Welll…. That experiment didn’t work. Apparently, if I don’t post every week, I lose track of things. So, I’m going back to posting every week, with the occasional exception because of events. However, I am still switching things up and moving to Tuesdays.
That being said, welcome back! Sorry for the month-long absence.
What’s been happening this past month? Mostly it’s been work on Anthony’s Balloon Festival. When I’d volunteered to assist the Anthony Chamber of Commerce, I’d anticipated more of a clerical job, but it’s morphed into an event administrator. While I enjoy event administration, it has significantly distracted me from writing and editing. Hence, I’m stepping away from that job after this event.
This is another reason I’ve been poor at these updates. I’ve almost been taken completely away from my real work, so while I’ve gotten paid, it’s been a net loss for me. Ah, well live and learn.
I am working on several short stories and editing some old stuff for re-release. I’d hoped to be much farther along by now, but we’ll get rolling as soon as we can.
For now, though, have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
NFL Draft talk, As you probably remember, I’m a big draft fan and will be watching closely for developments all week long. For the record, I want Dallas to trade down from 12 and get Emeka Egbuka, the WR from Ohio State in the later part of the first round.
Quote of the Week
Lots of interesting birthdays on April 22nd, but I’ll got with Janet Evanovich. Here’s a quote from her that’s one of my main writing principals.
“Make sure your main characters are likeable. They can be flawed, but your readers need to be able to root for them.”
– Janet Evanovich
This week’s advanced sale is Shadow on the Moon, the 12th book in John E. Siers’ Lunar Free State series. This is the final book in the first arc, so don’t miss out on the conclusion! Everything comes down to this! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0F51QZ7XW/
Your pre-release this week is Recon by Fire, the 4th book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. With only one book to go in the series (which will be out on June 6), now’s the time to jump in on the series if you haven’t. The Sutton siblings are in it up to their elbows this time! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ3XNX8/
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 354.6lbs
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.
I think this is week 12 of 2025, but to be honest, I’ve sort of lost track over the last month. I’ve traveled something like 5000 miles in the last 4-5 weeks and had two different book releases, along with a bunch of other stuff going on. It’s been really productive, but I’m not sure what day it is.
Like, I think today’s Wednesday (it is, my computer tells me), but I wasn’t sure when I woke up. And I know I usually send these out on Thursday, but tomorrow is literally packed from 7am to 10pm and I bet at that point I’m not setting up an update.
So you get it a day early, or really, 6 days late as I’d promised to send you one last Thursday. However… things didn’t go as planned at Gulf Wars. I’ll get to that in a bit.
Chentoufi, City of Intrigue and Secrets
First, I have something awesome to share. Chentoufi, City of Intrigue and Secrets is now out, though it’s not yet available online.
Still, check out this cover! I have this copy in my hand and will have copies for sale down the road. Stay tuned for that information.
I can also add we’re already working on the next expansion.
We’re giving out a bunch of these to GMs at GaryCon, which is of course where I’m at now. I’ve already seen a bunch of people here I saw last year, and though I’ve yet to play any games this week, it’s already been a blast. I’ve gotten a chance to meet and chat with Zeb Cook and Ed Greenwood among others. So yeah, lots of bucket list items off the list.
Last week I was at Gulf Wars and I’d anticipated having time on Thursday to send this particular update out. However, as you might have heard, tornadoes went across Mississippi on Saturday. They missed the Gulf Wars site, but we knew severe weather was on the way, and so we packed out and left on Friday instead of Sunday, thereby avoiding any bad weather.
For the time I was there, however, Gulf went well. I sold a little less than I wanted, but I exceeded my daily goals, so an extra two days of sales would’ve cleared all my goals.
I didn’t have huge goals for Gulf, though. I do really well at Pennsic but some of that is because I’ve been selling there for 8 years straight. I have a fan base there that I don’t have at Gulf, having last sold there in 2019. Plus, of course, Gulf is about a 3rd the size of Pennsic.
Still, it was well worth going. I made a small profit, which means I did well given that number doesn’t include follow-up ebook sales. Plus, I got to try some new innovations Gwen a’Brooke and I have been talking about for Pennsic and I got a couple of great nights of singing, which are both really valuable.
Of course, we’re still only about a month from the release of The Feasting of Vengeance, the third book in my Foresters Trilogy. I have to say I’m astounded at the reaction given that we’re already up to 76 reviews. Thanks everyone!
Whew! What an exciting last few weeks. Now, I’m going to go hang out with a bunch of gamers. Have a great week.
What I’m Listening To
Roundabout by Yes on the hotel’s Classic Rock channel. Always a nice choice.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Wyatt Earp! Among the many stories about Wyatt, I think my favorite is that he was an advisor on early western movies. One actor in particular studied him, and while I bet John Wayne would’ve done okay anyway, having Earp as an exemplar probably didn’t help.
And then there’s this quote. I really like “take your time in a hurry.”
“Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. In a gun fight… You need to take your time in a hurry.”
– Wyatt Earp
Upcoming Events
GaryCon, March 20-23, Lake Geneva, WI garycon.com/
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Gaining the Edge, the third book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. An opportunity has presented itself, and the siblings want to take advantage of it. When things don’t go as planned, though, will they still be able to gain the edge they’re looking for? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ34KZ7.
Your pre-release this week is Interstellar Gambit, the second book in Dawn Chapman’s Through Steel and Stars series. The first book in this series did outstandingly well, so if you missed it, grab it and jump in—it’s not too late! This book will have a simultaneous release in audio (to go with the ebook and paperback). Get whichever you prefer here: amazon.com/dp/B0DZK4F4TM.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 362.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 40,000
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.
Sorry about the lack of an update last week, but that’s a harbinger of things to come. I’ve been reviewing my processes, and for the time being, I’m going to try sending out my updates every other week. The nature of what I’m doing doesn’t require as many updates, at least for the moment, and I don’t want to infringe upon my subscribers’ time.
It’s a bit of a moot point over the next month or so, given my schedule. I’d miss every other weekend in March anyway, so now’s a great time to try something new for a few months.
The Feasting of Vengeance
Speaking of something new, obviously I’m ecstatic about the release of The Feasting of Vengeance. It’s already up to 41 reviews and sales are still going well, so thanks to you all!
Right now, I’m getting ready for Gulf Wars and GaryCon. I’ll be marching upcountry and downcountry and hither and yon. It’s going to be a great, if exhausting trip and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll be driving from here to Hattiesburg, MS, then up to Lake Geneva, WI.
I’ll have my booth in the heart of Merchant’s Row at Gulf, and I hope to see a bunch of you there. Then there are others who might find me at GaryCon, where I’m running modules on Thursday then relaxing and meeting people the rest of the weekend.
And, oh yeah, we might very well have hard copies of the Chentoufi primer. I’ve seen the proof and it looks amazing. I’m honored to be a part of it.
I spent this week editing several modules for the March G20 release, which will come out next month as well. What a busy time for releases right now! Kinda pretty neato if you ask me.
Finally, this past weekend was also neato. First, we had friends up to stay with us for a local SCA event. It’s the thing I miss most about our old house was hosting friends all the time, so this was delightful.
At the event, I got to hear a scroll I wrote read into court. It’s for my friend Vasilii, as you can see, and it’s in a style derived from the Russian epics like those of Ilya Muramets.
Since writing these texts were what got me into this profession in the first place, I thought I’d put it here so you could see an example. Russian epics, by the way, are reliant upon repetition to create much of the rhythm, not syllable counts, rhyme, or alliteration, so it’s different from what we’re often used to.
In the kingdom of the falcon
There lived the young Vasilii
He dressed himself handsomely
He armed himself proudly
He hunted with his bright spear
Hunted with sharp spear in southern fields
Hunted with sharp spear in east and west
Hunted with sharp spear in fields of Lilies
In open fields he fought dragons
In open fields he fought oceans
In open fields he fought white rams
He bloodied his spear for Calontir
He proved his skill to Calontir
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Calontir
So Orren Velikii Kniaz
Took Vasilii in the month of harshing
Nine and fifty years after first hunting
So Lyra Velikaia Kniaginia
Sat Vasilii in the halls of dragonflies
Where falcon host assembled
Where falcon host honed skills
They gave him dark beer
They gave him roasted deer
They gave him solemn words
Bogatyr true you are
Bogatyr mighty you are
Bogatyr axes you must wield
When they praise you in our songs
Huscarl they will call you
This We say in our songs
This We proclaim in our songs
And now, have a great couple of weeks! I’ll update from the forests of Mississippi next week.
What I’m Listening To
Inspector Lewis, one of our favorites. Frankly, the Endeavor, Morse, Lewis trilogy is really good if you like these sorts of mysteries.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and here’s one of his most inspiring quotes.
“Success is not something to wait for, it is something to work for.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This week’s release is Any Given Doomsday by Michael LaVoice, the first book in his new Gladius Leagues series. In a galaxy where humanity decommissioned its armies and navies, imagine if WWE met Monday Night Football as the way for planets to settle their grievances in a “trial by combat” methodology. And then the aliens showed up and decided to kill everyone. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DXTBNDXD.
This week’s pre-release is Reunion, the debut book for Chris Kennedy’s new Kingdom Lost series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DXD8HXGV.
Want to know what it’s about? Well, here’s the free prequel short story for Kingdom Lost that was referenced above! Get either the ebook or audio book (yes, audiophiles, it’s available in audio!) for Betrayal, the short story prequel to Kingdom Lost, here: chriskennedypublishing.com/betrayal/.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 366.4lbs
Updated Word Count: 30,000
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.
The Feasting of Vengeanceis live! This is the third book in my Foresters Trilogy, which is part of the Four Horsemen Universe.
The hunt for Kukuluki continues.
In a galaxy where treachery and double-dealing is the normal way of conducting business, Kukuluki is in a league of his own. And if you get on his bad side, like the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters have, he’ll use those skills to make sure you regret it.
The time has come for vengeance. The Foresters and their allies are arming themselves to rid the galaxy of his evil.
But first, they have to find him. Then avoid all the traps he’s surely set in their path. And then defeat all the mercs one of the richest beings in the galaxy can afford.
Both sides know the stakes. It’s time to be tenacious and versatile.
I’m really pleased with this book. It has more action than any other book I’ve written, with characters I really care about risking their lives. Spoiler alert: Not all of them survive, and I had some emotional moments during the writing process.
Again, many thanks to Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey for letting me play in their sandbox. All told, the Foresters saga will end up being over 400,000 of the best words I’ve ever written.
It’s time for a beer after that!
And I’m having one here in the hotel bar at FenCon. It’s going to be a great weekend and here’s what I’ve got planned:
Saturday2:00 PM – 3:00 PMEbony Founding Fathers and Mothers
Saturday4:00 PM – 8:00 PMGame Room Running the Okkorim 5E Module Rogue’s Gambit
Saturday10:00 PM – WheneverTerrace Bar & Grill 4HU Hangout
Sunday1:00 PM – 2:00 PMEbony Noir: The Enduring Legacy of Gritty Fiction
It’s going to be a great weekend!
This past week was not productive at all because there was so much going on. I edited some stuff for Okkorim, but didn’t get a chance to do any writing or editing of my own stuff.
Things clear up a bit when I get back next week, though. I’ll be working on some editing, dabbling on a new writing idea, and finishing some Okkorim stuff for this quarter. Plus, I’m going to do some woodworking.
But for now, I’m going to bed so tomorrow I can talk about my new release!
What I’m Listening To
Nothing actually, except the hum of machinery in the hotel.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Chuck Yeager. Here’s a quote from him that’s true of everything. You have to work at it, one way or another.
There’s no such thing as a natural-born pilot.
– Chuck Yeager
And Interstellar Pawn by Dawn Chapman, the first book in her Through Steel and Stars series. In addition to being a great story, I think it has the best CKP cover EVER. I almost stole it from her, just because. I don’t have a story for it—I just love it! “Interstellar Pawn” is also something new for CKP—it’s a LitRPG scifi novel. Give it a look here: amazon.com/dp/B0DT3GD1Q4.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 8,000
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.
A week from now, I’ll be in DFW, looking forward to an amazing Friday!
The Feasting of Vengeance
The Feasting of Vengeance comes out then and I’ll be at FenCon. What a great combination.
I look forward to seeing a number of you then. I’ll be doing a release party and a 4HU panel, plus I’ll be running Rogue’s Gambit, a module I helped write in Okkorim. Plus other panels and hanging out with a great crew down there.
This has been a week of distractions, however. It seems like every time I turn around there’s another thing going on. Kinda crazy, and I didn’t do as much as I’d hoped. Still, we did a bunch in Okkorim and I got some editing done, so it wasn’t a waste.
This weekend, I’ll be at an SCA event where I’ll step down from the position of Gold Falcon. It’s the kingdom principal herald, which basically means I’m the herald in charge of the kingdom.
I had a number of great ideas to liven up the position, and some of them went well. However, I took the job about a week before we came and looked at the house down here. Shockingly, the move and subsequent life changes took away from my work in the SCA.
That being said, I am proud of some things I did. In fact, I’ll probably publish a collection of my monthly letters. They were usually fun, whimsical discussions of heraldry. I doubt I’ll sell many of them, but as I said, I’m proud of them and I do have a small market.
It’s a little bittersweet, because it was something awesome, but it’s definitely past time for me to step down.
Anyway, time to go. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The Metro done by System of a Down. Honestly, while I love the original, this cover is so good.
Quote of the Week
It’s a really interesting day for birthdays, including Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Marley.
However, it’s also Coronation Day for Elizabeth II. In 1952. What a reign. And what a person.
When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have Opening Moves, the 2nd book in Chris Kennedy’s Symbiote Wars series. Fighting in both space and on the ground, giant monsters, and evil bad guys—it’s got it all! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DSTYXDJC.
This week’s pre-release is Interstellar Pawn by Dawn Chapman, the first book in her Through Steel and Stars series. In addition to being a great story, I think it has the best CKP cover EVER. I almost stole it from her, just because. I don’t have a story for it—I just love it! “Interstellar Pawn” is also something new for CKP—it’s a LitRPG scifi novel. Give it a look here: amazon.com/dp/B0DT3GD1Q4.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 363.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 7,000
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.
I was exhausted last week because ChattaCon was so awesome! I had a great time doing my little schtick as the Master of Toast. Thanks to Lee for letting me go wild a bit and to Brandy Spraker for showing insufficient reluctance. In fact, thanks to them and the whole ChattaCon crew, especially Regina Kirby, for granting me the honor.
One of the best parts was getting to know the other guests: Gail Z. Martin, Amy Brewer-Davenport, Delilah Dawson, and Dot Steverson. What a great group! And talented.
I got to interview Gail, which was a lot of fun, plus we were both part of a Victorian cursing panel. We used Victorian curses to write an improve story. Quite fun!
I also got to play Tales of the Valiant, a new TTRPG with Dot Steverson from the company she works for, Kobold Press. We had a blast, though anyone who lets Scott Tackett loose with is going to have fun.
It was just a blast, and again, I couldn’t be more honored to have the opportunity.
The Feasting of Vengeance
Last week was a one of recovery, which is why I didn’t get out a newsletter. However, there’s big doings coming!
The Feasting of Vengeance comes out in two weeks! I’ll be at FenCon to announce it. Take a look at the cover art!
I made it as powerful and explosive as I could, and I was really pleased with it. It’s a great conclusion to the Foresters trilogy, if I do say so myself. I won’t give a teaser, but Chris seems to agree, saying he especially liked the ending.
I think you’ll love it.
Now I’m turning my attention to events, which fill up my next couple of months. I’ll be at FenCon in two weeks, then Gulf Wars and GaryCon back to back in March.
I’m really looking forward to having a great time, but I bet I’m exhausted at the end of March.
In the meantime, I’m re-editing I Am a Wondrous Thing, which I may rename as I rewrite that entire series. I’ll release the 5 books hopefully starting later in the year after new edits and new art.
I’m also helping with Okkorim, and I’m really excited where that’s going! I keep telling you we’ve got great stuff coming, and that time nears. GaryCon is going to be amazing.
With that, I’m going to say goodbye for this week. Have a great time!
What I’m Listening To
Inspector Morse. One of my favorites of the BBC mysteries with a great curmudgeonly lead character.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Gregory Benford! His quote today has been something I’ve tried to live up to of late.
The biggest mistake is being too afraid of making one.
– Gregory Benford
Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
New Releases
This week we have House of Owls, the 6th book in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords series. Magic is back in the world, but Liam’s children have been stolen, and it’s time to act! Speaking of acting—you’re going to want to grab this book now here: amazon.com/dp/B0DTX9GR5C.
Your pre-release this week is Opening Moves, the 2nd book in my Symbiote Wars series. I’ve written over 70 books now, and this one is in my Top 5 all time. Fighting in both space and on the ground, giant monsters, and evil bad guys—it’s got it all! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DSTYXDJC.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 364.8lbs
Updated Word Count: 5,000
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.
I’m home from LibertyCon. As usual, it was the best of cons. It’s home. My biggest issue with LibertyCon is that I don’t have anywhere near enough time to catch up with everyone.
Before I get into that, I have to touch on the one true negative. The Marriott hotel was awful. I have a list of things they did badly, but suffice to say this: don’t stay there unless you have to.
But that just makes LibertyCon shine all the more. Despite the fact I know I’ll have issues with the hotel, I will stay there next year because that’s where LibertyCon is. I will go wherever LibertyCon ends up, no matter what, because the people who are a part of it are brilliant.
Let’s start with staff. It is the most organized convention around thanks to all these folks. Part of this is because so many of them have been doing it for decades. Of course they’re going to do well. They’re smart, skilled, and experienced.
However, that’s a thing in and of itself. I’ve worked in a number of organizations over the years and I’ve never seen a crew have less turnover from burnout. That suggests to me that not only do they want and enjoy what they’re doing, they process is made as easy as possible for them by the organization. They also like each other.
I’ve not seen every organization in existence, so I can’t say the LIbertyCon crew is unique, but it is unique in my experience.
In any case, my con started with a bang! William Joseph Roberts (Hillbilly) invited me to participate in the “It Came from the Trailer Park” panel which includes authors who’ve contributed to these anthologies.
Now, let me tell you, I had a lot of fun writing my story in the first one of these, but honestly, it’s been even more fun joining in on these panels. They are always a hoot! I got to riff with the Phil, Jenny, and Hillbilly who run the project and with Ian, Christopher, and a bunch of others who contributed.
And the fans! This panel was centered around the panel asking questions about their particular cryptid or monster and how rednecks would fight them. I won’t say all of the answers started with, “First, you make a roux…” but people left the panel contemplating Mothman recipes. Like one does.
As an added bonus, somebody brought Hillbilly a candy bar, the Flaming Anus chocolate bar. He loves hot stuff, so this was excellent, and perfectly appropriate given that it came in an outhouse.
I thought it surprisingly bland. Others had other opinions. I think everyone should bring Jenny Wren one. She was… um… amazed by it. We’ll go with that.
Anyway, I then spent much of the early afternoon writing and making some preparations for the party before opening ceremonies.
Side note: Opening ceremonies this time was the smooooothest I can ever recall, thanks to the amazing Kacey Ezell.
Anyway, after that, I went to one of the best panels I’ve ever been on: Worldbuilding for Epic Fantasy. You know the old line that if you can’t figure out the mug at the poker table, then you’re it? Well, I sorta felt like that here. The rest of the panel was Tim Akers (amazing), Dave Butler (amazing), Howard Andrew Jones (amazing), and Jon R. Osborne (amazing). What a lineup!
One of my favorite parts came when we talked about our foundational process. Tim talked about his background in theology, so he starts with the cosmos. Howard’s a classicist, so he looks at classical sources. I’m a medievalist, so I look at medieval ones. Jon looks at mythologies and religions, but on a less grand scale than Tim, and then there’s Dave, who’s extremely philosophical as well as brilliant.
That panel was the first of a long stretch. I went from that panel to cover the New Mythology portion of the CKP Year Ahead. We had a great audience for that, including a number of new faces.
However, at the time that started, I was supposed to be in the Author’s Alley, so I immediately ran back up to the Author’s Alley to set up. I’d prepositioned tanks near the Fulda Gap… err… my books near the area, so it went fairly quickly. I then spent until 11pm chatting with folks and selling a few books. Author’s Alley is nice even without selling, by the way, but it’s a bit of an oasis for actual conversations at times.
In any case, as I was hosting a party, my room was on the party floor. That meant I could stroll down a couple of rooms for a beverage and a bit of hanging out, but that didn’t last too long.
Saturday started with the Guest of Honor Brunch banquet. I always really enjoy it because again, I get to have actual conversations with a fairly random group of folks. I had a great table, as usual, and we talked about a huge variety of things. I suggest it to most people as it’s really good networking.
After that I did a Costco run to get food for the party. Chris had gotten the beer already, so I got ice as well. By 3pm, I’d basically laid out everything for the party that could be out of the refrigerator and arranged the room.
Then I was off to my reading alongside Dan Kemp. Neither of us expected anyone there as it was against the Baen Roadshow, but we actually had half a dozen. We both read from works in progress, mine being from The Feasting of Vengeance.
We had some time to chat after our readings before the panel ended, which was nice. I really enjoy chatting with Dan, who’s done a bunch of stuff in his life, but he’s often in a crowd so you don’t always get to hear him.
After that I rested for a bit, got dinner, and did the final preparations for our release party at 8pm. The party went great, I think. We were still going around 230am. I got about the right amount of food and drink. A little left over but not too much.
And there were chats! Lots and lots of chats. Good times for all of us, I think. If we hadn’t been on the party floor, I know we’d have gotten a noise complaint.
Side note: I really like how they do parties at LibertyCon. They put them all on the 3rd floor, which has only one wing of rooms. So it’s all concentrated there and can spill out into the hallway without issue. No noise complaint stuff either, plus there’s a bathroom in that hall to add to those in the rooms. Really, it’s nice just knowing that if you go onto 3rd after 8ish, you’ll find folks to hang out with.
Sunday was a slooooowwww day. I was supposed to go to the Kaffeeklatsch at 10am, but even though I kicked everyone out by 230am, I didn’t actually get to sleep until something like 5. Instead I rested and puttered. I did my book signing at 2pm, then put stuff in the car. By 6pm, I was at Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse with a crew having gotten nearly everything packed.
Then there was the Dead Dog party. This is always delightful, as it’s a chance for people to hang out again. For myself, I played a game of Munchkin with Brandy Hendren (con chair) and Matthew Fanny (who runs registration). I won and got to preen. Great time.
I think it’s interesting to note just how many people were there on Thursday and Sunday nights. These bookend nights aren’t needed to participate in the con, but they are brilliant opportunities to be with friends and this adopted family. It’s such a credit to the LibertyCon folks that there were literally hundreds of people on both nights choosing (in many cases, eagerly) to spend $100s in order to be a part of it.
And as I look back at this AAR, what jumps out to me is just how awesome it is to be in this crew. I never see everyone. In fact, I know Sarah and Daniel Hoyt were at LibertyCon but I literally never saw them. Not even in passing. Talk about ghosts in the night. Maybe Sarah needs to add LibertyCon to her list of places in the Tales of the Muses Darling series. Either way, this place is about awesome people.
Monday I drove home. It took a while. I took breaks. I got home eventually. That’s about all I can say, though I did enjoy listening to Path of the Fury by David Weber again. I always find that book funny because the tactical commander for the bad guys is named Howell and the main bad guy’s name is the same as someone who totally had spanking rights when I was young. I’ll not say the name, as I don’t want to ruin the mystery, but yeah, it’s an ironic connection. I would’ve liked that book anyway without that ironic connection, but more is more!
And with that, another LibertyCon is in the books. I’ve already committed to running a party at LibertyCon 2025.
I’m at LibertyCon after a I made a winding trip here. I caught the UFL championship game in St. Louis with some friends I haven’t seen in a while. Then I went to Townsend, TN, which is the Smoky Mountains, for some writing and recharge time. Then spent this morning with a leisurely drive on blue highways to Chattanooga. Honestly a delightful trip.
I got work done here and there. I’m approaching 30k in The Feasting of Vengeance. I was hoping to have more writing time today, but check in at the hotel did not go smoothly. Like a train wreck.
But I’m in my room now getting ready to head out and see folks! It’s good to be among my tribe. Because of that, it’s a short update, so you all have a great week.
I know I will. I’m at LibertyCon!
What I’m Listening To
Nothing except the hotel AC. It’s the first thing I do after I’ve gotten my stuff inside.
Quote of the Week
Happy 99th birthday to perhaps the greatest warrior in America’s history. Certainly, Audie Murphy is the most decorated.
He also suffered from his experiences, not only dealing with PTSD himself but also trying to help others, especially Korean and Vietnam vets, deal with coming home.
A true hero.
“No soldier ever really survives a war.”
– Audie Murphy
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I am woven by wyrd My warp and weft tight on life’s loom
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Dragon’s Tidings
If you’re at LibertyCon, hit me up! We’re offering a code for 20% off for those interested in quilting I talk to at the con.
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have a pre-release from A.J. Gordon and Peter J. Aldin. It’s entitled Iconic and it’s the start of their new series, the Outer Reaches. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HBPPS.
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.
Eighty years ago. Utah. Omaha. Gold. Juno. Sword. The names still linger in our memory. The tributes today are amazing.
Also amazing is the successful Starship launch from Space X. I have long looked at NASA and despaired of making it to the stars. Thanks to Elon Musk for pushing us down that road.
That being said, it’s been a down week here. Seasonal allergies/cold have knocked me back. Worse, they make it hard to sleep, so my brain’s been foggy. I got almost no writing and only a little editing done this week. I’m better today than I have been and if I get a good night’s sleep tonight, I think I’ll be able to rock and roll again tomorrow.
I did get a number of projects done this week that are ancillary or don’t require brainpower. Might as well do them when I simply can’t think up words.
But for now, I’m going to keep things short and sweet. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. I love the way this song trips off the tongue.
Quote of the Week
It’s almost impossible to imagine just what D-Day was like for those troops in the first wave. The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan was a glimpse. Then there’s things like this. Wow.
“They’re murdering us here. Let’s move inland and get murdered.” – Colonel Charles D. Canham, 116th Infantry Regiment commander, on Omaha Beach
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I dash to and fro Daring dire perils
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
This week’s snippet is Chapter Two of The Feasting of Vengeance.
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.
A pretty productive week here despite taking some time off for Memorial Day. Once again, thanks to the memory of those who sacrificed for us all.
I’m over 20k on The Feasting of Vengeance and it’s still flowing smoothly. It’s a blast to write, will be just as much a blast to read with as many blasts, explosions, and rounds downrange as I can fit inside.
I Smell a Rat
And there’s more in the Foresters saga coming! July 12th, we have Bureau 42, which includes I Smell a Rat by myself and Dan Bridgwater. Check out the amazing image Dan made using the cool cover art!
Also this week, I received Responsibility of the Fleet, book 3 in G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Endless Ocean series. I don’t have a firm release date, but I’m excited to see this amazing trilogy get finished. Don’t have the first two? Get them here: amazon.com/dp/B095CXTH85.
I also spent this week catching up on some smaller projects. I’ve needed to update the cards I hand out at events, so here’s the front and back. As you can see, they’re much flashier than the Firehall Sagas cards I was handing out, plus it’s got all my relevant social media and Amazon details. I really like how they turned out.
I did a goodly amount of Okkorim work as well. By the way, there’s some special stuff coming out soon that I can’t wait to talk about from some folks you might already know. Exciting times!
Man, I’m enjoying having all this work. I’ve had times in my life where I didn’t have enough to do and I much prefer it this way.
Nothing, actually. I was only going to sit down and do a short task, so didn’t pop up my MP3 player, but got to doing things and didn’t notice until now.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Mel Blanc! He’s be 116 today.
It’s amazing just how good Looney Tones really was. Great characters. Good stories. Images that remain with us.
“We didn’t make pictures for children. We didn’t make pictures for adults. We made them for ourselves”
– Mel Blanc
Rob’s Riddles
Like challenges? Think you’re smarter than me? Then see if you can answer my riddles!
You can find them by signing up for my Patreon here: patreon.com/rhodri2112. Not sure what I mean? Then check the sample riddle and see if you get the answer!
First Line of Current Riddle:
I dash to and fro Daring dire perils
But wait, there’s more! You get new riddles on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, but on the other Tuesdays, you get snippets of works in progress.
The current snippet is Chapter 1 of The Feasting of Vengeance.
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
New stuff from Bill Fawcett and Casey Moores! It’s the second book in Bill’s Blood and Armor series called No Fail. Get it here:https://amazon.com/dp/B0D3VLLPB6.
Your pre-release this week is from Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy. It’s The Conqueror’s Promise, the third book in their amazing Ashes of Entecea series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HTN4M/.
Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 372.0lbs
Updated Word Count: 107,439
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.
So much going on at New Mythology Press right now. First, Paladins of Valorcame out on the 19th Thanks to all who’ve already bought it and reviewed it. If you haven’t gotten it yet, get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/.
We have another release to talk about! On May 14th, we’re releasing Ruriksaga by yours truly.
This is a companion volume in the Firehall Sagas. What’s a companion volume, I hear you asking. Great question!
Ruriksaga
A companion volume is collection of cool things related to the universe. In this case, it’s six previously published short stories plus a brand new one. But wait, there’s more. There are also a variety of worldbuilding documents I created as part of building up the world of Eard including, shockingly enough, a poem I wrote called the Ruriksaga.
There are a whole bunch of hints of what’s coming there, including some really cool maps (Thanks Sean Stallings!). It’s a peak behind the curtain, including my commentary on some things. Basically, it’s a bunch of stuff I love to get from writers about series I can’t get enough of. I want to be the writer who matches the kind of writer I admire, so here’s stuff I like.
The Ruriksaga is out on May 14th, as I said!
I am back on the horse, so to speak. I’m fully recovered from both getting back from all the trips and cutting off caffeine for a time. I’m allowing myself a little caffeine again and, hey, it works again. Good thing because there’s lots to do.
I did a bunch of publicity stuff this week, along with making solid progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. You won’t really see it in the word count but I went ahead and did a Save the Cat beat sheet for it. Save the Cat has a basic outline format that occasionally gets me going, and to be honest, a challenge to The Feasting of Vengeance is both to conclude the trilogy while doing things I haven’t done yet.
Spoiler alert: The Save the Cat idea added some huge moments. You might say it went nuclear.
I also edited another scenario in Okkorim, which is now available for some Patreon subscribers (patreon.com/GaxxWorx).
Lots of fun stuff going on, too. Today is the 3rd birthday of the New Mythology Discord Channel. Send me an email if you’re interested in joining.
I’m also doing a couple cool things in Anthony. First, this weekend, on May the 4th, David Birdsall is coming in to run Star Wars RPG and the Outer Rim board game before we all go watch Star Wars: A New Hope at the 1936 movie theater here.
And on that now, I’ll bid you adieu. And, of course, May the 4th be with you!
What I’m Listening To
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. This might be my favorite Zeppelin song, though Ten Years Gone and Stairway to Heaven are right up there. This version is the Physical Graffiti original release, but the best version in my mind is the Page and Plant release with doumbeks and bunch of other things thrown it.
Quote of the Week
I’ve become more and more of a fan of the Rock over the years. A bunch of that is him bringing back the XFL (now UFL) since I’m a fan of the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Anyway, his story is pretty interesting and this is a quote that’s relevant to writing, especially writing a novel. Also, happy birthday.
I’ve learned over the years that when it comes to success, consistency is key. Consistent hard work that we may not like doing today, but for a payoff we’ll love tomorrow. Earn it. Enjoy it.
– Dwayne Johnson
Dragon’s Tidings
Come by on Saturday for Star Wars gaming! May the 4th be with you.
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
Your release this week is The King’s Daughter by Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy is out! This is book 2 in the Ashes of Entecea series which is going to be our next big shared world, I think. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D2JYKN61.
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.
The best part of FantaSci for me was to be with the portion of the tribe I’ve not had a chance to see since LibertyCon, really. That crew is awesome and it was just too long since I’d seen them.
Paladins of Valor
The Paladins of Valorrelease went very well! Thanks to all who’ve already bought it and reviewed it. If you haven’t gotten it yet, get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CY9T4DHG/.
At FantaSci, we announced this is the last of the Valor anthologies for the foreseeable future. They’ve been awesome, but it’s time for New Mythology to shift its focus.
If you read the FantaSci AAR, you basically cover my week since the last update. I’ve been recovering the past two days, so I didn’t do much writing or editing. I did get a project done in Okkorim, however. You’ll get it soon if you’re in the GaxxWorx Patreon.
That being said, the last six weeks have been weak on the writing/editing side since I’ve been on the road so much. I actually had planned to go to Foolzcon this weekend, but I just don’t want to drive anywhere. In fact, I’m basically down to local stuff up until LibertyCon. I need the break.
There will be some fun doings here in Anthony, though. May 18th is BalloonFest, which should be awesome. I will have more to say on that in upcoming weeks. Also, David Birdsall is joining us to run some Star Wars game on May the 4th, then we watch Star Wars: A New Hope in the 1936 art deco theater here. Gonna be a great day.
And look here, I’m officially part of Harper County! I’m on the list of local authors at the Harper City Library: harper.scklslibrary.info/local-author-links/. Thanks to the folks at the library for doing that!
And with that, I’m off to start another project.
What I’m Listening To
Icarus Dream Suite 4 performed by Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s basically Adagio in G Minor, and Yngwie is, above all else, a master at turning classical music into metal.
Quote of the Week
April 25th is an interesting day for birthdays, including Oliver Cromwell, Guglielmo Marconi, Meadowlark Lemon, and Al Pacino. However, it’s also the birthday of La Marseillaise.
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons
– La Marseillaise
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week we have Never Again, the first book in Bill Fawcett’s new Blood and Armor series. I’m incredibly stoked to have Bill in the CKP crew. Get this one here: amazon.com/dp/B0CW18N86G.
Your pre-release this week is The King’s Daughter by Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy is out! This is book 2 in the Ashes of Entecea series which is going to be our next big shared world, I think. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D2JYKN61.
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.
I have successfully returned from FantaSci and mostly recovered.
Actually, that’s not true. I’m not recovered. I’m also not recovered from GaryCon really. Frankly, I’m beat and FantaSci was a perfect example.
First, I had a great time, when I had the gumption. However, I just didn’t have enough to stay going late into the night as is my wont. I went to bed before 11 most nights, which meant I missed much of what I went to FantaSci for.
Of course, I didn’t really plan FantaSci well. In fact, I didn’t do anything right. Here’s a lesson, kids. When you go to a con, pre-register, register for a hotel room, and send a message to the programming folks. I didn’t do any of that. Fortunately, thanks to a variety of people, things worked out great, but I completely dropped the ball.
I rode out with David Birdsall, who is in Paladins of Valor. He’s new to the author business and I was pleased to see him get some great experience at the con.
We got out to the hotel Thursday afternoon. A bunch of us went to dinner and I finally had a chance to hang out with Chris for the first time in a while. Then came the only night I stayed awake for any length of time. I had a good time, even finally getting a chance to chat with Kevin J. Anderson. We talked Rush and IPAs, two thing we’re both fans of.
Friday morning I completed the New Mythology portion of the CKP presentation. Then I rested until my first panel.
Sharp readers will have caught that I didn’t register for panels, but Chris got overbooked so I took two of his. Plus, there was the CKP Year Ahead, What’s Happening in the 4HU, and the Paladins of Valor release panel so I ended up speaking in five, which is about right.
Anyway, the first panel I was on was “Hey, Do You Remember When?” This panel talked about older TV shows, and ended being a fun reminiscence of our favorite cool things about a number of great shows. If a panel isn’t necessarily about how to be a writer, it should be this sort of thing that celebrates what’s great in SF/F. A really fun time.
My next panel was “Is The Book Always Better?” Obviously, the answer to this is, “No, the movie is sometimes better.” To me, the book is usually better but there are times, usually revolving around some aspect of the cinematography or, more often, a truly memorable performance, like those in The Princess Bride. Rarely, as in The 13th Warrior, is the movie simply better than the book all around.
The last panel of the day was the CKP Year Ahead. Here we talked about a number of things, including the news that I’m opening things up for more novel/trilogy submissions from June 1-10th. More details at chriskennedypublishing.com/2024/04/25/new-mythology-open-call/.
Saturday was mostly centered around selling at the author’s alley, which is graciously provided by the con. During this, I popped in to talk about The Feasting ofVengeance, the conclusion to the Foresters story. I swear I’ll have it done in the fall.
Then came the Paladins of Valor release panel. We had David Birdsall, Edie Skye, Jon R. Osborne, Hailey Gregor, David Shadoin, and Nathan Balyeat there.
Not present, sadly, was Dave Butler, but Chris DeBoe had brought some giveaway copies In the Palace of Shadow and Joy, the first Indrajit and Fix novel. Indrajit and Fix are the only characters to have appeared in all 7 anthologies thus far put out by New Mythology Press. Dave’s a delight to work for, so it was awesome we could give out some of his books.
Anyway, we announced that, for now, this was the last Valor anthology. We’ve had a fantastic run, achieved all my goals, and I’m really proud of what we did. However, both Chris and I want to focus on longer form stuff. With the hiatus in FantaSci, which was announced by the con at closing ceremonies, it seems a good time to turn our attention away from the Valor anthologies.
Does this mean New Mythology won’t do anthologies in the future? Not at all, just that we’re aiming more at getting novels on the release schedule in 2025 and going forward.
I spent the rest of the day socializing as much as I could, but I just didn’t have a ton of energy and went to bed 11ish.
Sunday was another stint on the author’s alley, then I got to do something I’ve wanted to do for a while: visit Baen Headquarters. It’s a really neat place. A dangerous place for someone who loves SF/F. Thanks to Jason Cordova for the invite and the care package!
After that, I had lunch with my aunt. It was great to see her, but it was tough because it’s the first time I’ve seen her since my uncle passed away. I’d like to see her more often, but North Carolina is a hike.
Finally, I spent the evening hanging out with folks in the lobby. It was a relaxing, fun time to just chat. I’ve said it before, the best time of cons is the night before things start and the night of the dead dog. These are the times where the pressure of going hither and yon are gone, so you just chat. And plot. Great stuff.
On Monday at 4:45am, David and I got back on the road. By leaving that early, we missed traffic in Louisville and most of the traffic in St. Louis. I dropped him off at 5:30pm. I anticipated getting a hotel along the way, or at least getting power naps, but David drove across most of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, so I was far fresher than normal.
I made it home late Monday/early Tuesday and here on Thursday I’m starting to get back into the groove. Despite the fatigue, I’m always more enthused and excited about work after spending time with Chris.
Anyway, there’s my FantaSci AAR. Time to get writing.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been with this tribe. Not since LibertyCon, so nigh unto 10 months. I’ve really missed these folk and been looking forward to getting here.
Of course, you can lay your hands on (see what I did there) Paladins of Valor tomorrow! Check out the awesome art and the amazing list of authors in the Table of Contents. It’s really awesome.
One of the people I’m most looking forward to seeing is Chris Kennedy. He’s made all this happen and it’s too long since I bought him a beverage.
Most of this week has been about logistics, both getting to the event (which is a decent drive) or things for the store, but I did get a really cool thing written for Okkorim over the weekend. As usual, I can’t talk details, but I can say it’ll be one of the ways innovative DMs will make Okkorim their own.
I’m sure I have more to say, but I’m at a con and I’m getting distracted. Shocking, I now. Catch you all next week!
What I’m Listening To
The sound of friends chatting in the hotel lobby. Pretty darn awesome.
Quote of the Week
On this day in 1943, the plane holding Isoruku Yamamoto was shot down. You’ve probably heard the famous quote by him, but here’s another along the same vein.
“A military man can scarcely pride himself on having smitten a sleeping enemy; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten.”
– Isoroku Yamamoto
Pennsic War, July 26 – August 11, Slippery Rock, PA pennsicwar.org/
ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN chattacon.org/ I’m the Toastmaster!
New Releases
This week’s release is Prince Dominator, the eighth book in Fred Hughes’ Prince of Britannia series. Hazard has taken the Sol System… but will he be able to hold onto it while getting the information back to Britannia? Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0D19WN6HN.
Your pre-release this week is Never Again is the first book in Bill Fawcett’s new Blood and Armor series. Bill Fawcett? THE Bill Fawcett who’s list of accomplishments in SF is a mile long? That one?
They defend the weak, no matter the time, place, or foe.
They stand up for others in the cold dark of space, the dusty Wild West, and lands of mystical empires.
They fight with any weapon that can help them save those behind them, whether it’s battlemechs, magic, swords, or even Sharps rifles. Along the way, they discover they can be more than they ever thought.
So come join us as we visit, in fourteen great stories, the worlds of Hanuvar, the Black Company, Kish, the Milesian Accords, and more great universes because there are always those who stand up for those who can’t.
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.
Another productive week in Robland. I did a bunch of work in Okkorim, completed the bulk of the behind the scenes work on Paladins of Valor, and organized a bunch of books donated by a local library.
Side note: We have a bunch of new romance, westerns, and young adult, plus many other titles in different genres. The sweetie glommed on to the cookbooks. Sorry.
The big thing this week, of course, was the prep for Planet Comicon this weekend. It’s at Bartle Hall in KC, and if you’re in the area, come chat. I’ll be the big guy wearing a Rush shirt. If that’s not enough, my booth number is 1746.
I’ve actually got a fantastic location this year. I got a corner spot, which was generous of them. It’s close to the West Dock, which is fantastic from a logistics perspective. Plus, there’s a restroom about as close as I could hope.
Gonna be a great weekend!
One note on Paladins of Valor. I sent the art to Chris Kennedy so he’d have it when the time came to upload. His response, in his best Captain Kirk voice, was, “That. Is. GORGEOUS!”
As usual, he’s absolutely correct. Cover reveal in a few weeks.
Most of this week’s writing and editing focused on Okkorim, however. We have a bunch of content coming out in March, including 3 new modules plus a slew of other Okkorim content.
And we’re just ramping up. We’re making a whole new world and I’m so honored to be a part of it. If you want to see it grow, join the Gaxxworx Patreon at: patreon.com/GaxxWorx.
With that, I’ll wish you a great week. I’ve at least a couple hours to throw some words at the page in one of my most productive places ever. More on that in a moment.
Have a great week!
What I’m Listening To
Longtime readers will have some idea just how many days I spent in Brewbakers over the last decade.
Well, since I’m in KC for Planet Comicon, I get a chance to claim my booth for a day.
So I’m listening to the overhead random music they play. Just now, they had Call Me by Blondie. A favorite song from my past. And, of course, Debbie Harry. Happy sigh.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Elizabeth Moon! She’s one of my favorite writers. Her space opera Heris Serrano series is brilliant and her Deeds of Paksenarrion series is even better. It is one of those series *every* fantasy author should read just to see her breathtaking skill and attention to detail.
Anyway, here’s her paying attention to, well, you’ll know when you read it.
“Sometimes I wonder how normal normal people are, and I wonder that most in the grocery store.”
― Elizabeth Moon
Dragon’s Tidings
OMG, we have so much new stock. A bunch of the fabric that’s been on order arrived. Send best wishes to our poor FedEx guy who had to push it all into the building.
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.
I’m going to post a number of pictures today of the store. Most of this week has been spent getting ready for the open house, so here’s some of the cool things we got.
Let’s start with the fun part! We have signs, and here’s the picture of the front of our building plus all the Grand Opening details.
We Have SignsThe signs rock, but let’s see what we have inside.
Here’s what we’ve got in the entryway! Some swag (our cups came out so well), and some other cool stuff.
Front Display
We have an amazing Christmas Tree thanks to Mockingbird Flowers here in Anthony.
Christmas Tree
Check out this awesome Saint Nick Quilt!
Saint Nick Quilt
Now let’s look at our book displays starting with the Chris Kennedy Publishing Display. Such an honor to be a part of this crew.
CKP Display
Here’s a display of my books!
Rob Howell Display
Here’s a display of some great New Mythology Press stuff that I’ve had the honor to work with. At the bottom, so amazing alien romances from C.V. Walter!
New Mythology Press Display
But where would we be without our friends! Here’s a display showing off a bunch of the cool stuff from Raconteur Press!
Raconteur Press Display
And finally, thanks to Baen Books for sending swag to give out! They’re great folks, and here’s a small display showing some of the used Baen Books we have!
Baen Books Display
Well, I hope that was fun for you guys! We’re ecstatic and hope you can come visit someday, even if it’s not during our open house tomorrow.
New Mythology Works in Progress
I had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners of this year’s open call for Paladins of Valor. So many stories I wanted to publish, but here are the four I finally selected as the best.
Your pre-release this week is something new in the Four Horsemen Universe. It’s Thicker Than Water from Michael Morton and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CQ5TC144.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 360.2
Updated Word Count: 372,565
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.
Another productive week in Rob world. The big success was getting the quilt store’s website live. It’s here: reddragonquilts.com/.
Then I did a bunch for our Grand Opening. Expect to see a number of posts on Facebook about the opening, but here’s the ad that’ll be in the Anthony Republican.
Oh, hey, there’s another new website! Chris Kennedy Publishing has its own shop. It’s got some things, but lots more to come. Check it out here: chriskennedypublishing.com/shop/.
On the writing front, I’ve been focusing on a short story due for a new Four Horsemen anthology. I’m getting close to having it done. I aim to have it finished by the end of next week.
Once I’m done with that, I’m turning my focus to The Feasting of Vengeance. I’m about a year behind on that project, like much of the other things in my life. However, I hope to turn it over in the spring.
I also finished a project in the world of Okkorim and sent that off. I’ve started the next phase on that, though only dabbling so far.
I mentioned a couple of weeks that I’m working on learning Facebook ads. I’m making progress, but it’s slow, in part because you have to try an ad or two, see the results, then adjust. Definitely a learning experience.
I’ve got another advertising thing coming, and it includes a Christmas present to all of you. More on that in a week or two.
Just know that I’m honored you guys read my updates and I’ll try and keep them informative and entertaining.
With that, I’m going to get more writing done.
What I’m Listening To
Seahawks against the Cowboys. Was there any doubt?
Happenings in Anthony
Walking back from trivia yesterday, we got a chance to see the downtown all lit up with Christmas lights. It’s not a huge display, but it’s cool. You should come visit.
Quote of the Week
Today is one of the hardest days of the year to find a quote. I mean, seriously, there are 365 days in the year. Why do 2 of the top 5 quote machines ever (Winston Churchill and Mark Twain) have to be born on this day?
So you get two quotes. Sorry, not sorry.
“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
– Mark Twain
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
– Winston Churchill
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.
It’s the 2nd Thursday of Pennsic and that means one thing: It’s the day after Moonlight Madness, which means everything is slow in the merchant area.
Moonlight Madness is as much roaming around with friends in the merchant area as it is a shopping time. We had a great evening, with a lot of traffic interested in our vine-ripened, organic, dolphin-safe madness, so it was a lot of fun.
Overall, Pennsic has been incredibly busy. My writing output is nowhere near what I expected, but that’s because we’ve sold way more than ever. In fact, on Monday, we’d sold more than we had at any previous Pennsic. There were several irregular expenses for this Pennsic having to do with the new trailer and other such things so I hoped to break even. We did way better than that.
I got 20 copies of A Lake Most Deep and I sold them. In fact, I had people coming up asking for The Eyes of a Doll. And Where Now the Rider. So all that is exciting.
That being said, I did make some progress on Farewell, My Ugly. I got through an editing pass to catch up with where I’d lost track during the move, and I added a number of scenes to conclude various threads. I’d hoped to be in the 90s by the end of the week, but the 80s with a lot of sales will have to do.
I also had quite a bit of interest in Rob’s Riddles. Obviously, more subscribers there would be very nice.
I entitled this Madness Recovery Program, but the truth is there’s so much left to do before leaving, that program will have to start when we get home. We have the kingdom party tonight then the long process of packing out. I should be on the road Saturday morning and it’ll be good to get back to the kitties.
With that, I better take care of the customers coming into my store.
What I’m Listening To
Conversations around the merchant area, like last week. It’s a beautiful day here and people are strolling about enjoying the last couple of days of Pennsic. A pair of friends are warping the last two looms I have for sale, and they’re talking weaving stuff that is way too complicated for me.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull! That’s one of my favorite bands ever, which is probably not a real surprise.
This quote is from Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day, which is in my top 10 songs of all time.
“You were bred for humanity and sold to society.
One day you’ll wake up in the present day,
a million generations removed from the expectations
of being who you really want to be.”
– Jethro Tull, Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day
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.
Your pre-release this week is more MilSF awesomeness! It’s Stand on Xanadu, book 9 in John E. Siers’ amazing Lunar Free State series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0CF441GQ7.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 352.0
Updated Word Count: 208,641
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.
I’m at Pennsic! The shop is set up and I’ve been selling. Going to be a fascinating year as this is Pennsic 50.
I had a great week. Obviously, it’s been a week or so since A Lake Most Deep, book 1 of the Firehall Sagas, came out. Thanks to all who helped, including especially Larry Correia, for contributing to such a great release.
It was a bit challenging to keep abreast of comments and other things on social media as I literally got on the road on release day. However, it meant that at stops I had the pleasant task of checking and answering. Again, thanks very much.
The Eyes of a Doll
Of course, at New Mythology, we set things up so we put out a bunch of books in a series in quick succession, so today I’m giving you the cover reveal for book 2, The Eyes of a Doll, which comes out on August 29th.
Jake has done a great job again on this cover and I’m honored to get to work with him.
As mentioned, I left for Pennsic last week and was setting up Friday afternoon. For a variety of reasons, setup this year was particularly hard and complicated. I didn’t really recover until yesterday morning, in fact, though part of that was the effort to run and clean up my yearly bardic circle.
However, I’m here at the shop now, fully operational and selling like a madman.
As you can see, I have books, including more on the shelf perpendicular to the main table, pottery from Lobster Rose pottery, looms, yarn, and even some wooden folding chairs.
A goodly selection, if I do say so myself.
I’ve gotten a bunch of editing done on Farewell, My Ugly, plus some quasi-outlining I hope to write tomorrow during the slow times. Overall, I’ve made good progress on the book given the challenges, and I’m excited how it’s going.
And in fact, I’m going to throw some words on the page now.
What I’m Listening To
Conversations in the merchant area as I sit here inside my tent.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Ernie Pyle!
“I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the end they are the guys that wars can’t be won without.”
– Ernie Pyle
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.
Also, Chris has a variety of special announcements this week on his mailing list, too many for me to list here. There are books on sale, new audiobooks, and he needs launch team readers. Go here to become a part of his email list: chriskennedypublishing.com/newsletter/.
Side note, I could also use more launch team readers, so send me an email at rob@chriskennedypublishing.com to get added to the list.
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.
It’s Wednesday, which is about right. I need at least a few days to recover from the awesomeness that is LibertyCon. I hated missing it last year, but I suppose I made the right choice. I am still married, after all.
Anyway, before I get going into my weekend, I want to take a moment to thank all the crew at LibertyCon. Brandy Hendren is a rock star among rock stars, and her crew is the single best organized con crew out there. I deal mostly with Rich Groller (programming) Matthew Fanny (gate) because I never get a chance to go to the best con suite around (Vonn Gants and crew), the art show (Ann Robards), or the game room (Misty Kat Gutierrez-Waller). And that doesn’t count all the behind the scenes folks.
That crew is amazing, but it’s not really a surprise. We often talk about how much LibertyCon is a family, and this is the core of the family. They’ve all done the job for a while, helping their family members have a great time.
I thank them all the time, but it’s really never enough.
Anyway, I was so ready for LibertyCon that last Tuesday night I couldn’t sleep. It was like Christmas Eve, so I gave up the ghost, got up at 430am and was on the road by 5 to Murfreesboro, my stop on the way. It’s good to have friends to crash with, especially when they make chicken and mashed potatoes for a weary traveler.
I got to the hotel early on Thursday and did a bunch of work in the room before heading down to the lobby.
The lobby at the LibertyCon hotel on Thursday night is a trap. A great trap, a wonderful trap, a trap worthy of Grimtooth, but a trap nonetheless.
There are friends there I haven’t seen in at least a year, lots of them! I flitted from friend to friend, getting snatches of conversation, talking business, the past year, beer, writing, and all the other things in swirling conversations that make the Thursday night at LibertyCon one of the single most important days of the year professionally.
We closed down the bar and then went to a room party. This was an oft-used plan by many at the bar. Marriott might want to reconsider closing the bar right at midnight.
Friday was breakfast at the City Cafe. Sadly, they’re being forced to move a few blocks away. It’s a shame as it was only a block away from the hotel and it is really good.
Then I got into panels starting at 1pm. This was the Out of the Trailer Park anthologies panel led by William Joseph Roberts. He’s a really smart dude and the driving force behind Three Ravens Publishing. If you haven’t checked that company out, do so. They’re really good.
Anyway, I’m not saying I committed myself to writing a redneck version of Beowulf, but I committed myself to writing a redneck version of Beowulf for a future anthology.
After that, I was generally off until 8pm and my Author’s Alley stint from 8pm to 10pm. I was really pleased with how this went. I only sold 4 books, but I talked to a bunch of folks and that’ s a big part of why I do those slots.
More importantly, I had bought a rolling toolbox to make setup and teardown go smoothly. It holds 4 stacks of books, so about 40 or so without difficulty. It also came with a smaller case that holds promo and setup stuff like the Wandering Signature Chart and the big d20. I can bungee two racks on top and it was really easy, so that’ll be a help going forward.
I was originally scheduled to be on Author’s Alley until 11pm, but the CKP Year Ahead panel went from 9pm to 11pm, and I skipped my last hour (actually I donated it to Cedar Sanderson, who couldn’t make the con) to go do the New Mythology portion of the presentation.
And that’s where I lost my name.
I showed up to find they were mostly through the New Mythology portion and that Kacey Ezell had impersonated me. Apparently, she’s a better me than me.
A Hope In Hell
So I took her tiara and tagged in. I got there in time for not one, but two cover reveals. The first was for A Hope in Hell, the conclusion to the Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy by Christopher G. Nuttall. This comes out on July 11th and it’s the post-magical-apocalypse swords and sorcery series you didn’t know you’d love but you will. The art, by the way, was done by Laercio Messias.
Then came the most exciting part of the presentation. I’m re-releasing all of my books under New Mythology Press starting with A Lake Most Deep on July 25th. This is the first of the Edwardsaga, the fantasy mystery series.
The Firehall Sagas schedule starts like this:
July 25th: A Lake Most Deep
August 29th: The Eyes of a Doll
October 3rd: Where Now the Rider
November 7th and every 5 weeks afterward for a good while, something else.
No surprise that I’m excited. These books have updated art, maps, new edits, and a better layout. Basically, I’m taking all that I’ve learned over the last decade and refreshing them. I’ve said a number of times that while I love A Lake Most Deep because I created good characters, a great setting, and a challenging mystery, I didn’t execute the writing well. No surprise there, it was my first novel. Now, however, I’m as proud of the writing as I am the story and this is true for all the rest.
A Lake Most Deep
Did I mention art? Here’s the other cover reveal. This art is by J. Caleb Designs, one of my favorite cover artists around. I think you can see why. It’s much the same cover as before, but it’s so much more energetic and strong.
On top of this, I’ve been pleased to get a couple of blurbs from other authors. Glen Cook, yes that Glen Cook, the one who wrote the Garrett, PI series, said A Lake Most Deep is “a damn fine read.”
Yes, my head exploded when I got that email.
Also, at LibertyCon, Larry Correia gave me a writer blurb: “Rob mixes intrigue, murder, and magic in to his own cool blend.” Plus, Dave Butler agreed to get me a blurb as well. I’m honored by their trust and hope to live up to everything they expect of me.
Back to LibertyCon. Following the CKP panel, we had a CKP YouTube internet thing. This was a hoot. I sat in the back and heckled, not that it needed my heckling to be hilarious. Check it out here: youtube.com/watch?v=x35cP0ir34M. Uhhh, not safe for work, or your ribs from laughing too hard.
Saturday started with the brunch. We had a fun table including Gary Shelton the donut god, Ann Margaret Lewis (who’s releasing her first CKP title soon), and Scott Huggins, writer of the Responsibility series.
The theme for our table was, “Dammit, Scott!!!” The banquet was set up so each table would go up in succession, with the table number drawn randomly. Scott said he had terrible luck with this sort of thing and we’d go last, so every time another table was called, we yelled, “Dammit, Scott!!!” Then Scott McIntosh-Mize got in line and we yelled it at him too. He was appropriately confused. Then they said the last table to be called would get a prize, so we yelled “Dammit, Scott!!!” when we were second to last. We may have had to wait, but we had more fun than all the other tables.
Scott’s working on book 3 in his Responsibility series right now, by the way.
At noon I had a reading with Patrick Chiles. He’s a hard SF author writing with Baen and his first reading reminded me of Inherit the Stars, at least it had the same sort of awesome puzzle from James P. Hogan. That’s still one of my favorite books, even if some of the scientific basis hasn’t entirely held up in the nearly 50 years since it came out.
For myself, I read the new first chapter of A Lake Most Deep, which is much stronger then the first chapter of Farewell, My Ugly.
Then I had another long break until panels at 7, 8, and 10pm. The first was a panel on Writing from the Perspective of a Historian. In general, I enjoyed the panel, and David B. Coe did a good job of moderating it.
I think the key thing to remember about this topic is that history doesn’t have to make sense, but fiction does. Also, there’s always another level to the history, and at some point you have to cut that off in fiction to keep the reader in the story.
Then there was another panel on history, this time writing for history, and again moderated by David B. Coe. It wasn’t an exact reply, though, as it was focused more on worldbuilding.
He asked what 3 things we start with, and my answer is that all the worldbuilding has to provide kinetic energy to the story. Hence, I start with foundational stuff like the magic system and also the ancient history that is hidden in the epic fantasy quest. Then I start with regional stuff to create trade routes, political tensions, and such. Then I mention my Wikipedia random article process to create a database of ideas for characters, places, and events.
Then came the Great Tiara Exchange of Ought-23 and me getting a new name.
On the schedule it was the Valkyries panel where a bunch of authors in The Valkyrie Protocol anthology talked about their story. Kacey Ezell introduced herself as Rob, so I took her tiara again. This, by the way, was a huge blue-stone studded tiara as opposed to the simple circlet from the previous night.
I rocked it the rest of the night.
But I’m getting ahead of myself, as the Joelle Presby introduced herself as Rob. Then Melissa Olthoff introduced herself as Rob. So I introduced myself as Kacey Joelle Olthoff to much rejoicing.
All the while wearing the tiara balanced on my head. Did I mention it didn’t fit? It was just perched there, but I never once had it fall off.
Back to the panel, which had some business moments. Marisa talked about the plan to keep writing in that world, and that a number of books were coming out along these lines, ultimately concluding with an Avengers-like book with all the characters kicking ass. I don’t have time to write a book, but Vigdis hasn’t saved her last soul.
Side note: www.irocktiaras.com is available and I might need a new website.
Following the Valkyries panel, we retired to the bar to close it down. Then went to room parties. Then we went on an excursion!
I skipped right over the part where Trisha J. Wooldridge was at her first LibertyCon with her brand new release, Shadows, Ash, and Prophecy. She seemed to have a great time and is a great addition to the CKP crew. She’s also working on book 3 in that series right now.
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Here’s the cover, by the way.
She was staying at a neighboring hotel, so we formed a party amoeba and escorted her home. Then we returned to the room party.
I usually do my major night of reveling on Thursday, but apparently I was too hyped to stop. I closed out the room party, then spent time helping Nathan Balyeat edit a story. A drunk editor can be good, but he either sacrifices his editing skill or his ability to phrase things nicely. Fortunately, Nathan didn’t kill me, but I was like a director yelling, “cut, cut, cut!”
Then I realized it was 6am and I had planned to drive to Fayetteville, AR after the con.
Ooops.
Well, I packed my stuff up except just what I’d need and took it down to the car. Went to the breakfast buffet, which opened at 630. Then I caught a few hours of sleep to join the Kaffeeklatsch.
After that was the Four Horsemen panel and suddenly, the tables turned.
They started the presentation and were introducing all the people up on stage when they came to an empty chair. Kacey Ezell’s chair.
Yes, I jumped up and did my best Kacey impersonation. To be fair, she’s a much better me than I am of her. I apparently can’t do a soft, higher-pitched voice without doing it in Southern. Still, it was a lot of fun and most of the crowd had been to the previous panels so was in on the joke.
At that point, I got out of Dodge as quickly as I could because I was already tired. I figured if I got out early, I could stop for a nap or two, which I did. However, leaving LibertyCon is not a fast process, something I appreciate. Lots of people to hugs, lots of goodbyes, and even a homemade cookie.
The trip home wasn’t terribly eventful, though I did make a detour when I saw the weather going through the middle of Arkansas. I ended up going north around it and getting a hotel in Mountain Grove, MO instead of stopping at a friend’s house in Fayetteville. Ah, well, I got home safely.
Overall, LibertyCon was as awesome as usual, maybe even more so since I’d missed it last year. Never again, unless I can’t help it.
All the business things I’d hoped to cover got covered, and more. I got to hang out with a people I haven’t had much of a chance to before, including Patrick Chiles, Howard Andrew Jones and the Holos. I met a bunch of new folks, too.
So, can we go back next week? I already miss my family.
Lilies was great, as to be expected. Overall, weather as good as could be hoped for and a bunch of opportunities to sing. I’m rusty around a singing circle so I’m spending July practicing.
But now it’s on to LibertyCon. I left Wednesday morning at 5:07am. I intended to leave at 6am but I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep. It was like sleeping on Christmas Eve.
It’s been four years since I’ve been able to come to LibertyCon. This is such an important event for me, both professionally and sentimentally. I came here first in 2015 in order to help get a feel for how to be a pro writer. I’d never have the career I have without it. It is also one of those cons where things get done in a myriad of conversations.
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Anyway, there’s a ton going on this week, so let’s get to that. Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy is Live! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
Coming soon is A Hope In Hell. It’s the conclusion to Christopher G. Nuttall’s action-packed post apocalyptic swords and sorcery series the Heirs of Cataclysm. I’ll have a cover reveal here at LibertyCon Friday night in the CKP Year Ahead.
Two weeks after that is A Lake MostDeep, book 1 of the Firehall Sagas by yours truly. I’ll reveal that cover tomorrow night as well.
As most of you know, this is a re-release of my fantasy series. That means we’ll have a bunch of them out in sequence, including not only the 7 currently published novels but more. Much more. The Eyes of a Doll, book 2, is coming out August 29th. Where Now the Rider, book 3, is scheduled for 3 October. And something more every 5 weeks after that for a while. A long while.
Exciting times for me.
Back to the CKP Year Ahead. Not only will I have the two cover reveals, but I know Chris has a number of surprises too, so you won’t want to miss it. It starts at 9pm in CC Ballroom E on Friday night.
Alan Parson Project House of Usher. Let’s start the weekend with some Poe.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to one of the forefathers of my profession, born on this day in 1856. Might be time to read the Allen Quatermain adventures again. In the meantime, here’s a quote from King Solomon’s Mines.
“It is far. But there is no journey upon this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There is nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may not climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross; save a mountain and a desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he holds his life in his hand counting it as nothing, ready to keep it or to lose it as Providence may order.”
― H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon’s Mines
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.
Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
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.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy is out! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/1648557732. This is book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s amazing Asian-themed epic fantasy, and focuses on the fey of her world in a battle against an evil prince.
The big release this week is a whole new set of threads in the Four Horsemen Universe. Thought we were done? Not at all. Check out The Phoenix Initiative: The First Missions for seventeen! stories totaling 160,000 words! You won’t want to miss it, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7YZCFCK.
New Author Alert! Please welcome Nic Plume to CKP Factory by checking out her Shadows of Peace series. Your pre-release this week is Tinaree: Trial by Inferno. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C8SDFJR5.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.2
Updated Word Count: 117,862
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.
I’m sending this via the magic of scheduling. I’m at Lilies War, so instead of talking too much about my week, I’ll hit a couple of high points then give you the first chapter of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy.
A Hope in Hell and A Lake Most Deep are in progress. Expect more details next week.
By the way, last week I typed July 24th instead of July 25th as the release date for A Lake Most Deep. To be clear, it comes out on the 25th, which is a Tuesday, not the 24th, which is not.
And with that, here’s the first chapter of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, book 2 in Trisha J. Wooldridge’s excellent Asian-themed epic fantasy series, The 27 Kingdoms.
* * * * *
Chapter One – Things That Shouldn’t Be
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
In swirling darkness, fear redefined itself for Blessedhunter Koki.
Her insides twisted in one direction, her body the other. Images and memories—familiar and foreign—pelted her foggy awareness.
Byria, her Byria; Byria’s dragon; poisoned illness; mountains and giants’ magic; shaking, breaking earth.
Reflective black stone made by fire in a cave of boiling water.
Mokin’s spiritcall rune drawn in blood.
Years of muscle memory allowed Koki to land in a stable crouch that at least felt familiar. Her stomach heaved. She spit out burning bile. Smells assaulted her, smells she knew intimately, smells that carried yet a different fear.
Years of experience sharpened Koki’s mind and senses with her next breath. She was still in danger. This danger she knew well.
She was in Lakan’s home.
A particular room in Lakan’s home, though light hardly penetrated its walls—walls within walls, for it was a room hidden in the central strangler fig lattice within the Magicleader’s large hut. Blood of beast and person mingled with pre-storm air. Sticky, still, and prickly.
She needed to leave. Now. No. As soon as it was safe, as soon as she wouldn’t be discovered. Panic had its purpose in survival, but this wasn’t the place. Her heart beat faster than the wings of hummingbirds.
The cut on her hand from which she’d drawn Mokin’s spiritsigil pulsed. Not pain, but something through the tacky blood still seeping over her palm tugged at her attention. Like a thread or string. Pulling.
Like lightning, Mokin’s spiritcall rune flashed in her vision, illuminating the secret room.
Koki flinched deeper into a crouch, barely containing a gasp.
A person-sized reflective surface, like the stone the dragon had fired, balanced upright on a stand of Ancestor Wood. Her stomach twisted even more. Ancestor trees were never to be harmed. What had become of the souls entrusted to this tree?
Had Lakan always had such a thing?
It had always been after sundown, darker than now, when she’d pulled Mokin from this room. Tied, bleeding from the runes his father had carved into his flesh, and writhing from painful magic burning his blood. She’d observed their surroundings only to ensure their safety.
That sensation in her cut hand yanked at her heart. No, not quite. Like a string from her heart to her hand, something tugged her in the direction of the room’s hidden entry.
Koki crept closer to the hinged wall. Dizziness clung to her movement, forced her to focus more on moving her body than attending to her surroundings. The silence of the hut was more distracting than the loudest spring birdsong raucous.
Trembling climbed her limbs, and she had to stop and lower to a knee, lest she fall. I need to get out of here! Koki mentally shouted at her uncooperative body. I need to find Mokin! As if to confirm her intuition’s declaration, another pulse rippled from her heart to her hand toward the wall.
But she couldn’t move.
Koki shook as if from fever, or when she’d lost all that blood from the leopard fight. If she were discovered—and discovery was more likely if she tried to move in this state—she’d be in danger worse than that attack. What that danger was, she didn’t know, but she trusted her instincts.
“You know what you need to do.”
Mokin?
He’d spoken into her mind a few times when it had been necessary. This didn’t feel quite the same, though she perceived the thought in his voice.
The thought was correct.
Koki closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She willed herself to be unseen, unheard, undetected. Glamour rippled around her.
Breathing, breathing, she knelt on both knees, a more stable posture. The ground within this room was damp, almost muddy. She thanked her sharp senses for noticing such a detail and thought no further on the observation. It wasn’t immediately necessary for her survival.
Still no sounds.
Per the light that did filter in, it was daytime. Lakan’s hut was just outside the village, somewhat isolated, as was the home she and Mokin had built—as far from his father as possible. The sounds of the village wouldn’t reach the house. But…
There were no birds, no animal movement. Not even at a distance.
It was more silent than the barren lands heading toward the mountains. The silence swirled Koki’s nausea like a spoon stirring a pot.
Wrong.
Considering what Koki knew Lakan had done in this room, he’d likely glamoured it to buffer noise coming in or going out.
Ancestors and gods! Koki began the thought as a profanity. Then, like when instinct positioned her spear before she focused on a target, she gestured in prayer. Ancestors and gods, all blessed spirits and souls, please… Please, what? Just please, with my heart and spirit. Please…
The sting of tears and her bleeding palm impinged upon her awareness.
Pulling a cloth from a belt pouch, she wrapped her cut hand and got to her feet, doing her best to smooth the almost-mud and hide any blood she’d spilled. Proper washing could come later.
Her instincts spoke more primally, and Koki surrendered to them. As if she stalked prey, her feet found the quietest, most secure steps. Her bandaged hand slipped below her leopard tunic, palm pressing to where her heart beat behind her chest bone.
The beating slowed, as did her shaking, with each breath Koki took. She cracked open the secret room’s door, and sounds filtered in to her heightened senses.
Unfamiliar birds cooed nearby, as if from a coop. Odd, as Mokin’s family had never kept birds, but not immediately important. From farther away, she picked up the sounds of the village common.
Even considering the distance, the sounds of her people seemed… less. Not muted, but… fewer?
More worrisome than unexpected birds, but still not an urgent concern.
No one was nearby. She could leave unseen and unheard, so she did.
That string sensation pulled her heart and wrapped hand to the east, toward the Ritual Circle that held council and holy meeting huts, the Blessing Pools, and the speaking and ritual dais. Swallowing hard, Koki followed the call, trusting it like her hunting senses.
She cringed upon passing a pile of decomposed bamboo and branches—once the hut at which Mokin had apprenticed under Motherhealer Choli, his mother. Koki was surprised anything still remained of it—that Lakan had never removed it—after over a century of abandonment.
Reaching for her spear, Koki found only air and scowled. She vaguely remembered being unable to hold her spear after pulling the poisoned arrow from her shoulder and running. She cursed.
Then again, no weapons were permitted in the sacred areas.
Willing glamour to cover her, she broke into a jog with surprisingly less pain than she expected. Koki gave thanks that she’d lost her spear. The last thing she needed was to offend the gods and ancestors.
* * * * *
Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening To
The sound of singing around a campfire.
Quote of the Week
This is a line from one of my favorite campfire songs, Battle of Maldon by the amazing Rosalind Jehanne
For our hands shall be the harder, and our will shall be the wiser
And our hearts shall be bolder as our strength must end
Come and follow me to glory, so that when they tell the story
We shall not be forgotten in the halls of men
– Rosalind Jehanne
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:
With fierce heart Defend I your soul
Latest Snippet: Chapter 1 of Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
This week we have New Horizons by Chris Kennedy. This is a collection of sixteen of his best short stories. You don’t want to miss it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7BP8PJ3.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.8
Updated Word Count: 116,537
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.
Hey, look, I remembered today is Thursday. Go me! I’m back on schedule, except for the fact that there’ll be no regular update next week as I’ll be at the War of the Lilies and not have enough internet access to post.
However, I’m going to try something out, so expect something special.
I’ve had another great week and there’s so much coming out soon!
Shadow, Ash, Prophecy
Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy went to the ARC readers yesterday. If you’re on the team, check your email. This is the 2nd book in The 27 Kingdoms by Trisha J. Wooldridge. It’s Asian-themed epic fantasy with dragons, fey, and as you can see on the cover, a tough bad guy.
By the way, with all that’s coming down the pike, I’m going to need a bunch more ARC readers. If you’re interested in becoming part of the advance team, send me an email at: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com.
But wait, there’s more! A Hope In Hell, the high-powered conclusion of Christopher G. Nuttall’s excellent Heirs of Cataclysm trilogy, is in process. The target date for release is July 11th.
And yet, even more!The Firehall Sagas, the re-release of the former World of Shijuren is nigh.
A Lake Most Deep by yours truly gets re-released on July 25th. It’s got a new cover, an editing pass to streamline the story, but with all the same mystery and adventure.
Expect the rest of the Firehall Sagas to come out in sequence, about every 5 weeks at least through 2023 from that point.
I can’t tell you all how excited I am with this release. I love A Lake Most Deep, but it suffered from normal first-novel issues. The characters, mystery, and setting are great, but I wasn’t as good a writer in 2014 and 2015 as I am now. Not only that, it has a new opening scene I really love.
Plus wait until you see what J. Caleb Designs did for the cover. It’s amazing.
There’s also been a bunch of unpacking and organizing here. Bit by bit, the boxes are getting emptied. We can even sit at a pew or two.
Now all I have to do is learn how to back up a trailer. This hasn’t gone well yet, but I’m learning.
As you can see, Richard Groller and the rest of the programming staff have given me a great list of things to do. By the way, I’ll be reading the brand new opening scene to A Lake Most Deep.
With that, I better get back to work. Lots to do before leaving for Lilies. Have a great couple of weeks, everyone!
What I’m Listening To
Take the Long Way Home by Supertramp. Seems fitting now that I’ve move back to the Wichita area after all those years away.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Jerry Stiller. You may remember him from Seinfeld, King of Queens, or as Ben Stiller’s dad.
I remember him from the videos he made for Rush concerts. Here’s one to start with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Cz9VjjvCE.
“Did I miss the band? Where’s the band? Where’s my man Lerxst? Hit me baby. And the skinny guy, Dirk. Give it to me. And the other guy. Yeah, the Professor! Where are you guys?”
– Jerry Stiller
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.
Pennsic War, July 28 – August 13, Slippery Rock, PA, pennsicwar.org
New Releases
This week we have Pirates & Payback from Nick Steverson and Melissa Olthoff. This is the second of their Salvage Treasure trilogy in the Salvage Title universe originally created by the amazing Kevin Steverson. Get your fast space opera action here: amazon.com/dp/B0C6QWXCB6.
Also in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe, It Takes All Kinds, an anthology of fun races including my story Careful with that Axe, E.U. Gene. Get it in, electronic, paper, or audio formats here: https://books2read.com/u/bQApGE.
Your pre-release this week is New Horizons by Chris Kennedy. This is a collection of sixteen of his best short stories. You don’t want to miss it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0C7BP8PJ3.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 351.8
Updated Word Count: 115,029
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.
As you can see, I’m a day late to sending this week’s update. There have been some delays in the moving process and I just didn’t have time yesterday.
Overall, buying the house has been a smooth process, but the move has been awful, thanks in part because of our amount of stuff. However, we have not been helped by our moving company. They basically screwed up to this point and we *still* have a truckload of stuff.
I’m giving them a chance to make it right, so I won’t name them yet, but I’m incredibly pissed off right now.
But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if I have to rent a UHaul on top of all this, it’ll all fit at this point. At some point, very soon, we’ll have everything in Anthony and be settling in. I anticipate a good week of work, real work, next week.
Also, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, and my mom’s birthday falls around Mother’s Day every year so it’s a double chance to tell mom how awesome she is.
She is awesome, by the way.
As for work, I’m nibbling away, doing maintenance level stuff. I’ve lost basically a month of production, which, to be honest, was to be expected.
So everything is delayed, but as I tell people, there are reasons and excuses. A move is a reason. Boy, is it a reason.
Time to take advantage of Brewbaker’s and do some editing. Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The sounds of Brewbaker’s. I’m going to miss this place. It’s been a really productive writing home. If you’re ever near 95th and Renner in Lenexa, KS, you should try it out. Their truffle fries are really good, as is their southwest chopped salad, especially with extra fresh jalapenos and avocado.
I’m eating that right now, in fact.
Quote of the Week
May 12 is a huge day for birthdays, including not just one great quote machine, but two, Yogi Berra and George Carlin. Also born on the 12th is Katherine Hepburn, Ving Rhames, Burt Bacharach, Florence Nightengale, Emilio Estevez, Tony Hawk, and a host of other fairly big names like Lou Whitaker and Leslie Charteris. Also, who knew Mary Kay had a last name. It’s Ash, by the way.
But I have to give a double-shot since how can I pick between George and Yogi?
“Meow” means “woof” in cat.”
― George Carlin
He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.
― Yogi Berra
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.
And there’s a ton of things going on with CKP, so many I can’t really get to them all. You should also subscribe to Chris’s email list *and* get a free story. Go here: chriskennedypublishing.com/newsletter and sign up.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 354.0
Updated Word Count: 112,158
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.
I bet you all are tired of hearing stuff about the move. Good news we now start the last week of getting out of the old house. Yes, it’ll take months, many months, to fully organize the new place, but getting everything down to one house will be a huge victory.
One more week of bouncing up to Olathe or down to Anthony about once a day. That’s 3.5 hours each way, by the way. I’m ready to be done with it.
I’m also ready to really get back to proper work. We’ve been pushing through this move at warp speed, and I’m glad because I’d hate it if it really dragged. I mean, when I look at what we’ve done since April 11th, I have to say, it’s been impressive, especially since neither of us truly believed we’d get the house in Anthony until close actually happened.
We’re ecstatic about the new house and I daresay you’ll get some cool pictures as we get rooms and things organized. I’m hoping to have my main working area arranged by next Thursday and have a full week of work starting then.
I’ve been nibbling at Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, book 2 of the 27 Kingdoms series by Trisha J. Wooldridge. I’m behind, but making progress. I hope to have that ready to publish at LibertyCon.
Partially, that’s because the art is done and it is awesome.
Anyway, I need to get back to packing. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
La Villa Strangiato by Rush. Seems apt for my life right now. Intricate, amazing, and long.
Quote of the Week
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.
In 1904, work on the Panama Canal started. I had the great pleasure of transiting the canal in 2016, and much of The Eyes of a Doll was written on that cruise, so here’s a quote by Teddy about the accomplishment.
“A finer body of men has never been gathered by any nation than the men who have done the work of building the Panama Canal; the conditions under which they have lived and have done their work have been better than in any similar work ever undertaken in the tropics; they have all felt an eager pride in their work; and they have made not only America but the whole world their debtors by what they have accomplished.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
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.
Also, it’s not a new release, but there’s a sale on The Last Stand, book 1 of the Guardian Covenant by Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry. Get it here: amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJNW843S. Get it for half off now!
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 352.4
Updated Word Count: 111,491
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.
It’s been a very productive week here in Robville, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the cats are in control (especially Wynnifred).
Hunting the Hart is almost in the can. ARC Team readers can expect to get copies next week.
This is the fifth in Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords series and follows the adventures of Erin as she tries to save her love from getting hunted and killed. A curse has turned him into a stag, the mightiest in the forest and a prize for any hunter.
Plus, he’s got an ancient foe who’s come back to seek revenge.
The release date on this got pushed up because of convention schedules, so it’s coming out on February 21st! Yes, we know that’s only a month away, but we’ve been juggling art, editing, and all the details and didn’t want to announce a date before we knew it’d be ready.
Hunting the Hart comes out on February 21st. Spread the word thoughout the Dunwold.
I did a bunch of work on Bonds of Valor, too. It’s mostly in the can. One story I worked on came from Sarah Hoyt. All I can say is, wow, that woman can write. It’s one of the best short stories I’ve read in a long time. The only spoiler I’ll say is it’ll blow fans of Shakespeare away.
Here’s a good news/bad news thing. The bad news is that I’ve been wretched at dealing with slush submissions. I’ve routinely lost track of them for far too long.
The good news is I’ve revamped my process for these and the results look good. I at least went through a couple of the most egregious submissions and I’m on the way to catching up.
Still, I’ve owed a number of authors an apology, and I’m making good as best I can. I am sorry.
I made progress on The Eyes of a Doll too. I aim to be done with it in a couple of weeks. Given the juggling of a some deadlines, that’s ambitious, but I’m making progress.
I gave you all a bonus riddle last week that I thought of when I was driving home from MarsCon. Here’s the riddle:
Occidentally, I weave innocence
I’ll give you a few sections to think about it before giving you the answer in the Rob’s Riddles section below.
I also started a new Firehall Sagas short story, one that goes into a particular bit of history I mention in A Lake MostDeep. I’m in a race with a couple of other writers to finish it next week to go into Bonds of Valor.
I had an author have ongoing health issues that prevented them from providing the level of quality they expect, and time just ran out. It’s a shame when this happens, but it’s far more important that authors take care of themselves.
This is probably the most important thing I have to say this week. It’s true for everyone, of course, but if you’re a creator of anything, the most productive thing you can do is keep yourself healthy. No one writes their best stuff when they’ve got more important things to worry about.
With that, I better throw some words on the page.
What I’m Listening To
Right now it’s Lessons by Rush. It’s from side 2 of 2112, and it’s one of those hidden gems you get out of deep tracks. The opening is so smooth and strong.
Quote of the Week
So let’s have a quote from Lessons.
Sweet memories Flashing very quickly by
Reminding me Giving me a reason why
I know that My goal is more than a thought
I’ll be there When I teach what I’ve been taught
– Rush, Lessons
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 neither handle nor spout, yet I am stout
Latest Snippet: Chapter 2 of Farewell, My Ugly
Bonus Riddle: Occidentally, I weave innocence
As I mentioned to one who commented on this, with a riddle of only 4 words, they all have to matter, except for I.
I used the basic meaning of “western” for occidentally here, not the more common usage of “western countries.”
Weave is here to give me a verb (yay verbs), but I chose it specifically for its letters.
Innocence and virginity are often intertwined in poetry.
Weave has W and V, and the riddle popped into my head while I was driving through West Virginia.
Yes, the part where I mentioned I wrote it on the drive back was also a clue.
So there you go. And yes, my mind is a little twisted and overly intricate. Who knew?
Coming out this week is Point Break, book 3 in the Guardian Covenant. This is a joint mil SF project with Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry, so you know how good it has to be. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BSMLDQ27.
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.
I’m back from MarsCon! It was as good a time as one could have with insomnia. I mean, if I’m going to stay up to 5 and 6am, I want to have at least been out reveling, but sadly that wasn’t the case.
The con itself was excellent. I got to hang out with too many great people to name. Probably the best part was going over New Mythology plans with Chris Kennedy. We’ve got a goodly amount coming down the pike. I’ll get into that in a moment.
I was on 6 panels, which is a great load from my perspective. I moderated panels on Food and Drink in SF/F and then one on the other jobs authors have had. Let’s just say this one turned fowl thanks to Kelly Grayson and Mark Wandrey.
I was also on a panel of CKP upcoming stuff. There’s a lot. Just saying.
Then there were panels on Advice for the Late Bloomer, Researching for your Story, Creating Alternate World Histories, and “I Got a Great Idea For a Book.” Good stuff.
Back stuff coming down the pike, let’s talk about Hunting the Hart, the fifth book in Jon R. Osborne’s Milesian Accords. It actually went to the editor today and I’ll have a firm release date next week, but it’ll be out soon.
I did some work on The Eyes of a Doll for the re-edits. By the way, if you want the old versions for nostalgia’s sake, I’m going to pull them down next week, I think.
I got feedback on the new version of A Lake Most Deep and it was very positive. I’ve a couple of things to clear up, but it’s basically ready to go when the time comes.
I’m almost ready to send Bonds of Valor to the editor. That’ll happen next week. Cover reveal will happen in mid to late February. Once again, I’m honored to get to work with such talented authors.
It’s interesting. There are weeks where I think I got almost nothing done but look up and see a bunch of stuff. This was one of those weeks, and I know I didn’t do as much as some because I’m always a bit slow coming back from a trip. Still, I’m quite pleased in retrospect. Now, off to do some more editing.
What I’m Listening To
Tai Shan, by Rush. I know a lot of Rush fans get down on this song and it’s often chosen as one of their worst. That may be true, but I really like it.
Quote of the Week
Today’s a great day for birthdays, but in the end, the choice was easy. Happy birthday to Edgar Allen Poe, and here’s one of my favorite poems of his. It is, by the way, without any ravens.
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow: You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand– How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep–while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?
– Edgar Allen Poe, A Dream within aDream.
Rob’s Riddles
I have a new Patreon where I write Old English style riddles and provide snippets of my work.
Plus a bonus riddle! I thought of this one while on the drive back from MarsCon. By the way, it’s just one line total, so here is the whole riddle. I think this one is really easy, but your mileage may vary.
This week we have is book 5 in William S. Frisbee, Jr.’s Last Marines series, Genocide of Mankind. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BS443W6S/.
Your pre-release this week is, Point Break, book 3 in the Guardian Covenant. This is a joint mil SF project with Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry, so you know how good it has to be. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BSMLDQ27.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 342.0 (I didn’t quite make it. I’d been aiming to stay under 340 with all of the holidays, travel, and events. I’d have made it, I think, if I’d slept better at MarsCon. Still, it’s not as bad as it could have been).
Updated Word Count: 29,234
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.
December always brings so much fun stuff. Family, holidays, good eating. It also brings one of my favorite events in the SCA, Kris Kinder Market. It’s a time to sell, chat, and hang out with friends. I’ll be there this weekend, and as usual, be hosting the postrevel afterward.
I’ve spent the week cleaning and recovering, as well as catching up. Midwest GameFest was amazing. I sold far more than I expected, which is nice. I also met a number of local folk, and for the first time, am looking forward to gaming here in town. I even joined the Role-Playing Guild of KC.
Well worth the time, though it was grueling. Closing time was a little flexible, any time after 8pm. Opening was 10am on Thursday, and 8am on the other days. Add on a 40-minute drive each way and those were long days.
I had a couple volunteers to help some (thanks guys!), but really, they can’t sell my books like I can.
Knowing the long hours, being unsure of traffic flow, and having electricity meant I brought my laptop and set up like I would at Pennsic. I did get some writing done, more editing, and a number of emails, but the traffic was so constant I got far less of that sort of work done than anticipated.
That’s a good thing.
But I’ve needed to rest some this week. It’s been a productive week, but it has been slower than normal. It’s been the kind of week where I do a bit here, a bit there, mostly to keep myself going. For example, I got 1300 words written yesterday, but it was 100 here, 200 there between other projects.
Speaking of other projects. Pandora’s Box has done extremely well on pre-order. Thanks to all who have already gotten it, and for those who haven’t started the Heirs of Cataclysm series by Christopher G. Nuttall, you’re in for a treat when you do.
One of the other things I’ve been focused on this week is reading submissions for Bonds of Valor. Because GameFest ran started on the 1st and because I’ve gotten a lot of good submissions, I’m still a bit behind. I’m working my way through things and hope to have everything sorted and the winners announced next Thursday at the latest.
It’s going to be a hard choice. Thanks to all who submitted for their patience.
With that, I better get back to work. These stories aren’t going to read themselves.
What I’m Listening To
Rush’s 2112. There’s something here that’s strong as life. I know that it will reach you.
Quote of the Week
There are a ton of interesting people born on the 8th, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Sam Kinison, Kim Basinger and more. I chose one who’s older than most, Horace. Here’s a quote you know, at least, you know the first part.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.
(Sieze the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.)
First is Vortex Stingray, book 2 in the Covenant series by Kevin Ikenberry and Chris Kennedy. This particular book is Pacific Rim-style mechs by Kevin on his own. Breaking news: Kevin does everything well. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BPCT7MQS.
And then, of course, we have Pandora’s Box from Christopher G. Nuttall. This is book 2 in his Heirs of Cataclysm series. You can get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BNPQ61DX.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 332.2
Updated Word Count: 425,697
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.
I teased last week about some changes. The first, and biggest change around here is that the Eldros Legacy is moving on up to from its own publishing house. They’re taking that franchise to a new level.
I said, “they’re” because I’m opting out, however. This is because I simply can’t be a major force in two publishing houses and still write my own stuff. I’m proud of what we’ve done, but there’s not enough time in the day.
So, we’re slicing Shijuren out of the Eldros Legacy to become, once again, it’s own setting.
This will, not surprisingly, require more than a bunch of fiddling, but the basic TL:DR version is that they’re building something cool, and I’m building something cool, but we’re building two different things.
This is one reason why, as I mentioned last week, I’m freshening up A Lake Most Deep. In fact, I’ll be freshening up all seven of the Shijuren novels and all the short stories as well. Got one of those edited this week, in fact.
I’m also going to rename the universe. Shijuren will stay, but instead of The World of Shijuren, I long ago realized I need a much stronger universe name. Here are the four I’m considering at the moment:
The Kolossoi Chronicles
The Firehall Sagas
The Reckoning
The Wyrdlinga
If you like any of these, let me know. If you don’t like any of these, especially let me know.
This is part of a new branding for the universe. One of the things I did very poorly as a new writer is think about branding. Well, that’s not entirely true. That implies I actually thought about branding, which I did not. I scrambled to do some of that as time went on, and in the process of making the Eldros Legacy, I learned a ton about branding. With this split, I have the opportunity to, essentially, start from scratch.
Over the next couple of months, I’ll be creating a world logo, setting up a particular style for all the covers, and getting it all arranged to reflect many of the lessons I’ve learned over the years.
I’m incredibly excited about that, by the way. As I mentioned last week, I’m loving going back through A Lake Most Deep again. It’s a fun story, and now that I know more of what I’m doing, I’m excited to see where I can take it.
It was either Clarke or Asimov who said something like, you only know what you’re doing after the first million words. Well, I exceeded that a while ago, not to mention over two million words worth of editing.
Time to make my production match the quality of my imagination.
What I’m Listening To
The Prince of Denmark’s March. If it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it, I always say.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Teddy Roosevelt, perhaps my favorite president ever. Certainly, one of the most quotable, and here’s one I love.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
– Theodore Roosevelt
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.
There is no pre-release this week as everyone was busy at FactoryCon. It looked like a fantastic time.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 333.2
Updated Word Count: 397,958
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.
There’s a whole lot of changing going on around these parts. I can’t really get into everything yet, but there’s a lot of cool stuff happening.
In other words, stay tuned!
Arranging things this past week slowed me down a bit. I only wrote about 3000 in Farewell My Ugly.
I did, however, get a bunch done on other projects. First, I started the freshening up process on A Lake Most Deep.
I love the story in A Lake Most Deep. I made great characters, a neat setting, and fun mystery. I also made a ton of rookie mistakes. It’s been my worst book, not surprising because it’s my first book, and it’s time for me to make it as good technically as I think it is artistically.
I talked about this some in our recording of Dudes In Hyperspace this week. The thing that struck me as I read through the manuscript for the first time in a while is that I love this story and the characters.
And also, I’m so much better than I used to be. It doesn’t hurt that in the last couple of years I’ve edited almost 2 million words. I may not be the most experienced editor, but I’m certainly settling on a style.
My own writing will benefit greatly from that style.
Also, this week, we made great progress on Responsibility of the Throne, book 2 in G. Scott Huggins’ excellent Endless Ocean series. Expect a cover reveal soon.
Also, we’re getting going on Shadow, Ash, and Prophecy, the sequel to Heart, Wings, and Fire.
Oh, and I did a bunch of reading on the stories sent to me for Bonds of Valor. There’s some good stuff in there, and I can’t wait to see more. See below for the submission guidelines.
So a variety of things. And I’m so excited to see where these changes lead me.
What I’m Listening To
Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. I got the remastered version recently and decided to wallow in it. It’s probably my favorite Zep album, though on occasion it’s Houses of the Holy.
My thoughts on Houses of the Holy are this: it’s like the Don Sutton of album. Sutton was rarely, if ever, the best pitcher in baseball on any given year, but year after year he was very good to great for 23 years.
Houses of the Holy is like that. Every song is very good. It’s overall consistency is amazing, and I can listen to it every day. It doesn’t have that transcendent song, but it’s all very good to great.
Physical Graffiti has a weak link here and there for me, but it also has a couple of transcendent songs in Kashmir and Ten Years Gone.
Anyway, I’m enjoying it.
Quote of the Week
It’s a great time of year for baseball fans and the playoffs have been fun so far. So, besides the Don Sutton reference, I’m going to wish Mickey Mantle’s memory a happy birthday.
When I’m hitting, I’d play for nothing. When I’m not, any kind of money I receive makes me feel as if I’m stealing.
– Mickey Mantle
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.
This week we have a book exchange! You should check out Rejected by R.M. Demeester.
Echo Paisley has been on her own since her fiancé, Nash, died three years ago. She soon discovered that she didn’t know the man she was going to marry. He had cheated on her with the one person she thought had her back. But that wasn’t the only secret.
Echo is about to leave her past behind when she discovers one last secret Nash left behind, which threatens to turn her life upside down. Echo is forced to seek help from her estranged mother with no one else to turn to.
Your pre-release this week is The Last Stand. This is a new series from Chris Kennedy and Kevin Ikenberry.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.6
Updated Word Count: 397,024
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.
Over the next two weeks we have books coming out that have some of the best cover art I’ve yet seen. They can’t both be my favorite, so I’m struggling which to pick.
You tell me. Which one do you all like better?
Heart, Wings, and Fire
A Murder of Wolves
Heart, Wings, and Fire starts a new series, the 27 Kingdoms, and starts it off with a bang. The story includes a princess fighting her way to freedom and find her true past.
The cover art for this was done by J Caleb Designs, who’s done a bunch for us in the past.
A Murder of Wolves is the 9th title in the Eldros Legacy and is by Jamie Ibson. CKP readers know Jamie well, especially from the fun We Dare anthologies he edited. This cover was done by Laercio Messias.
You might recognize his style from the cover of The Chimera Coup, by Christopher G. Nuttall, which came out last week. Because I like vaguebooking, not only has this release gone extremely well, there’s more fun stuff in the works in this universe.
Responsibility of the Crown
This week, I finished my edits on Responsibility of the Throne, which is the sequel to Responsibility to the Crown. G. Scott Huggins is one of the most talented writers out there, and you’re going to love this book.
This weekend is going to be a football weekend for me. My sweetie is off to see her mother and some relatives for a quilting retreat and the house is mine, all mine! I’m watching every football game I can.
Time to go make food that’s far too spicy for my sweetie to like it.
What I’m Listening To
I’m on another of my every so often listen to all the Rush. Currently, it’s Subdivisions, which was one of the most important songs I heard growing up.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. May you all have some windmills worth tilting at.
“Look there, Sancho Panza, my friend, and see those thirty or so wild giants, with whom I intend to do battle and kill each and all of them, so with their stolen booty we can begin to enrich ourselves.”
– Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
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.
As mentioned, The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall came out a week ago Tuesday. It’s a mix of post-apocalyptic and swords and sorcery. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
The Four Horsemen Universe returns this week with World Enders by Chris Kennedy & Marisa Wolf. This is book 2 of The Phoenix Initiative, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BG19B753.
Your pre-release this week is Vendetta Protocolby Kevin Ikenberry. This is actually a re-release of Kevin’s first series and it’s fantastic. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BGN41SY7.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 330.0
Updated Word Count: 158,132
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.
First, welcome to all the new readers. I was able this week to finally get all my updates from Pennsic and FenCon uploaded. Thanks to all of you who joined up. If you have any questions about what all I’ve got going on here, just send me an email at rob@robhowell.org.
And wow, what an amazing week it’s been. Let’s start with the first new release, The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall.
This came out on Tuesday and is a post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery world with technology added. It’s fast-paced, as you’d expect from Chris, and you’re going to love it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
I contributed a story in here about a Valkyrie working her job on the mean streets of St. Louis. After 1500 years working for Odin and Freya, she thought she’d seen everything. She was wrong. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
But wait, there’s more! The Pain Bearer by Kendra Merritt came out on the 13th. This is the 8th of the Eldros Legacy and is probably my favorite novel so far in this series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W/.
If you’re keeping track at home, and I am, this stretch of 4 books I contributed to in 14 days is a personal record.
I was also on 3 different podcasts: Cursed Dragon Ship and Inside CKP both had all the Eldros Legacy authors on. Then we did a Dudes in Hyperspace episode. Click on the show names to watch or listen to all these episodes and so much more.
And what did I do to celebrate? I went to FenCon and had a great time with Larry Correia, Chuck Gannon, and Rob Hampson (all Guests of Honor there) along with fellow CKP authors Mark Wandrey, Bill Webb, Kayla Krantz, Sandra Medlock, and Fred Hughes, plus a bunch of other awesome people.
Frankly, it felt like LibertyCon Lite and I need it, having missed LibertyCon itself.
This week I’ve been editing Responsibility of the Throne by G. Scott Huggins. This is the sequel to Responsibility of the Crown and is excellent. Dragons, halfdragons, intrigue, and boarding actions.
I’ve been nibbling at some story ideas too, though I’ve had little time to write them. September has routinely been my worst month as I’ve come out of Pennsic and all the summer cons, and this year is no different. That has meant October is one of my best, though, and I anticipate it will be.
One last thing, it’s time for a cover reveal from one of my favorite covers so far. Heart, Wings, and Fire by Trisha J. Wooldridge comes out on the October 4th and here’s the cover. This starts her amazing 27 Kingdoms Universe, which you’re gonna love.
Princesses, dragons, and fey, oh, my!
Now I need to let you all go so I can get ready to record the first Dudes In Hyperspace Podmail show. There are so many questions, we’ve had to move that to its own regular episode.
What I’m Listening To
I came back recharged in many ways, and popped right back into setting my playlist to all Rush songs.
Right now it’s Distant Early Warning off of Grace Under Pressure. I remember distinctly getting this album at about the time I was most interested in the Cold War and the Soviet military, so even if it hadn’t have been Rush, I’d have loved it.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Joan Jett who, let’s just say, I especially admired when I was a teenage boy.
“I saw him dancing there by the record machine
I knew he must have been about seventeen”
– I Love Rock’n Roll, as performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
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.
This week we have The Chimera Coup by Christopher G. Nuttall. This is a post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery world with technology added. It’s fast-paced, as you’d expect from Chris, and you’re going to love it. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BFLV4TH8.
The Valkyries Initiative, a new set of stories set in the Hit World universe edited by Marisa Wolf, came out on Friday. I contributed a story in here about a Valkyrie working her job on the mean streets of St. Louis. After 1500 years working for Odin and Freya, she thought she’d seen everything. She was wrong. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
Your pre-release has the Four Horsemen returning this week with World Enders by Chris Kennedy & Marisa Wolf. This is book 2 of The Phoenix Initiative, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BG19B753.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 331.8 (I’ve been traveling and not eating well. Since coming back, I’ve re-focused on eating better. Time to get back on the downward path.)
Updated Word Count: 157,349
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.
So much going on this week. First, we have the release of Kendra Merritt’s The Pain Bearer. This is the 8th novel in the Eldros Legacy and it’s set on Noksonon.
It is also, thus far, my favorite of the 8 novels we’ve published so far, so get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W.
Tuesday, I and the other Founders of the Eldros Legacy were on Cursed Dragon Ship‘s 20 Questions podcast. This was a hoot, though sadly lacking in Dwarven Death Metal.
Also, it’s only a little more than a week since No Game For Knights came out. I’m still basking in this, especially since it’s still ranked 6th on Amazon for SF Anthologies. Thanks to all who’ve bought it so far.
And, of course, there’s FenCon. I’m already in Dallas and raring to go. One reason I got here last night is so I could go to the Baen signing at Half-Price Books. This was a lot of fun and I’m really glad I went.
FenCon starts tomorrow. I’ll mostly be in the vendor’s room selling books. I’m also on a couple of panels, one about indie writing and then the Chris Kennedy Publishing Look Ahead.
Mostly, though, I’m excited because while FenCon isn’t LibertyCon, there’s a solid crew of friends I would have seen at LibertyCon. I’ve missed these folk and I’m excited to see them.
These folk include Cedar Sanderson and Sarah Hoyt, both of whom took time out to help teach me back when I was just getting started. They weren’t the only ones so generous with their time, but taught me some of my most memorable lessons.
Setting up, by the way, is why this is coming out so late in the day. Well, not really setting up. It was the hanging out with some of these friends.
Time well spent.
What I’m Listening To
Right now, I’m in a diner listening to the hum of people chatting.
However, let’s talk about what I listened to on the way down. I love the combination of Larry Correia’s Hard Magic series when narrated by Bronson Pinchot. Yes, that Bronson Pinchot. I’ve said this is my favorite combination of story and narrator for audiobooks.
They now have competition.
I got The Adventures of Cadfael, which is actually several of the novels in an omnibus, so it’d be a good value for one credit on Audible anyway.
However, it’s narrated by Derek Jacobi. Yes, that Derek Jacobi, the one who played Cadfael on the great BBC TV adaptations.
It’s perfect.
Quote of the Week
Happy birthday to Agatha Christie, who’d be a spry 132 today.
She is one of those writers who I’ve drawn on for inspiration. I don’t write her style of mystery, but I couldn’t write my style without her example. Especially with my favorite, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
“Books are a habit-forming drug.”
– Agatha Christie
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.
Hey, look, a placeholder: Current Schedule of New Mythology Press
I’m setting up a website to keep track of all the amazing fantasy coming out with New Mythology Press. It’s starting to really stack up, and I’m honored to get to work with all these amazing authors.
Out today (since I’m getting this email out after midnight Eastern) is The Valkyries Initiative. This is a great anthology edited by Marisa Wolf set in the Hit World universe created by Bill Webb. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BF8NMWXK/.
And guess what, I’m in here too with one of my favorite stories to write, a hardboiled story about a Valkyrie doing her job in the mean streets of St. Louis. Sometimes, you just can’t please your bosses, even after being on the job for 1500 years.
We had my personal favorite so far of the 8 Eldros Legacy novels come out this week. That’s The Pain Bearer by Kendra Merritt. Get that one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDTWRP9W/.
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.
I had a number of things to talk about this week, but as I’m sure all of you have heard, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.
It is, of course, no tragedy. The death of anyone who lives until they’re 96 and is as spry and active as she was up to the end is rarely, if ever, a tragedy.
But she was a pillar of stability in a world that needs such. Something like 85% of every person living today has never experienced a world without her on the throne until today.
She served in World War II as a mechanic. From everything I read, it was a task she enjoyed, not just performed dutifully. It’s hard to imagine a royal of any type enjoying that sort of work these days, but she was something special.
For many reasons, she always reminded me of my mom’s mom. Elizabeth was younger than my grandmother, but not by that much. More importantly, my grandmother had that same look, that same feel, that same background in some ways.
My grandmother grew up as the daughter of a wealthy British-Canadian family. She was trained to be the same kind of a woman as the queen. She was always proper, always elegant, always exquisite.
And I think that’s one of the things I’ll remember most about both women. They were classy *and* strong.
I am really glad at this moment that I named my mercenary unit in the Four Horsemen Universe the Queen Elizabeth’s Own.
Farewell and Godspeed
What I’m Listening To
The Yew Tree from the Battlefield Band.
It’s a neat song, but what’s relevant today is that the yew tree in the song exists. I’d be shocked if Queen Elizabeth never went to it.
Quote of the Week
If you’ve never done so, go take a look at the list of quotes from Queen Elizabeth II. She was quite a sensible woman, as you can see with this one.
Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.
– Queen Elizabeth II
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 finishing The Chimera Coup by Christopher Nuttall which will come out on the 27th of September. I’m also doing the final touches of Heart, Wings, and Fire from Trisha Wooldridge, which comes out the following week on October 4th.
No Game For Knights, an anthology of noir in speculative fantasy settings, also came out on the 6th. Kacey Ezell and Larry Correia, the editors, have both appeared in New Mythology anthologies, but Chris Kennedy, Dave Butler, Scott Huggins, and myself also appear in this. Get it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B57DS9JD.
This week’s early release for my mailing list readers is The Futility of Intent by Mike Wyant, Jr. This is the 4th book in his Anisian Convergence series, and you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BDDHLTG2.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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 PhoenixInitiative. 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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
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 Responsibilityand 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 Wolves. And there’s all sorts of titles produced prior to 2021. There’s a lot of titles there, but a bunch more are coming.
What a busy week here. First, we’re getting ready for the release of Khyven theUnkillable 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.
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.
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.
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.
Here’s a single link where you can add all of them at once.
I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you all have as much to give thanks for as I do. Most of all, I hope that great things happen for all of you.
Khyven the Unkillable
Was a good week for The Door Into Winter. Not a ton of words, but a bunch of cleanup and arranging. I expect there to be a huge week upcoming as I’ve laid out several lines that need to get written.
We’re getting really close to Khyven the Unkillable. This is, of course, the first novel in the Eldros Legacy. We’re so excited to bring this to you, and Todd Fahnestock gets us off to an amazing start.
Seeds of Dominion is getting close to done, and it’ll be coming out on the 2nd of January. If you’re a part of the Eldros Legacy mailing list, you’ll get to see a sneak preview of the art in that, which comes out tomorrow. Want to be a part of that list? Go here: https://www.eldroslegacy.com/contact/newsletter/.
With that, I’m going to watch football, spend time with the sweetie, and make her steak and fixin’s for dinner.
Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!
What I’m Listening To
It’s Thanksgiving, so I’m watching football. I’m sure you’re all shocked.
Quote of the Week
I’ve used this quote before (way back in 2016, actually), but it’s at least as true today.
“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”
– Erma Bombeck
Something from the big boss this week. Chris Kennedy has a new novel in Chuck Gannon’s Caine Riordan Universe entitled Insertion. You can get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M32WQ3W/
Not a new release, but I certainly hope you take advantage of our Black Friday sale. Here’s a single link where you can add all of them at once. .
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 332.0
Updated Word Count: 352,963
Eldros Legacy Archives: 797 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.
The first thing I want to announce is… Wait for it… An Announcement!!!
Yes, I’ll be making a special announcement next week. It’s the soooper-seekrit project I’ve been working on and we’re ready to talk about it.
Having announced the announcement, let’s talk about a good week of editing with a little writing.
All of the first Talons & Talismans anthology is out to the authors and most are back and in the can. The second anthology is mostly done and back to the authors. By the end of this weekend, I suspect we’ll be down to mostly fiddly bits.
On the editing side, I’m turning to The House Between Worlds next. This is the fourth book in Jon Osborne’s great Milesian Accords series. Target release date is October.
Writing wise there’s been some work on a short story and a few words on The Door Into Winter. Not much, thought, as the editing/publishing side of thing has taken precedence for about a month.
Still, it all counts and thus was a very productive week here.
What I’m Listening To
Not much. I’ve been working in the office with my sweetie today as she gets one of her treasured work from home days, so we didn’t play music or anything.
Quote of the Week
I am a big believer in this week’s quote.
“We must trust to nothing but facts: These are presented to us by Nature, and cannot deceive. We ought, in every instance, to submit our reasoning to the test of experiment, and never to search for truth but by the natural road of experiment and observation.”
― Antoine Lavoisier, Elements of Chemistry
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
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.
Home from Armistice! What a great event. I outsold *any* SCA event I’ve ever been to, including several Pennsics with 7 times the population over two weeks. Part of that is because several of my regulars were part of those that attended, but still, I was very pleased.
Assuming Pennsic continues, I now have a specific spot of my own where I’ll be located, too. It’s an ideal spot, I think. I’ll be right between Calontir Trim and Gaukler Medieval Wares, across from Windrose Armory. Shady, beautiful, good neighbors, close to the barn.
This has been a week of catching up, both with work stuff and sleep. I got back a day earlier than I anticipated, which helped, but it’s been an exhausting week. I will also freely admit that I chose sleep and to spend some extra time with my sweetie to catch up. That last is why this is late.
I spent a lot of the last two weeks running through the final batch of entries for Talons & Talismans. I’ll make the announcement on Sunday night for who all is in. The choice will be difficult.
Let me put it this way, I’m really glad I’m doing two anthologies. That means I don’t have to choose just four out of the open submissions, but I get to choose eight. Since I’m struggling over which ones to choose out of fifteen who made my final round, the quality of submissions was amazing.
I’m currently finishing a short story. That’ll be done this week. Then I’ll start a new novel I’m entitling The Door Into Winter. This will be out in April.
What I’m Listening To
Watching Little League baseball for those trying to get to the Little League World Series. I love baseball at any level, but I really enjoy watching these guys play the game. Just now a kid from the Nebraska team made a great diving catch to end a game with the tying run on second base. That kid will *never* forget that moment.
Quote of the Week
Today is Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday. What an interesting career he had, of course, I am just now starting to really delve into his specific techniques as I try to be a better writer. Today’s quote is something I’m working on.
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
― Alfred Hitchcock
Finally, Eye of the Storm by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey is now available for pre-release in audio form. You can find that here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093NXYC7C.
Tracked Items
Today’s Weight: 337.8 (Side note: I’m really pleased I kept control of my weight throughout Pennsic.)
Updated Word Count: 182,678
Shijuren Wiki: 753 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.
I’m sitting in my booth on a beautiful day at Armistice. Indeed, the weather has been exceedingly pleasant. Truly beautiful weather.
Right now, I have three very talented musicians playing medieval songs across the courtyard on viol (I think), recorder, and hurdy-gurdy. The breeze is just enough to give the air a nice feel. And all around me are the wonderful sounds of a medieval marketplace enjoying itself.
First, this week, is a poll from Chris Kennedy himself. He’d like to know what readers want. You find the poll here: https://joesolari.typeform.com/to/joz29tie. This will help us get you what you want. Better yet, if you fill it out, you’ll be able to enter a drawing to win one of three $100 gift cards at the store of your choice or $100 cash sent to your PayPal or Venmo.
Most of what I’m doing when customers aren’t here are reading through the submissions for Talons & Talismans. I can confirm now that there will actually be two anthologies because I got so much cool stuff. One will come out in October and the other in November. I’ll announce the full lineups a week from today.
I submitted a story to Three Ravens Press on Monday for an anthology. I got to redshirt a good friend in there, as well as having fun with zombie tropes, something I’ve never done before.
My current short story is my story in Talons &Talismans. It’s about Rabah and Jaime Muniotz, two characters earlier in Shijuren’s history, whose actions shape some of the foundation of what I did with Ausartxango Belatz in Brief Is My Flame and None Call Me Mother.
In the next couple of days, I’m going to start a new novel that will be entitled The Door into Winter. Sometimes, the perfect title comes to you that not only fits your plans but seems like the perfect mold to write a story around. This one will start a new series in Shijuren following Irina, Ausartxango, and Geirr after None Call Me Mother.
I do have some disappointing news to report. Due to circumstances outside anyone’s control, I was forced to cancel my appearance at DragonCon. I want to thank all the volunteers, especially Cisca and Regina, for all their hard work. Also, we will still have a major announcement that weekend, however, so stay tuned here.
Been an eventful week, but for now, I’d better get back to selling.
What I’m Listening To
Hurdy-gurdy and recorders in the courtyard accompanied by the occasional rasp of a bowyer shaving bow staves. Quite ideal, I think.
Quote of the Week
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Mobile Bay. It is entirely likely that means today’s quote is apocryphal. However, like many such quotes, it’s too fun not to believe it happened.
“Damn the torpedoes!”
― Admiral David Farragut
New Mythology Works in Progress Current open anthology calls:
I’m currently working on Talons & Talismans. Starting in September, I’ll be editing the next Milesian Accords novel from Jon R. Osborne. Really looking for that.
I am so excited for what’s coming, and I can’t wait to really give you a full schedule.
Rob’s Works in Progress
MON (3,211)
Rick Blaine (8,845)
CB (8,418)
CSC (1,283)
Upcoming Events
FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.
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.
I know it’s only been four days since my last update, but it’s been hectic, fun, and productive.
Tuesday was Lasers and Lagers at the Lie’brary on Beck. It’s a cool bar that is book-themed. My sort of place, right? I’d be in trouble if I lived within walking distance.
The event itself was basically a bunch of CKP authors chatting with people local to Panama City. We donated books to the local library and held raffles to raise money for that library as well. We had such a great time, we never had a chance to record a Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, which was part of the plan.
We also got to surprise, Sheellah, Chris’s wife, with a pre-birthday party. I won’t say what birthday. I’m not that crazy.
It was a great night, though exhausting. Then I had two travel days to get me to Indianapolis to InConjunction. I’m set up in the dealer’s hall with Mark and Joy Wandrey to the right of me and Jon Osborne to the left of me. I’m doomed!!!
I’ll also be on panels. Here’s my schedule:
FRIDAY
4:30 p.m: Meet New Mythology Press – Rob Howell, John Osborne – Panel Room
6 p.m: Anthologies: Creating and Writing – Mark Wandrey, Rob Howell, T. Lee Harris – Panel Room
8 p.m: Writing in a Shared Universe – Mark Wandrey, Rob Howell – Panel Room
SATURDAY
2:30 p.m: Pantsing Prep – Rob Howell, Sara Marian – Panel Room
Hope to see some of you all there.
Of course, this is the end of the second week since The Ravening of Wolves came out. I’m really pleased with sales. They’ve continued far longer than most of my previous books, and I really appreciate all of you who’ve taken the time to review the book already. Those reviews have kept the momentum going. Also, thanks to all who’ve read the book. Without you, I don’t get to do this job.
Speaking of new stuff, I just sent off a story. It’s a short story in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe. Hopefully he’ll accept it. It’s one of my most whimsical pieces to date.
Next week, I’ll be organizing more and more of the anthology stuff. The deadline for submissions is 31 July and I want to be ready for the final push. In early August, I’ll put out the final list of all authors in the anthology and the winners.
There’s been some great submissions so far, so keep them coming.
With that, I think I’d better go do some writing.
What I’m Listening To
Xanadu by Rush. I’m getting one of my favorite poems *and* my favorite band, all in one swell foop!
Quote of the Week
Sixty years ago on this day, Ernest Hemingway died, so it’s a good time for one of my favorite quotes from him. This is one of several things he said I try to live up to.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.
― Ernest Hemingway
I’m currently working on Heart of Ice, the sequel to Keep of Glass by Steven G. Johnson. This is a fun take on the Arthurian legends.
The big news, however, in the CKP world, is CKP International. We’re in the process of translating our books into German, French, and Japanese, with perhaps some other languages coming.
This will include New Mythology’s titles, of course, and I look forward to announcing those release dates.
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.
This was, in many ways, my least productive week of 2021. There were reasons, which is okay, but also some general fatigue. It was one of those weeks where little things cropped up, like extra construction or my sweetie left her phone at home. A week of shifting sands, hence the title of this post.
The reasons included some family stuff that had to get done this week. That includes two new pets into the house. They’re very cute, but of course that takes time and effort. We took them to the vet today. Oh, and then there were several funky computer issues with my bank and insurance company. Joy.
I did get a few words written this week on a short story due at the end of the month. It’s going well, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun. It’s a tad more whimsical than my norm, but it’s always good to shift gears a bit.
I also did quite a bit of prep work for the big sooper-seekrit project. We are getting more and more excited as more things get checked off our to-do list.
The big news this week, and talk about burying the lede, is that I was accepted for an anthology edited by Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell. It’s a Baen anthology focused on the noir, hard-boiled detective. Perfect for an Edward story. The anthology will be called No Game forKnights, and my story is entitled The Incomparable Treasure. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Larry. He knows a ton about the craft that I am just scratching the surface.
Oh, I did one other thing this week. I added another con: Salina Comicon. You should check my con list as it’s growing. I have a plan for February too that should be a lot of fun if we can make it work. Glad to be getting back into the groove.
Hopefully, things will get calmed down by Monday and next week will be much better.
Of course, a week from tomorrow will be most awesome. The Ravening of Wolves goes live next Friday and I’m excited. I think this is my best novel ever, which I should always think of course, in part because I should always be getting better.
However, there are a number of things I aimed for specifically and if the ARC reviewer comments are anything to go by, I achieved a number of them.
What I’m Listening To
The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky by Primus. I’ve never seen Primus live, and that was something I was on the verge of doing when the pandemic hit. Worse, this was the tour where they would play the entirety of Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in honor of Neil.
However, it has been rescheduled and the new dates fit my timeline to a T. I am so looking forward to seeing Les Claypool in all his intricate and strange glory.
Quote of the Week
A weird week deserves a weird quote, and since it was the song I was listening to and it inspired the title, here’s a bit of the weirdness of The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky.
Skin moves toward malignant
Worshipping the sun
They clamber over corpses
To be the chosen ones
― Primus, The Final Voyage of Liquid Sky
i started reading some of the early entrants and I think you’ll be pleased. We’re at the early stages, but the response has already been good.
I can also tell you I’m excited at the story that Aaron Rosenberg submitted. You’ve probably read his stuff and not realized, as he’s written in a ton of different properties, but this story is completely his. It has the kind of hero I wanted to see win, and I think you’ll love it.
It’s possible, by the way, that there will be a Talons & Talismans *and* a Talons & Talismans Two. So many people loved this prompt, which of course is gratifying and exciting. That’s especially true since it’s been pretty good stuff so far.
This week’s new release is the third of Jamie Ibson’s We Dare series. This one is entitled No Man’s Land, and every story has a female main character. It also includes some of the best female authors out there like Kacey Ezell, Marie Whittaker, and Joelle Presby. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096DSW1VK.
The next week is going to be a big one for CKP. Chris will release the conclusion to his Progenitor’s War series tomorrow. There’s another Hit World novel coming out on the 14th. Then, of course, a week from tomorrow is The Ravening of Wolves. Plus there are things coming out on audio. So much is happening I don’t have time to list it all.
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.
It’s been a great week. Lots of stuff getting done, including a number of things I’m really proud of. I look forward to talk about them, but for now, just know I’m excited.
In many ways, that’s this week in a nutshell. Lots of work done, but the kind of foundational work that won’t show up for a bit, but without which, nothing ever gets done. Simply plugging away.
Right now, I’m focused on a number of short story projects. I’ve got several short stories in progress right now. Also, I’ve started going through the stories for Talons & Talismans, and it’s going to be amazing.
In general, things are starting to ramp up with New Mythology Press. I’m excited with the reception that Responsibility of the Crown has gotten. Scott Huggins wrote a great book and I’m honored to be a part of it.
My convention schedule is also starting to pick up. We’ve added a really fun con, FactoryCon, which is essentially Chris Kennedy Publishing’s yearly party. However, it’s expanded into something really cool. It’ll be October 22-24 in Coinjock, NC.
My next novel will be a new Shijuren novel, starting a new series. There’ll be some returning characters you’ll remember and it’s going to be something pretty cool. I get to expand into some of the story ideas that I’ve hidden in the first six novels.
Peyton’s Places is a truly amazing show. Basically, it’s Peyton Manning talking about football with various people involved in the NFL somehow. It’s incredibly charming and light-hearted. Plus it’s really interesting for someone interested in history.
For example. Did you know no one actually knows where the first Lombardi Trophy actually is right now? Carroll Rosenbloom had it, but it disappeared at some point in the 80s. Probably in California somewhere.
How fascinating is that?
Quote of the Week
Today is Chuck Barris’s birthday. Here’s banging a gong in his honor. He actually gave us a great quote about the challenge of creating stuff. I think every author, artist, musician, and all the rest can identify with this quote.
“If you stick in the business of being creative, you get hurt. And creative disappointment seems so much harder to take than any other kind. But if you’re not prepared to get hurt like that, life can be pretty boring. I think I’m going to keep on going.”
― Chuck Barris
Bonus quote from Peyton Manning in his show that goes out to Conrad: “You do a lot with your middle finger. You’d be a good Eagles fan.”
New Mythology Works in Progress
I’ll be changing this up a bit. I have started to post on chriskennedypublishing.com/blog. This is where I’ll do all of New Mythology’s announcements going forward.
My plan is to link to these announcements on that blog, as must as anything to make sure this email (which is long already), doesn’t get too long. The current items are two anthology calls.
This gives me space to say things about other projects. Benjamin Tyler Smith is working on a Necrolopolis novel, which will be the first novel, and follows a bunch of great short stories. This is around October.
Then Jon Osborne is getting me another Milesian Accord novel in the fall.
Also coming in the fall will be Released, the third in the Balance of Kerr series by Kevin Steverson.
The first new release is We Shall Rise. This is an anthology in the Black Tide Rising universe from John Ringo originally published by Baen. Why am I mentioning it? Well, Baen does a lot for us, which we appreciate. John Ringo’s been a great guy to deal with at cons. Most of all, though, it’s got a bunch of friends of mine in it. Jamie Ibson, Kacey Ezell, Jason Cordova, just to name a few. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982125586.
I already talked about Shadowsby Bill Webb, a Murphy’s Lawless novel in the Caine Riordan universe. However, it’s worth another plug, so here you go. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095W2BCJF.
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.
Tonight, at midnight Eastern, The Ravening of Wolves goes live. It is my best novel to date, which is as it should be. I should be getting better each time and I think I am.
But I’m as sad as I am excited. Someone who I really looked up to passed away earlier this week. Ron was someone who helped show me what it is to be a man, fostered my love of fantasy, and made me think in long discussions over all sorts of challenging topics. I was often wrong, and he usually showed me how and why I was wrong, but I was never ashamed of being wrong. It was something he expected me to grow from. And, quite often, I did.
Still, he was as pleased as anyone at my growth as a writer, and now as a publisher. So I will celebrate The Ravening of Wolves by listening to Black Sabbath. He’s the one who first introduced me to them, after all, and I have, for forty years now, associated them with Ron. For all that they have done for the music world, Black Sabbath benefited from the connection.
Anyway, this was a moderately productive week. I started major edits on a novel in a sooper-seekrit project. I started editing some stories for Talons & Talismans. I got another manuscript to edit. This one is the sequel to Keep of Glass by Steven G. Johnson. It’s entitled Heart of Ice and it’ll be out in the fall.
I also pounded away at three short stories I have to have done by the end of July. This includes one for Kevin Steverson in the Salvage Title universe, a story for William Joseph Roberts, and my own story for Talons & Talismans. Lots of good progress on those, and I’m excited about pushing myself with something special in each of them.
My story for Talons & Talismans, by the way, is a story of Rabah and Jaime Muniotz in Shijuren. I’ve only written one story involving them, and they’re from a far earlier time than my novels in the world of Shijuren. They’re the founders of the order of chivalry that Ausartxango belongs to, and it’s time for them to build up that order.
Tonight, though, it’ll be a night to remember those who helped shape me.
What I’m Listening To
The Sign of the Southern Cross by Black Sabbath.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from Kipling’s If, which is something I think about quite often. There’s always another thing to learn in it, another way to improve what I am.
As mentioned, I’m currently editing a number of short stories that will appear in Talons & Talismans. These are from the authors whose name will appear on the cover. Early in August, I’ll give you all a complete rundown of the lineup. Trust me, though, it’s got a bunch you know about and appreciate.
It’s been about a month, but I’m still ecstatic with the response to Scott Huggins’ Responsibility of the Crown. This is book one of the Endless Ocean series. How do I know it will be a series? Because Scott has already sent me an outline for book two and it’s got even more action and adventure than the first one.
As mentioned, I’m also in the process of editing Heart of Ice by Steven G. Johnson. This is the sequel to Keep of Glass. Expect that in the fall.
In general, I’m blown away with the enthusiasm and excitement shown by authors in and around Chris Kennedy Publishing. New Mythology Press is about to explode with constant content, good content. That explosion will begin in the fall and then who knows when it will ebb, because the tide is rising and lifting us all.
Okay, that’s cheating a bit. Let’s get back to what all came out this week. We start with Robert Krog’s Shank, the fifth in the Hit World universe. Why do i highlight fifth? Because if I’m doing the math right, they’re putting out at least a book a month in that world. That’s the way to do a shared world, in my opinion.
For all my talk about beginnings, this week is the end of Chris Kennedy’s trilogy of trilogies. The Progenitor’s War is the conclusion to humanity’s battle for survival across all of time and space, and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096WRN6TY.
Today’s Weight: 336.2
Updated Word Count: 159,863
Shijuren Wiki: 733 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.
First, there are a bunch of new faces here thanks to Dave Butler’s May Giveaway. Thanks for signing up. A quick tour. In this first part, I chat about what I’m doing and what I’m planning. Then there’s a bit on what I’m listening to. Basically, it’s a chance to comment on something cool around me. Then there’s a quote of the week for the same reason. That’s followed by some stuff particular to New Mythology Press, for which I’m the publisher. Then I list my works in progress and events I’m planning on going to. Finally, there are new releases, some by me, most by people I know and appreciate. Then there’s the usual promo stuff at the bottom.
By the way, most weeks, I’ll send this out on Thursday, but I literally got home last night and basically went straight to bed for 12 hours sleep.
Again, thanks for joining up. I hope you like it here. You get to start with me following up from an amazing time at FantaSci. Wow, what a week that was. Here’s the After Action Report to prove just how awesome it was: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=2314.
Running my first ever New Mythology Publishing panel. Starting this fall we’re going to be pumping out stuff consistently. My goal is a book every other Tuesday. We might end up doing more. Exciting stuff.
Getting to host the Songs of Valor panel with Larry Correia, David Weber, Dave Butler, and the rest of an amazing cast.
Getting to announce J.P. Chandler as the winning of the first FantaSci anthology. The Hill to Die On is simply brilliant.
Most importantly, I got to see my con family. I’ve missed them, something terrible.
After that I spent a couple of days working with Chris Kennedy. We finalized the processes we’re going to use for New Mythology Press going forward. We also went over a bunch of plans. This is really exciting for me, and it’ll be exciting for you because there are a bunch of great stories coming.
After that was the long drive home, but I at least got to have dinner with relatives in Rocky Mount.
Overall, this was a weird combination of exhausting and reinvigorating. Those two things shouldn’t go together, but though my body reminds me 18 hour drives aren’t as fun as they used to be, my mind is excited about the challenges ahead.
With that, I’d better get to work.
What I’m Listening To
It’s Motown day on the Pandora at Brewbakers. You know all the great songs. For me, it’s also so nice to get back into the home groove.
Quote of the Week
So many fun exchanges at FantaSci. This is something from Jon R. Osborne, when someone suggested dinner at an Irish place on Sunday.
“You had me at pub.”
― Jon R. Osborne
New Mythology Works in Progress
We now have TWO anthologies with open calls.
1. Talons and Talismans
Deadline: 31 July
Release: October/November
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
We will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. They will earn an equal share of the revenue as all the other authors. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
2. FantaSci 2022 Contest
Deadline: 30 November, 2021
Release: FantaSci 2022
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving an artifact or named item. This can be an item of legend, such as Excalibur or the Philosopher’s Stone, or an item of your creation of any type. Feel free to make the artifact or item intelligent, and you can even make it your protagonist or villain. No matter what, the artifact or item must be a central part of the story.
Again, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. They will earn an equal share of the revenue as all the other authors. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
Also released last week is my co-conspirator with the Dudes in Hyperspace podcast, Ian J. Malone along with the big boss, Chris Kennedy, giving us a new Four Horsemen novel. You can find Street Survivors here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094281KRC.
And since I am late off the mark this week, you get a bonus release: Shadows, a novel in the Caine Riordan universe by William Alan Webb. Bill Webb is a great writer, and you should check him out in general. And, of course, you know this universe, founded by Chuck Gannon. You can find this book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095W2BCJF.
Also, the big sale this week is a collection of Military SF curated by the amazing Kevin J. Anderson. This actually includes one of my stories, “Here Must We Hold,” in Trouble in the Wind, edited by the awesome James Young. You can find this collection here: https://storybundle.com/scifi. It’s a heckuva collection, including Cartwright’s Cavaliers, the first in the Four Horsemen Universe. If you were considering jumping in, this would be a great way to start.
Today’s Weight: 341.0 (I tried, but didn’t do a great job of eating during the trip. Color me surprised. But only 5-8 pounds, so not a huge step back)
Updated Word Count: 146,422(I finally decided to give myself 1/4 credit on things I edit/publish once they get released, so I got credit for Responsibility of the Crown. I have had too many people tell me I should get some credit.)
Shijuren Wiki: 725 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.
First, thanks to Joel Lyons, the Lyonesse, and all the FantaSci staff (especially Yvonne Jacobs) for making this happen. We needed this, and it was brilliant.
The con started on Thursday, which is often some of the most productive moments of a con as people network together. This was no different. We had an “interesting” drive to dinner on Thursday, a group dinner including a bunch of us. You might say that the Lyons *nailed* it, in more ways than one. There is physical evidence. And also video evidence. Trust me, the physical is much nicer to see.
My panel schedule started at noon on Friday. From about that point on, I was about too busy to breathe until just about now.
That first panel was one about pantsing. The way this was set up was for me to talk about how I write, what techniques I use, and how I take advantage of what pantsing can do for an author.
Ironically, I prepared quite a bit for this panel, and as I did I realized I actually do a bunch of things to help my pantsing work. These involve character ideas and sketches, even if I don’t write them down, my notes using Wikipedia’s random article function, and my use of a variety of contemplative moments to pre-build the story before I get close to a keyboard.
Then I had a couple of hours to set up in the Author Flea Market area. This was a neat idea the FantaSci folks had. Basically, the set up a few empty chairs in the covered part of the courtyard and said they were available for any other to sell their stuff. I knew I didn’t have much time for this sort of thing, but I got a couple of hours, and it made it easier for me to have my books handy for the reading.
More importantly, I had a chance to chat with a few people, especially Barbara V. Evers, the writer of the Watchers of Moniah series. I really enjoyed this series and hope she’ll write more. However, I’d not met her in person. That’s fixed now, and she’s awesome. Don’t worry, I’m already nudging for more stuff from her.
At 3pm, I had a book reading. I read from The Ravening of Sorrows, coming out on June 18th. More on this later. Anyway, I read the scene where Hu’s Hawks, loaned to me by Quincy J. Allen, held the spotlight. It’s action-packed, but also sort of a separate unit.
Joining me at this reading was G. Scott Huggins, who read from his freshly released Responsibility of the Crown. This is such a fun story from a great writer who’s only going to get better. It already has 14 reviews, and they are all 5 stars because, well, it’s a 5-star book.
At 4pm was a panel entitled Herding Kittens. It was about what’s involved in getting an anthology to work. It was actually a wonderful learning experience, as it always is when I get to listen to Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books. She has forgotten more about the book business than I have learned so far. By a lot. Anytime you can get Toni in a place to talk about the craft of writing, much less the business of writing, it will behoove you to sit down, listen, and learn.
Then I had a small break, giving me just enough time to eat a little, rest a bit, and refresh myself for the 7-9pm panel on Songs of Valor. Let’s get this out of the way, I did not do a good job with this panel. It was the first panel I’ve ever moderated that was scheduled for two hours and I didn’t pace it well. Therefore, I didn’t have enough good questions and it was only David Weber’s ability to provide wisdom that saved the panel from about the 1 hour mark onward. Again, like Toni, it is always smart to listen to him talking the craft, something Chris Kennedy is benefiting from right now in the collaboration.
After that, we held the Chris Kennedy Publishing party. This went off very well, I thought, in part because of all the help I received from the 4HU Merc Guild. This, by the way, is the fan group of the Four Horsemen Universe. If you like the books, you should look for a merc unit in your area.
I will take this moment to thank Nick Steverson. He stayed up to the end of the party, which actually ended up happening both Friday and Saturday night, and made sure everything got picked up. I simply didn’t have the energy to do it, and he did a great job. We always like keeping the hotel happy.
My Saturday started at noon again, and it was even more busy than Friday.
I should take a moment and thank Yvonne Jacobs, who did a stellar job with the programming at FantaSci. She got the ball thrown to her at almost the last moment and there was a bunch of good panels and a great mix of stuff. She also worked me hard, given that I was involved in 10 panels. I can’t thank her enough for doing that. I might be exhausted today, but I know I had all the opportunities I could have hoped for.
Anyway, my day began with the New Mythology Press panel. This went really well, as opposed to the Songs of Valor panel. This one, I had timed out and paced correctly, though, of course, part of that is having good pros to work with.
We went through the various series currently going on through the imprint and what’s coming up in the year. There’s a lot coming up. We also gave a small teaser of a major announcement coming at DragonCon. You’re going to love that one.
At that point, I rolled into a panel on podcasting hosted by Ian J. Malone. It also included Kevin Steverson, our partner on the Dudes in Hyperspace, as well as Jim Curtis, a YouTuber. I’m still a n00b when it comes to podcasting, so I did the best I could, but mostly I listened and learned, just like the crowd did.
Theoretically, I had a break in the schedule then, but I had a bit part to play in Dave Butler’s panel. He kindly invited me to join him in his most recent book giveaway and we drew two of the names. I will mail the other three books on Friday.
Then we rolled into the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel. Man, Chris has got a lot of stuff going. My big thrill, of course, was the opportunity to see the cover to The Ravening of Wolves, which comes out on the 18th of June. Seeing the cover is always cool, because it’s one step closer to another book becoming a reality.
And I’m really excited about The Ravening of Wolves.
At 4pm I had a panel on Mystics and Magic. We voluntold Lydia Scherrer to be moderator on Friday. By the way, if you’ve never met Lydia, she’s a sharp cookie who is really good at getting things in order, as well as a great writer. This was a fun panel, especially with the brand new novelist G. Scott Huggins sitting next to me.
Whew. Reading all that makes me exhausted, but I did get to treat myself. I had a break to shower and change for the Four Horsemen Dining Out. This event makes FantaSci unique. It’s a formal banquet with everyone in their 4HU uniforms. Those in the military will understand the power of the Rules of the Mess.
After that was Chris Kennedy Publishing Party 2.0 where we brought out the coolers and *tried* to empty them. Chris and I both tend to buy too much for parties. Ah well, I’m sure someone will drink the beer. Eventually.
I went to bed fairly early Saturday night, as I had done on Friday. I was out of spoons.
Side note here: The Dogfish Slightly Mighty IPA is a huge hit with me. It’s tasty enough, low-carb, and lower alcohol (4.0%) as opposed to most IPAs which are 6+. These Slighty Mightys made a good session beer for me.
Sunday was a “light” day at the con for me. I only had one thing on my list, the Kaffeeklatsch at 9am. A Kaffeeklatsch is basically sitting around chatting about stuff with authors and fans.
But Sunday didn’t end there. I rolled immediately from that to a quick impromptu Dudes in Hyperspace podcast live on-site with Ian J. Malone and Kevin Steverson. We rambled a bit about the con, lassoed Christopher Woods as he passed by, and I got wet-willied by Jonny Minion. As you do.
Then there was a bit of networking/socializing before Closing Ceremonies. At Closing Ceremonies, we announced that James Chandler won the short story contest with his story The Hill to Die On. Really a brilliant story. Congrats to him. Now he needs to write more in that world.
Speaking of more writing, I took advantage of the moment to announce the next Libri Valoris anthology to be released at FantaSci 2022. Here are the details.
Deadline: 30 November
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving an artifact or named item. This can be an item of legend, such as Excalibur or the Philosopher’s Stone, or an item of your creation of any type. Feel free to make the artifact or item intelligent, and you can even make it your protagonist or villain. No matter what, the artifact or item must be a central part of the story.
Anyway, after Closing Ceremonies, there was the milling about and chatting. At first glance, this might not seem terribly worthy of inclusion in an AAR, but in truth, so much gets done here. Everyone is tired, but still excited and enthusiastic so ideas are getting fired at people left and right. Great stuff.
My most important conversation was the time I had to sit and chat with Terry Maggert. This guy is something special. Pick his brain when you can, he is amazing.
After that was more socializing. A bunch of us went to Tra’li, a great Irish pub. We’ll go back there again.
Sunday night, I thought I would be too tired to really party, but humorously enough, I stayed up late and had a great time. It meant for a slow-moving Monday, but I’m glad I did. Got to let my hair down a bit and chat with some people I’d really not had a chance to chat with before like Chris Smith, who’s a really smart dude.
Overall, this was a really productive and wonderful convention. I feel like I did all a publisher and author could hope to do at a con. I got to promote books, learn about writing, meet and encourage writers, and build both my own personal brand and that of New Mythology.
I also got to be with my people. How cool is that?
Sorry for being a day late. I had a busy day yesterday. Our parents are coming down this weekend for Mother’s Day and I spent it frantically cleaning the house. One of the strangest things about the pandemic is that we host people often enough our house gets cleaned regularly. Those didn’t happen for a year, and we had some catching up to do.
Side note: I’d never have had the chance to do this job without my mom’s help. Thanks, mom!
I had a big thrill this week. I got to interview one of my favorite sportswriters and radio guys, Bob Sturm, for the Dudes in Hyperspace podcast. If you like football at all, you want to sit and chat with him for hours. Well, he gave me about an hour, which is about twice as long as I intended. We were just going over a bunch of neat stuff.
I haven’t written much this past week. Mostly, I’ve been doing those projects around the house that we’ve put off. Made a lot of progress on those.
Also, I got an opportunity to write something really cool that went straight to the top of the line. We’ll see how that goes, but then I’ll get back to my other short stories. Looks like I’ll write 4-5 short stories in the next couple of months before turning to another Shijuren novel.
Finally, my FantaSci schedule is live! Here’s where I’ll be in a couple of weeks.
Friday 12pm: Pantzing in Camellia
Friday 3pm: Book Reading in Oak
Friday 4pm: Herding Kittens in Camellia
Friday 7pm (2 hrs): Songs of Valor Anthology in the Main Room
Friday 10pm: CKP/NMP Party in the Courtyard. Come a little early if you want to help set up.
Saturday 12pm: New Mythology Press in Rose
Saturday 1pm: Radio Waves: Podcast/Live Feeds in Rose
Saturday 4pm: Mystics and Magic in the Main Room
Sunday 9am: NMP Kaffeeklatsch in Camellia
With that, I had better go write a bit.
What I’m Listening To
Wolf Totem by the Hu. Mongolian Folk Metal is fantastic stuff.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from Gene Wolfe, one of the great SF/F writers ever. He was born on this day in 1931.
“You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you’re writing.”
― Gene Wolfe
New Mythology Works in Progress
Open call for the next New Mythology Anthology. We’ll take the top four submissions.
Deadline: 31 July
Words: 7k-10k
Manuscript: In .doc or .docx file format, Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 spaced
Send To: rob@chriskennedypublishing.com
Prompt: Write a fantasy story involving a beast or monster. While the story can include elements of horror, it should not be a horror story; it should be a fantasy and lean toward the heroic. Feel free to make the beast or monster your protagonist, but if not, the creature must be a central figure, (like Grendel in Beowulf).
As mentioned, we will choose the top four stories out of those submitted to add to the anthology. This is especially aimed at newer authors, though authors of any experience can enter.
The big new release is, of course, Eye of the Storm, by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey. This is the latest in the main line of the 4HU. So much going on. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093NXYC7C.
Today’s Weight: 333.6
Updated Word Count: 115,848
Shijuren Wiki: 725 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.
Songs of Valor came out on Friday, and boy, do we have a bunch of readers to thank. We hit number one new release in a couple of categories and were top ten overall in some categories as well. A worthy start to a great book.
As part of the lead-in to release date, I did some story sketches, along with some fun nicknames for our authors. I thought it’d be cool to gather those sketches together. Plus, I didn’t do the nicknames for the initial three authors, because it sort of happened in that post and then a number of people enjoyed them.
So here we go:
The first story is by the Grand Admiral, David Weber, and is called The Dragon and the Drunkard. Such an honor to work with David, and this was one of his first stories ever. It’s perfect for a release this week, as this story involves a leprechaun, a dragon, the Rainbow Bridge, and an interesting legal situation. And scotch. Lots of scotch. I like scotch, by the way.
Next is the Beerzerker, Jon Osborne. This story, Smoke and Shadow. is another from his really cool urban fantasy Milesian Accords series. In general, I love stories that mix mythologies and look at them in new ways. This is something Jon does really well. Also, spoiler alert, buy some jellybeans. You’ll find out just how important they can be in this story.
Third is Benjamin Tyler Smith‘s On a Wing and a Train. Side note here, one possible name is the Shirker, because he clearly planned for their baby to be born on the same day as Songs of Valor just so he didn’t have to help promote everything. Clearly. Some people will do anything to get out of promo work.
Anyway, Benjamin’s real nickname is Speaker to Dead Things because I love his fantastic Necrolopolis series, and this is another story in that series. The elevator pitch: The mean streets of the City of the Dead are no place for an honest necromancer, even if he is drinking buddies with the God of Death. Especially when he has a partner who really puts the fatale into femme fatale. By the way, this is the first of five stories in the anthology that are winners of the FantaSci short story contest. Also, he says he’s got a Necrolopolis novel on the way, and I’m really excited to see it.
Next comes from the Big Boss, Chris Kennedy himself. This is a great coming of age story called The One You’d Least Expect. I love stories where someone grows into the challenge. This is one of those, and it’s especially interesting because of the nature of those in question. Also, just saying, this is an *origin* story, so maybe one day I can nag him into a full-length novel. Or series. Because he’s not busy doing other things, of course.
Next, the Bright Newbie, Melissa Moroney Olthoff. I call her the bright one because she’s so cheerful and enthusiastic. Even so, Oathbreakeris a tough, gritty story of love, strength, and courage. It will leave you wanting more, as it did for me. This was the second of the winners of the FantaSci short story contest.
Who else could the Crusty Old Sergeant be but Kevin Steverson? Changesis a story in his Balance of Kerr universe, and I really like it because it gives him a chance to expand that world and add some really cool characters with his normal fast-paced sort of adventure. It will come as no surprise to those who gamed with me in the RPGA back in the 90s that Londar is my favorite character.
Captain Mohawk is, of course, Quincy J Allen and he wrote another Rellen story entitled What the Eye Sees. This is high end swords and sorcery stuff, with a hint of noir. Spoiler alert. I foresee huge things for Rellen in 2022. Huge with a capital huge.
Next is Songbirdby the Mountie, who is obviously Jamie Ibson. Now he wrote this story while he was still living in British Columbia and hadn’t yet leveled up to New Brunswick in Atlantic Canada. Even so, this is a great origin story of a guy finding his magic, and more importantly, his purpose. The third winner in the FantaSci contest.
Following that is Backupby the Renaissance Man. Dave Butler is annoying talented. Reads like 80 languages. Is a musician. Has a law degree. Is now a teacher. And he writes stuff. Great stuff, in fact. This is another Indrajit and Fix story, and I think these are modern versions of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, which are, not surprisingly, some of my favorite characters ever.
Side note: I almost chose the Mustachioed Loomer for Dave, but I figured that was too obvious.
Dama Quixote, Sarah A. Hoyt, gave us One More Flight, a story about old soldiers trying to make their way after their service time should be done. But sometimes, old soldiers have to get back in the saddle, and stand up to mighty foes.
Next is the Evil Eyebrow. On second thought, maybe I should have called Casey Moores the EEEEVIL Eyebrow. If you’ve seen him, you know what I mean. Anyway, his story A Quaint Pastime is also about an old soldier. This one is trying to find his place in the next war. With a twist. Lots of aerial action and dogfighting in this one, and this is the fourth winner of the FantaSci contest.
Next is a story by J.P. Chandler, the Legal Beagle. The third of three in a row about old soldiers, this story is about a warrior who has fought and fought and fought and he’s done. He’s got a last stand left in him, though. And it turns out there are others ready for that stand. This is the fifth of the stories that the FantaSci crew are going to have to pick from.
Chandler’s story hit me in *all* the feels. I cried when I read it the first time, the second time, the third… well, you get the idea.
Next comes the Arrogant Editor. Let’s just say today’s launch success didn’t make me any less arrogant. My story in this, Magnum Opus, let me delve into Katarina, one of my favorite characters in the Edward series. What happens when evil has to be the good guy?
Then is the Ancient Master. Glen Cook‘s not really ancient but he sure he is a master. I’ve loved his stuff for years and was very happy to have a Black Company story here. Cranky Bitch has all the cynicism and War weariness you’ve come to expect from that series.
And finally, the Accountant of DOOOMMMM. Larry Correia‘s The Dregs is fantastic, full of action, and with a cool twist at the end.
What a great lineup that was, and they gave me fun stories. I was honored to get to edit all this.
I’m also proud at being a part of the FantaSci short story contest. They are going to have a heck of a time selecting from the stories from the winners.
Thanks to all involved in what turned out to be an awesome project.
This week I’ve been focused on getting new stories out. I have a new writer that I can’t wait to publish. I’ll finish my edits tomorrow.
There are several other stories coming in soon, plus a cool new project that we’re making progress on.
However, the biggest news is the first New Mythology Release since I became publisher, the second in Barbara V. Evers’ Watchers of Moniah trilogy: The Watchers in Exile.
I made some progress on The Ravening of Wolves, but not as much as I’d hoped. Nevertheless, I got over 40k this week, so it’s getting there too.
What I’m Listening To
You’ll know the show I’m watching when you read the quote.
Quote of the Week
“I don’t believe there’s a power in the ‘verse can stop Kaylee from being cheerful.”
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds
― Firefly
New Mythology Works in Progress
With the second of Barbara V. Evers’ Watchers of Moniah trilogy, The Watchers in Exile coming out on Monday, those of you with sharp eyes might suspect a third book is on the way. And it is! March 1st, the trilogy will be complete and I’m looking forward to seeing the bad guys get what’s coming to them.
The next release is Songs of Valor, the second of the Libri Valoris anthologies. You’re going to love it.
Following that is the next in Kevin Steverson’s Balance of Kerr series, called Accepted, follows up his great novel Burnt. Then the queue is starting to stack up. Exciting stuff.
This week’s spotlight is on Barbara V. Evers’ The Watchers in Exile. I might have mentioned that came out on Monday.
Also out is Mark Wandrey’s Sword ofMinerva, next story in the Four Horseman Universe. The Guild Wars is getting good.
Finally, the factory boss’s story, A Gulf in the Past, came out in audio form this past week. This is the second book in Chris Kennedy’s Progenitor’s War series.
Today’s Weight: 345.8
Updated Word Count: 5,106
Shijuren Wiki: 725 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.
First, I want to thank all of you who’ve joined the mailing list this past week. Not surprisingly, a bunch of people are interested in New Mythology Press. Can’t blame you, we’re doing some good stuff.
Anyway, you’ll see I add a few things besides simply tossing business stuff at you. This first section is what I’m working on or things in my life. Then I’ll add what I’m listening, which will sometimes flow right into the Quote of the Week. I love aphorisms, by the way, so if you’ve got some fun ones, send them my way.
After that is when I’ll get into the meaty part. There’s a section on what’s happening with New Mythology. Then a list of my works in progress. If it’s a novel and I’ve got a title, it’s listed. Then there’s the various short story scraps that I’m messing with. These don’t always change, but I like to remind myself what I’m doing.
Speaking of what I’m doing, I then have my schedule listed. Right now, it’s basically just FantaSci, LibertyCon, and DragonCon, but I have hopes to add a number of others later in the year. As we all know, we’ll see what happens.
Next comes the New Releases section. This includes not only my own new releases, nor also New Mythology’s, but I’ve been blessed to be a part of a cool and productive writing crew and I like to brag about them too.
Finally, there are a few counters. I like to keep track of my weight, and I might as well do it here. Then there’s my updated word count. I’m still waffling on how I’ll count edited works, as that will be more and more common, but I have goals I strive for each year. Finally, there’s a list of the number of entries on Shijuren wiki page, which tends to shoot up in bunches as I’m working on a new Shijuren story.
I’m actually working on a new story in the Four Horsemen Universe right now, the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows. This one’s called The Ravening of Wolves, as the Foresters work with the Zuul to strike at those who’ve been attacking both units for years.
It’s a bit of a truncated week, as things get shifted around, but I’m excited where I’m going with a variety of projects and I think you guys are going to love the explosions and swordplay coming down the pike.
What I’m Listening To
Hemispheres, by Rush. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been picking albums by Rush and just playing them over and over. It’s reminiscent of getting a new cassette and sticking it into the player on my 1969 VW Bug. Slug bug orange, by the way.
Quote of the Week
I still remember the first time I heard these lyrics. I immediately loved the way Neil Peart twisted and wove these words around into such a neat pattern. It was about this point, I started to love poetry.
Let the truth of love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility, armed with sense and liberty
With the heart and mind united in a single, perfect sphere
“Hemispheres”
― Rush
New Mythology Works in Progress
As we’ve posted in a variety of places, New Mythology Press is accepted submissions. Here are the guidelines.
Novels of 80 to 120k words
In .doc or .docx file format
Times New Roman, 12pt
1.5 spaced
Can be fantasy of any type, epic, urban, high, whatever. Needs to have heroes doing heroic things, just like you’ve come to expect from all the books from CKP.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve accepted one of several submissions and I’m about 30% through my editing pass. This is really exciting, and I can’t wait to share this great story and the others in this series. You’re going to love Responsibility.
There are currently three books on the schedule from New Mythology Press. They are:
25 January: The Watchers in Exile (Watchers of Moniah, Book 2) by Barbara Evers (At the Advance Reader Team)
1 March: The Watchers at War (Watchers of Moniah, Book 3) by Barbara Evers (Note this will complete the trilogy)
19 March: Songs of Valor (Libri Valoris, Book 2)
There are a number of other projects in the works, including a couple of sequels in existing series and the first glimmerings of some other awesome projects.
Again, I’m honored with the opportunity that Chris gave me here, and I can’t wait to get you a bunch of cool stuff to read.
This week’s spotlight is still on This week’s spotlight is on Christopher Woods and William Joseph Roberts, who put out their own take on the Salvage Title universe with Smuggler’s Run. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S71RJP5. They get spotlighted twice because of the change in mailing list days.
Also, Jon Osborne’s A Tangled Fate, the third in his Milesian Accords series, is now out in audiobook form. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Fate-Milesian-Accords-Book/dp/B0833DWSSS/.
Finally, Chris Kennedy decided to give some unknown guy a little help and wrote a book with him. The other guy? Oh, just David Weber. They just released Into the Light, the second in their Out of the Dark series. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BKLY24N.
Today’s Weight: 347.8
Updated Word Count: 3,602
Shijuren Wiki: 724 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.
Well, this has been a wonderful and eventful week for me. On Wednesday, Chris Kennedy gave me the opportunity to become lead dog on New Mythology Press, his fantasy imprint. This means I’ll be taking submissions and guiding the accepted books through the process of publication.
This is incredibly exciting and I look forward to bringing you all a bunch of great stuff to read.
I’ll be adjusting some things related to my weekly email as part of this. I’m going to start sending them out Thursday to better flow with Tuesday releases for New Mythology Press. I’ve added a New Mythology Works in Progress section where I’ll discuss what’s going on there. There will be more changes as I adapt to this amazing new opportunity.
Thanks again to Chris.
By the way, if you’re interested in submitting a novel to New Mythology Press here are the basics:
New Mythology Press Novel Submission Guidelines
Novels of 80 to 120k words
In .doc or .docx file format
Times New Roman, 12pt
1.5 spaced
Can be fantasy of any type, epic, urban, high, whatever. Needs to have heroes doing heroic things, just like you’ve come to expect from all the books from CKP.
However, this does not mean I’ll stop writing. Not at all. I actually had a great week of progress on The Ravening of Wolves, getting about 6k done despite not writing at all yesterday because it was my sweetie’s birthday. It’s good to get back into the groove.
With that, I better get working. I’ve already got submissions to read. Exciting stuff!
What I’m Listening To
Rush, all of it. Neil died a year ago Thursday and I’m not over it.
Quote of the Week
I’ve probably used this quote before, but it’s too powerful not to use again. It comes from the last song on the last album by Rush. Neil nurtured one hell of a garden.
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned
In the fullness of time
A garden to nurture and protect”
– Neil Peart (1952 – 2020), “The Garden” from Clockwork Angels
New Mythology Works in Progress
Songs of Valor is basically complete. It goes to the editor this weekend. I’m really proud of how this turned out and you’ll want to get it when it comes out in March. Here’s the list of fantastic stories and ridiculously good author list, along with a note if they’re part of an existing series:
The Dragon and the Drunkard by David Weber
Smoke and Shadow by Jon Osborne (Milesian Accords series)
On a Wing and a Train by Benjamin Tyler Smith (Necrolopolis series)
The One You’d Least Expect by Chris Kennedy
Oathbreaker by Melissa Olthoff
Changes by Kevin Steverson (Balance of Kerr series)
What the Eye Sees by Quincy J. Allen (Rellen series)
Songbird by Jamie Ibson
One More Flight by Sarah Hoyt
A Quaint Pastime by Casey Moores
Backup by D.J. Butler (Indrajit and Fix series)
The Hill to Die On by J.P. Chandler
Magnum Opus by Rob Howell (Shijuren series)
Cranky Bitch by Glen Cook (Black Company series)
The Dregs by Larry Correia
I’m still amazed by this collection of talent. Truly an honor to be a part of it.
This week’s spotlight is on Christopher Woods and William Joseph Roberts, who put out their own take on the Salvage Title universe with Smuggler’s Run. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S71RJP5.
Today’s Weight: 345.8
Updated Word Count: 2,396
Shijuren Wiki: 725 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.
It’s about 55 here and sunny. In other words, my favorite weather. And there’s something about fall days like this that are better to me than spring days with exactly the same temp and sunshine. I don’t know why I prefer fall, maybe it’s the leaves changing as they are starting to do, but this is my favorite time of year.
I got to see a bunch of that as I drove to Virginia to meet up with Chris Kennedy and a bunch of other authors last week, which is why I never got to do my update last week. Normally, we brainstorm story ideas at cons, which we haven’t been able to do, and there’s no substitute for doing that in-person. Zoom is great and all, but not terribly conducive to creativity.
I’m in the midst of writing a couple of things right now. I’m flipping back and forth from The Ravening of Wolves, where I got a number of great ideas from my conversations in Virginia, and my story for the upcoming fantasy anthology.
This anthology is going to rock, by the way.
Also, I’ve been working on production stuff for None Call Me Mother. The cover art is almost done and it’s my favorite cover so far. I’m wrestling with the blurb, as I always do. Blurbs are so much tougher than writing a novel.
In only 11 days, The Feeding of Sorrows comes out on audiobook. I’ve listened to the proofs and they are excellent. James Patrick Cronin did a fantastic job.
Well, time to make dinner and then go get my sweetie some ice cream. Have a great week everyone.
What I’m Listening To
The .mp3s for The Feeding of Sorrows. James Patrick Cronin is fantastic.
Quote of the Week
Speaking of audiobooks, I listened to John Lithgow’s From Song of Myself on the trip. This is an amazing collection and introduction to poetry. Basically, it’s him and a bunch of friends like Helen Mirren and Gary Sinise wallowing in their love of poetry. Morgan Freeman’s rendition of We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks is worth the price of admission alone.
Anyway, since I’m in a poetic mood on a fine fall day, here’s Longfellow’s poem Autumn.
“Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain,
With banners, by great gales incessant fanned,
Brighter than brightest silks of Samarcand,
And stately oxen harnessed to thy wain!
Thou standest, like imperial Charlemagne,
Upon thy bridge of gold; thy royal hand
Outstretched with benedictions o’er the land,
Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain!
Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended
So long beneath the heaven’s o’er-hanging eaves;
Thy steps are by the farmer’s prayers attended;
Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves;
And, following thee, in thy ovation splendid,
Thine almoner, the wind, scatters the golden leaves!”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,674)
CB (8,418)
RAZ (938)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
New Releases
This week’s spotlight is on a few things. First, Nick Steverson released his first novel last week, entitled Hesitation. It’s part of the Salvage Universe series, which is a lot of fun. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JV1WRDD/.
Coming out this week is Steven Johnson’s Operation Reaper. This is a fun series involving WW2 GIs fighting all sorts of supernatural creatures. You can find this one here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFZ64G8.
Today’s Weight: 361.0 (I was actually down to 358.8 before the trip and came back at 365.2, but it’s settling back down)
Updated Word Count: 239,585
Shijuren Wiki: 77 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.
A week of things projects as much as writing. Only 3 real writing days, but still productive. Still getting over 2k per day done on The Ravening of Sorrows.
We finished a major project here that’s been something we’ve been stepping around for months, but it’s now to the finish work stage. We’re really pleased to have that done.
We spent a lot of the week dealing with stuff. Neither of us have gotten great sleep for a while because one of us has had to sleep with the cat that was wearing a cone of shame. The cone of shame is off as of today and everything seems back to normal.
I’ll be editing a short story next week and adding to The Ravening of Sorrows a bit. Then I’ll be switching to editing None Call Me Mother. Getting close on that.
And with that, I’m going to go watch a movie with the sweetie.
What I’m Listening To
Good friends on a Zoom meeting call. It’s good to see friends, even if only virtually.
Quote of the Week
Today is Mary Shelley’s birthday and here’s a quote from one of the founders of science fiction and fantasy. This is a perfect quote for writing SF/F.
“Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos.”
– Mary Shelley.
News and Works in Progress
The Ravening of Wolves (29,837)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (8,642)
Gato (2,312)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Didn’t have a chance to work on anything else this week.
Upcoming Events
3-7 September, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA https://www.dragoncon.org/
Digital stuff coming, more information soon.
Also, we have a couple of entries on Bookbub this week. A Time to Die by Mark Wandrey is today. Tomorrow will be Jon Osborne’s A Reluctant Druid. Both are 0.99 cents. The Bookbub links are awful, so click on the titles to go to those specials.
Today’s Weight: 364.4
Updated Word Count: 234,350
Shijuren Wiki: 874 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.
Generally, it was a good week. It’s fascinating to me how easy it is writing the The Ravening of Wolves after beating against None Call Me Mother for months. I’d power through 1k and be exhausted. Right now, I’m putting out about 2.5k per writing day, so I’m quite pleased.
However, I haven’t had as much writing time as I’ve wanted because of a couple things getting in the way. Still, I wrote more than 10k this week despite it all, along with setting up a number of chapters that should go quickly.
None Call Me Mother is still at the editor, which is to be expected. I suspect I’ll get the edited back in the next week or two, then do my second pass, then get it back to her. At this point, I’m targeting some point in late October as a release date, but that all depends on what suggestions the editor gives me.
In the meantime, I have a story to send off in the next week or so. It’s basically written, I just have to do a polish run.
I’ve also been working on some of the early submissions for the FantaSci anthology. I’ve been pleased, in general, with the ones I’ve gotten. I can’t wait to see more. If you’re writing fantasy short stories, send a submission over before the end of November and see if you get selected.
This week I also did a number of wiki additions. The important entry is the one for Periaslavl. It’s large and is the new template for other major nations. Yeah, I world-build as a hobby, so it’s fun creating historical events in Shijuren.
That’s enough for now, time to go throw more words at the page.
What I’m Listening To
“The Garden” by Rush off Clockwork Angels. The last song on the last album. It’s the perfect ending, really. An amazing song. I’ll pick something for the Quote of the Week, of course, but really, its entire lyrics are worth the read. You can find them here: https://www.rush.com/songs/the-garden/.
Quote of the Week
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned”
– Rush, “The Garden”
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.
Somedays I never thought I’d be able to say this, but I just sent a full draft of None Call Me Mother to my editor.
It’s raw, and I will be adjusting my process so I never take this long to write a series again, but I cried at the end. That’s always a sign I like the story.
It was actually a fantastic week here, not just because I wrapped up a draft. I participated in my first DragonCon panel on Wednesday, and you’ll be able to see it as part of the virtual DragonCon package. I don’t know all the details about virtual DragonCon right now, but I’ll be posting that when I do.
I have already started to shift the notes from The Feeding of Sorrows around to begin The Ravening of Wolves, its sequel. Expect to see that appearing in the word count within the next couple of weeks.
Next week I will be cleaning up a short story, starting another short story, and start reading for the sequel anthology we’re putting out for FantaSci. We already have three submissions for the contest and I can’t wait to dig into those.
Tomorrow, I’ll be presenting a section of Brief Is My Flame in an online reading of a bunch of local authors. I thought about a chunk of None Call Me Mother, but all the snippets I can think will be fun to read are too long for my 15 minutes.
Here’s the link for the KC Writer’s Fair. You’ll need to register to watch the Zoom meeting, so plan accordingly. Thanks to William Mitchell for all his hard work getting this going.
There’s a bunch of work yet to do on None Call MeMother, of course. However, this is one of the best points in the process.
What I’m Listening To
Survival by Yes. What an apt song for the moment.
Quote of the Week
None Call Me Mother is wrapped around a riddle written in the Old English style. I’ll post it here and see if anyone figures it out. I wrote it to be challenging and obscure, which it is, but you can figure it out, even if every riddle is frustrating.
I am a wondrous thing though I am truly nothing Brief is my flame but mountains rise and fall Ere my warmth fades and winter fills its place Gold is given for me but such gifts buy me not I have many children but none call me mother Swans carry my grace but grow and fade without me Some turn to the sun but never tame me in the light Dogs may soar for me but daunted, they return sharply So ere you your successor name say what I am called
Also, there’s a new main thread Four Horsemen novel out! You can find Gale Force here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F9TX11V. Thanks to Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy for creating this huge, crazy sandbox for all of us.
Today’s Weight: 369.6 (I held the same weight as last week, which I’m actually quite pleased about since I was too focused on finishing the draft to actually cook)
Updated Word Count: 231,733
Shijuren Wiki: 67 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.
If things had gone to plan, I would have spent Monday evening trying to live up to the lyrics of the song Come and Be Welcome by Emer nic Aiden. I’d have hosted my yearly bardic circle at Pennsic, then taken my hungover self to the trim shop and done whatever setup we’d needed.
I’d have spent this week and next talking to people about my books and finishing None Call Me Mother. It’s the best workplace around, actually. I get to work, be really productive, and then afterwards I get to go sing and hang out with great people I only see this time of the year.
Ah, well. Time for me to focus on the things I can change, which has been my general philosophy for quite some time.
Finishing None Call Me Mother is something I can change. Emer has been one of those waiting patiently for me to finish it. I’ll have a draft to the editor by end of next week. Lots of little issues smoothed this week and it’s almost there.
I can also look ahead to future projects. Next big WIP will be the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows.
Even more exciting to me is the upcoming anthology I’m editing for Chris Kennedy. It’s the sequel anthology to When Valor Must Hold and I am incredibly amazed at the authors who’ve signed up to be a part of it. David Butler, Larry Correia, David Weber, and Sarah Hoyt are all in, and there are some big names still to announce.
I am incredibly honored they all decided to join in and appreciate Chris Kennedy giving me the opportunity.
I look forward also to all the other writers who submit for the FantaSci prize. The top four will be in the anthology, with one getting chosen by the con as the best.
And with that, it’s time to go bring my sweetie some ice cream. Have a great day.
What I’m Listening To
Basil Poledouris’s excellent Conan soundtrack…. again. It’s one of the best things to listen to while writing fantasy.
Quote of the Week
“Come from the forest and sit ’round the fire
Come from the fields and enter our hall
Come drink from the guest-cup
Come join in our circle
Come and be welcome ye bards one and all”
– Emer nic Aiden
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.
Things didn’t go exactly to plan this week, but in many ways that was a good thing. Since the stepdaughter-type creature moved in with her beau, we decided to condense my sweetie’s sewing, quilting, and weaving stuff.
Condense. Seems like an interesting word to use for stuff that fills 4 separate rooms. Ah, well, she’s worth it.
Anyway, that included a bunch of moving around of boxes, furniture, and all sorts of things. We’d been planning to have movers come in and do the work, but we sort of expected that would be down the road.
Instead, Mike Hammer Moving got us on the schedule on Wednesday and we were able to get nearly everything moved either to its new spot in the house or to the curb for the trash guys on Tuesday. What a wonderful thing. The house feels so much more empty and comfortable.
Side note: I did sort of chuckle at the movers’ name. There were no smoky alleys, no down-on-their-luck, treacherous hoodlums, no femme fatales. Heck, it was even sunny and bright on Wednesday.
Anyway, while I got all the way through Part 8 of None Call Me Mother, I didn’t get as much into the final battle as I’d hoped.
But the moving/cleaning/re-arranging was well worth it. I even improved my office, with the help of a new TV. Right now, I have a Cowboys game going on with Tengger Cavalry providing a soundtrack.
I also have a cat sitting on my monitor ledge, limiting my view of the monitor, but that’s to be expected around here.
I’m taking off today because I get to game again, but will be aiming to get Part 9 finished this week, or at least really close.
Have a great week, everyone.
What I’m Listening To
Rush’s Main Monkey Business. A tremendous instrumental from Snakes and Arrows.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 60th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird. I love both book and movie, but I have to admit Gregory Peck is so fantastic as Atticus Finch I can’t read the book without hearing his voice. And this is a great quote.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
– Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
News and Works in Progress
None Call Me Mother (127,474)
CB (8,418)
AOOE (1,030)
Cynewulf (7,378)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Moved instead of blogged
Upcoming Events
8 August, Olathe Writers Zoom Event
3-7 September, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA https://www.dragoncon.org/
CANCELED (Much sadness)
There might be on-line things happening. Stay tuned.
Also, I should mention Chris Kennedy has added a new imprint. This one is called Quillcraft Press and it’s specifically for books by writers about writing. I don’t know the release date, but the first title will be Have Keyboard, Will Travel, by Bill Webb.
Today’s Weight: 378.4
Updated Word Count: 80,992
Shijuren Wiki: 39 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.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today I’m interviewing Christopher Woods. His story Darkness Before the Dawn was a bit of new thing for him. He hadn’t done much fantasy writing before, but he’s a great writer so he gave me a great story. Also, it had a dragon and an ice wizard in it. If that sounds like the cover for When Valor Must Hold, it’s not a coincidence.
Interview: Christopher Woods
Christopher Woods
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Most of the influences for my writing came from reading umpteen million books over a thirty year span. You can probably see different things as you read my work that remind you of other writers of days gone by. I’m not even sure if I can identify most of the particular places where this can be seen because there were so many. The biggest influence I have in my life is always my wife, Wendy. She makes me a better person and keeps me going when I feel like quitting. Her heart is big enough that I have trouble understanding how it all fits in such a tiny person.
Who are some favorite other creators? I have a long list of authors I dearly love, some living, some gone. Louis L’Amour may have been the best story teller I have ever read. Edgar Rice Burroughs told stories of heroes, with good and evil at odds with one another. Heroes triumph in the end. David Weber was the reason I got into Military Sci-Fi by writing his Honor Harrington series. Later I met the man and he is one of the nicest people I know in the industry. I have to give props to Chris Kennedy, who turned a writing career into a very successful publishing career. There are a slew of writers I have read that could be added to the list but it would take a novel to list them all.
What made you a creator in the first place? I have always written short stories but nothing that was intended to see the world at large. An active imagination and a lot of comic books had me writing stories in various comic universes. I don’t even know where those stories ever got too. The things I have published are much more recent. They sprang from a time when I was basically living in the attic room at my dad’s. I had gotten divorced, had my home foreclosed on, and gone through bankruptcy. The economy had just tanked and I was working a factory job that only gave us three days per week. I had a great deal of time and very little money, so I wrote a book.
Why did you choose to create what you create? The first book, Soulguard, came from a dream I had three nights in a row. Seemed like a good place to start so I did. I have several things I want to do. I want to continue from several of the short stories I have done over the last year. The fantasy, Darkness Before the Dawn is one of them. Traitor’s Moon from the Salvage Universe of Kevin Steverson begs to be continued. There are three more Soulguard books to finish out that series. I would like to do a western as close to the style of Louis L’Amour as I can manage. In fact, I would like to write several.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
When Valor Must Hold
Where do you work? Mostly from home. Sometimes I work away from the house and I write there after the work is done, but most of my writing happens in my office.
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples. I am a huge fan of Heavy Metal. Five Finger Death Punch, Seether, Stone Sour, and Godsmack, to name a few. Lately I have found Shaman’s Harvest and really like their music.
What other things exist in your productive environment? I work in a roomful of stuff my wife has procured to give away at the conventions. There is also a stupid cat that seems to like walking across my hwfwfguwfgwfjjffrncusjuq28 keyboard.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? I’ve tried to write when I was physically exhausted and it doesn’t work very well. So now I try to write in the mornings before I go to work. It seems to work a lot better for me.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I want a happy ending. Sometimes it will be laced with loss but my heroes win in the end.
What are specific techniques you do well? I’ve been told my dialogue is very good and the humor is enjoyed.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? Becoming a published author is probably the greatest success I can think of aside from finding Wendy. I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find her but I do know how I became a published author. She kept telling me “just do it, people will love it”, until I did and I found out she was right.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? I can never seem to get the work done where I can just focus on the writing. I had planned to be done by the end of 2019 and I still have a month or two ahead of me.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons? Readers may not follow you to another series. Sometimes they won’t even follow you to another character in the same series. There is no guarantee people will read the “next” book. The lesson is to just keep going, even when the readers don’t follow. At some point you will get new readers, you just have to keep doing the work.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? Sometimes I will take a break and play some video games. Sometimes it will be wood working. Music helps jar me out of any writer’s block too.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Don’t give up too soon. There may be a time when you feel like you just aren’t good enough. When that happens, try to learn what the problem is and rectify it. Don’t give in. I wrote Fallen World and it sat doing nothing for close to two years. I decided to approach it from a different angle and put it with Chris Kennedy where we opened the world to other writers. It’s now selling and growing. Don’t give up. Look for a different approach.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? Start sooner.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Shaman’s Harvest
Favorite Superhero? Wolverine
Favorite 1970s TV show? Dukes of Hazzard
Favorite Weird Color? Candy apple red
Favorite Sports Team? Not a sports guy
Best Game Ever? Skyrim
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Wendy
What Cartoon Character Are You? Grape Ape
Your Wrestler Name? Fat Boy Slim
Your Signature Wrestling Move? Run around screaming with my arms in the air
What Do You Secretly Plot? Conquering the world
How Will You Conquer the World? Can’t let you in on the secret… Yet. Soon.
Best Thing From the 80s? Hair bands
Favorite Historical Period? Old west
Most Interesting Person In History? The first guy to literally strap a rocket to his back and go into space. That guy would be interesting, I believe.
Steak Temperature? Med Rare
Favorite Chip Dip? Sour cream and ranch
Favorite Cereal? Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Something loaded with carbs
Beverage(s) of Choice? Diet Pepsi
Do You Have Pets? A fat dog and a retarded cat.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Kevin Smith or Jack Black
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? You got it covered.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How goes the book writing on your end? What have you got coming up?
Rob’s Answer: I’m in that drudge stage on None Call Me Mother where I’m juggling 110k and turning them into a story instead a random collection of words held hostage. I’m also writing my short story for the next 4HU anthology and soon will right a prequel for my story from We Dare.
Give Me LibertyCon (co-edited with Toni Weisskopf)
Freedom’s Challenge (Soulguard Book 6)
Dogs of God: Science Fiction According to Chris (anthology)
Co-authored book in Fallen World with Chris Kennedy (as yet unnamed)
New story in Salvage Universe anthology number 2, Farmer’s Accord (The Fallen World)
Traitor’s Moon novel (Salvage Universe)
And where can we find you?
FantaSci in Durham, NC March 20 – 22
LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN June 12-14
DragonCon in Atlanta, GA Sep 3-7,
Do you have a creator biography?
Christopher Woods, teller of tales, writer of fiction, and professional liar is the author of multiple series. His popular Soulguard series, the Legend series in the Four Horsemen Universe, The Fallen World, and Traitor’s Moon in Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Universe. He has written nine novels and been featured in several anthologies. As a carpenter of thirty years, he spends his time building, whether it be homes or worlds. He lives in Woodbury, TN with his wonderful wife and daughter. To see what he is doing just go to www.theprofessionalliar.com .
Thanks to Christopher for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
This week’s interview comes from Quincy J. Allen, a fantastic author who’s already made a name for himself though I think he’s still a rising star. His story is a Fistful of Silver, set in his Guardians of Pelinon universe, and it’s something as if Raymond Chandler wrote Sparhawk instead of David Eddings. Needless to say, I loved it.
Interview: QJ Allen
QJ Allen
Why are you here?
What are your influences?
Jullian May, Robert Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Keith Laumer, Jack Chalker, Kenneth C. Flint, Poul Anderson, Steven Brust
Who are some favorite other creators?
Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Frank Herbert (Dune), Olaf Stapledon (Last and First Men), Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek), Jon Favreau (EVERYTHING)
What made you a creator in the first place?
Seriously, though, I wrote my first fiction story in the 3rd or 4th grade. I’ve always written. Writing got me through primary, secondary, Bachelors, and Masters education. It was always there in every professional job I ever had. And when I got RIFed in 2009, it made more sense to just try and be a professional writer.
Why did you choose to create what you create?
As a boy, I read the Jupiter Jones mysteries and loved them. A few years later, my older brother handed me his copy of “The Science Fiction Hall of Fame,” and I was hooked. There was no going back, and I devoured science fiction and sci-fi crossed with others from there on out. I read fantasy, but my staple was science fiction. When I discovered Julian May’s “The Many Colored Land” series, which is pure cross genre between sci-fi and fantasy, I truly fell in love. So, I’ve written what I love as much as possible.
What would someday like to create.
The entire Blood War Chronicles series of six books is a setup so that I can write Skeeter’s story as a 30-year-old airship privateer captain gunslinger sorceress engineer. So, that will be a thing. I also plan on writing a three-book series set in that same universe that connects the three great fires of the 19th century via a Jesuit witch/demon hunter. I’ll be writing a powered armor series as well as a new fantasy series involving druids. But I have to get my current commitments behind me, and that’s no mean feat.
Blood War Cover
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop?
I take my laptop everywhere when I travel with my wife. She travels for her job, so I sometimes get to tag along for free trips. She has mad hotel and airline points. My actual workspace, however, is in our two story shop in the back yard. It triples as her sewing room, my actual work shop for carpentry, repairs, leather working, and whatnot, as well as a three-monitor workstation where I used to also run a small book design and author collateral marketing business. I spend most of my waking time out in a shop so I can open the doors in the summer and use the kerosene heater in the winter.
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples.
I’ve never been able to work without music. It drove my old man crazy when I was a kid, but that part wasn’t negotiable. The first thing I do when I get into the shop is fire up Pandora. As to my music tastes, they’re more expansive than anyone I’ve ever met, and they can be quite eclectic. On any give day, you can hear Pentatonix, Joe Bonamassa, The Hu (Mongolian death metal), Steely Dan, Steam Powered Giraffe, Bach, Mozart, Five Finger Death Punch, electronica, daft punk, techno, Celtic—pretty much everything except modern country twang and most rap. Those two are a hard no, Bob.
What other things exist in your productive environment?
Cigars and my tobacco pipe. I work better with them. Oh, and COFFEE. Always coffee in the morning. And whenever I can manage it, fresh air and the sound of birds. Our house is surrounded by trees here in North Carolina. I come from Colorado, where there aren’t many trees until you get to the mountains. Here, it’s pretty much a friggin bird sanctuary, and I love it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the Carolinas.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked?
Romance writing, for one. I don’t have a knack for literary fiction either. That stuff bores the shit out of me. I’ve written variations on just about all of the genres, however. Science fiction, mystery, noir, fantasy, steampunk, horror, speculative… most of my stories mix at least two of those.
Enforcer Cover
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations?
I’ve been told (and I agree) that I do three things fairly well. Fight scenes, dialogue, and descriptions. I’ve also been honing my skills with world building, and I think I’ve finally gotten pretty good at that. If I had to pick one, though, it would probably be hand-to-hand fight scenes. I used to train in martial arts pretty heavily, even with a marine and a Green Beret. I can see a fight in my head, and that seems to translate pretty well to the written word. That’s the rumor, at least.
What are specific techniques you do well?
I’ve done it on three separate instances, and in all of them, the process was smooth and the output worth the effort. I’ve gotten pretty good at outlining as a result of those projects, although my outlines become a mix of bullet points and dialogue. I’ve also gotten pretty good at popping up prose with a more active voice. There are hiccups from time to time, but I’ve mostly broken myself of the passive voice devil.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome?
One certainly was passive voice. Also, as a result of working with Marc Edelheit, I’ve gotten much better at flowing from one scene into the next. Looking back, I think there were pieces of a story that I skipped over. The result wasn’t jarring, per se, but what I’m doing now is much smoother as one reads through my prose. Also, I think I’ve gotten at least competent as capturing a single, targeted emotion that I want the reader to experience by the end of a story. Most of the time, especially in my short fiction, I strive to make the reader “feel” something very specific. Be it honor or sacrifice or duty or whatever, I’ve learned to write entire stories so that most of the prose leads to that experience.
Reclaiming Honor Cover
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you?
The first is sticking with a writing career when sales are lackluster or even worse. A perfect example is the Blood War Chronicles. They’re good books, with good reviews, but they haven’t created the revenue stream I’d hoped for. In fact, I’ve been at this game for ten—make that eleven—years now, and I can’t say that I earn a living with my writing. I think that’s the hardest part for most writers: sticking with this game even when you’re not selling. I often joke with a writer friend of mine, Aaron Ritchey, about how we’re “living the dream.” But that dream is the joke. We keep writing, we keep not selling the way we would like, and yet we keep writing. I think the other is that I’m really proud of at least a few short stories (Family Heirloom, Salting Dogwood, Jimmy Krinklepot and the White Rebels of Hayberry, and a few others, that I think are exceptional short stories, but they’ve never really been acknowledged for what I “think” they are. Granted, I have a bias, but I believe those stories are truly noteworthy.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons?
From a monetary perspective, I think you could call everything I ever wrote in the first nine years of my career (except one story I wrote for Larry Correia’s MHI franchise) as failures. None of them came close to providing an ROI on the time I’ve invested in them. However, that’s hasn’t slowed me down. And that’s the lesson, one I think most writers could learn from. If you keep going and keep getting better, eventually you’re bound to gain momentum. My work in recent years with Marc Edelheit, Kevin Ikenberry, and CKP are a testament to that. Last year and this year are seeing actual returns on my investment of time. The trick is to keep going and always hone your craft.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block?
I take Eric Flint’s advice. There is no writer’s block. You keep writing, because it’s your job. Either you are a writer and you write, or you’re a hobbyist who doesn’t want to earn a living at this mad career choice.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making?
I’ve said this at cons and in panels dozens of times: “Don’t let the nay-sayers win.” I grew up hearing the phrase, “What? You want to be a starving artist the rest of your life.” As a young man, I listened to this “advice.” If I had started in earnest at 20 what I ended up starting at 43, I’d already be earning a living at this game. It just takes time and determination, so long as you keep getting better. So, to any writer who hears/reads this, when someone questions your desire to become a writer, just tell them to fuck off. Keep going, make sure your bills are paid, keep your bills low, and DON’T QUIT.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be?
See above. That’s the best advice anyone in this crazy game could receive. Writers have enough doubt and imposter syndrome without getting it from outside sources. Find ways to kick the nay-sayers to the curb.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal, of course. Oh, and Sam the Eagle.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Ian Moore and Joe Bonamassa.
Favorite Superhero? Both the Punisher and Deadpool in a perfect tie.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Monty Python
Favorite Weird Color? Teal
Favorite Sports Team? Sidney Swans
Best Game Ever? Halo, OF COURSE. That and Mass Effect.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? I fucking HATE snow and delight when it dies.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? My 2016 Moto Guzzi Audace. Vicki got that for me for my birthday last year. Nothing else compares.
What Cartoon Character Are You? Did they make Roy Batty into a cartoon? If so, him. If not, I guess I’d have to say the dog Marc Antony in the old Warner Brother’s cartoon “Feed the Kitty.” Ask Vicki, she’ll tell you.
Your Wrestler Name? Wrath
Your Signature Wrestling Move? The Smash. A single fist to the crown of someone’s skull. REALLY hard.
What Do You Secretly Plot? Convincing Vicki that we need an AR-10 and a Marlin .357 lever action rifle in the house.
How Will You Conquer the World? By eliminating deceit everywhere.
Best Thing From the 80s? 11:59:50 pm on 12/31/1989 — the nightmare was over.
Favorite Historical Period? The Renaissance and dawn of looking to the stars as stars, not “the Heavens.”
Most Interesting Person In History? The alien that gave humans blue eyes.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare… or I’ll cut you.
Favorite Chip Dip? Really good 7-layer dip.
Favorite Cereal? As a kid, Honeycomb. Now, Honey Bunches of Oats topped with sliced peaches rather than milk.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Pad Thai made by Vicki’s son, and it was REALLY good. We’re all cooks around here.
Beverage(s) of Choice? Arnold Palmer, Costco flavored seltzer, Tennesee Mules, Margaritas, and COFFEE, lots of COFFEE.
Pachy
Do You Have Pets? He was Vicki’s dog before I moved in, but he’s my dog too, and he’s the best hound I’ve ever known.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Rutger Hauer when he was younger and not dead?
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Favorite food(s), nemesis, favorite vice, Commandments broken or Deadly Sins enjoyed.
Upcoming Projects: “Forging Destiny” – Book 2 of The Way of Legend with Marc Edelheit, “Scourge” – Book 2 of Hr’ent’s tale with Kevin Ikenberry, “Blood World” – Book 4 of The Blood War Chronicles, a Vorwhol novel for Kevin Steverson in his Salvage universe, and a novelization of the short story “Cradle and All” in Jamie Ibson’s universe.
And where can we find you?
ConCarolina
SAGA conference
LibertyCon
DragonCon
Do you have a creator biography?
National Bestselling Author Quincy J. Allen is a cross-genre author with a growing number of published novels under his belt. His media tie-in novel Colt the Outlander: Shadow of Ruin was a Scribe Award finalist in 2019, and his noir novel Chemical Burn was a Colorado Gold Award finalist in 2010.
Blood Oath, book 3 of his Blood War Chronicles series, debuted in February of 2019, and he is working on the fourth book in that six-book fantasy steampunk series, entitled Blood World, due out in 2020.
He co-authored the fantasy novel Reclaiming Honor with Marc Alan Edelheit in their Way of Legend series, released in October of 2019, and he is currently working on book 2 of that series. In November of 2019, he and Kevin Ikenberry published the novel Enforcer, which is set in the Four Horsemen Universe and is part of Ikenberry’s Peacemaker series. He is currently working on a novel for Kevin Steverson’s Salvage Title universe based upon the short story “Vorwhol Dishonor.”
His short story publications are numerous, including a pro sale appearing in Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter: Files from Baen, published in October of 2017 entitled “Sons of the Father,” as well as several pro-sale novelettes appearing in Chris Kennedy Publishing’s mil-sci-fi anthologies in and out of the Four Horsemen Universe. He also has two short story collections in his Out Through the Attic series, and he continues to add to his short-story credits with each passing year.
He works out of his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and hopes to one day be a New York Times bestselling author.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked if I only work alone or do I have a support mechanism? What keeps me going?
Then I’d answer that Vicki is my anchor and more supportive of my writing career than anyone else in my entire life.
Thanks to Quincy for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
Today’s interview is with RJ Ladon. Her story in When Valor Must Hold is called “Ogre’s Brownies” and it too is a story that isn’t in one of my normal subgenres. Again, though, the story was so good I had to take it.
Interview RJ Ladon
RJ Ladon
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Gary Gygax was a huge influence. He bought our horse ranch when I was nine and introduced my siblings and I to Dungeons & Dragons. I didn’t understand who he was, it was the idea of playing/acting out stories. Not just any stories, but my or my brother’s stories, that was the influence.
Who are some favorite other creators? Terry Pratchett, Neil Giaman, Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, Walter Farley, Octavia Butler, and so many more. My bus ride to and from school was 60-70 minutes, I read both ways, going through 2-3 novels in one week. I started on non-fiction in my senior year (no car).
What made you a creator in the first place? See the first question in this series. Plus, my family tends to be on the creative side of things – art stained glass, sewing, painting, sculpture, carpentry, etc. My day job is on the creative side of things -computer aided design.
Why did you choose to create what you create? Sometimes it is love – love of a character or location. Other times it is a challenge. My first acceptance into an anthology was for Sha’Daa Toys. I had never written horror before. Challenge Accepted! I would like to try my hand at romance, this is a bit scary for me. Another challenge to conquer!
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? My middle son, graduated, joined the Navy, quit, and came back home. Joke’s on him – I turned his bedroom into a writing and design studio, and I’m not about to give it up! A friend gave me a rolltop desk and, as of this Black Friday, I have a brand-new gaming computer to write and draw. I’ve been putting in 2-3 hours of writing everyday – some days more, some less.
Do you listen to music? Sometimes If I do, it will be Audio Machine or Two Steps from Hell. Both are known for their movie and videogame soundtracks.
What other things exist in your productive environment? Lots of reference books on mythology and science. ART created by others or myself. Sketchpads and drawing utensils including electronic drawing, sketching, photoshop and map making. Thank you, to Worth1000 and this mouse picture to inspire a scene in The Ogres Brownies – found in When Valor Must Hold.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? Writing in front of TV. Helping my daughter with homework and trying to write – no good. Trying to keep cats out of the room or off my desk, etc – they are noisy, just let them in and let them sleep in your lap.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I’m a nature nut. So, I add anything animal, vegetable, or mineral and hopefully it will be educational to boot. I also enjoy mythology, as my pen name can attest – RJ Ladon. Ladon is the name of the dragon/hydra Hercules had to defeat to obtain the apple from the tree of wisdom.
What are specific techniques you do well? I don’t know – I suppose I have thick skin and take critique quite well. (probably not what you meant.) I’ve been told I weave backstory in smoothly without disruption of the narrative.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? My biggest struggle is against myself. Self-doubt is a bitch. My biggest success is due to the persistence of others. Friends told me they would drag me kicking and screaming to the writer’s conventions and get me published. And they did.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? When I first joined a writer’s group, there was no direction for improvement, only vague comments like “this is bad” or “doesn’t make sense”. Eventually I went to a different group and that one was better, more instructive. Some friends have encouraged me to start my own group – now the mentor. Some things have stayed the same – I still have a lot to learn.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? My day job is computer aided design. I come up with designs, show them to engineers, and customers and within minutes I am told my design is wrong. While this sounds like a failure, the design is only wrong because “they” imagined it another way. Most of the time my design would work fine. Other times, I missed an important specification or component within a requirement, that is a failure. When a mistake is pointed out, it is not a failure it is a learning opportunity that will improve your design, (or book) next time.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? I draw. I create a map of the area I’m writing about. Or draw the character. If you can’t draw use models. Pinterest is quite helpful in that arena. I will “become” the character mentally and imagine how I would react, what would I do or say if I was that person/animal/rock/vegetable…
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? Don’t give up. The beginning is always the hardest. This piece of wisdom came from a fortune cookie – but it is so true. Also – It is only too late to start when you are on the other side of the grass.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? My mother was negative about anything I did. She told me I’d never get published. I would tell my 20-year-old self “Don’t listen to your mother – or anyone else who is negative!”
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Sweetums.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Pretty much anyone at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
Favorite Superhero? Today? Megan, Daughter of the Wolf
Favorite 1970s TV show? Ya, know I revisited some 70’s shows and they were horrible. Plot line? What plot line? I suppose I’ll go with The Muppets – Alice Cooper 😊 or Steve Martin.
Favorite Weird Color? All of them but not all at once.
Favorite Sports Team? SCA Heavy Weapons – no specific kingdom though.
Best Game Ever? Life!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? All of them for different reasons.
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Someone believing in me – Looking at you Scott, You Jerk! (Kicking and Screaming)
What Cartoon Character Are You? Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Your Wrestler Name? Broadzilla – my husband gave me the name.
Your Signature Wrestling Move? You see that? I can break it, without trying. If I can’t break it – I will probably hurt myself in the process. I am stronger and klutzier than anyone has a right to be. Couch, broke it. Window, nods affirmative, foot, yup that too, Torque the head off a bolt? Sigh, do I have to answer that one?
What Do You Secretly Plot? Ways to make the world better.
How Will You Conquer the World? One soul at a time.
Best Thing From the 80s? It isn’t around anymore, oh wait, it is 60 years in the future… Hum, now you got me thinking.
Favorite Historical Period? Most of them for different reasons – here’s hoping the future is even better.
Most Interesting Person In History? Professor Peabody
Steak Temperature? I’d rather have chicken.
What Do You Eat For Your Last Meal? Don’t plan on dying, I’m taking over the world, remember?
Beverage(s) of Choice? Hot Tea – Mint
Do You Have Pets? 7 cats 1 dog and 20 or so chickens. Way too many pictures.
What Actor or Actress Should Portray You in Your Biopic? Sweetums 😊
What Question Should I Add to the Lightning Round? Can’t think of one. Perhaps one I ask you?
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
When did you realize you could put more than two words together and be entertaining?
Rob’s Answer: Ummm, not sure. I didn’t write when I was younger, though I learned somewhere along the way how to tell stories. I have some idea I’m making progress because of increasing sales and improving opportunities. Nevertheless, I still don’t know if I’ve put words together until someone else looks at it. I’m still a work in progress, that’s for sure.
Who was your mentor? Must be someone you met not just idolized from afar.
Rob’s Answer: The closest thing is probably Chris Kennedy. He’s certainly given me opportunities and taught me a bunch. Again, I started writing at 46 and did so in a hermit sort of way. I researched a bunch and went to LibertyCon to listen. I learned a ton, and owe so many people thanks for taking the time to toss stuff at me. However, it all started with me trying to dig myself out of a hole.
Are you active in the SCA? In what capacity?
Rob’s Answer: Not as active as I used to be. I got to about an event a month, and I sell at a lot of them. Pennsic and Gulf Wars are two great events for me. I make money and get to hang out and sing. I’m a laurel for wordsmithing and Anglo-Saxon research, which I have to say might answer your first question. I guess I learned I could do something when I saw people crying happily at the scroll texts I wrote for them. Now I just socialize and sell, though fighting will happen again.
Bloodstone – Written in Stone, urban fantasy, new adult. First in a series. To be available soon. Published through Three Ravens. Waiting on cover art and edits.
Sha’Daa Novella one of four in a book on War. My section is on the Revolutionary War. My hero is French Navel Captain Nicholas Guidelou, a privateer for America, who disappeared after an encounter with the English – Or did he???
And Bloodstone – The Wolf Awakens will be released at the end of this year.
RJ Ladon is a nightshift writer (by choice) and a dayshift design engineer (by necessity) to pay for the afore mentioned writing addiction. She is a self-proclaimed tree-hugger and animal-lover. If she is not in her garden, pasture, or woods you can find RJ watching movies or reading books. Documentaries, thrillers, comedies, science fiction, fantasy, and even romance can be found in her book and video library. She lives with her husband, children and a variety of farm animals on a farmette in Wisconsin.
Thanks to RJ for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
For the first quarter of 2020, my Wednesday interviews will be with authors who are part of When Valor Must Hold, the upcoming anthology of fantasy stories published by Chris Kennedy Publishing.
The first interview is with one of the first people I thought of when I got permission to create an anthology. The moment you meet this guy, you can envision him with a giant greatsword standing next to Conan or some other great hero of legend. And then afterwords, he’ll be the one drinking mead until the gods get tired.
I interviewed William Joseph Roberts not too long ago. You can find that interview here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1845. However, this is a new set of questions freshened up for 2020, and he was generous enough to fill out the new version as well.
His story in the anthology is entitled “Dust in the Mouth” and it’s as if Lovecraft wrote a Conan story. Or Howard wrote a Cthulhu story. No surprise, given his influences.
Interview: William Joseph Roberts
William Joseph Roberts
Why are you here?
What are your influences? Without questions, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Jordan, Douglas Adams to name a few.
Who are some favorite other creators? That depends on the type of creation you’re talking about. I mean, you’ve got Irish Mike making these massive swords and stuff to classic cover artists and such. That’s a wide spectrum to start naming names.
What made you a creator in the first place? The love of invoking an emotional or physical response in someone. There is nothing like seeing something that you puked out of your brainpan cause a response in someone else.
Why did you choose to create what you create? Just the way that the muse strikes me and what the evil brain squirrels tell me to do.
Feel free to add things you would someday like to create. Hehe… um… that’s a freaking big list. Um. How about a world so iconic that it is more or less a household name and lasts into the next century in similar fashion to the works of Howard and Lovecraft.
Describe your great Lab of Creation?
Where do you work? Home? Coffee Shop? All of the above
Do you listen to music? If so, give some examples. Absolutely! Basically from any genre. It just depends on what the mind squirrels demand. Here’s a good example. In the last week alone with the different stories that I have been working on, I have swung from Megadeth to Postmodern Jukebox to Moonshine Bandits and back to Nahko and Medicine for the people. I’m all over the place when it comes to music.
What other things exist in your productive environment? Side projects, just little things around the house that I can be creative with to give the squirrels a break and do something different.
What things have you tried that haven’t worked? Critique groups. I spun my wheels for years in critique groups that went nowhere. One part of the problem is that they focused on literary fiction, not pulp fiction.
What are your superpowers?
What kinds of things do you like in your creations? I like reality and the average joe over super powers and seemingly immortal characters.
What are specific techniques you do well? I’m not entirely sure. I’ve been told that I pull on raw emotion at times and paint pictures well.
What are some favorite successes you’ve achieved, especially things you had to struggle to overcome? I published my first novel, fLUX Runners on my own after a lot of hard work and a whole hell of a lot of fighting with those demons in the back of my head. Then I turned around and finished my second novel in 2 months. :-/ Go figure.
What will Lex Luthor use to defeat you?
What are some of the challenges you have faced that frustrated you? Distractions, self-doubt, lack of knowledge. Top of the list would probably be the lack of knowledge being shared in part of the writing community. If the knowledge that LibertyCon existed had been spoken about, I could have learned about it years ago. The group I was with knew about it, they just didn’t like to talk about “those” authors.
Do you have any creative failures which taught you something? What were those lessons? Yes, my old podcast. We had a blast and we helped to spread the word to a lot of people about different artists and their works, but it was a failure in that I lost my focus. Instead of being a platform to promote myself and my work, I focused on making a better podcast. Now the upside to all of this hard work was the knowledge gained on networking, promotion, and collaboration.
How do you overcome normal slow points like writer’s block? Jump to another story or project. The squirrels get bored if they are stuck on the same thing for too long.
Which mistake would you try to keep other creators from making? From spinning their wheels doing something that will never pay off. (Critique groups!) While they may be great for some people, they did nothing for me.
If you could go back and tell yourself anything about writing, what would it be? TO WRITE! See, way back at the start of my podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing author Ben Bova. Now the one thing that he kept saying over and over again was, that if you want to be a writer, then write. Don’t make excuses, just sit down and write. Choose a set time that is your writing time and that’s when you write, without question. Everyone else is to leave you alone during this period unless it is an absolute emergency. Well at the time, with the distractions of the podcast and three small babies, it didn’t sink in. It finally did after a while. I now get up at 0400 every morning if not earlier and write till at least 0600 before getting ready for work. Add in my hour of lunch and any other time that I can squeeze in, I’m finally doing it.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Tiny Tim
Favorite Superhero? Lobo
Favorite 1970s TV show? BJ McKay and his best friend Bear
And my next novel, Widowmakers will be coming out soon from Canon publishing.
Currently working on Wildcat for the Fallen World universe along with a number of co-author projects in a wide range of genres
And where can we find you?
Upcoming events and conventions you plan to attend. Chattacon (Jan), Anachracon (Feb), FantiSci (March), Conglomeration (April), Metrotham (May), LibertyCon (June), Next Chapter Con (Sept)
Do you have a creator biography?
In a previous lifetime, William Joseph Roberts was once an F-15 mechanic and Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He has traveled the world and experienced many things in his few years.
During his tenure in this lifetime, he has been called a Jack of all trades, a Renaissance man and insane squirrel wrangler by his peers. Since his enlistment he has perused careers as an industrial and architectural designer, design engineer, and now, eclectic writer.
William Joseph Roberts currently resides in the quaint southern town of Chickamauga, Georgia with his loving wife, three freaky smart nerd children, and small pack of fur babies.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Most folks at some point usually ask WTF is wrong with me. I generally just smile, then maybe give them a face lick. 😊
Thanks to William for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Last week, I did a post on just how good 2019 was for me. You can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1912. My conclusion? 2019 was my best year ever.
2020 will be better.
Let’s start with None Call Me Mother. I should have that to my editor within a few weeks. I know it’s been slow. I wanted to have this done in 2018, much less last year. Stuff happened and I apologize. But it’s coming and it’s good.
What will happen in Shijuren after that?
Glad you asked.
This fall I’ll be working on the next Edward novel. I don’t have a working title yet, but it’ll be a bit of an homage to Dick Francis. There’s trouble at Achrida’s Hippodrome and it might hurt horse-racing across the entire Empire of Makhaira if Edward can’t figure it out.
Then, I’ll start another trilogy in Shijuren with different characters based in Amaranth. I’ve said a number of times that chickens are coming home to roost all across Shijuren, and this will tell of roostings in the south.
My plan is to write one Shijuren novel a year, alternating between an Edward novel and whatever other series I’m working on at the time, at least for now. It may end up being one Edward and two series novels, but we’ll see.
I also plan on writing short stories set in the universe. In fact, the first is already written and I’ll get to that in a moment. I’m really enjoying writing short stories in general, and whenever I get a chance to write one in Shijuren, I will.
But wait, there’s more. I’m making progress on creating an OGL d20 based system set in Shijuren. The first embryonic concepts of Shijuren started rolling around my head 25 years ago as a place for great D&D adventures. In many ways, it’s exceeded my expectation in that aspect alone.
The system I have in mind aims to streamline game play with a cool character creation system that allows players to mold characters to fit their own playing style.
It also aims to encourage players to try stupid but fun stuff that isn’t necessarily defined in the rules. Whether it’s trying a crazy tactic, using a skill in an unorthodox manner, or using magic in a weird way to save the day, it’ll be designed to give DMs guidelines to react to players making stuff up on the fly.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced in this so far has been how to mold my magic system into a usable system for a game. It’s a great magic system from a writing perspective, but it hadn’t been obvious how to translate it to gaming. However, I’ve finally come up with what I think is a really cool plan that ought to be a lot of fun.
Creating a game system is a big project, even with many of the basics already built in from the OGL side of things. I’m blessed to have some skilled and talented friends who will be helping along the way. I’ll tell you all more about them later.
I don’t have a specific timeline for getting this game published, but at some point, hopefully in 2020, I’ll be at cons running some playtest adventures as well as starting a home group.
What you can expect is periodic updates. I might even add a category in my Weekly Updates related to game concepts and ideas.
As you can see, though, Shijuren is going to grow a ton in the next few years. Thanks for coming along.
Of course, I’ve got a bunch more planned for 2020 than just Shijuren, including The Four Horsemen Universe. After I finish None Call Me Mother, my long form work in progress will be the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows.
I have lots of stuff to play with in here.
What are Edmonds and Tahnerif going to do?
I promised Jackson a platoon. What’s going to happen to his momma’s boy?
Kiial will definitely have more to say about his uncle as his time in the Foresters continues.
Speaking of the uncle, Tlanit and Rick Blaine are going to work at peeling away some of the layers.
Going to be fun.
I’m actually going to describe some of this in a short story in another Four Horsemen anthology coming out in 2020. Right now, I’m playing with a number of ideas, but rest assured, there’s more happening with the Foresters.
Speaking of short stories, I’ll be contributing to the second We Dare, anthology. The story I’m working on will be a prequel to “The Chaos of Well-Seeming Forms,” my story in the first anthology. We might just find out why the Allardecks and Fieldings hate each other. This will also be fun, as I’ll be collaborating for the first time. Yvonne Jacobs is already helping me plan the story.
I intend to do four or five short stories for anthologies each year, so don’t be surprised if I announce a couple more later in the year. I’ve been asked to be a part of some others already, but I’m still trying to balance my writing schedule.
That doesn’t include, by the way, the return of Nick Patara, PI. I’ve enjoyed the response and I had a great time writing it. I also enjoyed being able to give back to you guys.
The next big news comes from a comment above, I mentioned that I’ve submitted a Shijuren story to an anthology already.
And this one is special.
Chris Kennedy gave me the opportunity to create a anthology of fantasy stories. It will be entitled When Valor Must Hold.
The writing prompt I gave the authors was the opening of Conan the Barbarian, where Akira the Wizard concludes, “Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
The authors have given me what I wanted: stories with adventures and action across a really broad set of fantasy sub-genres. It’s a great mix and I think you’ll like it a lot. Heroic deeds done by characters who might not start as heroes but end up in that category. The characters all face things to test their valor and we shall see how their valor holds.
The anticipated release date is 20 March, which is the Friday of FantaSci. We plan to have a great release party there and I hope to celebrate with a bunch of you.
This brings me to my plans for Howell’s Howls this year. I really enjoyed my system of having a blog post Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Rob’s Updates will continue on Fridays. I’m going to tweak the format a bit, like including game notes each week, but it’ll continue much the same.
I’m also going to continue with the interviews. I just finished re-writing the questions I send out, so you’ll see some new interviews by people who I’ve already interviewed. I’m going to start the year with interviews of authors in When Valor Must Hold, and run those interviews as long as it takes.
Hit me up if you’re a creator of any type, and I’ll send you the questions and get you into the queue. I really enjoy doing these and hope to be more proactive about making sure I have an interview ready to go each week.
That brings us to Mondays. Mag Reviews take a ton of time, too much for just a regular blog post. I’m going to replace them with Rob’s Ramblings, which will be a catchall thing for whatever interests me. including reviews of movies and albums, snippets, poems, sports topics, or whatever. This week, it was my ShadowCon AAR. One post you can expect in March is an AAR about creating When Valor Must Hold. It’s already taught me a bunch.
This does not mean Mag Reviews will go away. They take too long as a blog post, but there’s a still a place for them and I’m playing with some ideas.
Overall, my online presence will continue as it has been. In September, I stopped reading my Facebook News Feed. This was a great decision on my part. I miss out on a number of things, but that News Feed brought me down.
I check my Facebook Notifications consistently, though, and that’s been enough. If you want me to see something, please tag me and I’ll check it out. Otherwise, I’m almost never going to see anything.
I originally planned to limit my Facebook posts to business-related things, but I think I’ll start posting about the same frequency I did prior to last September. I’ve missed chatting with people about a variety of fun things and while I’ll never go back to reading the News Feed, I’ll get back to posting fun things along with my professional stuff.
The same is basically true on Twitter. I have always limited my Twitter feed to focus on some excellent sports bloggers and other interests like that, along with professional stuff. I will continue to look at those sorts of things, so if you want me to see something, you better tag me.
I’ve played around with MeWe, but the interface has yet to click with me. I’ll keep trying though. I’ll also keep dabbling in Instagram. This might expand with some of the other things I’ve got going on. I’ll also keep my eyes open for better social media options.
My appearance schedule in 2020 is going to be amazing. The biggest news is, of course, I got accepted as an Attending Professional at DragonCon this year. What an amazing honor. I will do my best to reward them for giving me the chance.
I also received word this weekend that I’ve been approved as a vendor at Dagorhir’s Ragnarok XXXV in June. This is a major LARPing event and I am excited to meet a bunch of people and introduce Shijuren to them.
I’ll be at LibertyCon again. None of what’s happened above would be possible without the lessons and experiences I’ve had at LibertyCons past. It’s really pushed me along and I’m incredibly grateful to Brandy and her peeps.
The expansion of Drix’s shop at Pennsic last year went well, and it’ll be even better this year. We’ve had a great time there and sales keep inching up there for me.
As I mentioned, we hope to have a great release party for When Valor Must Hold at FantaSci. I picked FantaSci over Gulf Wars, Planet Comicon in Kansas City, and a bunch of other events on the weekend of 20 March. Why did everything have to be then? In any case, even without the release party, I would go to FantaSci. It’s already a great con.
My next event is ChattaCon in a few weeks. It’ll be a blast, in part because Lani Brooks puts me on a bunch of panels.
Let’s see, do I have my yearly goals covered in 2020?
2-3 novels: Check. I hope to have two by September and be working on the Edward novel in the fall.
4-5 short stories (plus Nick Patara): I have one in the can, two planned, and some opportunities to juggle. I can’t say this is fully laid out, but I anticipate no real problems.
3 blog posts per week: Mag Reviews made that really challenging, and I expect to be more consistent here. I won’t stress too much if I miss out on one of the weekly standards, but it’s a reasonable, feasible schedule
Figure out a way to make Mag Reviews work: I’m playing around with this. Probably won’t happen for a while, but there’s value here.
Make progress on the RPG: Meetings are scheduled and I anticipate consistent activity on this front. Again, I don’t have a realistic timeline, just a plan to turn it from vaporware into something real.
Create a smart travel schedule: Spring is fairly light, and will be productive from a writing standpoint. Summer will be go go go and I’ll have many miles on the road. Fall will be light, much like spring. This past fall, I didn’t go to any cons after September. I will add a con or two because I think more than three months is too much of a break from going to a con.
Take care of myself: I’m starting with being more conscious of things, as shown by pacing my travel schedule better. I’m also going to adjust my summer production expectations to match reality. Finally, I’m going to schedule some down time/vacation/retreat type things. No details yet, but they’ll be there.
Get back to fighting: This includes working out and losing weight. I’ve a helm on order and I can’t really fight until it gets here, but I can work out. I’ll have a plan for that soon.
I look at these goals and am getting even more excited. None of them seem outlandish and if I complete them, it’ll make 2020 amazing.
Now that I have a plan, I think I’ll watch the Blues and play a game for a while. Then, tomorrow, write a chapter or two in None Call Me Mother.
December 25th: “Silent Knight,” the first of the Nick Patara, PI Christmas gifts to my readers.
I’m incredibly pleased at the success of these stories. Four of those, including all 3 Phases of Mars anthologies and The Feeding of Sorrows, earned at least one orange tag.
An orange tag on Amazon signifies it’s a bestseller. Now I can add “Amazon Bestselling Author” to my bio. That’s pretty darn awesome.
I’m also pleased that I still love all six of these tales. I am never pleased with the quality of writing in any of my past stories, because with each new one I get better. However, the tales are all good. I know this because I still cry at the end of each one.
If I don’t get emotional reading my stuff, I can’t expect you to do so either. I still get emotional on all of them.
The biggest negative of 2019 is that I didn’t get None Call Me Mother published. I had even hoped to make progress on Edward 4, but that was always only a faint hope.
Despite that, I’m not displeased with my writing output. I’m up to 93k on None Call Me Mother, so it’s getting close. I chose to write The Feeding of Sorrows instead and it was a great decision.
I also chose to follow Bill Fawcett’s advice. He said to me at LibertyCon in 2018 that I should write more short stories. I’d be an idiot if I didn’t pay attention to him. I may yet be an idiot, but not about this.
My goal is two or three novels a year and four or more short stories. I came really close if I count the words I actually wrote in 2019. I wrote about 75k of The Feeding of Sorrows and about 20k towards its sequel. I wrote about 80k in None Call Me Mother in 2019. I also worked on a couple of special projects I’ll announce when I post my look ahead to 2020. All told, I submitted six short stories (one yet to come), and wrote about 175k of long fiction. 230k or so of fiction is not shabby.
I did this despite not taking care of myself. Following Pennsic, I spent 5-6 weeks in a funk. This was driven initially by fatigue, because I traveled a ton this past summer. Then my brain weasels got involved, chastising me for not being productive, and that spiraled down.
Fortunately, I recovered in time to complete all of the items I had promised to various editors. Had I paid attention to myself, though, I believe I would have finished None Call Me Mother. Ah, well.
I have adjustments planned for 2020. One challenge of being self-employed is that I have to play mental games with myself to keep me from doing stupid stuff, like losing those 5-6 weeks.
I went to a number of fantastic events in 2019. This was my first year as a vendor on my own at Gulf Wars. Drix and I also expanded our booth at Pennsic, and this is exciting. LibertyCon was wonderful and emotional. FantaSci went great, not great for a first time con, but great. So great I’m choosing it over Gulf Wars and Planet Comicon in 2020.
I did all these things while also getting the opportunity to serve as Their Majesty Calontir’s herald in the first half of the year. I love doing that job. Thanks to Donnghal and Catalina for giving me that opportunity. And yes, you totally got me.
My sweetie and I did a bunch of work to the house. We replaced around 1000 sq. ft. of carpet with bamboo. I love this stuff. Nice on my feet and pretty. We also started a new additional closet in the master suite, which had a ton of useless inefficient space.
The closest thing to a true negative are my tracked items, I spun my wheels a bit. I gained a little weight, though I’ve made it through most of the holidays without gaining much extra. My tracked word count, which includes only those things I actually released to the editor or on my blog, would have exceeded my goal had I managed to get None Call Me Mother to my editor, but of course will fall short in its actual number.
My wiki suffered a hacking attack in the spring. I have recovered most of the lost things, but I plan on redoing most entries. I learned a ton working on the 4HU wiki for nearly a year that I intend on incorporating. I’ll talk about that in my 2020 post.
These are my end results. I’ll work on improving them all in 2020.
Today’s Weight: 395.2
Updated Word Count: 146,912
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
I have so many people to thank. I’m going to take a crack at it, but will undoubtedly forget some people. But here’s what I can think of right now with a cat demanding petsies.
Mom, sweetie, and proto-incipient step-daughter come first. Living with a writer ain’t easy.
Chris Kennedy gave me a bunch of opportunities. I can’t thank him enough. James L. Young let me write in all 3 Phases of Mars, and those are good stories. Jamie Ibson let me break his soul in We Dare. Mark Wandrey kept encouraging me, especially his help in the 4HU. Kevin Ikenberry helped a ton with the Peacemaker aspects of my 4HU stuff. Frankly, let’s just thank all of the crew that Chris has gathered about him. They’re all making me better.
Kellie Hultgren did a great job editing my personal stuff and teaching me how to become a better writer. The staff at Brewbakers put up with me, and I rewarded them with tuckering it in “Silent Knight.”
Drix helped me grow my SCA sales presence. Tons of people encouraged me. One even allowed me to stay at her family’s lake house for a week of writing and solitude. I need to schedule this sort of thing once or twice a year.
Despite not getting None Call Me Mother out and spinning my wheels a bit, 2019 was definitely my best year so far. And it’s not close.
I’m growing leaps and bounds as a writer. My most recent project has helped me turn things I knew instinctively into things I understand. This is already showing up in None Call Me Mother and in “Silent Knight,” not to mention my earlier growth in 2019.
2019 was my best year.
2020 will be better. Lot’s better. We’re building something here and I will tell you all about what’s coming in a few days.
For now, though. Thanks to all of you. I really appreciate it.
And here’s Kevin Ikenberry, who’s not only part of Trouble in the Wind, but he’s also Peacemaker Six in the Four Horsemen Universe. He’s a fantastic writer who was very helpful to me as I was writing The Feeding of Sorrows.
Interview: Kevin Ikenberry
Kevin Ikenberry
What is your quest?
To seek the…wait a minute. I’ve seen this movie! The whole writing thing came around fairly late in life for me. I’d been told I was a good writer in high school and college, but I never really did anything serious (trying to get published) until 2009. I’ve always been drawn to science fiction – as a young Army officer two different books found their way into my hands: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. They were two huge influences on me and I eagerly passed them on to cadets when I had the opportunity to teach ROTC about ten years ago. When I started writing, I wanted to write stories about human beings finding their place in the universe and fighting for the right to survive and explore. I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to do that with both The Protocol War series and especially the Peacemaker books in the Four Horsemen Universe. Working with Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey, Kacey Ezell, and Marisa Wolf has been an amazing experience and I’m honored to be a core author for the series.
What is your favorite color?
The thing that changed my writing career, in a very literal sense, was learning the key between story structure and character development. There are dozens of story structures out there, some following classic approaches like The Hero’s Journey and others following screenwriting theory (Save The Cat, My Story Can Beat Up Your Story). Those structures are great, but without very clearly defined characters and their goals, a structure can only get you so far. The difference in understanding that relationship and applying some screenwriting theory was that the very first book I ever wrote (now published as Runs In The Family) took me a year and a half to write and it was a mess. The second book I wrote (my debut novel Sleeper Protocol) took me seven weeks. Since then, I’ve been able to keep my first draft timeline to around three months from start to finish. It’s a tremendous process and something I teach often at writing conferences.
Granted, I do a lot of pre-writing (plotting, scheming, etc.) but when it’s time to sit down and write a book, I have a solid idea of where everything is going and that saves time and mental gymnastics in the middle of a manuscript when, as a writer, I think everything sucks. That light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train and when I get the draft out of my head I can do the next part – fix it. That’s much easier with a detailed plan.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
The biggest challenge I faced as a starting writer was staying positive. Rejections are part and parcel of this business, and there were several times that I wrote stories that were good stories in the eyes of my initial readers, contest judges, and my critique partners only to be rejected. The frustration wasn’t that I’d been rejected, there was frustration in understanding that just because one editor/magazine/market didn’t like the story didn’t mean it wouldn’t sell elsewhere. The first time that happened, I walked around in disbelief for a few hours. Now, a rejection doesn’t bother me. I package the story up, file it away in my virtual footlocker, and move on to the next project. One day, that story will find a home.
From a creative failure standpoint, I very stupidly tried to self-publish Runs In The Family in 2013 when neither the manuscript, nor myself, was ready. I had oodles of problems with creating the correct file types and I didn’t do the due diligence to really make that book what it should have been. It lasted online maybe a week before I took it down, which proved to be the best thing for it. It was picked up by a small press called Strigidae Publishing and when it released in 2016, it went gangbusters for eight months until the small press closed unexpectedly. Fortunately, Chris Kennedy’s Theogony Publishing Imprint picked up the book and re-released it in 2018 where it has continued to do well and even is now available on the Baen Book’s website. What I learned was that this publishing thing takes a team. I have a team of readers now. I have a website team. I have a marketing team. I have a creative team. I have a team that goes out for beers or whiskey. Don’t get me wrong, these are the same folks in many cases. I learned that we creators have to stick together. That’s another huge benefit of working in the Four Horsemen Universe. I have a band of brothers and sisters there that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
Writing in someone else’s universe is pretty challenging. I had the chance to write some licensed short fiction in the G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero universe on Kindle Worlds before it shuttered this year, and that was the first time I stepped into someone else’s playground. I found it challenging and a lot of fun. Little did I know that it prepared me to take the Four Horsemen Universe “bible” and write a short story for the anthology A Fistful of Credits that led to the Peacemaker novels. Granted, I don’t always get the details right and Mark/Chris edit and chastise me endlessly, but I’ve enjoyed getting to play in the 4HU and feel like I’ve made a solid impact on the overall storyline with Jessica’s story. I recently wrote a modern-day thriller with my friend Nick Thacker in his universe, too which was a fantastic learning experience.
Aside from my books, I’m most proud of three short stories in three different anthologies because they were three unique experiences. In Extreme Planets, I wrote a story called “Maelstrom” in two days over my lunch hour because I had an old idea (guy jumping into a tornado in one of those “flying squirrel” suits) merge with the concept of exploring an exoplanet. For the anthology Dragon Writers, I took the theme to an extreme and did a re-telling of Puff The Magic Dragon where Puff was an exospheric EB-77 Dragon bomber with a callsign of Puff Zero Alpha. I didn’t think “Salvation, On Painted Wings” had a chance until the editor called. Finally, for the recent anthology Avatar Dreams, I was sitting with my friend and mentor Kevin J. Anderson when he looked at me and said he needed a story in two weeks. Could I do it? I gave him “That Others May Live” in a week and he loved it. All my crazy ideas eventually come to fruition and some push the boundaries – and I know now that I can do them quickly if I need to – that’s a huge confidence boost.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy. Extra Crunchy if you please.
Favorite Sports Team? College: Mississippi State (Rob’s Note: Moe Cowbell!!!!) / Professional: I still pull for the Cubs and the Braves – my mom would be proud.
Cake or Pie? Pie
Lime or Lemon? Limon? Wasn’t that a thing in the 80s?
Favorite Chip Dip? Guacamole
Wet or Dry? Wet
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Jeremy Kay
Whisky or Whiskey? Whiskey – I’m from Tennessee, you know.
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard, Emergency
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall – I miss fall in East Tennessee particularly.
Favorite Pet? My dog when I was growing up. We named him Shandy. He was an American Spitz that never met a dog he didn’t know he could whoop. I miss that feisty little bastard.
Best Game Ever? Cards Against Humanity. I’ve never made it through a game without my stomach hurting from laughing. I’m fairly certain there’s a handbasket with my name on it.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, with a touch of creamer. No sugar.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Science Fiction
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
What technique (process or practice) have you learned that has influence your own writing the most, and why?
Rob’s Answer: Hmmm. One that you mentioned above is important, and that’s the creation of a team. The analogy I use is a race car driver. At the end of the race, the winner gets photos, prizes, and all that sort of thing. However, he doesn’t get there without good mechanics, pit crew, and all the people involved in a race. My team is good, and getting better all the time.
Another important thing is keeping track of what’s working and what’s not. I often say, “There’s one true way of writing and it’s what gets words on the page.” If you are not productive at some point, change something. Anything. Your music. Your chair. Where you write at. For me, that will increase my productivity and then I have to change it up. Writers will always have slow periods, I think. Just keep plugging away.
One specific technique that I’ve added to my process is to read it out loud from a printed copy. Toni Weisskopf said in a panel once that editing from printed copies is much more effective than on the screen and she had studies to prove it, as well of course as experience at Baen. I also find that if I read something out loud the clumsy writing jumps at me because it will not roll off the tongue. It will feel clunky. Yes, that’s tedious. It took me four 12-plus hour days to do this with Brief Is My Flame, yet it was dramatically better because of it.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
My website is www.kevinikenberry.com. We’re headed for a major site overhaul soon, maybe in time for SphinxCon, but there’s information there on how to sign up for my reader’s group – The Reaction Squad – and a bunch of other stuff. There will be goodies (a free short story namely) when the new site goes live.
I’m on Facebook with an author page and my Twitter handle is @TheWriterIke. That’s about it for social media right now.
And where can we find you?
MileHiCon 50 (October, 2018)
SphinxCon (November, 2018)
Superstars Writing Seminar (February, 2019)
PensaCon (February, 2019)
FantaSci (March, 2019)
Phoenix Fan Fusion (May, 2019)
LibertyCon 31 (May, 2019)
DragonCon (August, 2019)
Do you have a creator biography?
Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. A former manager of the world-renowned U.S. Space Camp program and a space operations officer, Kevin has a broad background in space and space science education. His 2016 debut science fiction novel Sleeper Protocol was a Finalist for the Colorado Book Award and was heralded as “an emotionally powerful debut” by Publisher’s Weekly. Kevin is the author of the military science novels Runs In The Family, Vendetta Protocol, Peacemaker, Honor The Threat, and Stand Or Fall. He is an Active Member of SFWA, International Thriller Writers, and an alumnus of the Superstars Writing Seminar.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked what’s next for me. Well, at DragonCon we announced that I’m writing a Tales of the Four Horsemen Universe book with my good friend and amazing author Quincy J. Allen. The novel will follow an Oogar Peacemaker named Hr’ent (from the pages of STAND OR FALL) and should be out in mid-late 2019. It’s going to be a hell of a ride!
Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Yesterday got away from me, but it’s been a good week. We’re mostly decorated for Christmas, I made progress on None Call Me Mother, and I made progress on another short story.
Plus, I’ve been running a bunch of interviews as we lead up to the release of the third Phases of Mars military alternate history anthologies, Trouble in the Wind. My story in it is Here Must We Hold, and it’s the first time I’ve really written in my area of research. That was fun.
I also made progress on the secret project. I’ll let you know all the details early in 2020, but for now, you’re just going to have to be patient.
What I haven’t done is my next Magazine Review. I may do it next week, but this is a really busy time and those take a while.
I’m going to add to None Call Me Mother tonight as I clean house here and there and watch NCAA playoff games. It’s going to be a great night.
What I’m Listening To
LSU v. Georgia. LSU is really, really good, in case you didn’t know.
Quote of the Week
You already know that today is a day that will live in infamy. The whole speech is powerful, though, not just the opening lines. Here’s another quote from Franklin Roosevelt about 7 December, 78 years ago.
“Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
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.
Chris Kennedy has given many indie writers such as myself a bunch of opportunities. The world of SF is far better for having him be a part of it.
Interview: Chris Kennedy
This week’s interview is with Chris Kennedy, who has shown many of us how to be an independent writer. He’s written several series of his own, founded a publishing company that supports other independent authors, and, along with Mark Wandrey, started the Four Horsemen Universe of which I’ve contributed.
He’s taught me quite a bit already, and I suggest you listen to him and watch what he does.
What is your quest?
I want to sell a million books. Failing that, I want to help my authors sell ten million books.
What is your favorite color?
Science fiction…with a side of fantasy.
Chris Kennedy
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Not coming from a writing background, I had to learn to do it right. I read blogs for 15 minutes a day for four years to help develop my craft and my ability to sell more books. I’m still not totally where I want to be, but I’m a much better writer than when I started, and I’m a lot closer to the goal.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I like writing gritty combat and a good motivational speech once in a while.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Definitely crunchy. I don’t know why they make that other stuff.
Favorite Sports Team? UNC Tarheels basketball (despite their showing in the NCAAs last year), NY Yankees baseball, and Atlanta Falcons football.
Cake or Pie? Pie…but why can’t I have both?
Lime or Lemon? Lemon…because you can put it in Corona and make it taste better.
Favorite Chip Dip? Helluva Good Sour Cream and Onion
Wet or Dry? Sopping wet. (Rob’s Note: He’s a Navy guy)
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Two Steps from Hell. Outstanding for combat writing music.
Whisky or Whiskey? Bud Light. (Rob’s Note: Sigh)
Favorite Superhero? Gal Gadot Wonder Woman. Because Gal Gadot.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Game Ever? In # of hours played? Everquest.
Coffee or Tea? Diet Pepsi
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Scifi, with a side of fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How many MAC rounds can a trooper survive?
Rob’s Answer: If we’re talking a magnetically accelerated piece of tungsten, then zero if the trooper isn’t in a CASPer. If we’re talking the fully-loaded magazine of MAC rounds we’re going to have at our LibertyCon party, I would say most can survive five or so, depending upon rate of fire and body mass. However, this survival is likely to be more painful and the target might prefer the quick death of tungsten.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “Do you have any free book promotions coming up soon?”
Why yes, yes I do.
Both “Janissaries” and “Cartwright’s Cavaliers” will be free this weekend. Want to introduce someone to my writing or the 4HU? This is your chance to do it—get them to pick up a free copy this weekend!
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
It’s been a good week here. I wrote over 8000 words overall, which is more than I’ve been able to crank out in a week in a while. I’m definitely regaining the rhythm I had in the spring.
The big chunk of writing was major progress in None Call Me Mother. I broke the 70k mark today, and I made progress in multiple threads. Some days it’s a fight to get words going on one thread, but today, the writing prompted me to make sure I filled in a blank in another, which led to another.
That’s always fun.
I also added 800 or so words to Here Must We Hold. This was my submission for Trouble in the Wind, the next entry in the Phases of Mars series of alternate military history. Unlike Far Better to Dare and In Dark’ning Storms, this story is set in Anglo-Saxon England. I am pleased to announce that it has been accepted and these new words were actually historical notes.
For a moment, writing those notes, I sort of felt like Bernard Cornwell. That was fun too.
Tonight it’s puttering around the house, watching the Blues play, and drinking Beer Barrel Bourbon. It’s actually one of my favorite bourbons and I’ve been frustrated because I couldn’t find it. Tonight, I was disappointed not to see it yet again. Then I started looking at all the choices, trying to figure out something to try.
Turns out they changed not just the label, but the bottle shape as well. I probably just didn’t see it… again and again. But I have some now, and guess what? Good bourbon is yet more fun.
Y’all have a good week.
Current Playlist Song
The dulcet tones of John Kelly, Bernie Federko, and Darren Pang calling the Blues game. It’s 2-2 in the 3rd at the moment.
Side note: I’ve been a fan of the Blues since, frankly, a terrifying moment in the Kiel Center in 1988 or so. I never really thought anything about them going into last year’s playoffs. A friend of mine who’s a big hockey fan said before they won their first series that he actually thought they had a real chance. I thought he was crazy. He might have been, but one Stanley Cup later, he’s my kind of crazy.
Quote of the Week
In 534 on this day, Justinian published his law code. It’s one of the great legal documents of history. Here’s the first section.
“The Emperor Justinian to the Senate of the City of Constantinople. Those things which seem to many former Emperors to require correction, but which none of them ventured to carry into effect, We have decided to accomplish at the present time with the assistance of Almighty God; and to diminish litigation by the revision of the multitude of constitutions which are contained in the Three Codes; namely, the Gregorian, the Hermogenian, and the Theodosian, as well as in those other Codes promulgated after them by Theodosius of Divine Memory, and by other Emperors, who succeeded him, in addition to those which We Ourselves have promulgated, and to combine them in a single Code, under Our auspicious name, in which compilation should be included not only the constitutions of the three above-mentioned Codes, but also such new ones as subsequently have been promulgated.”
– Justinian (Codex Justinianeus, Preface)
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.
From a writing standpoint this was a 2 steps forward, 1 step backward kind of week. I went through a significant chunk of None Call Me Mother and cleaned it up.
I also did some plotting and figured out yet one more piece of the puzzle to get all the actors in the final scene. I expect to see a huge step next week.
I’ve also started an editing project that I’ll talk more about in December.
We’re working on the house, as I often do in November. We got rid of carpet in our great room and have been laying bamboo flooring. The carpet was original, 1983 vintage, and it had seen more than a few battles.
Going to try and knock out a few more words tonight, so I hope everyone has a good weekend.
Current Playlist Song
Instead of music, I worked on this while watching Chris and Sheellah showing old pictures on their weekly CKP Facetime session. If you’re a fan of the Four Horsemen Universe, the Fallen World, or anything put out by Chris Kennedy Publishing, it’s a great way to interact with them.
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.
– Rudyard Kipling, Tommy
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.
The interviews are back! This week I’m interviewing Alex Rath, another of the many talented authors writing the Four Horsemen Universe. It’s a throwback to last year’s Four Horsetober.
Quick side note, since it’s been a while. I’ll post an interview of a creator each Wednesday. If you’re a creator, whether author, musician, artist, or crafter, and you’d like to be interviewed, send me an email at rob@robhowell.org and I’ll send you the questions.
Now, on to Alex…
Interview: Alex Rath
Alex Rath
What is your quest? At the moment, my focus has been on the Four Horsemen Universe (though that’s expanding). Pretty much all of my characters will take in parts of my own personality, the big one of that being versatile, and creative. As a person who has spent 25 years in technology, starting in the days when we had very limited tools, and had to be very creative in how to accomplish our goals with only a language and no libraries or pre-made routines to work with, I always had to invent the wheel. My characters tend to do the same, and it’s a lot of fun to take things that exist in a universe, and think of a new way to apply it.
What is your favorite color? I like a combination of intense action, sprinkle in some humor, often in the form of a pop-culture reference, and then throw in some emotion from out of left field to catch the reader off guard. So far, each of my stories have had at least one scene that evokes some kind of emotional response. Even though I’m writing military science fiction, I want the readers to feel the humanity of my characters, and hopefully find at least one they can relate to and say “Yep, I know that feeling.”
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? I’m fairly new to the writing game… but I’d say my biggest frustration has just been getting stuck or coming up short. I have a tendency to ‘get to the point’ which doesn’t really make a good read. I’m not accomplished at all at outlining or plotting a book and tend to ‘pants’ my way through it. That’s something I’m still trying to figure out how to work on, because both of my works so far have “ended” short of where I wanted them to be in length. Now, I don’t try to get more length just to get it… I just feel like it needs to be a certain length to contain an interesting story that gets the reader involved in the characters, which is one of my big goals.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? Based on feedback from readers, I’d say I’m pretty good at conveying emotion, and getting the reader to FEEL that emotion. I had quite a few reviews and private comments on my first book, written with Chris Kennedy, that indicated I’d nailed the point home when it comes to dealing with the loss of comrades in a military setting. One particular person was brought to tears, and it’s a person I know well, and understand why. That was, for me, the highest praise I could possibly get, especially given that it’s not something I have personally experienced, other than losing friends who served.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Best Thing From the 80s? Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Your Wrestler Name? Spartan (duh, lol)
And Signature Wrestling Move? Blade Chop
Favorite Weird Color? Chartreuse
How Will You Conquer the World? Take over the internet
What Cartoon Character Are You? Yosemite Sam
Best Present You’ve Ever Received? Secret Labs Titan Series office chair
What Do You Secretly Plot? Making people learn to research facts
Brought to you by the letter ___? R
Favorite Sports Team? Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps (Drum corps is a sport, fight me) Rob’s Note: Nah, it totally is, and I’m one of the biggest sports fans around.
Cake or Pie? Cake
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? French Onion
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Here Come the Mummies
Whisky or Whiskey? Neither… I quit drinking
Favorite Superhero? Deadpool
Steak Temperature? Mid-Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? W.A.T.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Favorite Pet? Lacy, my bearded dragon!
Best Game Ever? Dungeons & Dragons
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Yes
What question(s) would you like to ask me? Pantsing or Plotting?
Rob’s Answer: Mostly pantsing, though I have a general idea where characters are going to end up like dying heroically, falling in love, or whatever seems appropriate. I find, though, that the characters know the path to those ends better than I do.
Also, I often will have a scene come to mind in the shower, lying in bed, driving, or other such time where my mind can roam a bit. In a sense, I plot one scene at a time, and wait for the pantser in me to generate that scene.
I also have a story in the Fallen World anthology From the Ashes.
Do you have a creator biography?
Alex Rath is a Military Science Fiction and Fantasy author, currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife and daughter.
He has been creative in one form or another since childhood. He got his start in fantasy with Dungeons and Dragons in 1979, and kept going from there. Some of the ideas that he writes come from his extensive experience in Role Playing Games, starting with D&D, and onward through other games like Star Fleet Battles, Battletech/Mechwarrior, Shadowrun, Masquerade, and too many more to name.
From there, he took his creativity online to more online games than can be remembered by writing character backgrounds, stories, and game related fiction. Now, he puts his creativity to the book format, and is excited to become a professional author.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked how I got started in writing. It actually started with a Facebook conversation with Chris Kennedy, where I pitched the idea of a short story about the Computer Operations Center of the Golden Horde, since my professional expertise is in computers, programming, information security, etc.. He suggested it could be a full book and offered to co-write it with me. That happened, and here we are!
Thanks to Alex for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m in Rocky Mount, NC visiting relatives after another fantastic LibertyCon. As always, so much happened that I’ll forget things. It’s the way of cons in general and LibertyCon in particular. I float from awesome thing to awesome thing without enough time to process stuff properly, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This year, as I’ve mentioned, LibertyCon faced some of the greatest challenges any con has ever faced. Their hotel crapped out on them. The Read House in Chattanooga might be pretty, but they burned some bridges here. A hotel breaking a contract is no big thing, I had it happen to me, and NeoCon in Wichita ended because of it. I had to tell some relative unknown named David Weber that we had to cancel the con and not have him as Guest of Honor. The fact that LibertyCon rolled with it and made it work, especially in the time frame they had is amazing to me.
That is, of course, a credit to the incredible staff, both in their skill and stability. There will come a time when Brandy, Rich, Donnie, Matthew, Vonn, Fritz, and all the rest are not LibertyCon’s spark plugs, but it is not this day! It is one of my favorite aspects of LibertyCon that they are so competent at their jobs, which allowed them to handle this year so smoothly from the perspective of those attending the con. Thanks to all of them and their staff.
That staff is a testimony to the foundations laid by Uncle Timmy. I have talked about him before, but the best tribute is 32 years and going strong of the best SF/F con I’ve ever seen. Honestly, I was a lot less emotional at the con than I expected. I thought about him quite a bit, though I was never terribly close to him, but I was rarely sad. Sad he wasn’t there, of course, but the truth is I was reveling in his creation too much to be sad. Not a bad legacy to have.
I will note, I’m crying while writing this. When I cry at Brewbaker’s, the staff there isn’t surprised or worried. I’m usually killing a character that I like, so that’s alright then. The waitress here at this random bar is probably worried about me. Hopefully, she’s just remember me as a random weirdo.
Speaking of parents, my mom joined me on this trip. She loved LibertyCon too. At Closing Ceremonies, when Brandy announced the dates for membership sales, mom told me to get her one and that was before Linda Bolgeo, among others, taught her to play Yahtzee at the dead dog party and she lasted longer than I did. Yes, Fritz, you’re right: “Rob’s mom sucks less than he does.”
Side note: Fritz, you made me laugh with this, which is just as well as you made me cry for the other.
The weekend started with getting together on Thursday night. This will shock people, but we closed the bar. It’s always great to get together and catch up, especially after such a productive year for all of us.
Side note, we’re not the Inklings, but the writing crew Chris Kennedy has gathered into his orbit is talented and hard-working. We’re doing great stuff already, and the future looks bright. Tons of stuff planned, announced, and plotted at LibertyCon. I’m honored to be a part of this.
The con started with those of us in the Four Horsemen Universe talking about the future of the 4HU. The Omega War series concluded with Alabaster Noon, and there was concern that this meant the 4HU was slowing down. To the contrary, the Omega War, despite its name, is only the second of five main-line series being plotted right now. That does not include side novels like The Feeding of Sorrows and a slew of other projects. The 4HU ain’t going away now. I’d be shocked if the eventual corpus of the 4HU is less than 100 novels plus anthologies, games, and whatever else. We’re at 35 and growing now.
Next was a panel on the contact between history, historical fiction, and fantasy. The best part of this con was chatting with David P. Coe, who is a very smart man and excellent writer.
I mentioned there wasn’t as much emotion as I expected about Timmy at LibertyCon, but Opening Ceremonies was one of two places where it was greatest. Gray Rinehart sang a new filk about Timmy, making Brandy cry. Then, Christopher Woods, looking bewildered, was drug up on the stage by Toni Weisskopf to announce a new anthology tuckerizing all of LibertyCon in honor of Timmy that will include a bunch of big names. The proceeds will go to both LibertyCon and a scholarship to the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop. Really cool, and it’s great to see good things happen to Chris.
My autograph session at 7pm went well, as I got a chance to chat with a few people and even sold a book or two. That’s what such a session is there for, and they are also one of the few times I can actually talk for a bit with a fan instead of the usual go-go-go. That’s so nice.
Then I did a reading with Theresa Howard at 9pm. Readings are fun, but sadly, 9pmm readings don’t tend to get many viewers. Probably just as well, because I don’t like the selection I made from The Feeding of Sorrows. Not enough action. I’ll pick a better choice next time.
I intended, at that point, to make it an early night. Narrator: “He did not make it an early night.” We got into a long discussion that turned into revelry at the bar. Closed it down again. I knew I wasn’t closing down the bar on Saturday, though…
Saturday started with a number of logistical things for the party, plus getting a bunch of old computer equipment to Gerry Martin. He has found ways to take all the old stuff, refurbish it, and provide it to a variety of users. Plus, it got boxes of stuff out of my house.
The banquet was the other moment of big emotion about Uncle Timmy, especially Arlen Andrews’ speech. It was also a great time for my mom, which I really enjoyed.
At 4pm, Chris Kennedy hosted his year ahead. He might have to do it in two hours next year, as he has so much going on. I got to announce the sequel to The Feeding of Sorrows, The Ravening of Wolves. I’m aiming to have it out around FantaSci next year.
At 6pm, I had an Author’s Alley time. This, too, went really well I thought. I would have done really well if I could have had a solid block of three hours, but there simply wasn’t time this year.
And that’s because of the Rob Howell/Chris Kennedy Publishing Party. This was, again, a rollicking success. We lasted past 3:30am. We went late enough that the bartenders were able to close the bar and come join us for a bit. Technically, we did *not* close the bar. Technically.
It’s become such a success we’re looking at getting more square footage as we’re just doing too well. Plans are afoot to make it even more fun next year.
Sadly, that meant when 9:30am rolled around and I theoretically had to get down to Author’s Alley at 10, I simply rolled over and got another hour or so of sleep. Sorry, not sorry. Will plan better next year.
I concluded my panels with a fun one called: Pantsing for Beginners. If you’ve never heard the term, Pantsing is “writing by the seat of your pants.” In other words, not plotting ahead of time. This ended up as a pretty good two-hour panel including Rich Weyand and Stephanie Osborn.
We left that to get to Closing Ceremonies, where Brandy announced the 2020 dates, 12-14 June. Then we went to meat fest at Rodizio’s, which wasn’t as organized this year because the restaurant didn’t respond to Gerry. Ah well, we ate meat. Lots of meat.
Last year I checked out of the dead dog party early. I almost did so again, but I caught a second wind and lasted until 11:30. Mom lasted until midnight. I had a great time chatting with Bubba of Bubba Truck fame and a bunch of others.
LibertyCon was, as usual, fruitful in all the ways. I have a number of new irons in the fire. While I don’t have many details at this time, suffice to say, I’ve got a bunch of new projects to work on. And that means, at LibertyCon 2020, I’ll just have to make new plans.
So thanks to Brandy and everyone running the con. Thanks to Mark and Chris for the 4HU. Thanks to the fans that are keeping The Feeding of Sorrows at number two new release in Action and Adventure. Thanks to all I hung out with at LibertyCon. And thanks to all who’ve supported me over the past few years. I’ll keep trying to get better.
Halfway through 2019! Happy Half-New Year. Or Half-Through Year. Whichever you prefer.
Before I left for LibertyCon, I sent off my story “In Dark’ning Storms” to James L. Young, creator of the Phases of Mars series of alternate histories. I’m finding that a lot of writing short stories is plugging away for a while, then finding the core, the soul, of the story along the way. Then, I have to cut out all that I’ve written which isn’t part of that soul. Only then do I come up with a good story.
Last weekend, I wasn’t entirely pleased with the story. When I finished on Wednesday, which involved cutting out 3-4000 words and replacing them, I was very emotional at the end. Which is as it should be.
Now I’m here in Chattanooga and LibertyCon has been fantastic already, and we still have quite a bit to go. My panels have gone well, the reader response from The Feeding of Sorrows has been fantastic, and I’ve made a bunch of connections. Lots of irons heating up in the fire.
Minutes ago at the Chris Kennedy Publishing upcoming year panel, I announced the sequel to Sorrows. The working title is: When Need Shall Arise. Again, this title is drawn from the Havamal.
Tonight will be the joint room party with Chris and I. It’ll be a blast, as it always is. We’re having MAC rounds and Peepo’s Pitch this year, along with our normal variety of stuff.
I guess I should go get everything ready for people to have fun.
Current Playlist Song
Actually, just the sound of the air conditioning. A little peace and quiet in the midst of the go-go-go is quite pleasant.
Quote of the Week
This week, I’m going with a fun Heinlein quote. It seems appropriate given the number of writers here at LibertyCon.
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.
– Robert A. Heinlein
This week’s spotlight is on the staff at LibertyCon, the best con staff I’ve seen. It’s been an incredibly challenging year for them. Their initial hotel didn’t live up to its obligations, forcing a change in location. This change forced a changed in date. Then, worst of all, the founder of the con, Uncle Timmy, passed away.
And yet, we’re all here having a great time, getting new things plotted and arranged to keep creating.
Today’s Weight: 384.4
Updated Word Count: 156,157
Shijuren Wiki: 874 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.
It’s LibertyCon week, one of my favorite events ever thanks to the hard work of Uncle Timmy, Brandy Spraker, Fritz Ling, Rich Groller, Matthew Fanny, and a slew of others.
I start the weekend with a bang, the Four Horsemen Panel and Autograph Session. This will be on Friday from 1-3pm in Meeting Rooms 4 & 5. It will include a whole bunch of us 4HU writers.
Immediately afterwards, I join in on a fun panel I’m really excited about: The Bridges Between Fantasy and Historical Fiction. I’m joined on this panel by David B. Coe / D. B. Jackson, Robert S. Evans, Valerie Hampton, and Holly McClure. Should be lots of fun. It’s in Meeting Room 7.
Then it’s back to Meeting Rooms 4 &5 for Opening Ceremonies at 5pm.
At 7pm, I have an autograph session in the Dealer’s Room alongside Lou Antonelli, Karen Bogen, H.P. Holo, and Jacob Holo. I *will* have my books there for sale, if you don’t already have one.
I conclude Friday from 9-10pm with a reading in the Lookout Mountain Room. I’m not sure what I’ll read yet, but I might pull out something from None Call Me Mother or Amazon top new release (I really get to say that) The Feeding of Sorrows. Also, you can hear something from Teresa Howard.
What a day. You can probably find me in the bar or at a room party kicking back after that.
Saturday is a little slower. My first thing is the Banquet at noon. I’m really excited to get to do this with my mom. This will be in the Tennessee River Room.
Then a bit of a break to prepare for some madness. At 4pm, I’ll join Chris Kennedy Publishing as he talks about the year ahead. I believe this will be on Facebook Live for those who are interested.
Following that, I have an hour starting at 6pm in the Author’s Alley. You can come buy my books, get signatures, or just chat. Also in the Alley during that time are: Jim Curtis Teresa Howard Tamara Lowery Rich Weyand Matt Wyers
Then, at 9pm, comes the epic adventure you’ve all been waiting for, the joint Seventh Seal Press / Rob Howell Room Party and Book Launch for Alabaster Noon. It’ll be a blast, with a bunch of authors, all my books, and some interesting beverages like Peepo’s Pitch and MAC rounds. It’ll be in my room on the 3rd Floor, but I won’t know exactly what room that is until Thursday.
My last panel is another one I’m eagerly anticipating. This is the brainchild of Rich Weyand. We’ll be joined by Stephanie Osborn and we’ll talk about Pantsing for Beginners. Not sure what pantsing is, well, you can come join us and find out the pros and cons of this style of writing. This will be at 1pm in the Tennessee River Room and we’ll work on things for 2 hours.
That’s my official schedule. Should be fantastic. We’re also staying for the Dead Dog Party.
As I’ve mentioned, my Mom will be joining me. Can’t wait to introduce her to my LibertyCon family.
I’m home. The overall trip was over 4000 miles. There were a bunch of highlights, and you can find my Gulf Wars AARhere.
The cap to it all was FantaSci. This was the first year of the con, but you really wouldn’t have known that if you weren’t told. They did have some advantages, like pulling from a former con (HonorCon) and having it be a major event for two different fan groups (The TRMN and the 4HU Mercenary Guild). However, that doesn’t ensure success, and it was a very successful con.
I’d like to stop for a moment to thank Lyons and his staff for doing a great job. If the name Lyons sounds familiar in the context of the 4HU, it’s because he has been tuckerized as the owner of the Lyon’s Den merc bar, which provided the impetus for three anthologies of short stories. He and his crew had things organized well. As I said, one could not tell it was the first time with this con, as the issues I saw are the issues one usually finds at any con, like issues with the hotel and its bar and restaurant.
Another side note, I rather enjoyed the hotel. The food was pretty good, not terribly expensive, and the bar had an IPA on tap. The rooms were also much cheaper than one normally finds at a con. I hope they stay there.
I was in a lot of panels, which is just the way I like it. On Friday I was in a fun panel sponsored by Ian J. Malone, which discussed sports in SF and fantasy writing, such as baseball in the Honor Harrington universe and the like. Sports has been a part of humanity since we became a species, and it will continue in space and exist in fantasy worlds, just like it did it in the Middle Ages.
My next panel was a discussion of writing in shared worlds. I’m getting a taste of this in the 4HU, and have plans to open up Shijuren for at least some anthologies, so this was a valuable one for me to listen and learn, as well as comment.
Saturday was a huge day for me. I started with a panel discussing Alternate History Change Points. This was actually a major treat for me, as one of my favorite authors, Steve White was on this panel. Also included were Kacey Ezell and Christopher Woods, so it was a lively panel.
Then I went into a stretch of four panels in five hours, starting with a panel on pantsing. Pantsing, if you’ve not heard the term, means writing from the seat of your pants. The other end of the spectrum is plotting. It was a huge thing for me to discover that pantsing was an accepted and normal form of writing, because that’s what came naturally to me. I tend to plot more than I used to, but generally only in vague terms. It still makes more sense to see what the characters do rather than forcing them into a certain path.
Immediately was the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel where Chris talked about all the things that are coming. I got to talk about the Feeding of Sorrows and see a bunch of things coming down the pike. Kennedy is amazing. He has done incredible stuff and made a bunch of opportunities for other writers.
After an hour break, I was in a panel on genre blending, which of course I talk about a goodly amount given the Edward novels.
Finally, I was on a whimsical panel about the messiest ways to kill undead. This panel was designed to go off the rails, and off the rails we went. Lots of fun.
Saturday night was the highlight of the event. It was perhaps the best single experience I’ve had in the con scene as a writer. The 4HU Mercenary Guild held a Dining Out. If you’re in the military, you know what this means. It is a ritual dinner, with a number of specific toasts and ceremonies. I was generally an observer, asking questions of the vets at my table and learning. I was also smart enough not to create a reason that I needed to drink the grog. A certain Minion, on the other hand, fought the grog and the grog won. Much hilarity has and will ensue on that.
After the Dining Out was a number of fun things. Saturday happened to be Kacey Ezell’s birthday, and also she and Marisa Wolf had a bestseller on Amazon to celebrate. Then there was floating to some parties, including going down to karaoke, which was a lot of fun. I even sang some Dropkick Murphys. Then we ended the night chatting in my room until late, even getting security to tell us to be quiet.
Sunday was much more laid back. I didn’t have any panels, though I did go to closing ceremonies. This was the first con where I was “featured” in any way, and I made sure I was at the ceremonies. Lyons paid me an incredible honor with that, and I can’t thank him enough.
Mostly what I did on Sunday, though, was get out my laptop and offer to update wiki entries. Many of the attendees to the con are redshirts in the 4HU, and I added fun things to a number of entries.
Then I was in a quandary. I had plans to eat with my aunt and uncle around 5pm. However, I *really* wanted to get home. I canceled and left around 2 to try and get past Nashville on a Sunday night. I made it to Clarksville, despite losing an hour to construction in Knoxville. It’s a good thing I did, because I was pushing through a bit of flu yesterday and I might have lost a day coming home. Given that in two days I set up at Planet Comicon, I really couldn’t spare the time. Side note, I feel much better this morning, even to the point of keeping food down.
FantaSci was an amazing con. Truly one of the best I have ever been to. LibertyCon level, even. I ticked off all the professional goals I had, enjoyed myself, and met a bunch of new friends.
It was also the launch of the 4HU Mercenary Guild fan group. You can find it here: www.mercenaryguild.org. I know I’m only a bit player in this universe, but it’s still cool to be a part of it. If you like the 4HU books, sign on up. I’ll be starting up a Foresters unit when the time comes.
I may not get to go next year because of timing, though. I think it’s on the second weekend of Gulf Wars next years, so I may have to make a choice.
However, I’ll go back every year I can. It’s on the list.
Sorry about not having an update last week. I’ve been pounding away at The Feeding of Sorrows. I’m doing well, though I wanted to be farther along. I’m over 90k, though, so it’s not entirely vaporware at this point.
I’m currently ensuring I’ve got all the pieces in the right place for the penultimate battle. In this case, this is the part where I have to juggle all the timing to make it work right. The final battle follows easily enough, once we get the characters into place for this one.
Why two battles? Well, I like intrigue, treachery, and extra explosions.
Anyway, I’m really pleased with the story and I’m excited to finish and get it to the publisher.
My story is called “Far Better to Dare,” and it’s about a certain memorable thing which doesn’t become memorable until ten years after it really happened. I really enjoyed writing this story, in part because I had to research an era of naval history I only knew a little about. It turns out to be perfect for this sort of exercise, with all sorts of interesting quirks and tidbits available to toss into the pot.
With that, I think I’m going to take the rest of the night off. A Cadfael mystery or two is calling.
Current Playlist Song
Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear the Reaper. Like many, not only do I love the song but I am also reminded of the great “More Cowbell” routine where Christopher Walken keeps demanding more cowbell from Will Ferrell. This skit got even funnier when I realized that there really is cowbell in the song, but it’s in the background. Ferrell picked it up, though, and, though I rarely say this about him, made comedic gold.
Quote of the Week
I might as well use the quote that provided my title for my story in Those in Peril.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
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.
Chances are, if you like military science fiction, you might have run into J.R. Handley on Facebook. He has science fiction podcast and serves as an admin on the Galaxy’s Edge fansite. He’s a hard worker who adds a ton to the MilSF community. And, oh yeah, he’s a good writer as well.
Interview: J.R. Handley
What is your quest?
I strive to tell compelling science fiction stories that are fun escapism from the drudgeries of the modern world. I love space opera and military science fiction, which are the two spaces where I excise my demons and weave them into the tapestry of my futuristic universe. I let my real-world experiences from serving 8.5 years in the Army, with two tours in Iraq, flavor the action and the soldiers I write about. Hopefully I succeed in creating warriors worthy of the genre that I love to read.
Growing up I devoured science fiction from Orson Scott Card and the plethora of books written in the Star Wars Universe. I read those books clear up through the end of high school, only taking a break from reading for fun when I was in college and then in Iraq. When I rediscovered reading, I found authors like Chris Kennedy (The Theogony Universe), Tim C. Taylor (Human Legion Series), Terry Mixon (Empire of Bones Series), Richard Fox (The Ember War Series) and the deadly duo of Anspach and Cole (The Galaxy’s Edge Series). All of those styles effect the story teller I’ve become, which I hope to bring to the Four Horsemen Universe I enjoy reading.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color? I’m color blind so I don’t really have a favorite. I only see the basic primary colors, but I guess I like blue and green. Okay, my former fire team would skewer me alive if I didn’t say Infantry Blue!
As for what I like in my creations, I strive to balance the details that make the story come alive with the fast pace expected from the genres where I play. I don’t want to tell the readers about the far-flung battlefields, I want them to BE there with my characters. I would love for them to be able to envision the story, like a movie playing in their heads. One of the biggest tricks I use for my battlefields, since you’re looking for advice for other creators… I make a sand table of the space where the action happens. It lets me see the battlefield in 3D and plot realistic strategies for the situation at hand. Plus, it’s fun playing with Legos and calling it “work.” Unless my wife is reading this, then it is TOTALLY work!
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
An unladen paint brush flies at the speed of sound, divided by pie and multiplied by the weight of a porcupine on Mars. Oh, and make sure you don’t mix in the metric system or you’ll create a space-time singularity that will destroy the fabric of the universe!
Now, on a more serious note… I swear I can be serious! My biggest challenges revolve around overcoming the traumatic brain injury I suffered in Iraq. Sometimes I get my words mixed up, and my minions have to go back and help me figure out what I really meant. Most of the time it’s pretty easy sometimes involves rewriting entire sections because the gibberish was indecipherable. I can get confused very easily and have a finite number of cognitively viable hours in the day, which cuts into my writing time. Overall, I do it all again and still enjoy telling the stories even if I’m slower than molasses. It just means I have to get creative as I fight through the Amazon churn model that is in vogue.
The hardest part to answer here was regarding some of my failures. Even when I have stories rejected by anthologies, I don’t consider them failures. I write as therapy, as a way to process what happened overseas. I also write to keep exercising my gray matter so I can fend off the inevitable dementia that is often associated with dramatic brain injuries. Every day I write something, I call it a win. Most recent failure, or rejection, was from the previous 4HU anthology. I got so distracted by the shiny idea, that I lost sight of the universe canon and the story was rejected. Again, this wasn’t a failure because I can pull out anything that is proprietary to the universe and still salvage the story. Failure is only a thing if you don’t learn from it, or you have a warped view on things. I try to take everything in stride, avoid dwelling on the negative, and appreciate that I’ve got another day above the dirt. Losing so many friends definitely alters your perspective, and I try to honor their sacrifice by not giving up.
Since we focused on the negative, well on failure anyway, I want to take a second to talk about the good things. I truly feel that the story and the upcoming anthology is one of the best I’ve ever written. I’ve read all of the previous anthologies, and many of the main storyline books, and wanted to bring something a little different to the universe. I tried to honor the warrior, by remembering why they fight with this submission. I really hope that comes across and would love for your feedback once you’ve read it!
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
The Holy Hand Grenade is all knowing, it comforts us when we are hurting and smites our foes with impunity! Who doesn’t worship the Holy Hand Grenade? Point me at the blasphemous soul and we will smite them together!
It sounds like what you’re really asking for are my tricks of the trade, and the biggest one I use I’ve previously mentioned. I rely heavily on sand tables to block out my action scenes, and I feel like that’s where I do my best work. I can’t really pinpoint one specific success that I’m proud of, other than to say that my latest work is always my favorite and I hope that I’m growing at every step along the way. The two stories I’m most proud of are the one in the upcoming 4HU anthology titled “CASPers Widow” and one written in my Sleeping Legion Series titled “No Marine Left Behind.” I feel like they are some of my best published work, and I hope the readers agree.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Kermit the Frog
Crunchy or Creamy? Coffee
Favorite Sports Team? Yay sports ball!! Wait, I don’t have one… I prefer watching the USA Rugby Team or just reading a good book.
Cake or Pie? Coffee
Lime or Lemon? Coffee
Favorite Chip Dip? French Dip with those ridged chips
Wet or Dry? Wet… cause COFFEE
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Joey and Rory, Dropkick Murphy’s or maybe Dar Williams? I’d guess that these are pretty main stream though.
Whisky or Whiskey? Whichever one fills my glass the quickest!
Favorite Superhero? GI Joe or Captain America!
Steak Temperature? On my plate!
Favorite 1970s TV show? Wait, did they have to be back then? Let me run to my local museum and get the historians to answer that one for me!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Yes, as long as no deserts are involved. I’ve had my fill of deserts! For more serious answer though, I prefer spring or fall because the weather is in the Goldilocks zone.
Favorite Pet? Our benevolent leader, Lord Cthulhu.
Best Game Ever? Chess, though DnD is pretty fun as well. But that might just be because I haven’t played the 4HU game that is coming out soon!!
Coffee or Tea? Hot coffee or sweet iced tea, the ying to my yang! Clearly the secrets of an awesome life
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? D, All of the Above!
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
Well, I can tell you that the secret of the universe is 42, but you didn’t ask me that! Or that everyone knows the Devil invented pineapple pizzas, but you didn’t ask that either! Oh, and we can all agree in the heathen blasphemous nature of unsweetened iced tea!! What about the proper temperature one should drink beer? I swear it should be properly chilled, but heathen Brits like Tim C. Taylor drink it warm.
Rob’s Answer: You are correct. Beer must be *properly* chilled. That temperature is different for various types of beers. Lagers, especially light lagers, are best really cold. Real Ales, especially cask-pulled ales, are usually better at about 55 degrees. If they’re too cold, you lose much of the flavor.
Stouts like Guinness are perfect examples of this. Cold Guinness is rather bland. Let it warm to about 50, and suddenly it’s rich and vibrant. So, yes. Chill your beer properly.
And one last thing. If you like beer and you go across the pond, look up CAMRA to help you find some absolute treasures. I’m sure Tim C. Taylor would agree.
Tell me again where we can find your stuff?
You can find my books on Amazon or hear my insanity over at the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast. My website is an option too, I post a lot of book reviews there! Finally, we can chat on Facebook!
I’ll be attending the 20 Books to 50K author conference in Vegas in the first week in November 2018! Not sure about any other scheduled dates, since my life is so crazy at the moment. If any event comes up, I’ll be sure to post it on my website.
Do you have a creator biography?
J.R. Handley is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. He is a veteran infantry sergeant with the 101st Airborne Division and the 28th Infantry Division. She is the kind of crazy that interprets his insanity into cogent English. He writes the sci-fi while she proofreads it. The sergeant is a two-time combat veteran of the late unpleasantness in Mesopotamia where he was wounded, likely doing something stupid. He started writing military science fiction as part of a therapy program suggested by his doctor and hopes to entertain you while he attempts to excise his demons through these creative endeavors. In addition to being just another dysfunctional veteran, he is a stay at home wife, avid reader and all-around nerd. Luckily for him, his Queen joins him in his fandom nerdalitry.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
Clearly, you need to ask the Religion Question; Star Wars, Star Trek or Firefly! The right answer is Star Wars, pre-Disney, of course! And then Firefly, though the show was murdered prematurely by the Evil Overlords over at Fox.
Thanks to J.R. for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Doug Dandridge is one of the great independent writers out there. He’s done really well in part because he puts out a ton of good material. My personal favor is his Exodus: Empires at War series, but he has over thirty published titles, including two other series, Refuge techno-fantasy and The Deep Dark Well trilogy. Now he’s started Kinship Wars, a traditionally published series. Let’s just say I’ve visited his Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/Doug-Dandridge/e/B006S69CTU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1522973584&sr=1-2-ent a number of times to get his books.
Exodus: Empires at War, Book 1 Cover
And I’m not the only one. According to his bio, “(h)e has amassed over 5,000 reviews across his books on Amazon, with a 4.6 star average. 5,000 reviews! And about that same number on Goodreads. I am learning just how hard it is to get a single review out of readers, so that’s even more amazing to me than the hundreds of thousands of books he’s sold.
Clearly, he knows both how to write and how to market online, so I was excited when he agreed to answer my questions.
Doug Dandridge
What is your quest? I like to craft technically sound science fiction (and fantasy as well) in an interesting and well thought out setting, with strong characters. Sometimes I actually succeed. I like the physics, chemistry, biology to stay as close to accurate as possible. Which doesn’t mean I don’t make up whimsical of utterly fantastic elements, but I see no need to step on real world principles when not necessary. My major influences include Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, David Weber, Robert E Howard, Jim Butcher, R A Salvatore and Larry Niven. I get a little bit from each one and possibly blend them together into something of my own. It seems to work, as I was able to not only quit my day job, but make a very good living at it.
What is your favorite color? Like Jim Butcher I start off with a map most of the time. I do a lot of research. Even in fantasy, I look up a lot of information, put a lot of it on paper. I world build to an extreme, probably more than I need to, but then, when I have a series, I just need to add onto the already detailed world. And I draw a lot of things out on graph paper, which allows even a poor artist like myself to visualize my settings. Spaceships, star systems, castles, even the look of dragons. All goes down on paper. And when I’m creating a star system I like to use programs to look over the configurations of planets and make sure it all works (wouldn’t do to have your inhabited planet go spiraling into the star). Probably more than I need to, but I read the horror stories of people finding fault with the science in other works. I even use Nukemap to make sure my things that go boom have an accurate damage radius.
Doug Dandridge with Helicopter
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush? I wrote a series called Refuge, which actually started off really well. Both of the first books sold over 5,000 copies. They mixed modern technology with magic, with people from Earth crossing over to another dimension against their will and having to fight wizards, dragons and things that go smack in the night. With tanks, attack helicopters and a couple of tactical nukes. Due to the physical and magical laws of the planet, the technology would only last for a short period of time, and the humans had to use it or lose it. So by book three they had lost it, and I had lost my readership. Turned out that the majority of people who bought the first two books loved the idea of technology versus magic, so book three sold just over two thousand copies, while four barely made it over a thousand. I’ve tried to salvage the series with book five, resorting to magic imbued steam tech. But I’m afraid once you lose readers you’ve lost them for good, at least for that series. The lesson? When something is working, don’t make radical changes.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade? I am really proud of the Exodus: Empires at War series and the spinoff, Exodus: Machine War. This is the universe that turned me into an independent success. Of the 240,000 odd books I have sold, over 200,000 of them are in these series. They have been well received, and I have collected a lot of fans from all over the world from these books. I feel that I write battle scenes really well (see R A Salvatore and Jim Butcher above), and I’m also good at putting in technical details without overwhelming people with info dumps. The Exodus series is nearing its end, but I will start another side series, going back in time to the origins of my human Empire.
Lightning Round
Crunchy or Creamy? Crunchy.
Five by Five Cover
Favorite Sports Team? Florida State University, because I went there and I live in Tallahassee. Any of the teams, not just football. I go to women’s soccer, both basketballs, softball, volleyball, even sometimes baseball.
Cake or Pie? Pie, because cake is too rich.
Lime or Lemon? Lime, because lemon is just too sour.
Favorite Chip Dip? Home-made French Onion dip. None of that weak store made stuff. The Lipton’s Onion Soup with sour cream.
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? A German Jazz guitarist named Vogel Kreigel. He played in a little hotel in North Germany back in the late 1970s. One of the best jazz guitarists in the world at that time.
Whisky or Whiskey? I used to love Wild Turkey 101. Haven’t had a drink, for health reasons, in fourteen years.
Favorite Superhero? Spiderman. I’ve been a Spidey freak since I was five years old, and I bought the issue of Amazing Stories that featured the webhead.
Steak Temperature? Medium rare.
Favorite 1970s TV show? Man, go back to the sixties and I might have something. The seventies did nothing for me, and I spent half of them in the Army.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall, love the crispy temps. Best time for going to football and soccer.
Favorite Pet? (provide pictures if you want) I had a ginger cat years ago named Beau who was the smartest pet I have ever had (and I’ve had an Australian Shepard). He died way too young at age nine.
Best Game Ever? Video Game? Fallout New Vegas, with lots of mods. Best gaming world, best story, a lot of fun to play in VR.
Coffee or Tea? I’m a big coffee drinking. Buy the beans and grind them myself before brewing them.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I love them both. I would actually like to write more fantasy, but somehow I slid into the scifi niche, so there I am.
What question(s) would you like to ask me? How do you come up with these questions?
My Answer: I think the first time I asked questions like this happened because I got tired of internet question memes, so oddly that made me make my own. The ones out there were just bland and boring, and so I made a whimsical one to have fun with my friends.
I used the idea again when I got married to my second wife. We wanted to make it fun, so I asked a larger series of questions to everyone involved in the ceremony. Then, we had a friend who is great at such things introduce us all as if we were wrestlers coming into a WWE event or something like that. We had a fantastic wedding.
As everyone who answers the interview questions realizes, I want to get some idea of your methods. Hopefully, this will help me and my readers find things that might improve our writing and publishing skills. However, I didn’t want it to be bland and boring, hence the Monty Python way of asking the questions.
But I also wanted to give each of you a chance to be something more than a name on an e-book. For example, I think it’s awesome that I now know you’re a Florida State fan. Plus, given how much I like to host people, it’s always a good thing to know how to cook their steak should the opportunity arise.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not? How did you ever decide to get into this crazy business?
I was out of work and pissed off at the employer that had just fired me, and decided to write a book exposing the corruption of mental health organizations. I sat down and wrote that book in two weeks, then started on an alternate history. When that was done, I went to work on a 260K word fantasy.
Refuge, Book 1 Cover
I wrote on an off for over a decade, collecting over three hundred rejection slips, but trying to do it the old way, through a publisher. Finally, in 2010, I was really sick of my job and wanted to become a full time writer. I wrote the equivalent of 7 novels that years, including the books that were turned into the first two volumes of Exodus: Empires at War and Refuge: The Arrival. I didn’t actually put anything online until December 31, 2011, and nothing much sold for the first eight months. I did a giveaway for a book called
The Deep Dark Well, and 4,100 went off the Amazon hard drive. When Exodus came out in November (I had put out Refuge first, thinking it would be the breakout novel), I started selling 100 books a day. In January of 2013 I sold 8,900 books and the sales continued into February with 5,400. I kept getting good sale the first couple days of March, and I turned in my two week notice and never looked back.
What’s Your Upcoming Event Schedule? I will also have books coming out later this year from Arc Manor Publishing (Kinship War) and Chris Kennedy Publishing (When Eagles Dare).
Doug’s Book Biography:
Doug Dandridge is the author of over thirty self-published books on Amazon, including the very successful, Exodus: Empires at War series, the Refuge techno-fantasy series, The Deep Dark Well Trilogy, as well as numerous standalone science fiction and fantasy novels. In a five year period as a self-published author, Doug has sold well over two hundred thousand eBooks, paperbacks and audio books. He has amassed over 5,000 reviews across his books on Amazon, with a 4.6 star average, and a similar number of ratings on Goodreads with a 4.12 star average. He has also written his first traditionally published novel, the first of a series, Kinship Wars. He served in the US Army as an infantryman, as well as several years in the Florida National Guard in the same MOS. Doug, who holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Alabama, lives with his five cats in Tallahassee Florida. He is a sports enthusiast and a self-proclaimed amateur military historian.
Thanks to Doug for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
Been a good week here, though a little disjointed. Since I’ve moved back I’ve been to the doctor a bunch. During the time I was in Omaha, I kept waiting to figure out where we were going to live before getting a doctor. Since we didn’t actually find a place, I kept putting it off. Now that I’m 50, it’s not smart for me to avoid doctors, so I’ve been getting my 250,000 mile checkup, so to speak. That means a bunch of visits, and I had several this week.
The good news is that I’m doing pretty good for 50. I’m also really pleased with my new doctor. My last KC doctor took forever once you got to see her. She’s very smart, but I simply don’t want to wait three hours once I get there. This new doctor is actually incredibly quick. Other than the procedure I had last week, I’ve had something like ten office visits in the last month and a half. I’ve spent less time total in those visits, including with the specialists, than I did the first time I visited my old doctor. Nevertheless, each time takes out a chunk of the day.
What isn’t in as good of shape is my old phone. I didn’t want to upgrade to a Note 9 just yet, but I dropped my Note 5 and broke it. Ah, well. I did want the 9, and frankly the 512Gb of storage has already proven useful.
Still, I titled this week “Serendipity” because of last weekend. I got a chance to go to the Great Plains Ren Faire because a friend mentioned it. I did well and I got to briefly see my mom. I’ll be back in April.
Then, once I was there, another friend posted they were at the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Fayetteville, AR. Idly, Friday night, I checked their tour dates since I wanted to see them at least once. And, lookee there, they’re playing Saturday night after the Ren Fest closed in downtown Wichita. Definitely serendipitous.
I was a little disappointed in the Marshall Tucker Band, who opened for them. For whatever reason, their sound was a bit off. Can’t You See was fabulous, though. Anyway, I really enjoyed Skynyrd. The bits where they interwove parts of Ronnie Van Zant singing on the screen were powerful. Tuesday’s Gone live was worth the price of admission.
And I got to yell for someone to play Freebird without irony.
Oh, and I also named this post “Serendipity” because I love that word. It’s so mellifluous. It was also the title of our English reader in 6th grade. It had some great stories.
Ah, well, that’s enough about me. I’m going to get back to work. Have a great week.
Current Playlist Song
Acadian Dance by Rik Emmett from Triumph. This is from his acoustic album where he basically plays around and shows off all he can do. It’s good writing music.
Quote of the Week
Today is Neils Bohr’s birthday. He’s got a number of great quotes, but this is one of my favorites, especially since I started writing. And before you ask, I still have quite a few to make.
“An expert is a person who has found out by his own painful experience all the mistakes that one can make in a very narrow field.”
– Neils Bohr
News and Works in Progress
The Feeding of Sorrows (approx. 20,000)
CB (8,418)
AFS (2,556)
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
This week I started #Four Horsetober, a bunch of interviews of other authors in the Four Horsemen Universe. You can expect a bunch of interviews throughout October in honor of the two Lyon’s Den anthologies.
This week’s spotlight is on the Four Horsemen writers. See the list above for all the interview links.
Today’s Weight: 382.8
Updated Word Count: 209,771
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 417 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.
This week’s interview is with the amazing Kacey Ezell. She is, I can say without doubt, the first person I’ve interviewed who has over 2500 hours flying Hueys and Mi-17s.
She’s also one of my favorite writers right now. I really enjoy her Minds of Men alternate history and am waiting for the next one in that series. She’s also one of the writers in the Four Horsemen Universe, collaborating with Marisa Wolf to write Assassin and show us all the might of the Depik.
Interview: Kacey Ezell
What is your quest?
To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their women. (I’m sure I’m not the first to say that!) For real, though, I just want to tell good stories that I’d like to read. And I want to be a dragonrider. For Science. (Rob’s Note: SCIENCE!!!!)
What is your favorite color?
Blue. I like emotional gut-punch moments in my writing. Specifically, I always try to have a moment or moments where I put the reader in the mind of the character and make the character’s emotions resonate within the reader. If I can make you cry, or laugh, or grieve, or rage, or exult, then I’ve done my job.
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
I always feel like I’m never writing enough, especially when it gets busy with the day job. I get frustrated when I fly long days and then don’t have the energy to do more than drag myself into the shower and then into bed. My discipline demands that I at least try to write something every day, but a recent string of 12-hour days has shown me that sometimes, when I’m drained, I’m drained. So I’ll settle for writing 100 words that day and call it a win.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
In writing, my personal Holy Hand Grenade is what I’ve described above. I’m always proud when I can make the reader feel something. In life/marketing, I think my personal Holy Hand Grenade is my ability to connect with people and make friends quickly and easily. I love getting to know new people, and that’s been incredibly helpful in my career!
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal
Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy
Favorite Sports Team? Pittsburgh Steelers
Cake or Pie? Apple Pie / Guinness Cake (it cooks out! I promise!)
Lime or Lemon? Lime
Favorite Chip Dip? Spicy salsa heavy on the cilantro
Wet or Dry? wet
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Leo
Whisky or Whiskey? I’m Mormon, don’t care.
Favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman
Steak Temperature? Medium Rare
Favorite 1970s TV show? Um, I’m too young for that. 😉
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Summer
Favorite Pet? I can’t choose. I love them both. 😊
Best Game Ever? Shadowrun
Coffee or Tea? Again, Mormon. I’ll take Sugar Free Red Bull, please
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Again, por que no los dos?
What question(s) would you like to ask me? What is your superpower?
My Answer: Hmmm, in my younger days I could walk into any neighborhood bar in any country and become Norm before the night was over.
I suppose now my greatest superpower is drinking the bitterest beer. I’ve had brewers try to out-bitter me. I welcome their attempts to tilt at this windmill, as it means free beer for me.
FantaSci and LibertyCon 2019 for sure. Maybe some others along the way if I can talk my husband into it.
Do you have a creator biography?
Kacey Ezell was born in South Dakota in 1977. Her parents joined the US Air Force in 1984, and she grew up around the world on various military bases. When she was seven, her mother gave her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragondrums, and shortly thereafter, Kacey decided that she wanted to be a dragonrider when she grew up. In 1999, she followed her parents into the “family business” and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy before going to pilot training. As dragons were in short supply at the time, she reasoned that flying aircraft was the next best thing. She earned her wings in 2001, and has over 2500 hours in the UH-1N and Mi-17 helicopters.
From the time she was a small child, Kacey made up stories to tell to her friends and family. In 2009, while deployed to Iraq, she wrote the military-themed supernatural story “Light”, which was accepted for publication in the Baen Books anthology Citizens. She was asked to consult on John Ringo’s 2015 novel Strands of Sorrow, and wrote the cover story for the Black Tide Rising anthology set in Ringo’s zombie apocalypse universe. That story, “Not in Vain” was selected for inclusion in the “Year’s Best Military SF and Adventure Fiction” anthology produced by Baen Books.
In addition, she’s written a story for each of the bestselling Four Horsemen Universe anthologies, and her story “Family Over Blood” is included in the national bestseller “Forged In Blood” set in Michael Z. Williamson’s Freehold Universe.
She and Christopher L. Smith are currently collaborating with John Ringo on a new post-apocalyptic steampunk trilogy from Baen, and her first solo novel, “Minds of Men” was released by Theogony Press on 10 November 2017. She returned to the Four Horseman Universe to collaborate with Marisa Wolf on “Assassin”, a novel about an alien race of felinoid killers-for-hire. “Assassin” is available now from Seventh Seal Press.
Kacey writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, noir, romance… etc. fiction. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two cats.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not? You should have asked me about my plans for world domination, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you about them. You’ll just have to find out.
And if you are interested in a FREE short story in my Psyche of War universe, you can absolutely have one by simply signing up for my mailing list! It’s also the best way to stay up to date on what’s going on with me, and how that whole world domination thing is going. You can join by going to www.kaceyezell.net.
Also, Mark Wandrey and I released Weaver at Liberty Con this year, and we’d love to have your readers check it out and if they liked it, leave a review! (Rob’s Note: Please give us reviews. Please, please, please. It’s huge)
Also, also, Minds of Men was just selected as a 2018 Finalist for the Dragon Award for Best Alternate History Novel! <cue excited screaming!> The Dragon Awards are a big deal to me, because they’re a truly fan-favorite award.
Many thanks to Kacey for taking the time to let me interview her.
If you have any suggestions or comments about this interview format, let me know so I can keep tweaking it.
Also, thanks to you for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326. If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Finally, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
On Thursday, Tales from the Lyon’s Den was released. On November 2nd, Luck Is Not a Factor will be released. In honor of the fourth and fifth anthologies in the Four Horsemen Universe, I have decided to do a bunch of reviews of authors who have contributed to the universe throughout October.
We’re going to start with a re-run of an interview I did in June. Chris Kennedy is one of the founders of this universe, along with Mark H. Wandrey. He’s a really sharp guy who has done amazing things in the self-publishing world. He’s taught me quite a bit already, and I suggest you listen to him and watch what he does.
Interview: Chris Kennedy
What is your quest?
I want to sell a million books. Failing that, I want to help my authors sell ten million books.
What is your favorite color?
Science fiction…with a side of fantasy.
Chris Kennedy
What is the average flying speed of an unladen paint brush?
Not coming from a writing background, I had to learn to do it right. I read blogs for 15 minutes a day for four years to help develop my craft and my ability to sell more books. I’m still not totally where I want to be, but I’m a much better writer than when I started, and I’m a lot closer to the goal.
What are the powers of your personal Holy Hand Grenade?
I like writing gritty combat and a good motivational speech once in a while.
Lightning Round
Favorite Muppet? Animal.
Crunchy or Creamy? Definitely crunchy. I don’t know why they make that other stuff.
Favorite Sports Team? UNC Tarheels basketball (despite their showing in the NCAAs last year), NY Yankees baseball, and Atlanta Falcons football.
Cake or Pie? Pie…but why can’t I have both?
Lime or Lemon? Lemon…because you can put it in Corona and make it taste better.
Favorite Chip Dip? Helluva Good Sour Cream and Onion
Wet or Dry? Sopping wet. (Rob’s Note: He’s a Navy guy)
Favorite Musical Performer We’ve Never Heard Of? Two Steps from Hell. Outstanding for combat writing music.
Whisky or Whiskey? Bud Light. (Rob’s Note: Sigh)
Favorite Superhero? Gal Gadot Wonder Woman. Because Gal Gadot.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? Fall
Best Game Ever? In # of hours played? Everquest.
Coffee or Tea? Diet Pepsi
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Scifi, with a side of fantasy.
What question(s) would you like to ask me?
How many MAC rounds can a trooper survive?
Rob’s Answer: If we’re talking a magnetically accelerated piece of tungsten, then zero if the trooper isn’t in a CASPer. If we’re talking the fully-loaded magazine of MAC rounds we’re going to have at our LibertyCon party, I would say most can survive five or so, depending upon rate of fire and body mass. However, this survival is likely to be more painful and the target might prefer the quick death of tungsten.
Final question for you: What should I have asked but did not?
You should have asked, “Do you have any free book promotions coming up soon?”
Why yes, yes he did. Back when this was run in June.
However, right now he does not have any promotions but take a look at Tales from the Lyon’s Den on Amazon. And if you haven’t read any of the Four Horsemen Universe, check out the first one, Cartwright’s Cavaliers.
Come back tomorrow for another author in the Universe.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in any of the other interviews I’ve done, you can find them all here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?cat=326.
If you are a creator, especially an independent creator, and you want to be spotlighted in a future interview, email me at rob@robhowell.org.
Also, if you want to join my mailing list, where I’ll announce every interview, as well as what’s going on in my life, go to www.robhowell.org and fill out the form (Name and Email Address) or drop me an email and I’ll add you.
I’m sitting at Prince Street Pizza in Gallatin, TN and I’m exhausted.
Which means my plan is proceeding apace.
I’m in Gallatin because I’ll be staying at Mark and Joy Wandrey’s place for a few days before going to InConjunction this weekend. I’m exhausted because LibertyCon is the best SF/F convention around.
The best part of LibertyCon is the amount of professional networking. I got to plan for new projects and learn from some of the best in the SF/F world. It’s changed my writing schedule a bit, and that’s a good thing. I’ll talk about that more as time goes by, but some of it is too ill-formed at the moment to really discuss yet. However, I’ve planted some seeds in Shijuren and other universes that should end up being very fruitful. I begin the AAR with the networking comments because those started on Thursday before anything else.
I’d like to especially thank Steve Jackson, Bill Fawcett, and Chuck Gannon for taking the time to answer questions and pass on some of the lessons they’ve learned. Great stuff for all of them, and they’re the biggest reason I’ll be adjusting my plans over the next year.
My first panel happened on Friday at 2pm. This panel discussed historical fiction and also history in fiction. It went very well because Louise Herring-Jones, David B. Coe, and I all had good experience with historical processes as well as fiction. We all had lots of good stuff to say. Coe, in particular, showed off why he was a deserving guest of honor with his discussion about his Thieftaker Chronicles set in Revolutionary War-era Boston.
The rest of Friday involved getting this arranged for Jamie Ibson’s party, Opening Ceremonies, and my Author’s Alley stint. That all went smoothly, including a number of sales in the Alley, which can often be hit or miss. We held Jamie Ibson’s room party in my room to make life easier for Brandy, and it went well. I went to bed late.
Even though I fell asleep late, I was up and lively at the Four Horsemen Roundtable at 10am on Saturday. I had the new laptop set up and showed off some of the wiki, along with showing the author pages. I also edited and added a few Wiki pages live, much to the delight of the audience in a few cases.
Then was the banquet at noon. The banquet is always an interesting animal for me. I don’t usually get big sales or networking, but it’s always enjoyable. Chuck Gannon, by the way, was an amazing MC.
At 3pm I then had a reading. I used Chapter 7, which is the chapter including Olga Belobashnina Cherepanova. It’s actually a perfect section for reading, as it’s essentially an entire story arc on its own. It’s only about 15-18 minutes, which usually means I have more time, so I also read the Epilogue to Brief Is My Flame, which doesn’t really include spoilers, does include the riddle, and hints at what’s coming in None Call Me Mother. The reading went well, though there weren’t many people there. Unfortunately, a woman who heard my reading last year and wanted to hear this year’s showed up after I was done. I ended up giving her my reading copy of the text at the Kaffeeklatsch. Nice, very smart woman who I’m glad likes my stuff.
Anyway, then was my autograph session. That was not particularly well attended, at least not for me, but I got to do some more networking.
At that point, it was time to prepare for the Brief Is My Flame / Four Horsemen room party. I’d like to thank Jamie for helping and contributing, even though he had to be at a different party. Anyway, it was a huge blast. My new drink, the MAC Round, went very well. I sold a few books, made a number of new readers, and we had a great time. I got to sleep about 3.
Which meant the Kaffeeklatsch at 10am was damned early. I made it, but I was generally content to let people swirl around me.
Following that was the Upcoming in the Chris Kennedy Publishing panel. I was in that panel because I’ll have two follow-ups to “Where Enemies Sit” from For a Few Credits More. The first is a short story for the Lyon’s Den anthology that I’ve talked about a couple of times. The second is the full-length novel. I announced the working title of the novel, The Feeding of Sorrows, which, like “Where Enemies Sit,” is a line from the Havamal.
I just want to take a quick moment and thank Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey for letting me be a part of the 4HU and tagging along on their coattails.
Anyway, that was the last thing I had scheduled for the con itself. I went to closing ceremonies, entitled the Bitch at Brandy session where they actively solicit ways to improve LibertyCon. I have no doubt this is one reason this is the best-run convention going. The big announcement was next year’s LibertyCon will be at the Read House on 31 May – 2 June, which is about a month ahead of their traditional date. However, that means LibertyCon 2019 is only 11 months away.
Sunday night at LibertyCon includes a traditional trip to a Brazilian steakhouse and more socializing / networking, and then back to the hotel for the Dead Dog party. Last year at this party, I got to do a play-test of a game similar to Cards Against Humanity with Steve Jackson. This year, I got to play one of the newly released versions of the game, Conspiracy Theory, and even won a copy to bring home. It’s a hoot.
The only real problem with LibertyCon is that there’s so many cool people to talk to and only three days to do so.
Again, I’d like to compliment the staff of LibertyCon. I’m quite serious when I say it’s better run than any other con I’ve ever seen, and it’s not close. Brandy Spraker does a fantastic job organizing things. Rich Groller is the most on-the-ball programming guy around (by a wide margin). It’s actually kind of silly how quickly he responds to stuff. Matthew Fanny keeps track of memberships, and I was a bit of a jerk to him this year as our circumstances kept changing and I switched plans with my membership four or five times. He just took care of me, even though I wasn’t easy. Misty Kat Gutierrez-Walker had the game room thrown at her at essentially the last minute, but, as she has done in the past, kept things going.
This year had to have been hard on them. They didn’t know if they were going to have a site in 2018, so they basically did the normal work of a con in about 6 months, instead of a year. That also included adapting to a new site (the Marriott Downtown), which had very particular rules. A great hotel in many ways, but not necessarily great for LibertyCon. Anyway, they did it all and the only real issues I saw came from hotel weirdnesses (like not having stairs from floor 3 to floor 2 that did not go through “employee only” areas!?!?).
This is my fifth LibertyCon, and like all the others, I’ve come out with improved plans and greater goals. I’m definitely earning a place and a name in this business in great part because of this con.
So, I know where I’ll be the weekend after Memorial Day in 2019.
An ancient foe threatens the realms of the west. Irina Ivanovna gave up her throne to search for that threat, and now finds herself pursued by a skilled runelord. Etain Muirghein must discover the truth before the other captains of the Western Isles rise against her. Ivan Yevgenich has spent his life defending his people but now faces the greatest Kreisic leader ever to hold a sword. And Geirr Stronghair wishes only to keep Svellheim at peace, but uncovers something more terrifying than war.
Fear and anger have seeped into the very stone of the Kreisens. No one knows the source of the poison, but all can see the flashing steel and searing flame that come in its wake.
Will rivals overcome centuries of hate to become allies? Will a riddle nearly two thousand years old reveal the means of saving Shijuren? Or will the swords of good men taste the blood of those they should protect?
The rulers of the western realms are right to worry…
Anyway, no need to worry about me because I am safely in orbit at LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN. This is by far the best SF/F con I’ve ever seen. The people who run it are excellent, and the quality of the guests is fantastic. I’m honored to be a part of it.
However, while I made the trip successfully, my laptop did not. It was not unexpected, so I had budgeted for it. I’m now typing on an Acer Predator Helios that one review said was not full-featured enough to be a proper gaming computer and not cheap enough to fill that niche. Oddly, it fits my qualifications perfectly.
The only issue was that it took most of my day to go down to Atlanta and get it from Micro Center. They have a fairly wide choice of laptops, unlike most places, and there’s at least one in the KC area if I need servicing. Two hours each way, but that did mean I could have lunch with Duke Thomas, and that’s always fun.
My friend Bryan challenged me to listen to the entire Rush corpus in chronological order. Listening to Rush songs I haven’t listened to in a while is amazing. I always like them even more than I already did, and something new strikes me. The one yesterday was “Before and After” from the first album. Even then, they were something more.
Quote of the Week
Today is the 92nd birthday of Mel Brooks, one of my favorite film creators. Here’s a fantastic quote that we should remember more often in my opinion.
“Humor is just another defense against the universe.”
– Mel Brooks
This week’s interview was with Chris Kennedy and you can find it here: https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=1215. His Amazon page is here: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00E4MIJA8/.
Today’s Weight: 386.8
Updated Word Count: Still have collected, but it’s around 160,000.
Shijuren Wiki: 874 entries
Four Horsemen Wiki: 369 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.
I made it back from ChattaCon a couple of hours ago. I worked to find a way to please three cats who demanded attention with only two hands. Then I took a nap with three cats on top of me. I’m finally able to get to this post under the watchful eye of the WW1 Flying Kitty.
Well, under the napping eye of the WW1 Flying Kitty, but she’ll be watchful the moment I move from the keyboard.
Anyway, I had a very good time at ChattaCon, if exhausting. I ended up on 8 panels, as I covered for Chris Kennedy on a couple. I like a busy schedule, and I enjoy the work, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t tired on Sunday.
My first panel was on Friday night and it was a throwback to my academic years. It was arranged by Dr. Valerie Hampton of the University of Florida, who wanted to talk about NeoMedievalism, both in an academic and literary context.
After that I went to Opening Ceremonies and then the LibertyCon Room Party. Had a great time. Did not go to bed early. Shockingly, I did not go to bed sober, either. Fun networking, though.
Saturday was the long day, as usual. It started with a panel on combining genres at 10am. It was actually a little different than most of the similar panels I’ve been on because the others had mixed things with horror. Also, there was a lot of discussion of how this works in screenplays, which was fascinating to me.
Then at 1pm I took Chris’s spot on the How Much Science Should a Science Fiction Writer Know. Ironically, the actual scientist couldn’t make it, and to a great extent, we just faked it, which means relying on questions from the audience. This is especially true since Chris was the intended moderator, which I did not know, so I had no questions planned. My answer to this is: “A writer should know enough to avoid knocking their readers out of the story because of obvious inaccuracies or using science for deus ex machina endings.”
At 2pm was my favorite panel. We discussed the Vikings in literature, flim, and art. Sam Flegal was the sponsor, and he is a fantastic creator of Norse-themed art. In fact, I picked up his illustrated Havamal this weekend.
At 4pm we did the Theogony Books expo. Chris is publishing a ton of books in 2018. There’ll be 21 more in the Four Horsemen Universe, meaning if I only average a book a month in the wiki, I’ll be nine books farther behind in a year. Oh, well. Speaking of which, there was a good response to the wiki, and I’m excited about where it’s going.
The next panel was called More Than Swords, where again I was taking Chris’s place, and again I didn’t know I was the moderator. Still, this was a great panel for me, because I would like to think I’m reasonably knowledgeable on medieval military topics, even when we’re talking military fantasy.
Finally, at 8pm, I did my last panel on Saturday. In it, we discussed historical fantasy, and some of the ways we can draw from history and put it into our books.
After that panel, I got dinner. I had tried to get dinner between the panels at 6 and 8, but the hotel restaurant was simply too slow. I wasn’t the only one. In fact, while the service at the hotel was amazingly good, actually, the actual logistics were awful. Lukewarm showers, slow times out with food, that sort of thing. Why are the expensive hotels so consistently bad at this sort of thing? Very irritating. Don’t ever stay at the Chattanoogan unless going there for a convention.
Anyway, then was my one chance to game. That didn’t go well, not simply because I lost. I was just too tired to focus, and there were too many distractions. Ah, well. Next time.
All I needed to do on Sunday morning was get checked out an eat breakfast. It was a bit of a worry, at first, because people had glommed on to the carts and the valets didn’t know where they were. However, they took my number, helped me with my stuff, and I even had a little time to relax before my last panel.
That panel discussed storytelling. One of the fascinating subjects was the topic of opening lines and why they worked. It isn’t easy, but somehow the writer needs to connect to the reader quickly. Fun, with a lot of going back and forth.
Overall, the schedule went really well, if busy. However, the con seemed lightly attended. The con organizers did a pretty good job, though a Chattanooga official (we think) enforced a $50 fee for the vendors. This is not something that any of the vendors had seen before, and the Dealer’s Room coordinator was just as surprised. It looks like it’s being investigated, though, so maybe it was just a mistake.
I had a great time networking, and was able to get some fun gifts, so the trip was worth the time. However, I’m going to have to find a way to reduce costs if I’m going to go back to ChattaCon. LibertyCon is a much more useful con, so I’ll consistently return to the area, but we’ll have to see what else is going on around that time next year.
It’s been a weird, and productive week. My original plan was to go to Meridies 40th Year, but the weather was not conducive. Instead, I found myself an AirBnB place called the Bird House near Dunlap, TN.
I’ve had a kitchen, plenty of food, and WiFi. Other than my sweetie, what more could I want?
I’ve been very productive this week, starting with finishing a short story entitled A Gift of Crimson and sending it to the editor. It’s kind of an odd balance between Raymond Chandler, Stan Lee, and J.K. Rowling as it’s for a buddy who’s bringing back Pussy Katnip, a series of superhero comics/stories from the 1930s. Maltese Falcon noir with anthropomorphic animals in a superhero world aimed at young adults. I had a lot of fun with it.
It was challenging too because he asked for shorter stories than normal, around 4000 words. This one ended at 3868. Go me. I’ll have more publishing details when I know exactly.
I made huge progress on the other side project this week. I’ve been building a Wiki for the Four Horsemen universe. You can find the Wiki here: http://mercenaryguild.org/wiki/tiki-index.php. It’s low on content right now, but I’ll be updating that consistenly.
I actually wanted to make sure I could talk about it on this post, which is why I decided to wait until this morning to actually send out my update. Thanks for your patience.
Well, I suppose I should get back to work. This is my last full day on the mountain and I should take advantage of it.
Current Playlist Song: Yngwie Malmsteen, “Flamenco Diablo.” Yngwie is an incredible guitarist, and does some amazing versions of works in classical and other genres, as well as metal.
Quote of the Week
As mentioned, this week has been odd. I’ve literally not left this little above garage mother-in-law type apartment since I got here on Saturday. I’ve had internet and phone, but it’s been… remote.
“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
― W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire
Since I’m announcing the Four Horsemen Wiki, I suppose I should announce that tomorrow Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey will release the prequel in that universe, The Four Horsemen: Alpha Contracts.
Today’s Weight: 385.4 (from last week)
Updated Word Count: 6807
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
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels
I’m finally back in Council Bluffs at my own desk with enough energy after the drive to be coherent. Go me! It’s time for an HonorCon AAR and later on today, after I actually do some writing, I’ll do my weekly update.
This was my second HonorCon. The first, I met some guy named Chris Kennedy in the bar. The second, he helped make this a fantastic con. And that’s not even counting how we all made his wife blush while, you guessed it, drinking at a bar.
I went to HonorCon only being on one panel as far as I knew, my Martin Koszta Affair panel. However, the way they structured panels there was to allow people to create panels, and then staff them themselves. Chris, being the go-getter he is, had created a bunch of panels and he invited me to join him on a bunch of others so I was kept pretty busy.
The first panel we did on Friday covered Indie Publishing: Getting Known as an Author. I wish I could tell you just what all we did in this panel, but honestly, I was a bit frazzled and I really don’t remember the details. After this panel, I spent a goodly amount of the rest of the day hanging in the con suite, and had a beer or two, but I ended up going back to my hotel room early and watching baseball.
Saturday, first thing in the morning, was a panel entitled, But I Liked That Guy! In this panel, Chris, Mark Wandrey, Ian Malone, and I discussed the value and challenges of killing off characters. Most of you know that I will kill off characters in the flow of the story, but I don’t simply kill them off constantly, as in Game of Thrones. I believe characters have to die periodically, or there’s no suspense when characters get into life-threatening situations. In swords and sorcery fiction, they have to be put in such situations and the can’t always survive. So they don’t. On the other hand, I’m not playing fair with my readers if I simply kill them off for no good reason.
My next panel was several hours later, so I lounged in the con suite for a while. This was a very good con suite, and there were some good conversations. I met an airplane mechanic who had worked on P-38s, P-51s, and F4Us in his spare time. I was fascinated to hear some of the very specific details of each type, which gave me some story ideas.
At 3pm on Saturday was basically Chris’s version of the Baen Road Show: Theogony Books: A Big Year in 2018? I was a part of this panel both because of my story “Where Enemies Sit” in For a Few Credits More, but also because I’ve taken on the project to design and build a wiki in the Four Horsemen Universe. I’ll be starting on that today, as a matter of fact. The upshot, is that Chris will be publishing, either as author or publisher, a dozen books in 2018. And maybe more. Big doings, indeed.
After that was my Martin Koszta Affair panel. I designed this panel as a tool to discuss the ways I use history to world-build and create stories. It’s easy to say that history is a wonderful place to mine for ideas, but this panel goes into nuts and bolts and has been very well-received. However, about 15 minutes into it, I realized it wasn’t meshing as well with the audience as normal. It turns out they wanted simply to hear the history, and not about using it as a writing prompt. I adjusted, and we went farther into the possible ramifications, had things played out only slightly differently.
You may see alternate history novels about the First World War, which started in 1853. Just sayin…
We spent Saturday evening having dinner at the Bahama Breeze right next to the hotel. We being Chris, Sheellah (his wife), Mark and Joy Wandrey, Chris and Christine Maddox, Beth Agejew and J.R. Handley. We had a blast, and also talked about a variety of business things, which resulted in more work for me that I’ll talk more about when the time comes.
Sunday was another early morning, with a panel at 9am on Genre Blending: Scifi, Fantasy and More. Unlike the same panel we did at ConStellation, Chris was prepared to moderate and this wasn’t quite the train wreck of whimsy and confusion.
Immediately following was a panel discussing The Economics of Self-Publishing. This panel was just Chris and I. I don’t know that I helped the audience much, but I learned a ton.
Normally, I like to stay for closing ceremonies, but this panel was done at 11, and after a series of goodbyes, I got on the road. I wanted to get west of Louisville by Sunday night, and it was well we left as quickly as we did, given the snow and high winds in along I-77 in the mountains.
For a number of reasons, HonorCon was not terribly smooth for me. I forgot to get reservations and pre-register for example, and I had a number of other issues that are now irrelevant. I only had one panel initially scheduled, so I wondered how valuable the con would be. However, thanks to Chris, Mark, and a bunch of people I met, it turned out to be a fantastic con despite the hassles.
I want to thank Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey for letting me play in their sandbox. If you like military science fiction with mechs, this is the universe for you.
My story, “Where Enemies Sit” talks about a lieutenant on his first deployment. The title comes from the Havamal which begins:
All the entrances, before you walk forward,
you should look at,
you should spy out;
for you can’t know for certain where enemies are sitting,
ahead in the hall
(Larrington, Carolyne. (Trans.) (1999) The Poetic Edda, page 14. Oxford World’s Classics)
Let’s just say the lieutenant finds enemies sitting where he did not expect.
Anyway, I’m very excited to become a part of the Four Horsemen Universe, and hope to be allowed to contribute more. “Where Enemies Sit” has spawned a number of ideas for me that I will try and fit between writing in Shijuren.
Speaking of which, I’ve done a little, but not much. With all the upheaval in my life, I simply haven’t written much. I’ve done a number of other projects, though, and have been clearing the decks of some assembled things that have also needed attention.
I’ve got a series of SCA events to attend over the next three weeks. I’ll be at Queen’s Prize Tournament, which will give me an opportunity to visit with my apprentice. The week after, I’ll be in Grimfells with my booth. I’ll also be selling at the Gryphon’s Fest event.
I hope to have copies of For a Few Credits More there, but it may take a while.
With that, I’ll get back to work.
Quote of the Week
Also from Larrington’s translation of the Havamal is a much more famous passage:
Cattle die,
kinsmen die
you yourself die;
I know one thing
which never dies:
the judgment of a dead man’s life
– The Havamal, Stanza 77
News and Works in Progress
Did about 2k words in Brief Is My Flame this week. Not much really, but I’ve been scribbling out and recording notes to hopefully make the writing much quicker when everything settles down.
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Last week I did my NFL prediction at https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=839. There are also eight other blog posts breaking down each division. They’re linked in this main post.
I’ve put both of them here before, but this week’s spotlight again goes to Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, whose Four Horsemen Universe is blowing up. In fact, over the next few weeks, I’ll be linking to other authors in For a Few Credits More.
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
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels
I started this on July 4th, a perfect time to celebrate LibertyCon XXX. And celebrate we must. LibertyCon is the best-run science fiction and fantasy convention out there and I had a great time.
I arrived at the Chattanooga Choo Choo fairly early on Thursday, having broken the trip up in multiple sections thanks to friends who have offered me crash space. I knew I was going to push myself pretty hard during the weekend, so I did my best to ensure I was as fresh as possible after the drive.
The big event of the weekend for me was on Saturday, where I had a joint release party for Where Now the Rider and For a Few Credits More, the new Four Horsemen Universe Anthology. Thursday evening I did some pre-planning and moving of stuff around to figure out the best arrangement of beverages and food.
After I got pretty much all I could do done, I went to ConSuite, which was not technically open but was still the gathering place. There I hung out with a few people and listened to Sarah Hoyt do a reading from a book that shall remain nameless. They say that traumatic events can cause selective amnesia. It was awful. All I can say is that it wasn’t written by anyone at the con. Oh, I can say one other thing. We laughed a lot.
Most of Friday was spent organizing stuff. I decided on the layout in the room and arranged things as best I could. I also went to the Opening Ceremonies and got reacquainted with old friends. I didn’t have panels on Friday, so mostly I lounged around during the afternoon.
My main thing on Friday was my stint on Author’s Alley from 8pm to 11pm. Basically, I moved all my books and set up in front of the rooms where panels were being held. I sold a few, while meeting a number of potential readers. It’s a lot of work, but it needs to be done, and in the long run it’s worth it.
After that I was tired but had enough energy to enjoy some room parties and hang out with some friends. I especially enjoyed hanging out by the pool with Aaron Mays, Jonny Minion, and a couple of others.
As I was getting a beer from my cooler, I ran into Sarah, Dan, and Robert Hoyt. It turns out that Roberts around the world like IPAs, so I got him one and we stood around chatting. It was my first time actually having a chance to chat with Sarah. Her at LibertyCon is like me at Pennsic, only with a much smaller site and a correspondingly higher chance to find another conversation.
Saturday was a really long day. At 11am I was part of a panel discussing various ways to get your plot unstuck and overcoming writer’s block. There are a ton of possible ways to do this, but it all boils down to finding what works for you. Whether it’s changing the environment, taking a shower, driving around, or something else, it’s the kind of thing that varies for everyone.
At 2pm was a panel I was very much excited to join: The Middle Ages as Inspiration for Epic and High Fantasy. Thanks to my grad school work, I anticipated I’d have lots to say, and I did. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and hope to do it again. I could have gone on for a while.
I then had several hours before my reading with Dave Schroeder at 6pm. There were a couple of very interesting panels to attend, but I chose wisely and took a bit of a nap, arranged my books and display for the party, and got as much prep done as possible.
I did not have time to create a 20-minute long reading from Where Now the Rider, so my reading at 6pm on Saturday was one from I Am a Wondrous Thing that I have done before. It’s a scene where Irina is convinced to give up the title of Velikomat and the immediate aftermath of her stepping down. It’s an emotional one for me, and I always cry when I read it. It’s a powerful section, and I get a pretty good response from those that listen. Dave read a bit from his new fantasy series, the Congruent Apprentice, which sounds interesting but which I’ve not yet read, and a small bit from his Xenotech Rising series, which I have read some of and really like.
The Four Horsemen Universe is a series of stories about humans discovering that interstellar mercenaries are their best export good. It’s a large sandbox created by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey and many fantastic mil-sf authors are joining in. I am looking forward to reading these stories, just as much as I’ve enjoyed the novels in the universe. Oh, and I just might be working on a short story for the next anthology.
However, this party was to celebrate the release of their first anthology, as well as my newest book. The writers of the anthology brought all the food and I brought nearly all the beverages. As usual, I am coming home with about the same amount as I took out, but at least we didn’t run out of alcohol. Many thanks to Kacey Ezell, one of the contributors to the anthology, who also contributed her cooler to help organize the drinks.
Which is a good thing because we were packed. It was a great party and I sold a goodly number of books, as well as added to my mailing list. Basically, we went four solid hours with guests.
Around 12:30, the crowd dissipated, and with the help of Aaron and a few others we transported the leftovers over to the ConSuite and shut the party down. I was toast. So toast that it took a while for me to relax enough to get to sleep.
I was still tired Sunday, but I had expected that. I started the day at the Kaffeeklatsch. I had a great conversation with the Science Guest of Honor, Dr. Elisa Quintana and Dr. Tom Barclay, who is also a scientist. They study exoplanets and we discussed the most efficient ways we can get humans in space. Well, I asked questions and they taught me stuff, which was wonderful from my perspective.
Immediately after that was my turn at the signature table, where I joined Gray Rinehart and Charity Ayres. The signature table can be packed if a David Weber, David Drake, or John Ringo is sitting there, but for us was fairly quiet. I think we all sold a book or two, with signatures, but mostly the three of us had a great conversation.
One of the joys of LibertyCon is comparing notes with other professionals, because there is such a high percentage of professionals to fans. LibertyCon caps its attendance at 750, and over 150 attendees are professional writers, artists, scientists, or something else relevant. Also, I would bet that a large number of the remainder are people like me at my first LibertyCon, those who want to become professionals. It’s a great chance for us all to learn, and over the years I’ve learned a ton.
Anyway, my last panel of the weekend was Cooking Out of this World. This panel went off the rails. At least we were funny, but we were all a little tired and we strayed from the topic early and often. Todd McCaffrey did ask one interesting question that we talked about a bit but not enough, and that’s what are the environmental factors that will affect the way things taste in space? Obviously, things taste differently on airplanes, which is something airlines are already dealing with, but will be an issue for interplanetary and interstellar travel.
The last session of LibertyCon is the Bitch at Brandy session. Brandy Spraker is the chairman of the con, and she does a fantastic job. The closing ceremonies each year are a chance for people to suggest things that could be improved. Once everyone has had their chance to make comments, good and bad, about the con, she officially closes the con. They take these suggestions seriously, too, and I have seen some implemented in the four years I’ve gone.
Much of the rest of Sunday involved me finishing cleaning up after the party and doing most of my packing. I have learned that I want to stay overnight on Sunday and leave Monday morning, but I basically pack everything but Monday’s clothes and shower stuff.
I got that done in time to join about 35 of us at a Brazilian steakhouse. I had the fortune of sitting next to a few people I knew, but had never really talked with, including Miriam Ringo, the wife of one of the best mil-sf writers around, John Ringo. What a fun and generous person she is. She had a bracelet on that I admired and thought Giulia would also like. Miriam immediately removed it and handed to me as a gift. By this point were about 3 minutes into our conversation. I was stunned by her generosity then, and still find it amazing and admirable now. Then we had a long and wonderful conversation.
Actually, everyone at dinner had a great time. It has been decided that this will be a LibertyCon Sunday evening tradition.
Following dinner was something that is already a LibertyCon tradition, the Dead Dog party. Basically, those who stay on Sunday evening eat drink as much of the leftovers as possible and play games or hang out.
Again, I had some incredible good fortune. Steve Jackson, of Steve Jackson Games, the inventor of Munchkin and a bunch of other great games, was playtesting some games and I got to join in. Steve is a wonderful and fun guy, and the rest of us had a blast tossing out ideas and picking them apart.
Getting to toss out suggestions on games, even bad ones, to a legend like Steve Jackson is definitely a highlight for me.
Around 12:30, we called it a night, and therefore the end of the con. I went to bed and left for a fairly smooth drive back. The only real excitement was seeing a collision about a half-mile ahead of me in the oncoming lane. The truck driver did a great job and controlled his 18-wheeler in the median so our lane never had to worry.
As I’ve mentioned, LibertyCon is a different beast from other cons. I will be going back there every year, though there’s some question as to when and where the next one will be.
For the four years I’ve attended, it has been at the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel, but the hotel has sold off about 80% of its rooms to make apartments / condos. Basically, while the convention space is fine, there are only rooms for about 20% of the con goers. This means many are off in the Marriott, which is not far but still puts a crimp in the con experience. Part of the fun of cons is going to room parties which are elsewhere in the hotel. Have fun, drink a few beverages, and then trundle to your room. No travel logistics to speak of. Even free shuttle buses are not a great solution, though of course those were provided.
In short, the Choo Choo simply cannot work anymore. Unfortunately, convention sites are notoriously difficult to find at times, and Brandy and her folks are casting about for a solution. I heard a rumor that a new convention hotel is getting built in Chattanooga, but will not be fully ready by summer 2018. I’m not sure if that’s true, but while they aren’t at all sure of time and place next year, or even if they might take a year off, they all seemed confident that things would be fine by 2019.
It’s been a weird week here (I suppose I should say a normal week for my current norm). I apologize for not getting last week’s email out on time, but I’m going to just take advantage of the delay to do this post for both weeks.
I returned last Sunday night from Salina Comicon. I had almost no expectation of any kind of success there because it was the first one and Salina is not particularly large. I went because I had a free place to stay and it’s not far away, so expenses would be relatively low. However, the con was much better attended than anticipated and I sold far more than I hoped. It was also pretty well run, with things going smoothly throughout. I’m likely to be back, depending on schedules.
Next week is, of course, LibertyCon. I’m really excited. I have quite a schedule, thanks to the hard work of the LibertyCon staff. I’ve been to about 20-30 different cons now, and I can say without a doubt that Brandy and her staff at LibertyCon are the best con staff around. I have waited months for responses from many cons. Rich Groller responds in 30 minutes, even if I send an email at 11pm his time. Amazing job.
They cap LibertyCon at 750 attendees. And they sell most of the next year out before the weekend’s over. I’ll be buying my 2018 membership before I leave Chattanooga a week from tomorrow. The light at LibertyCon draws me in like a moth every year.
Friday
8pm – 11pm, Author’s Alley. Buy my books and I’ll sign them, of course rolling on the Wandering Signature Chart.
Saturday
11am, Overcoming Writer’s Block
2pm, The Middle Ages as Inspiration for Epic and High Fantasy
6pm, Reading
9pm, Joint Release Party with the Four Horsemen Universe guys
Sunday
10am, Kaffeeklatsch
11am, Autograph session
2pm, Cooking Out of this World
As you can see, Sunday night I’m going to be one tired puppy. This is why I pay for an extra night and drive back on Monday. Also, I get to hang out at the Dead Dog Party, which is always fun.
Hope to see many of you there. Gonna be a lot of fun.
Quote of the Week
This week, three capybara babies at a Toronto zoo have been named Alex, Neil, and Geddy. They chose the names of the members of Rush by creating an internet poll, and apparently people from across the world voted in the contest. I daresay that those who voted from places such as Argentina, South Africa, and Olathe, KS were probably Rush fans.
Not that I need an excuse to use a Rush quote, it seems too fun not to take advantage of the opportunity. The zoo in question is in not really in one of Toronto’s subdivisions, but Toronto is a city that draws people in. Now with extra Rush-named capybaras!
Drawn like moths we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night
– Rush, Subdivisions
News and Works in Progress
Short stories, but not much progress because of packing
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
Again, not much, but I’ll do some posting from LibertyCon
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
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels
Editor’s Note: A week late publishing it here. This week’s update is coming soon.
Week of 6-12 November
Greetings all
Sorry I’m late this week, been a strange week for a number of reasons.
In any case, I’ve been clearing a bunch of other projects not related to Shijuren off of my plate recently. I’ve helped write a number of ceremonies for SCA peerages and started working on some scroll texts. I’ve also been cleaning my garage and decluttering some. Lots of trash to the curb on Tuesday. Strange isn’t it how much decluttering can make one feel better.
Today I started back on Where Now the Rider with fresh eyes. So glad I stepped back. Glaring improvements jumping off the page.
Nice to be back.
Quote of the Week
I’m writing this on Veteran’s Day, so today’s quote is from Kipling. Thank you to all who have served, including my father and both of my grandfathers.
If your officer’s dead and the sergeants look white, Remember it’s ruin to run from a fight: So take open order, lie down, and sit tight, And wait for supports like a soldier. Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .
– Rudyard Kipling, The Young British Soldier
News and Works in Progress – Working again on Where Now the Rider
– Patrick has given me draft art for WNTR, getting there
– I have an idea on a way to sign, sort of, e-books. Been working on that.
Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
– Not much as I have focused on other things.
Upcoming Events
– Decided against going to Toys for Tots to get various projects done
– 10 December: Kris Kinder, Kansas City, MO
– 22 January: ChattaCon, Chattanooga, TN
– 27-28 January: Market Day in Birka, Manchester, NH
– 3-5 March: CoastCon, Biloxi, MS
– 12-20 March: Gulf Wars, Lumberton, MS
Spotlight
Chris Kennedy is a very successful independent writer who has spent hours encouraging many of us. If you’re interested in writing yourself you should follow his Twitter feed at @ChrisKennedy110.
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.
I really like how they turned out.
