Monthly Archives: February 2024

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Leaping into Leprechaun Month

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Week 9 of 2024

Greetings all

Happy Leap Day. Congrats to all the people who were born on February 29th and get a birthday every 4 years (well, except for years evenly divisible by 100 but not by 400).

I had another productive week, especially with Paladins of Valor. It’s now a complete manuscript and went off to the editor on Tuesday.

Plus, I got to see the first draft of the art by J. Caleb Design. Great stuff! We’ll have a reveal at some point in March.

However, to get your whistle wetted, we’ve got interviews with some of the authors in Paladins of Valor writers. I’ll post those on my blog in the middle of April as we get close to the release.

However, you can get a sneak peak on these interviews by joining the New Mythology Mailing List here: chriskennedypublishing.com/fantasy-mailer/.

I got a goodly amount of writing done, both in The Feasting of Vengeance and a new sooper sekrit project. It’s in bits and pieces on a few different computers, but I got about 5k done all told.

I spent the past week editing a bunch of stuff in Okkorim in order to have new modules looking ship-shape for Gary Con in a less than a month. OMG, it’s less than a month!

Speaking of things sneaking up on me, Planet Comicon is next weekend! Whaaa? How did March get here so fast?

In any case, I’ll be in booth 1746. Come on by!

With that, I’m getting back to writing. Have a great week!

What I’m Listening To

I thought I’d change this up to new and cool stuff that I found, and some weeks that will still be the case. However, I’ve honestly had my head buried in work, so I barely notice anything new.

So, back to the old way.
This week, I’m currently listening to my favorite Cream song, Tales of Brave Ulysses.

Quote of the Week

The Riddlemaster of Hed is such a good book, one of those books I read in grade school that inspired my love of fantasy. Happy birthday to Patricia McKillip and many thanks to her memory for all the inspiration she gave to bunch of us.

“When you open your mind and hands and heart to the knowing of a thing, there is no room in you for fear.”
― Patricia A. McKillip, Riddle-Master

Dragon’s Tidings

We have a bunch of new stuff. Dozens of new bolts of fabric and hundreds more books. Come in and see all the cool stuff!

Check out our class schedule:
reddragonquilts.com/calendar.htm

New Mythology Works in Progress

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)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (4,809)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week we have book 2 in James Fox’s Sol Saga universe. It’s called Retaliation and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW29B39G.

Your pre-release this week is Fallout on Darsaana, most Salvage Title action from Melissa Olthoff. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW1FNXP1.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 369.0lbs

Updated Word Count: 81,777

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 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: Overcoming the Odds

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Week 8 of 2024

Greetings all

As I mentioned, I ended last week with a nasty cold. It knocked me back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, despite all that, I had a really productive week, though not necessarily on everything I anticipated.

Divine Revelations
Divine Revelations

Let’s start with Okkorim because I have art to show off!

Over the last few months I’ve been fleshing out the pantheon of gods in Okkorim. This batch included 10 major gods and 30 lesser ones, and is over 60,000 words of description, dogma, new spells, new magic items, and religious institutions.

Okkorim is already a cool setting, but I can absolutely tell you there’s some amazing stuff in here. Divine Revelations is a small primer of the cosmology of Okkorim available to Luke’s Patreon followers. He wrote most of it, but I’m also editing a bunch of stuff they have, as I did with this.

Mirelie
Mirelie

Next is Mirelie, the deity of magic among other things. Luke came up with the basic concept, but this supplement is the fuller depiction of Mirelie. What do the priests do? What symbols represent the deity? Where are their major religious sites? What are the religious orders who follow Mirelie? And of course, several new spells and magic items.

I’m excited about what I’ve been able to contribute, and I think it’s going to be something players of D&D 5E and Castles and Crusades will love.

Again, if you’re interested, go to: patreon.com/GaxxWorx and sign up for at least the Silver Membership ($5/month). That gives you all the G20 magazine stuff that comes out, and let me tell you, I’m editing a ton.

Let’s turn to Paladins of Valor. It’s basically in the can and goes to the editor next week. Just waiting on a few edits.

I’ll give you a tease of two authors I was excited to work with in here. First, there’s Edie Skye, the author of the Titan Mage fantasy romance series. Here stories can be spicy or not, but they always have a lot of action.

On a completely different note, we also have Glen Cook returning with another Black Company story. I’ve been honored over the years by his support.

Speaking of New Mythology Press, we’ve been kinda quiet lately. This has been because we’re rearranging some of the foundational stuff in the background to make it work smoother for us to produce and cooler for you to read.

I can’t yet get into specifics, but I’ll tell you this, the schedule for later in the year is starting to come together.

One of the changes, by the way, is that we’re moving the bigger announcements and stuff to New Mythology’s mailing list, as I announced some time ago.

Here’s the link to join: chriskennedypublishing.com/fantasy-mailer/

Also, I started another sooper-seekrit project this week. It’ll be some months before I can talk about it, but I think it’ll be really.

Oh, one last thing. The local historic theater is going to show Star Wars on Saturday, May 4th. We’re planning a shindig and I have a question for you:

What is your favorite Star Wars-themed food?

Quote of the Week

Still hits me in the feels 43 years later.

“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
– Al Michaels on February 22, 1980, as time ran out in the USA-USSR hockey game in Lake Placed.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (4,411)

Upcoming Events

Freebies and Cool Stuff

SF/F Giveaway February 

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/r964Jvy

New Releases

This week’s release takes us back to the Fallen World, as Brisco Woods continues his saga of the first nanite-enhanced Specialist in Truth and Consequences. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CVNF5F6R.

That’s the 20th book in the Fallen World now! Wow!

Your pre-release this week is book 2 in James Fox’s Sol Saga universe. It’s called Retaliation and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW29B39G.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 371.4 lbs

Updated Word Count: Need to update the spreadsheet, somewhere around 40k this year so far.

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 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: Happy Valentine’s Day

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Week 7 of 2024

Greetings all

I came down with a cold today, so today’s update is short and sweet.

Also sweet was the day my sweetie and I had yesterday for Valentine’s Day.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (4,089)

Upcoming Events

Freebies and Cool Stuff

Read Freebies on Any Device

https://books.bookfunnel.com/freebiesonanydevice/lunmmezw5e

Mid-Winter All-Genre Fantasy With Strong Female Protagonists

https://books.bookfunnel.com/midwinterfantasyfemaleprotagonists/drv88c3cgx

Get Free Sci-Fi

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/iiMxRdU

Abundant Woo-niverse Giveaways: Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Magical Realism, & Sci-Fi to Light Up Your Life

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/Rd6yH0p

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 370.2lbs

Updated Word Count: 22,000

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 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: Plugging Away

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Week 6 of 2024

Greetings all

It’s another productive week, but it wasn’t how I expected to go. There’s also news.

Most important, we started the process of getting the kid, her guy, and the grandkid down to Anthony. We’ve been hoping this would happen for a while, and now it’s in progress.

Second, more news about GaryCon. I’ll be running a couple of gaming sessions which is great. It’s been a while since I’ve run games at cons, but that was 20-30 years ago and I can’t wait.

That’s in part because game nights have done well twice in a row with me DMing in the Firehall Sagas. It’s a chance for me to build the world and build the local community at the same time.

More and more gets done with Paladins of Valor every week. Mostly, we’re in the stage where authors are doing edits, but I’ve been also assembling it. I had the pleasure of editing Howard Andrew Jones’ Hanuvar story this week, and man is it good.

I didn’t write as many new words in Okkorim as I have in past weeks, but about 4,000. Also, I did a bunch of editing and setup as we transition to the next phase. It’s really an awesome project and I’m honored to be a part of it.

New and Cool

I haven’t eaten cereal in a decade, but I tried the GrainBerry Multi-Bran flakes on a lark recently. I rather like it. I’ve had more cereal in the last week or so than I had since the 80s.

Quote of the Week

Happy birthday to Jules Verne! Might have to re-read 20,000 Leagues again.

Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.
– Jules Verne

Dragon’s Tidings

A fun week here. We keep getting new stuff every week. This week was a bunch of new fabric, along with expanded drink selection for the game nights.

Check out our class schedule:
reddragonquilts.com/calendar.htm

New Mythology Works in Progress

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)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)
  • Okkorim (61,988)

Upcoming Events

Freebies and Cool Stuff

February Fantasy Freebies

https://books.bookfunnel.com/februaryfantasyfreebies/u3akhw43pd

New Releases

This week we have Wolf Legion by William S. Frisbee, Jr., the ninth book in The Last Marines. Holding Earth continues to get harder, and everyone is against the last Marines, but will they give up? Never! Check out the entire series here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5WRRMPB.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 370.2 lbs

Updated Word Count: 21,693

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 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: Happy Groundhog’s Day Eve

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Week 5 of 2024

Greetings all

There’s no big news this week. I’m plugging away at tasks for bigger projects like Okkorim and Paladins of Valor. I was very productive, but it’s one of those weeks where I can’t point at a major item of note.

Between editing and writing, I dealt with something like 60,000 words this past week, which is nice. However, as I say, they’re tasks within an overall project.

I spent a goodly amount of time straightening up in the garage and shop areas. Still a long way to go, but my goal of getting the shop going in April or so for some woodworking projects is on track. Plus, I have a special plan for a chunk of the garage.

I think that’s it for this week. It’s a short update, I know, but this was one of those boring yet necessary and productive weeks.

Have a great week, everyone!

New and Cool

It’s not new and cool, but I’ve been rewatching Babylon 5. Such a good show.

Quote of the Week

Happy Coronation day to Edward III on this day in 1327.

And here’s his parenting technique with his son, the Black Prince.

Also say to them, that they suffre hym this day to wynne his spurres, for if god be pleased, I woll this journey be his, and the honoure therof.
– Edward III

Dragon’s Tidings

We had a great game night this past Monday, and I know the word is spreading. This past week we started a 5E campaign in the Firehall Sagas.

Also, the Beginning Quilting class has been a big hit so far. Session 3 tonight.

Oh, and we’re starting to see more longarm quilting jobs. If you’re interested in that service, you might want to reach out. At some point, there’ll be a wait for her to get started.

Check out our class schedule:
reddragonquilts.com/calendar.htm

New Mythology Works in Progress

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)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)
  • Okkorim (58,116)

Upcoming Events

Freebies and Cool Stuff

February: Free Fantasy & SciFi

https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasyscicifebruary/8nf2hq0590

February Sci-Fi Giveaway

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/l1SsMIe

New Releases

This week we have Stolen Dreams from Dennis M. Myers, the 4th and final book in his Rise of the Automated Empire. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0CT5V8G8M.

This week’s pre-release is Wolf Legion by William S. Frisbee, Jr., the ninth book in The Last Marines. Holding Earth continues to get harder, and everyone is against the last Marines, but will they give up? Never! Check out the entire series here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5WRRMPB.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 371.0 lbs

Updated Word Count: 21,114

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 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