Category Archives: Aesc & Thorn Publishing

Posts related to Aesc & Thorn Publishing and various aspects of Rob’s professional life.

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Vice Noir

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Week 28 of 2025

Greetings all

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
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 to space. 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

New Releases

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Back on the Horse

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Week 21 of 2025

Greetings all

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

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • WFTM (6,422)

Upcoming Events

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Shoulder Pains

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Week 20 of 2025

Greetings all

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)

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)

Upcoming Events

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: To Tuesday

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Week 17 of 2025

Greetings all

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

Upcoming Events

New Releases

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: A Gauntlet Run

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Week 13 of 2025

Greetings all

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
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

Upcoming Events

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: A Writer of Intrigue and Secrets

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Week 12 of 2025

Greetings all

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
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!

If you haven’t read it, you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DWV68DQK.

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

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Kukuluki’s Time Has Come

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Week 7 of 2025

Greetings all

The Feasting of Vengeance
The Feasting of Vengeance

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.

Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DWV68DQK.

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:

  • Friday  4:00 PM  – 5:00 PM  Teak
    Facts Behind Folklore and Urban Legends
  • Saturday  2:00 PM  – 3:00 PM  Ebony
    Founding Fathers and Mothers
  • Saturday  4:00 PM  – 8:00 PM  Game Room
    Running the Okkorim 5E Module Rogue’s Gambit
  • Saturday  10:00 PM  – Whenever  Terrace Bar & Grill
    4HU Hangout
  • Sunday  1:00 PM  – 2:00 PM  Ebony   
    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

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week we have the Feasting of Vengeance! This is the third book in my Foresters Trilogy, which is part of the Four Horsemen Universe. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DWV68DQK.

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Vengeance on the Horizon

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Week 6 of 2025

Greetings all

A week from now, I’ll be in DFW, looking forward to an amazing Friday!

The Feasting of Vengeance
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.”

– Queen Elizabeth II

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)

Upcoming Events

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: After ChattaCon

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Week 5 of 2025

Greetings all

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
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

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)

Upcoming Events

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: ChattaCon

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Week 3 of 2025

Greetings all

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
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

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe