Tag Archives: Chris Kennedy

Rob’s Update: Sharpening the Saw

Week 34 of 2022

Greetings all

We talked on our recording of Dudes in Hyperspace tonight of a concept Larry and Steve on The Writer’s Dojo call “sharpening the saw.” (Side note: that’s a great podcast for writers wanting to learn the craft). Sharpening the saw is taking a break so that your mind, body, and soul can recharge. I’ve phrased this as a reason, not an excuse.

Anyway, that’s what this week is for me. I learned some time ago that Pennsic, especially the last few days, tear down, and drive home, are hard on me. I have, in the past, thought I could just come home and start right back up on work like normal, but that’s simply not possible.

So this week I’ve done little except recover, recharge, and reorganize. I kept up with the stuff that has to be done on a timely basis, but I’ve written almost nothing since last Thursday.

Embers & Ash
Embers & Ash

That’s perfectly fine since I’m using that time to get myself ready to go next week. Losing a week to recharge is much more preferable to digging yourself into a depression cycle fed by fatigue, imposter syndrome, and all the other things writers do themselves. I’ve lost about a month that way, and I bitterly regret it because I should have known.

Still, there was the release of Embers & Ash, by Marie Whittaker, the 7th novel in the Eldros Legacy. It’s a great coming of age story of princess fighting to keep her birthright against the Never-Aging Man.

This is especially fun for me as it opens up the last of the 5 continents. Now you can see all the fun differences in each.

  • Daemanon: The theme centers around demons, abominations, and other creatures.
  • Drakanon: The theme centers around dragons.
  • Noksonon: The theme centers around light, dark, and shadow.
  • Pyranon: The theme centers around fire and volcanoes.
  • Shijuren: The theme centers around legends and myths.
No Game for Knights
No Game for Knights

Also, there’s been major progress on the details of The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall. It’s a great honor to have him join New Mythology, and you’re going to love his new series, The Heirs of Cataclysm.

I came home to an awesome surprise, my author copies of No Game for Knights, my first Baen Books credit. It’s an anthology edited by Kacey Ezell and Larry Correia of speculative fiction combined with noir, and I contributed a new Edward story.

This anthology comes out on September 16th, and we recorded an episode of the Baen Free Radio Hour on Monday with most of the authors. It’s a heck of a lineup as you can see from the cover, and I’m blown away to get to on Team And More here along with Chris Kennedy and Scott Huggins. Keep an eye on the Baen site for when that episode airs, it was a lot of fun with some amazing people.

Speaking of Scott, I’ve been editing Responsibility of the Throne, the sequel to his Responsibility of the Crown. I loved the first, but this one’s even better.

Also, we recorded not one, but two episodes of the Dudes In Hyperspace. We had the awesome pleasure to have Kevin J. Anderson in for an interview, and that’s already live. I’m literally typing out this week’s email after recording another show, this one with Joe Deleone talking about the upcoming college football season.

Grill/Griddle
Grill/Griddle

Finally, I was able to finally get my birthday present from my mom, a grill/griddle combo. I got the floor model (at a nice discount), so that’s why there’s some rust on the griddle itself. However, that’s an easy fix, far easier than assembling it.

I can now make eggs the way I learned at Jimmie’s Diner way back when without fighting a damn small pan. Breakfast is going to be awesome this weekend.

And with that, I’m going to spend some time with the sweetie. We’ve had some time together, of course, but there’s been lots of catching up to do after being apart for three weeks.

Have a great week.

What I’m Listening To

I put Rush on random again. We had KJA on for the Dudes as I mentioned, and obviously I had great fun listening about his friendship with Neil.

Right now, it’s Peaceable Kingdom from Vapor Trails.

Quote of the Week

In 1227, Genghis Khan died. You all know the quote from Conan which includes “lamentations of their women.” That’s simply one translation of a Genghis Khan saying.

He had a number of other sayings, some of which are actually good words of wisdom. This is one of my favorites.

“An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”
Genghis Khan

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

We have two shows this week! First, an interview with Kevin J. Anderson which is already available. This was brilliant, by the way.

Second, we recorded another show today. This will go live in a couple of days. It’s a great preview of college football season.

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+.

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 Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall, which comes out in September. This starts a new series, The Heirs of Cataclysm, and it’s full of action and energy.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (23,151)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

Lots going on this week!

First, Embers & Ash from Marie Whittaker. This is book 7 in the Eldros Legacy and is a coming of age story where a princes fights for her birthright against the Never-Aging Man. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B9HZNMZ8.

Next is a much-anticipated Four Horsemen Universe novel, The Lyon’s Pride by Chris Kennedy and Marisa Wolf. Get the real story behind the Lyon and Lyoness here: amazon.com/dp/B0B96JZB1B.

By the way, this novel starts a new 4HU subseries, The Phoenix Initiative. Phoenix is important here, as this novel is designed to be a new starting point in the 4HU. The 4HU is certainly a big hunk to bite into, and this gives a way to get into it from the middle, so to speak.

Also, I’m going to start announcing the upcoming CKP Friday release as a special to readers of this email. Kevin Ikenberry’s Sleeper Protocol release date is actually tomorrow, but you can get it early here: amazon.com/dp/B0B9WGHFV2/.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 328.6 (I’m steadily falling though, as I often gain weight on the drive home)

Updated Word Count: 150,156

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: An Extravaganzapolooza!

Weeks 25-26 of 2022

Greetings all

This will be a longer email than normal with a whole bunch of $0.99 books and new releases. In part, it’s because we just have a whole bunch going on. In part, because next week I won’t be able to make a post so I’m slamming everything in this ahead of time.

The key thing is to watch for dates on sales and giveaways, because they’re not all the same time.

Anyway, on to the fun part.

Lorelle of the Dark
Lorelle of the Dark

First, Lorelle of the Dark is live! You can get Todd Fahnestock’s new book here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3V3MXSJ. This is the direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable, and is the 5th book in the Eldros Legacy… so far.

Oh, by the way, if you don’t have Khyven yet, it’s on sale for through Tuesday at $0.99. You can get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z9W3ZSH.

But wait, there’s more! Chris Kennedy is also having The Reluctant Druid (1st book in the Milesian Accords by Jon R. Osborne), Cherry Drop (1st book in the Abner Fortis, ISMC by P.A. Piatt, and the one that started the whole Four Horsemen Universe, Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey on sale through Tuesday at $0.99 as well.

In fact, you can get the all four in one swell foop by clicking right here.

We’ll get to even more in a moment, but that’s a heck of a start. Four great books at less than a dollar and a hot new release.

I did a bunch of editing on the new Eldros Legacy novel, The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. This is a fun, action-packed story that rocks. Expect this on the 12th of July.

But of course, most of this week has been focused on wedding preparations. Did I mention that the wedding will be LiveStreamed at 7:30pm Central Time on Saturday the 18th? You can even bookmark the link here: youtube.com/watch?v=yJLHL9_IKZY.

You get to see me in funny clothes, with funny people, doing funny things. Going to be a hoot, I expect, and I am incredibly excited.

Oh, did I mention up above there’s more? There is!

As a wedding gift to you all, I’ve got both A Lake Most Deep and I Am a Wondrous Thing going on sale for $0.99 starting tomorrow, Friday the 17th, and running through Thursday the 23rd.

You can get A Lake Most Deep here: amazon.com/dp/B00WYIU6OG.

And I Am a Wondrous Thing is here: amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHKZJVA.

Again, they go on sale tomorrow through next Thursday.

And after you get done buying all that, there’s a huge list of stuff that’s

The event my sweetie and I will be getting married at is Calontir’s War of the Lilies. The event runs all week and while I’ll have phone access, I won’t have computer access. This means I won’t send out an email next Thursday. I’m including all that I’d put in next week’s in this week.

So…

While at the War of the Lilies, I’ll be selling books and doing a bunch of editing on Eldros Legacy projects. Hopefully, I’ll come back with a bunch less books and a bunch of stuff edited.

One great thing about these events is that I’m either making money, making progress on new stuff, or spending time with close friends. None of these are bad things.

This week has been busy and exhausting, so this afternoon I treated myself to a movie in the theater for the first time in over a decade. I’m not really a theater guy. Usually, I’d just rather watch the movie in my comfy chair at home, but I was told that the visuals of Top Gun: Maverick were worth seeing on the big screen.

Man, were those people right. The aerobatics alone were amazing, especially since they weren’t created with CGI, but actual pilots flying actual planes. Impressive stuff. The story was very good, nothing terribly surprising, just a good old-fashioned kick-ass film. Lots of fun, and I cried at several moments.

The Val Kilmer scene? Yeeesh. So powerful.

Anyway, I have things to pack, so let’s get to the rest of the stuff.

What I’m Listening To

Currently, I’m listening to Corvus Corax’s version of Cheiron Seikilos. Corvus Corax is one of those bands who play medieval songs on medieval instruments in a metal style. Fantastic stuff.

Quote of the Week

As I said, the Val Kilmer scene was something, especially since he can’t talk anymore and they had to recreate his voice for this. He’ll be my huckleberry this week with a quote every creator needs to hear.

“I saw the horizon. It’s out there. And though I may not ever be able to touch it, it’s worth reaching for.”
– Val Kilmer

Dudes In Hyperspace

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.

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+.

Lorelle of the Dark is out! You can get Todd Fahnestock’s new book here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3V3MXSJ. This is the direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable, and is the 5th book in the Eldros Legacy… so far.

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 Forgotten King, the next Eldros Legacy novel.

Giveaways

Three giveaways this week on top of the $0.99 stuff. If this doesn’t kickstart your summer reading, I don’t know what else I can do.

Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy

storyoriginapp.com/bundles/296eade2-cbfa-11ec-83e4-bfc9d2cafcdc?bundleLinkId=zV44Fyg

Imagination Unleashed
Imagination Unleashed

Imagination Unleashed

books.bookfunnel.com/yourimagination/m2pkpvazgj

Summertime All-Genre Fantasy
Summertime All-Genre Fantasy

Summertime All-Genre Fantasy

books.bookfunnel.com/springintosummerallgenrefantasy/vejk3wrion

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (10,739)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

First, let’s get to Bestiarii, which is a new series from another new writer to CKP, James Tarr. You can get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0B44YM335.

Then there’s Terran Foundations, by Alex Rath. The second book in his Terran Space Project is here: amazon.com/dp/B0B3GBYDBG.

And then there’s Lorelle of the Dark by Todd Fahnestock. Book 5 in the Eldros Legacy is available here:  amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3V3MXSJ. This is the direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable, and reviews are fantastic on this one.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 324.2

Updated Word Count: 143,498

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: Valorous Deeds

Week 22 of 2022

Greetings all

Nope, this week’s title doesn’t refer to any of the Libri Valoris, though of course I hope you all note the open call for the next anthology, Bonds of Valor, down below.

Instead, I’ll be going to my first SCA event in over two years, the Tournament of Valor in Wichita, KS. I get to see my parents, sell my books, and hit my friends with sticks. What could be better?

Lorelle of the Dark
Lorelle of the Dark

This is an exciting week for other reasons too. We have the cover reveal for Lorelle of the Dark, the next Eldros Legacy novel. This one is by Todd Fahnestock and is a direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable.

And man, it has an amazing cover as you can see. Lorelle of the Dark comes out on the 14th of June.

By the way, if you haven’t read Khyven the Unkillable yet, you should know it’s a finalist for the Colorado book awards. Then get into the whole of the Eldros Legacy.

But wait, there’s more! No Game for Knights, which includes a new Edward story, is now available on e-ARC from Baen. An e-ARC, for those who’ve not heard the term before, is an electronic advance reader copy. This means you can read the stories ahead of its real release in September, but it may have some errors or oddnesses that will get fixed for the final release.

If you can’t wait to read Edward’s next thrilling adventure, go here: baen.com/no-game-for-knights-earc.html.

It’s an incredible honor to be a part of this anthology. Just look at th author list: Laurell K. Hamilton, Larry Correia, Christopher Ruocchio, Michael Haspil, D.J. Butler, Kacey Ezell, Griffin Barber, Robert Buettner, Sharon Shinn, Craig Martelle, Chris Kennedy, S.A. Bailey, G. Scott Huggins, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Rob Howell.

I may be last, heck, I may be least, but I’m there and I’m very excited. Ask me in person sometime about my reaction when I heard the news. That involves a bunch of Muppet flailing you just have to see.

I actually started playing around with the next Edward novel, which is long overdue. I am still working my way around a plotting issue in Sowing Spring’s Wrath, and rather than just beat my head against the wall, I started writing something else. 7500 words already, which is about 10% as I’m going to make these shorter, so it’s a good start.

My working title is a bit whimsical, but I might just keep it. I’m going with Farewell, My Ugly for now and we’ll see.

With that, I’d better go pack my armor.

What I’m Listening To

Moving Pictures by Rush. Right now, it’s on The Camera Eye, which is such an underrated song in my opinion. It’s probably the worst song on the album, but that’s because the other six songs are 11+ on a scale of 10 and this is only a 10.

Quote of the Week

Sad to hear that Ray Liotta passed away. My favorite of his roles was, not surprisingly, Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. Here’s my favorite quote of his from the movie.

“Man, I did love this game. I’d have played for food money. It was the game… The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face?”
– Shoeless Joe Jackson, Field of Dreams

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes stuff on the Indianapolis 500 with an expert batting for me because I know almost nothing about racing. Still, the Indy 500 is one of those big sporting events I want to go to once, like the Kentucky Derby and a British Open at St. Andrews a number of others. Not something I’m huge into, but I want to experience the thing.

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 Door Into Winter is out!

Lorelle of the Dark is next, coming out on June 14th.

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.

Giveaways
Wicked Villains
Wicked Villains

 

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (7,503)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

The Abner Fortis, ISMC is now up to 6! books with Tango Two Two by P.A. Piatt. What a start to this series. You can it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B1LPY9JV.

Also, get the e-ARC for No Game for Knights here: baen.com/no-game-for-knights-earc.html

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 320.6

Updated Word Count: 140,648

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: The Door Into Winter

Week 20 of 2022

Greetings all

Release week! The Door Into Winter is live! You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09ZK1GR3S/.

The Door Into Winter
The Door Into Winter

In the Halls of Winter, a wounded Giant awaits.

Irina, Ausartxango, Valentin, and Geirr chase him to Svellheim, a land of ice and secrets as old azs the mountains themselves.

The wounded Giant, filled with wrath, is aided by his old and faithful servants, corrupt nobles, and those ruled by greed, hate, and rage. He awaits his pursuers, setting a trap to claim his vengeance.

His pursuers are mighty, but they are merely human. Will their prowess prove enough against the greatest enemy Shijuren has ever known? Or will the Giant bring back an evil thought destroyed two thousand years ago?

It is, of course, the fourth book in the Eldros Legacy. If you haven’t started the series, you can get Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock, then read them all!

Outside of the release, this was another foundational week. Getting caught up on submissions, and the overall quality is impressive. Cool new series coming your way in the summer and fall.

Also, this week, the fabulous Marisa Wolf interviewed me about my story in her upcoming Hit World: Valkyries novel. I was actually the supporting actor here because my cat Wynnifred surely stole the show. You can watch my video here: youtube.com/watch?v=lIS9Iaqs9v0.

This is actually the first video on the Chris Kennedy Publishing YouTube channel, so not only do you want to see me (along with my amazing co-star), you want to subscribe to this channel.

This next week I’ll be getting back into the writing groove with Sowing Spring’s Wrath. Time to get some of these ideas on the page.

But for now, I’m basking in another release! Thanks to all who helped make this possible, including my artist Patrick McEvoy, my editor Jonathan A. Miller, Quincy J. Allen for the layout, and a host of others who helped along the way. Thanks everyone!

What I’m Listening To

Take a Chance on Me by Abba.

You’ve caught me. I’m actually a fan of Abba. To be honest, there’s a lot of disco era music I really enjoy. Don’t tell anyone, OK?

Quote of the Week

What the heck, it’s release week, so you get a quote from The Door Into Winter. This is a line toward the end of the book by Geirr Stronghair in the final battle.

“He lifted the flaming sword over his head. ‘You want vengeance, Skadi, come and take it! Else I shall take your winter from you!'”
The Door Into Winter

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes us just chatting about this and that. And Ian ranting. You don’t want to miss Ian ranting.

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+.

Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg 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.

Giveaways
Tales of the Future
Tales of the Future

Tales of the Future

books.bookfunnel.com/maysff001a/hqjxwa6r8l

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

The Door Into Winter is live! You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09ZK1GR3S/.

This week we also had We Dare 4: Wanted, Dead or Alive, another SF anthology from Jamie Ibson. This includes Rick Partlow, Griffin Barber, and a bunch of other great writers. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09ZH6PWZS.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 322.2

Updated Word Count: 138,740

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: A Huge Week

Week 14 of 2022

Greetings all

So much to talk about this week!

First, I had a great time at FantaSci. Here’s the full FantaSci AAR: robhowell.org/blog/?p=2653.

Keen Edge of Valor
Keen Edge of Valor

While there, we released Keen Edge of Valor. Thanks to all who supported the release and participated in its creation. It’s a great anthology and I’m proud of what we’ve done. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/.

I also got to make two announcements. First, the finalists for the FantaSci Short Story contest were C.M. DeMott, Nathan Balyeat, Jonathan Miller, and Chris Hepler. Chris Hepler, with his story “The Torturer of Camelot,” was this year’s winner. Here’s an interview with our winner: robhowell.org/blog/?p=2645.

Secondly, I announced the theme for next year’s Short Story Contest. 2023 will be 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. Specifics on the submission guidelines are below in the New Mythology section.

Deadly Fortune
Deadly Fortune

And now we’re five days away from our next release, Deadly Fortune, by Aaron Rosenberg. This is the next Eldros Legacy novel. It’s a swashbuckling take of pirates, murder, and intrigue and a lot of fun.

Then there was Tuesday night, where I did a fun interview with Cursed Dragon Ship on Twitch.tv. You can find it here: twitch.tv/curseddragonship. Many thanks to Kelly Colby for hosting me. I had a great time.

Now for the fun vaguebook part. My sweetie went on a trip last night and there might be some cool fun changes to our life coming out of it.

What a week.

What I’m Listening To

The Eagle Against the Sun, a War in the Pacific documentary. I’m in a WW2 mood today for some reason, and it’s been exactly what I wanted.

Quote of the Week

A brilliant quote from Gordie Howe today.

“All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity.”
– Gordie Howe

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes a review of Batman and some great podmail questions.

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+.

Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg is coming next Tuesday! It’s a fun swashbuckling tale of pirates, murder, and intrigue.

Currently available:

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.

I’m currently working on The Door Into Winter, my next novel.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

So much going on in CKP at FantaSci. First, let’s go with Titans Rising, which is a book on the business of writing genre fiction in the 21st century. It includes stuff by Chris Kennedy, Kevin J. Anderson, Toni Weisskopf, and a bunch of other big names. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W8SV9QY.

Then we have Redacted Weapon, a new Four Horsemen Universe novel by Kevin Ikenson and Kevin Steverberry… errr… I mean, Kevin Ikenberry and Kevin Steverson. By the Kevins! That’s it, that’s what we’ll go with. Anyway, it’s another story about the Peacemakers and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W8LYXNJ.

And finally, there’s Keen Edge of Valor, the third anthology in the Libri Valoris, the Books of Valor. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 326.3

Updated Word Count: 129,772

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 Ramblings: FantaSci 2022 AAR

Greetings all

I’m home after a great time at FantaSci. This con is in the Research Triangle in North Carolina, so it’s a bit of a hike from Kansas City, but it’s well worth it. To put it this way, I have already bought my pass for 2023.

I got to the hotel on Thursday afternoon, and began the hanging out almost immediately. The best part of cons isn’t really the con, though all of it is necessary for my business, it’s the people.

The first afternoon at cons is therefore a great time of re-connecting. Then, Thursday evening we went to Trali Irish Pub for a group dinner. Then, there was drinking at the bar.

I got to bed far too late.

Friday, I had some errands to run for the CKP Party on Saturday night, then I was back for three straight panels.

Keen Edge of Valor
Keen Edge of Valor

First, we had the release panel for Keen Edge of Valor. In this, we get as many authors who are in the anthology to come to the panel and talk about their story. It’s fun to share all the cool stuff in an anthology, and we had a great time because it’s a great anthology.

Get it here, by the way: amazon.com/dp/B09W91TP24/

Then we had a panel on Killing People and Breaking Stuff, including Mark Wandrey as moderator, Joshua Palmatier, Monalisa Foster, and William Joseph Roberts. This went over how much combat and violence to put in a story. The basic answer is that each of us have to develop a style that works with whatever genre we’re writing in.

Last on Friday night was perhaps my favorite panel on the week, talking about making books into movies. Carolyn Kay did a great job as moderator. Chaz Kemp, Cathy DeMott, and I went over a wide variety of topics and it was a hoot.

Then on Saturday we started with the Chris Kennedy Publishing Year Ahead panel. TL:DR is that there’s a bunch of great stuff coming. For the long version, go to chriskennedypublishing.com.

I had a bit of a break then before going into a panel on podcasting. There weren’t many people in the hall, but that became a good thing as Ian J. Malone sort of turned it into a roundtable. It was a blast, especially because Nicole Givens Kurtz is a hoot, and very, very sharp. Plus there was Kevin Steverson. Really good panel.

Immediately after, we had a great panel on overcoming Writer’s Block with Mark Stallings and Mark Jack Stoumbos. There are tools we can use, but one thing I want to emphasize is that we need to differentiate between those times when writer’s block has to do with the story and times when it has to do with fatigue, frustration, depression, and other things with the writer.

Then I had another panel on alternate history. I didn’t prepare for this as well as I should as moderator because I didn’t find out about it until Saturday afternoon. This is all on me because it was in the program, I just didn’t notice it.

Anyway, I had a Chuck Gannon and Dave Butler on the panel, along with Jason Cordova and Chris Kennedy, so I didn’t have to do much. They just got to riffing on stuff back and forth. At least I’m smart enough to sit back and let them go.

That was my last panel of the day, but then there was a huge evening of socializing. The Four Horsemen Dining Out that FantaSci hosts is unique, as far as I know, and an amazing experience.

Side note: Nick Steverson started the Dining Out off with a bang.

Anyway, then we had the CKP party, which went well as far as I could tell. All I  know is I spent Saturday night chatting and schmoozing until late in the night.

This last part was an issue, because on Sunday morning at 9am I hosted the New Mythology Press year ahead panel. I was really impressed with how many we got to come out on Sunday morning, because I for one wouldn’t have minded sleeping in.

Deadly Fortune
Deadly Fortune

The big announcement was the cover reveal for Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg. This is a swashbuckling private eye novel with swords and intrigue and pirates.

Then there was time to hang out until Closing Ceremonies. I got to announce the winners of the FantaSci Short Story Contest.

The four finalists were C.M. DeMott, Nathan Balyeat, Chris Hepler, and Jonathan Miller. The winner was Chris Hepler, with his story “The Torturer of Camelot.” A great story that was at the top of my list from the start.

I also announced next year’s anthology theme. It will be entitled Bonds of Valor and while the primary theme of deeds of valor remains unchanged, we’re also adding a subtheme of bonds between characters.

This includes characters in a romantic relationship, buddy adventures, oaths sworn to others, and any other bond between characters.

The submission details are:
Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point, and 1.5 line spacing.

Get writing!

As for me, I’m going to look forward to FantaSci 2023. Tickets are available here: fantasci.rocks/

See you there!

 

Rob’s Update: Becoming a Superstar

Week 6 of 2021

Greetings all

Monday I head to Colorado Springs to go to my first Superstars Writing Seminar. Going to be a chance for me to level up, I think. The teachers include such names as Jim Butcher, Kevin J. Anderson, Jonathan Maberry, Jody Lynn Nye, and the one, the only, Chris Kennedy.

For those paying attention to the Eldros Legacy, I’m the only one of the Founders, including Mia Kleve, our primary editor, who hasn’t been part of the program there, and I rectify that this year. We’ve got a talented group.

Speaking of talent, we’re getting close to setting a firm release date for Deadly Fortune, the next Eldros Legacy novel, this one by Aaron Rosenberg. This is set in Shijuren and it’s go pirates, treachery, swordfights, and murder. What more could a reader want?

If you haven’t read Aaron, you’re in for a treat. He’s a prolific writer with a ton of shared universe credits to his name, including Stargate, Star Trek, and Warhammer 40K. Yeah, he’s a rock star and we’re ecstatic to have him.

Tonight we record our next Dudes in Hyperspace podcast. This one will focus on our writing process.

By the way, we have some very exciting news about Dudes in Hyperspace. Details on this next podcast, which should be available in the next few days. Thanks to all who listen to us, because without you we don’t get to do this big reveal.

I’ve gotten back into the groove a bit with The Door Into Winter. Getting sick and needing to get both Deadly Fortune and Keen Edge of Valor out the door took me away from writing, but I had a good day yesterday. Since it had been a bit, I went in an edited chunks to remember exactly what I was doing.

I also started a new short story this week for Marisa Wolf. This one is set in Bill Webb’s Hit World series, which is yet another fun shared world from CKP.

And I think it’s time to get back to writing. I have a character to kill…

What I’m Listening To

This week it’s Signals by… you guessed it, Rush! Yeah, I’m still on my Rush kick.

Quote of the Week

Today is the 63rd anniversary of the day the music died, so here’s a lyric from American Pie.

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend
– Don McLean, American Pie

Dudes In Hyperspace

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
https://www.sharkflight.com/dudes/

The latest show includes an interview with Craig Martelle of 20Booksto50K and IASFA.

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+.

Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg is coming soon!

Currently available:

New Mythology Works in Progress

We have no current open anthology calls but will have a new one announced at FantaSci.

I’m currently working on Keen Edge of Valor and it’s mostly done. You’re going to love it!

Get it here: storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/bbdf4462-1880-11ec-8eb9-a34519556732

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • The Door Into Winter (74,129)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
  • VAL (571)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

New Hit World anthology: You Pay: We Slay! This is the genre gumbo series from Bill Webb. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09R8VLM58

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 317.0

Updated Word Count: 4,426

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: Passing of the Runelord

Week 2 of 2021

Greetings all

Today brings sad news. David Farland was a legend in the realms of fantasy, with his Runelord series one I loved. He passed away today and all of us at New Mythology Press send our condolences to his family. He was one of the giants upon whose shoulders we stood.

Sigh. I’m of the age where friends and acquaintances pass with awful regularity. It’s the way of life, of course, but I was especially hoping that soon I’d be able to learn from David. I have a number of friends who he mentored and hoped to add myself to that list.

This week I’m in Chattanooga at Chattacon. I have a fairly busy schedule, which I’ll post in a separate blog post tomorrow to make it easy for me to find when I forget where I’m supposed to be.

I made progress in The Door Into Winter this week. Only about 5000 words, but much of that is because I edited a bunch of my notes out. Often, anymore, I’ll make a note that I need to do something and continue onward. This character needs a name, make sure I put the revolver in act 3 in act 1, that sort of thing. By doing this, I get the main thoughts out without always getting bogged down in details, but every so often I have to clear up all those details.

I did take time off this past Monday to watch the CFP Playoff Game. This is just a guess, but I have a sneaking suspicion Kevin Steverson will want to discuss that game on the next Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, which we’ll record next week. We’ll also have Craig Martelle of 20Booksto50K and IASFA fame joining us.

Well, I’m in Chattanooga now. I guess it’s time to go schmooze. I suspect more than a few beverages will be raised in David’s honor.

What I’m Listening To

My normal work mp3 list, which is currently Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers. I’m in Tennessee, so maybe I should just have a Southern Fried Rock weekend.

Quote of the Week

Today’s quote is from David Farland, who encapsulates my philosophy about writing and publishing here.

“I’d like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book, it increases the chance that he or she will look at mine. So there is no competition between writers. Another writer’s success helps build a larger readership for all of us.”

– David Farland

Dudes In Hyperspace

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace here:
sharkflight.com/dudes/

The latest show includes an interview with Bob Sturm of the Athletic and 1310 the Ticket in Dallas/Fort Worth. We talk about the NFL playoffs, which start this weekend.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

Seeds of Dominion is still the new hotness. You can find it here: amazon.com/dp/B09PK1QYDY.

Currently, the plan for February is to shore up the foundation and make sure we’ve got all our processes worked out. Hence, we’ll have a number of interesting announcements along the way.

New Mythology Works in Progress

We have no current open anthology calls but will have a new one in January.

I’m currently working on The Keen Edge of Valor, which will come out at FantaSci in March.

Giveaways

One thing I like about these giveaways are the cool images they create for banners and I think this might be my favorite one yet. But then, I’ve always liked blue.

New Year New Books
New Year New Books

New Year New Books

storyoriginapp.com/bundles/83bfa224-5490-11ec-9670-d7d28aa2a33a

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • The Door Into Winter (75,912)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

This week is another 4HU novel, Tempest Rage by Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy. It’s not just any 4HU novel, though, but rather the conclusion of the epic Guild Wars series after 17 books. See what’s all the rage at: amazon.com/dp/B09PV4B3TX.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 331.2

Updated Word Count: 2716

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

2021 AAR

Greetings all

2021 was the biggest year of my publishing career, but I suspect I’ll write the same exact words next year with all that’s happening. Nevertheless, here’s what I was involved in that came out in 2021:

2021 Mosaic
2021 Mosaic

This mosaic, by the way, doesn’t include stuff that’ll come out in 2022 which I worked on, such as Quincy J. Allen’s Seeds of Dominion, coming out on Tuesday.

By my reckoning, I put out 384,836 total words in 2021. Now, there are some statistical points to be made, out of honesty.

  • I only wrote 139,340 words of new stuff. That’s 1 novel, and only 6 short stories.
  • I keep track of my blog posts too, as it’s one way to ensure I’m putting out consistent content. That was 49,811.
  • The remaining 195,685 is 1/4 of the words in books I edited for New Mythology Press in 2021, 4 anthologies and 5 novels. I agree I should keep some track of that, as if I hadn’t done all that I would have definitely written more. I’m not convinced 1/4 is the right number. I’m thinking I may go to 1/5 in 2022. We’ll see.

Still, any way you want to stack it, that’s not a bad year. Add on to that I spent many hours helping develop the Eldros Legacy and learning how to do a bunch of new things for New Mythology Press, and I would say it wasn’t a wasted year.

That’s especially true since I only count things I’ve finished in a calendar year. This total doesn’t include, for example, the 70k or so I’ve got written in The Door Into Winter nor the editing I’ve done for The Keen Edge of Valor, as they aren’t yet finished.

I’m proud of all the stories I wrote and helped put out in 2021. This is highlighted, of course, by The Ravening of Wolves. This novel really came together, I think, thanks to a bunch of tales given to me by friends who’ve seen the challenges behind the scenes in the military. Much of what went into that book are inspired by actual SNAFUs, because the main universal truth in military history that I can find is: “Shit happens.”

Of my short stories, I tried a number of whimsical things. For example, Careful With That Axe, E.U. Gene included over 200 song and band references hidden within about 9000 words. The biggest result, of course, is The Incomparable Treasure, which comes out at some point in 2022 as part of Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell’s next SF/F noir anthology, No Game for Knights. This is a huge honor for me, and I’m really excited about it.

I certainly learned a ton with New Mythology Press this year. I can’t thank Chris Kennedy enough for the opportunity and I hope I live up to his expectations.

I would say I earned a B- grade for my work as publisher in 2021. I tend to be a harsh grader, but as I look back I see areas I can improve upon. Now, to be fair, the biggest area I need to improve upon is simply experience, and that’s happening, but I could have accelerated my learning curve in places.

Nevertheless, I did learn and improve as the year’s gone on. I’d better, as I have a bunch of things to publish in 2022, which I’ll talk about in another blog post.

I am most proud of Responsibility of the Crown, I think. It was the first novel I’d ever edited, and I think it came out fantastic. It helps that G. Scott Huggins is a great writer, but I do think I contributed.

It was nerve-wracking for me, in some ways, but the results really fired me up. Like many writers (and now as publisher), I suffer from constant self-doubt and seeing the difference between the original draft Scott sent me of Responsibility and the final draft helps me believe I have some skill in this process. Again, though, it’s not a great story without Scott doing the heavy lifting.

I’m also proud of the Talons & Talismans anthologies. They were a challenge, one that made Chris shake his head and chuckle at my expense a time or eight.

However, those anthologies did much of what I wanted. I got involved with experienced writers I hadn’t worked with before, like Aaron Rosenberg, who I hope to publish a bunch more times down the road. I got a bunch of new writers opportunities, like Michael Gants, who I think you’ll be seeing fairly often in the future.

I also got to rummage around in the process of making anthologies at a much more detailed level. I’d done two prior to Talons & Talismans, but this was more, and I needed it.

On the behind the scenes side of things, I had a couple of hiccups with my mailing list, but I’m pleased with where I’m at now. I started working with the Writers House of Corrections to build that mailing list even more. Long term, I think that list and this blog, not Facebook or other social media platforms, will be my primary forms of interaction.

I learned a ton about how book art gets made. I knew some of it from self-publishing my first six novels, but there’s always more to learn. I’m amazed at what artists like Melissa Gay and Jake Caleb constantly produce.

Most fun of all is getting to know the editing staff of Chris Kennedy Publishing better. Mia Kleve is an amazing bedrock of competence. It was she, in fact, who created the above mosaic of covers, within like 2 minutes. Tiffany Reynolds is incredibly fast and skilled. I didn’t get to work with Beth Agajew as much in 2021, but I’ve had the pleasure before. We brought in Jonathan Miller too. He edited Seeds of Dominion and we have more plans for him.

I also got to interact with the advance readers more. Shawn Carey is a machine. He is an unseen, but much appreciated member of the team. Another is Zach Ritz, who routinely catches a bunch of errors that have slipped past all of our editors, including me. That’s a much less common skill than I think people realize.

A long time ago, I realized writing was about creating a team around the writer. That’s even more true about publishing. If I want to point at any one single thing I’m pleased with in 2021 it’s the creation of a new team around me, one which I’m already blessed to be a part of.

I’m just going to conclude that I’m looking at my shelf of books, the shelf holding books I’ll be selling at conventions. There’s Jon Osborne’s Milesian Accords series, including The House Between Worlds which I helped publish. There’s Khyven the Unkillable, by Todd Fahnestock, first of the Eldros Legacy novels. There are Four Horsemen Universe titles, especially The Ravening of WolvesAnd there’s all sorts of titles produced prior to 2021. There’s a lot of titles there, but a bunch more are coming.

2021 was the start of something awesome.

Rob’s Update: Muppet Flail

Week 47 of 2021

Greetings all

What a busy week here. First, we’re getting ready for the release of Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock, the first novel in the Eldros Legacy.

I’m like a kid in a candy store. We’ve been setting this up since January so that we can make sure you get something awesome. My words of the week have been “Muppet Flail!” because I’m so excited.

Part of that is the reaction of our advance reviewers. Zach R., in particular, said “Can’t wait for JAN-APR of next year for the rapid release. Also can’t wait to see what kind of magic Khyven has and how Nhevaz plays further into the story. Very enjoyable fantasy overall.”

Oh, and if you’re interested, you’re just in time for the map reveal for the continent of Noksonon, which is the continent created by Todd. There are two maps, one of the whole continent and one for the events in Khyven the Unkillable and they’re here: eldroslegacy.com/archive/tiki-index.php?page=Maps-of-Noksonon.

Speaking of releases, The Ravening of Wolves, my second Four Horsemen novel, came out on audio yesterday. Thanks to the awesome Daniel Wisniewski and Chris Kenneday for all their work making this happen. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09MSWF9K1.

By the way, should you want to read or listen to The Feeding of Sorrows, which is the first of the two novels, you can get it on audio here: amazon.com/dp/B08K9DX13G/.

Also this week, we did another Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, this one starring Todd Fahnestock. You can find our podcasts here: sharkflight.com/dudes/.

Speaking of the Dudes in Hyperspace, it’s long past time I stuck a new section into these posts about that show. Ian J. Malone and Kevin Steverson have been great to work with and we’re doing some good stuff there.

I also got another 8000 or so words done with The Door Into Winter. This is shaping up to be the best novel I’ve ever written so far. That’s as it should be, of course, as I should be getting better, but I’m pleased anyway.

The open call for the FantaSci 2022 Short Story contest ended on Tuesday. As usual, we got around thirty entrants, which I’m always pleased to see. I’m running through the stories right now and will have the decision made this weekend for the four who made the cut. Also as usual, it’s going to be a tough choice, I can tell that already. Man, there are a lot of great writers out there.

What I’m Listening To

Gretchen Goes to Nebraska by King’s X. This is one of my all time favorite albums. In my top ten even if you include Rush albums. Yes, I’m saying I like this album more than some Rush ones. That’s how good it is. I distinctly remember the exact moment when I heard the opening bit of Out of the Silent Planet, the first song. I fell in love within four notes.

Quote of the Week

“Here there be Giants!”
– Marie Whittaker

Marie came up with this because she needed a place-holder for something during the process of creating the Eldros Legacy. The rest of us went “That’s cool!” and it’s become one of our taglines.

On Tuesday, then, “Here there be Giants!”

Dudes In Hyperspace

Follow the Dudes In Hyperspace at sharkflight.com/dudes/

The latest show includes an interview with Todd Fahnestock, one of the Founders of the Eldros Legacy.

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+.

Next week, I’ll do the cover reveal for Seeds of Dominion, the second novel.

But if you’d like some more EL stuff now, go get Talons & Talismans II, which has 8 Eldros Legacy stories. You can find it here: amazon.com/dp/B09L44T5XW

New Mythology Works in Progress

We have no current open anthology calls but will have a new one in January.

I’m currently working on picking through the entrants who submitted for the next Valor anthology. I’ll announce those this upcoming weekend. There are a bunch of good ones and it’s hard to pick.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • The Door Into Winter (55,612)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
  • FN (755)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

The Ravening of Wolves, my second Four Horsemen novel, came out on audio yesterday. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09MSWF9K1.

Speaking of the 4HU, there’s a new novel there entitled Three Steps to Oblivion by Chris Kennedy and Ian J. Malone.  You can get that here: amazon.com/dp/B09MH57TQ2.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 334.0

Updated Word Count: 353,806

Eldros Legacy Archives: 787 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