Rob’s Update: Hovering

Week 31 of 2022

Greetings all

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

Dudes In Hyperspace

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
bleav.com/shows/the-dudes-in-hyperspace-podcast/

The latest show includes a delicious conversation about BBQ with Jim Nettles.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

Get five free stories and signed up with the Eldros Legacy mailing list! Here There Be Giants is at: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qabsr57lq3+.

Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker is coming soon!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

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.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (1,392)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (18,132)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

This week, we have the second of James Tarr’s Echoes of Pangaea series, Fire and Bone. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B73NG155.

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: Family Matters

Week 30 of 2022

Greetings all

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.

Of course, we just had Mark Stallings release his book, The Forgotten King, last week. You can get that here: amazon.com/dp/B0B67ML6H2.

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

Dudes In Hyperspace
DIHP 20220707
DIHP 20220707

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
bleav.com/shows/the-dudes-in-hyperspace-podcast/

The latest show has us in video. Scary I know, but we had a great conversation about writing short stories and one-shot novels as opposed to series.

This last one went so well, we’re going to try it again on Zoom this evening.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

Get five free stories and signed up with the Eldros Legacy mailing list! Here There Be Giants is at: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qabsr57lq3+.

Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker is coming soon!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

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.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (16,045)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
  • Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
  • FenCon, 16-18 September, Irving, TX, fencon.org/
New Releases

Last week, we got The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. This is book 6 in the Eldros Legacy and it’s done really well so far. Find out why here: amazon.com/dp/B0B67ML6H2.

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: Happy Bastille Day

Week 29 of 2022

Greetings all

The Forgotten King
The Forgotten King

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 of Bermuda, 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

Dudes In Hyperspace
DIHP 20220707
DIHP 20220707

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
bleav.com/shows/the-dudes-in-hyperspace-podcast/

The latest show has us in video. Scary I know, but we had a great conversation about writing short stories and one-shot novels as opposed to series.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

Get five free stories and signed up with the Eldros Legacy mailing list! Here There Be Giants is at: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qabsr57lq3+.

Mark Stallings’ The Forgotten King is live! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B67ML6H2.

This makes six! Eldros Legacy novels.

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.

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

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.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (14,979)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
  • Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
  • FenCon, 16-18 September, Irving, TX, fencon.org/
New Releases

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: Happy Post-4th!

Week 28 of 2022

Greetings all

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 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.”

– Robert A. Heinlein

Dudes In Hyperspace
DIHP 20220707
DIHP 20220707

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
bleav.com/shows/the-dudes-in-hyperspace-podcast/

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.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

Get five free stories and signed up with the Eldros Legacy mailing list! Here There Be Giants is at: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qabsr57lq3+.

The Forgotten King comes out on July 12th! That’s like next Tuesday.

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

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
Giveaways
July Blowout!
July Blowout!

July Blowout!

mybookcave.com/g/july-blowout/?bcsrc=m96pfh

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.

Summer of Action Book Bundle
Summer of Action Book Bundle

Summer of Action Book Bundle

storyoriginapp.com/bundles/9bce9b0a-e954-11ec-b9f0-734e0aa0609f?bundleLinkId=GasVlju

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (14,092)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
  • Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
  • FenCon, 16-18 September, Irving, TX, fencon.org/
New Releases

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series