Kris Kinder AAR

Kris Kinder week is always a bit of a wild ride, but this year was more so than most.

I’ve been running a bit behind on Where Now the Rider, my next book. Getting that to Kellie Hultgren condensed my cleaning time for the house, so that was tougher than normal.

This was my first year as an official vendor at Kris Kinder. Last year I shared a table, thanks to the graciousness of Antonia Deb Keller, but mentally I had not yet truly adjusted to my new lifestyle as a vendor. 2016 fixed that 🙂

And I sold reasonably well, even though I could not get my fourth book completed in time this year. So glad Gleann Abhann showed up in force.

My biggest regret is missing the ceremony for Sibilla Swaine because I was tearing down. I had a lot of fun writing that ceremony, especially the oath. I cobbled the oath together out of pieces from several oaths listed in here: https://www.myheritage.com/…/the-early-history-of-the-guild…

And yes, I specifically wrote it because I expect Sibilla to be an extraordinary rioter, dice player, and nightwalker. Demetra Hansen would expect nothing less of her brood 🙂

Then, of course, the postrevel, which I have to admit was pretty epic. Yes, we got the cops called on us. No, there’s no need to really worry about getting shut down, you can’t hear anything going on in the house while standing on the front sidewalk, much less the street.

What we do have to do is make sure we park better. I know it’s tough, and I wish there were better parking in that neighborhood, but it is what it is. Still, what the cops were left with was making us move 5 cars so they could show they were here and did something. In the future, if we don’t block the sidewalks or encroach on driveways or intersections, they won’t have any reason to come out.

I suspect I’ll find contents of December Montecino‘s pinata if I ever empty the house to move. I’m good with that.

Thanks to Jamie McKee and Bryant Waner for helping clean up so Giulia could cook breakfast for the crashers.

Whew what a day. Normally, my response the next morning is to tell anyone still at my house around 11am that I don’t care what they’re doing, I’m curling up on my comfy chair, watching football, and turning into a vegetable.

This year, however, I had the great fortune of officiating Lisette Reuss and Johan Der Hund‘s wedding on Sunday.

They wanted short and whimsical. I can *do* short and whimsical. 5 minutes, in and out, and I still fit in comparisons to Helen and Paris (whose love started a 10 year war), Romeo and Juliet (who proves that double-checking your love is *actually* dead is important), and Bonnie and Clyde (which shows you should communicate with your in-laws how to bury your bullet-ridden corpses). Oh, and I referenced Lady Astor and Winston Churchill. Be careful with your coffee, Johan 😉

*Then* I drove up to Omaha to meet Giulia’s mom for the first time. On short sleep. Then I drove back because I have an interesting week ahead of me.

Yes, I was a complete slug yesterday, why do you ask?

Time to get back to work, but before I do, I want to pass on many congratulations to Sibilla, Lisette, and Johan. Thank you for letting me be a part of your magic day.

Rob’s Update: Moving Faster

Greetings all

I sent a draft to my editors and alpha readers Sunday. It’s complete, except for the reveal and ending. I actually have several of those laid out and ready to go, depending upon who I decide is the villain. As I said last week, I usually have one in mind, but sometimes that just doesn’t make for a great ending.

One of the great things about getting a draft gone, I’m so excited that I have loads of energy that I get a bunch of the things I’ve put on the backburner completed or furthered. My email box went from 40+ on Sunday to 18 on Monday. In the last two days I’ve also written an amazing poem that I’ll post in a month or so, and a group of SCA scroll texts.

Later I’ll do some yardwork and clean house.

I sort of feel like the USS Enterprise, CVN-65, when she had to get somewhere faster than her escorts could go. With 8 nuke plants, she could make some good time, despite being around 95,000 tons. Her rated speed was 33.6 kn (38.7 mph; 62.2 km/h), but with a motto of “Eight Reactors, None Faster,” I think we can all assume she could do just a tad better than that, whenever she was unburdened by ships including ones nicknamed the greyhounds of the sea.

Sorry, I ship-geeked for a moment. It happens. Especially today.

Quote of the Week
I’m hitting send at 7:55am Hawaii Time. There’s only one quote applicable today.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
– Franklin Delano Roosevelt

News and Works in Progress

  • Where Now the Rider is at the editors
  • – Cleaning house

Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions

  • – Nothing, I’ve been catching up. Wiki will be updated significantly next week

Upcoming Events

  • – 10 December: Kris Kinder, Kansas City, MO
  • – 22 January: ChattaCon, Chattanooga, TN
  • – 27-28 January: Market Day in Birka, Manchester, NH
  • – 3-5 March: CoastCon, Biloxi, MS
  • – 12-20 March: Gulf Wars, Lumberton, MS

Spotlight

Today’s spotlight is Em Holbert, otherwise known as Emer nic Aiden in the SCA. She’s an amazing performer. Find her stuff at: https://emholbert.bandcamp.com/

Let me know if you have any suggestions on 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

Currently Available Works

Weekly Update Archive