Monthly Archives: October 2023

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Go And Take It

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Week 43 of 2023

Greetings all

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
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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

I have been shot, shadowing my memory

Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of The Eyes of a Doll.

New Mythology Works in Progress

I’m pleased to announce the 2024 FantaSci Short Story Contest. Get the details here: chriskennedypublishing.com/2023/03/28/2024-fantasci-short-story-contest/.

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)
  • Ruriksaga (52,626)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

This week we have more from the amazing D.T. Read. She’s got book 2 in her Sergey Chronicles series, entitled Echoes of Issel. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CL8CRY38.

And it’s time for more Salvage Title adventures! This week’s pre-order is Salvage Search, which you can get here: amazon.com/dp/B0CLR91ZWF.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 357.8

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Missing FactoryCon

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Week 42 of 2023

Greetings all

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.

The EdwardsagaI’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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

I have been shot, shadowing my memory

Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of The Eyes of a Doll.

New Mythology Works in Progress

I’m pleased to announce the 2024 FantaSci Short Story Contest. Get the details here: chriskennedypublishing.com/2023/03/28/2024-fantasci-short-story-contest/.

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)
  • Ruriksaga (50,851)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

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.

Your pre-release this week is more from the amazing D.T. Read. She’s got book 2 in her Sergey Chronicles series, entitled Echoes of Issel. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CL8CRY38.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 357.8

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: My Goodness

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Week 41 of 2023

Greetings all

My goodness, what a week! Around 7,000 new words in a number of projects, plus so much else going on.

The EdwardsagaI 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.

Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

But wait, there’s more!

13 Stories of Horror
13 Stories of Horror

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
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
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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

Myriad am I     Molded for memories

Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of The Eyes of a Doll.

New Mythology Works in Progress

I’m pleased to announce the 2024 FantaSci Short Story Contest. Get the details here: chriskennedypublishing.com/2023/03/28/2024-fantasci-short-story-contest/.

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)
  • Ruriksaga (50,266)
  • The Seven (13,766)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week is a new 4HU novel. It’s Gunpowder Geishas by Carolyn Kay. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CKF8BP29.

Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Step 3 Of World Domination

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Week 40 of 2023

Greetings all

Where Now the Rider
Where Now the Rider

Step 3 of World Domination is out! Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

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
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.

First Line of Next Riddle:

Myriad am I     Molded for memories

Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of The Eyes of a Doll.

New Mythology Works in Progress

I’m pleased to announce the 2024 FantaSci Short Story Contest. Get the details here: chriskennedypublishing.com/2023/03/28/2024-fantasci-short-story-contest/.

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)
  • Ruriksaga (50,100)
  • The Seven (8,810)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

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.

Get Where Now the Rider here: amazon.com/dp/product/B0CK6Q8TYV.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 354.2

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe