Monthly Archives: April 2023

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: NFL Draft Night

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Week 17 of 2023

Greetings all

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.

New Mythology Works in Progress

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (58,812)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

Your pre-release this week is The Backbone of Surprise, by C.S. Ferguson. This is book one in a new MilSF series called the Transhuman War. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C2XYB421.

Podium has opened up Pandora’s Box, 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.

Your pre-release this week is Hunters and Hijinks, a new Salvage Title novel by Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C3KVXYS6.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 351.0

Updated Word Count: 110,841

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Marathon, Part II

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Week 16 of 2023

Greetings all

I’m beat. Moving is hard, and that’s with movers helping. We still have way too much stuff at the old house.

So I did almost nothing workwise this week. Answered emails. Did some brainless editing prep, not much else.

Fortunately, people around me are kicking it, especially those at Podium.

Last week, we announced the pre-release for Hunting the Hart, book 5 in Jon R. Osbourne’s modern fantasy series The Milesian Accords. Pre-order it here: audible.com/pd/Hunting-the-Hart-Audiobook/B0C24XX31G.

But wait, there’s more! Podium has also opened up Pandora’s Box, 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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

I have saved a realm       Riding on the waves

Latest Snippet: Chapter 5 of Farewell, My Ugly

New Mythology Works in Progress

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (72,812)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

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.

Your pre-release this week is The Backbone of Surprise, by C.S. Ferguson. This is book one in a new MilSF series called the Transhuman War. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C2XYB421.

Podium has opened up Pandora’s Box, 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.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 351.0

Updated Word Count: 110,397

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Uncategorized

Rob’s Update: On the Move

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Week 15 of 2023

Greetings all

I promised big news last week on a non-writing project and here it is. Before I get to that, I have another announcement.

Huge congratulations to Sheellah Kennedy for being unremarkable! Well, she’s not, as you know. She’s awesome, but in this case, it means that she’s on top of her health issues. The warning signs noted by the doctor were, in turns out, unremarkable.

Which is wonderful to hear.

Hunting the Hart
Hunting the Hart

Now onto the big announcement… errr… after another one.

Hunting the Hart, book 5 in Jon R. Osbourne’s modern fantasy series The Milesian Accords, is now available to pre-order for Audible.

Pre-order it here: audible.com/pd/Hunting-the-Hart-Audiobook/B0C24XX31G.

OK, now onto the big announcement, and this time I mean it.

The wife and I are on the move. We closed on a great building in Anthony, KS where we can open up the quilt/craft/yarn/weaving store she’s always wanted and I can have a bookstore.

That means my writing/editing has suffered as I pack frantically. We’ve got the movers coming on Monday, and we want to make sure we have enough stuff packed to make the expense worthwhile.

This just in, we have too many books. And skeins of yarn. And games. And and and.

Normally, we’d take time to pare through stuff and see what we’re willing to part with. However, the new place is so big, we don’t have any space issues and we don’t have time to pay that much attention.

Sooooo… if you wanna come help us pack on Sunday, you’re welcome to volunteer.

I’m late this week on a number of projects. I didn’t get my riddle sent out, which I’m aiming to fix today. I didn’t get much writing or editing done.

However, I’m taking my own advice. I tell my writers that there’s a difference between reasons and excuses. Avoid excuses, even to the point of chastising yourself when you use them.

But reasons? Just accept they exist and power through them. The most important thing when you’re dealing with reasons is to prevent yourself from getting angry with yourself. That leads to a spiral that ruins your productivity for a long time.

I’m puttering with writing and editing when I can, and hopefully this is just a blip. Lots of fun plans for the summer, when everything settles down a bit.

In the meantime, welcome to my madness!

What I’m Listening To

Speaking of madness, I’m currently listening to Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears, which has one of my favorite bass lines by Bob Daisley.

Quote of the Week

One of the great events in Japanese history happened today in 1612: Miyamoto Musashi defeated Sasaki Kojirō at Funajima island. Since we haven’t had a quote from Musashi in a while, here’s one of many great quotes by him.

Also, it’s relevant to the reasons/excuses thing. So much of writing is keeping your head in a good place. Give what’s in yourself a chance to be awesome.

“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”
― Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy

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 saved a realm       Riding on the waves

Latest Snippet: Chapter 5 of Farewell, My Ugly

New Mythology Works in Progress

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (72,812)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week we have 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.

Your pre-release this week is 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.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 351.0

Updated Word Count: 109,884

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Marathon

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Week 14 of 2023

Greetings all

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.

And if you want to hear how good it is, The Chimera Coup is now available on Audible thanks to Podium Audio. Get the audio version here: amazon.com/dp/B0BXBCZZRS.

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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

Oft have we moved        East and west, north to south

Latest Snippet: Chapter 5 of Farewell, My Ugly

New Mythology Works in Progress

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (72,812)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week is more Salvage Title awesomeness with Knightfall Under Keros, by Melissa Olthoff. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BZTYDHQM.

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe