led Zeppelin song “No Quarter.” It’s a much darker retelling of an already dark song. I love it.
Quote of the Week
“No Quarter” is such a fantastic song, I might as well pull this week’s quote from its lyrics.
The devil mocks their every step, ooh
The snow drives back the foot that’s slow
The dogs of doom are howling more
– Led Zeppelin, “No Quarter”
News and Works in Progress
TAV (2,007)
AFS (2,681)
Brief Is My Flame (85k or so. I’ve split it apart to finish threads, has to be to my editor on Tuesday, so word counts aren’t quite as important as finishing it)
Followed by Instagram and Twitter: @amandamakepeace
Today’s Weight: 392.2
Updated Word Count: 33108
Shijuren Wiki: 756 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 331 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
I met Amanda Makepeace at DragonCon, I think. Whatever con it was, we got to talking about music that combines traditional instruments and metal or punk. Dropkick Murphys, Korpiklaani, Tengger Cavalry, Tyr… Er… sorry, I got distracted headbanging.
Anyway, crank up some Turisas and take a look at the answers of a great artist.
War for Jupiter
What is your quest?
I’m a Fantasy/SciFi Artist and Illustrator, which means I create dreams and visions for myself and others. My work can be found on book covers, inside game manuals and at several southern fandom conventions (like DragonCon in Atlanta). I’m inspired by nature, mythology and what lies beyond the stars.
Sharing what I love to create with others is the most rewarding part. I have my mother to blame for this crazy adventure. One of my most vivid memories is of her drawing one of my toy dinosaurs. I started drawing not long after and never stopped.
Amanda Makepeace Portrait
What is your favorite color?
I have soft spot for anything organic and primordial. That passion spans both my Fantasy and SciFi art. Sometimes that applies simply to the colors I’m drawn toward; while other times, it’s the main elements and subjects of my work. It’s life—birth and death, creation and destruction.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
There was a time when I thought I had to be either a Fantasy artist or a SciFi artist—I couldn’t be both. Silly idea when I look back on it now. Since unleashing them both I’ve been far happier and far more productive. The lesson here? Some artists work on very focused projects and it works for them. However, there’s nothing wrong with being more diverse, especially if that’s your calling. When you try to stifle your natural inclination you end up silencing the most important parts of you. Follow your heart.
Long List Anthology, Volume 3
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Late last year I provided art for the cover of the Long List Anthology Volume 3, which features stories from the Hugo nomination list. (ed. note: You can find the book here) The book was recently featured in a list of anthologies on the Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog – 10 Recent Anthologies that Show Us What SFF Can Do. It’s little things like this that make my day. I’m currently working on another book cover for an anthology from the same editor.
Drusilla, Studio Cat Extraordinaire
Lightning Round
Crunchy or Creamy? – Both!
Cake or Pie? Pie. – Cake is good, but pie is love.
Lime or Lemon? – Lemon, but only if it’s lemonade.
Favorite Chip Dip? – Salsa!
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? – I think most everything I listen to (and I have eclectic tastes) someone has heard it, but Keith Jarrett may be a bit obscure?
Favorite Superhero? – Loki. He’s sometimes a hero, right?
Steak Temperature? – Medium
Favorite 1970s TV show? The Bionic Woman
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? – Fall, always.
Favorite Pet? – My studio cat, Drusilla, who also acts as my creative director and overlord.
Best Game Ever? Doom
Coffee or Tea? Coffee. I like strong coffee with a lot of cream. I love lattes
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Is this a trick question?
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
At ChattaCon we talked for a bit about music and specifically metal bands. What’s a new band you’ve recently discovered?
My Answer: Oddly, it’s not so much new bands I’ve been getting into, but going back into some of the ones I’ve loved and delving deeper into their catalogue. For example, I just bought a bunch of older Steeleye Span. I’ve heard most of what’s on there, but I haven’t heard it enough.
I’ve also been buying a number of compilations to, again, get myself back with some music I’ve liked, but didn’t have on CD. I recently got a Rainbow compilation, along with a Blackmore’s Night CD. I’ll fill out all the Blackmore’s Night stuff eventually.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff? (All the web presence you’d like me to link to)
Followed by Instagram and Twitter: @amandamakepeace
And Where can we find you?
Forest Dreams
My next convention is LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN (June 29-July 1). I’ll be attending as professional, which means you can find me on the programming schedule. I’m also a part of the Art Show, where I’ll have art and prints for sale. Later in the summer I’ll be in the DragonCon Art Show again. I’ll be selling at my table and in the gallery of the show.
(ed. note: I’ll be there too. Looking forward to seeing the other 748 besides Amanda and I that will be there).
And we’ll finish with Amanda’s artist biography:
Amanda Makepeace is an award winning artist and illustrator. Her career in art began more than a decade ago while living abroad in the UK. In recent years, Amanda has worked with independent publishers and game companies. Her latest project was the cover art for the Long List Anthology Volume 3 – a book featuring Hugo nominated stories. She is also a regular at Fantasy and SciFi conventions in the southeast. Some of her awards include: Judges’ Choice Award in the JordanCon Art Show (2015), Best Space Scene in the DragonCon Art Show (2017), and Best Professional Science Fiction in the ChattaCon Art Show (2018).
Through her art, she explores mythology, magical beings, our connection to the planet, and even distant worlds. She is a member of the Changeling Artist Collective and Co-Founder of the Bird Whisperer Project. When she’s not in the studio, she can be found reconnecting with nature and the woods that inspired her as a child.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Well, the NFL draft came and went and it was all I expect. I’m really pleased with Dallas’s draft haul, and I’m impressed with the way they planned and went with their plan. The draft is an inexact science, but there’s very little I disagreed with at the time. They picked players that had value at the spot, that filled needs, and I think most will serve well.
Bigger than that, of course, is the retirement of Jason Witten. He’s what all of us should aspire to be. Tough, hard-working, and reliable. He’ll go into the Hall of Fame, and it should be on the first ballot. He was one of the faces of the Cowboys for 15 years. We’ll miss him on the field, but we’ll all get to see him as he’s going straight into the Monday Night Football booth.
Last year, Tony Romo announced his first Cowboys game on 5 November. This year? Jason Witten will announce his first Cowboy game on 5 November. Cowboy fans will always remember, remember the fifth of November.
One last Dallas Cowboys note. Amazon Prime has a show called All or Nothing, and it’s a behind the scenes look at a football team over a year. This season’s show is about the Cowboys. If you have the slightest interest in football or any of the controversies, or if you just want amazing reality TV, you should watch it. I’m only four episodes in, but it’s incredible.
Turning to this weekend, I’m leaving in a bit to go to Des Moines for DemiCon. I’ve not been before, but I’m excited because I have a lot of friends that are going.
Tomorrow, I’m scheduled for three panels, and they’re my usual ones on the Martin Koszta Affair, noir in SF/F, and blending genres. Should be a fun weekend.
Current Playlist Song
I’m actually getting the opportunity to write at Brewbaker’s today, which is such a great thing for me. Unfortunately, that puts me at the mercy of their overhead music. Sometimes it’s stuff I like, but today it’s something that is fortunately too low for me to hear. Instead, think of your favorite song and have a great day.
Quote of the Week
NFL play calls can be arcane, but in this case the Y-option is fairly simple. It’s a pass play describing a particular pass pattern The “Y” receiver is the tight end. He goes out about 8-12 yards and then has the option of turning any direction he wants. Jason Garrett, the coach of the Cowboys had this to say about Witten’s skill with this one route.
“It’s one of the great givens in all of sports,” Garrett said. “They say Abdul-Jabbar’s sky hook was the greatest given – I’ll put Witten’s Y-Option against it any day of the week. We were down by three, we were on the plus 42-yard, and we said ‘We’re going for it,’” Garrett said. “This was the play of the game. We called Y-option.” – Jason Garrett
News and Works in Progress
TAV (2,007)
AFS (2,681)
Brief Is My Flame (75k or so. I’ve split it apart to finish threads)
4-8 July, Battlemoor, Buena Vista, CO http://www.battlemoor.org/ (ed. note: This is now tentative. It looks like InConjunction will work better for me)
Updated Word Count: Don’t have the count this week
Shijuren Wiki: 756 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 331entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Tonight is NFL Christmas, otherwise known as the start of the NFL draft. Since perhaps my favorite reason to watch sports is to figure out how to make each team better and track prospects, this is one of my favorite weekends of the year.
If you follow me on Facebook, I’ll be doing a live commentary of my thoughts about the first round tonight. I’ll probably do it again tomorrow for the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
Last weekend was Constellation in Lincoln. I meant to do a full AAR, but didn’t have time. To sum up, it was a good time. A longtime SCA friend offered me some dealer table space and I sold a couple of books. My three panels went well, and I made some new connections.
I also got my hands on a treasure in the charity auction. I’ll talk about that when the time is right.
This week I started ferrying loads from the storage unit down to Olathe. The goal is to get the storage unit emptied before the end of May, then do a big truck for everything in the house in June.
This process is not interfering with my writing, fortunately. I’m scheduling it so I have a good writing session at Brewbaker’s each way. Even so, it’s still taking about six hours, each trip, and if I have a con or event on the weekend, I’m missing some of my ancillary project time. For example, I didn’t get any work done on the Four Horsemen wiki, though I expect to do a bunch on Sunday.
Brief Is My Flame is going well. I was actually above 70k, but I cut some back because it didn’t flow right. Hopefully, that chunk will work for None Call Me Mother, but it may just be a random snippet that shows up down the road.
With that, I’m going to start focusing on football.
Current Playlist Song
I’m watching the draft tonight at Buffalo Wild Wings, which means I’m not really listening to anything I recognize. So I think I’m just going to mention one of my favorite songs, which is odd, because it’s simply the introduction of a TV event.
But the duh-duh-duh-duhhhh of the original Monday Night Football theme gets me rocking every time.
And yes, I do have the .mp3 in my playlist.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s baptism, and I might just be able to find a quote or two from him. I chose this one because it also sort of reflects the story of the players that will get selected in the draft this weekend.
This week’s spotlight is on David L. Burkhead. You can find his Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/David-L-Burkhead/e/B005B4HLF2/. In the next week or so, he’ll be releasing the first book in a new series called Alchemy of Shadows. I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of it, and I really enjoyed it.
Today’s Weight: 389.2
Updated Word Count: 1057
Shijuren Wiki: 756 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 314 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
It’s been a productive week here. I made solid process on Brief Is My Flame and did a goodly amount of work on the Four Horsemen wiki.
I have three big things to cover in this week’s email. First, this upcoming weekend Constellation in Lincoln. I know I’m on three panels. One where I go over the Martin Koszta Affair and talk about using history in SF/F, one called the Mean Streets of Minas Tirith, where I talk about Noir in SF/F, and then Blending Genres. I may be on other panels, too. Should be lots of fun.
Secondly, I am taking Chris Kennedy’s advice and building a release team. I’m looking for volunteers to receive advance copies of my books and be prepared to put reviews up on Amazon on the first few days of release. If you are interested in being a part of my release team, send an email to: rob@robhowell.org and I’ll get you added.
Thirdly, I have now entered the world of Patreon. You can find my Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/rhodri2112. Currently, I have two tiers of support. Both tiers are funded by me putting up snippets of my current work in progress. The $1 tier will also receive a copy of the e-book when it is released. The $5 tier will not only get a copy of the e-book, but will also received a signed physical copy of the book. Also, I have some extra special swag planned along the way. I may add some higher tiers in the future, but only if I figure out appropriate rewards.
Even if you’re not planning on joining a tier right now, you might want to bookmark the link as I’ll put up some snippets of already published works.
With that, I think it’s time for me to get back to work.
Current Playlist Song
“Rosemary’s Sister” by Claddagh Ring. Claddagh Ring was my gateway into Irish, Celtic, and medieval music. I don’t know where you can find their CDs any more, but if you ever see one, snap it up. They’re quite good.
Quote of the Week
There’s really only one quote appropriate to April 19th.
“Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here.”
– Captain John Parker, to his Minute Men on Lexington Green, April 19, 1775.
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Greetings all. Sorry about mailing my update on Friday. I was wrestling with my taxes last night and I lost track of time.
I had originally planned on these updates to come out every Wednesday, but it is becoming clear that Thursday fits my normal schedule better. This is in part because on Tuesday I’m now putting out an interview on Tuesday and on Wednesday I’m doing an update post on the Four Horseman Wiki in a different forum. So, I’m just going to plan on doing them every Thursday, and stop growling at myself for being a day late. Or in this case, two days late.
Anyway, things are going well here. I crossed the 60k mark with lots coming to mind with Brief Is My Flame. I’m on track to have it done by Pennsic. I had hoped to have None Call Me Mother done by then as well, but fall is a more realistic date.
The big news here is that we finally have a resolution about my house situation. In June, I decided to move up to Omaha to be with my sweetie. At the time, there were arrangements in place to sell my house in KC so we could get a place up here.
Unfortunately, those plans did not work out. Fortunately, though, there have been two changes. One, my sweetie passed the Missouri bar. Two, my sweetie’s company is transferring her to the KC office so she can use that license. So, in a case of everything old is new again we’re moving back into the KC house.
I’m really excited, in part because we get to arrange everything in a way based off of knowing how that house flows after living there for seven years. I’m also excited to have a kitchen again, where I can cook for my sweetie. We’re even hosting the joint family Christmas get-together.
Exciting, but I predict the next couple of months will be “interesting.”
Current Playlist Song
Ironically, given that we’re moving back into a subdivision, the current song is Rush’s “Subdivisions.” This was such a huge song for me, as the lines: “Nowhere is the dreamer, Or the misfit so alone” fit me both when the song came out and often enough now.
Quote of the Week
So, maybe this my reason too…
“I am not absentminded. It is the presence of mind that makes me unaware of everything else.” – G.K. Chesterton
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels
