Tag Archives: Gustavo Bondoni

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Veteran’s Day Soon

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Week 46 of 2024

Greetings all

My grandfather served in WW1, so Veteran’s Day resonates with me not just for the remembrance of those who died serving the country, but also remembering the Great War. 11/11 is a few days from now, and I’ll have thoughts as I always do.

Tugarin's Revenge
Tugarin’s Revenge

Moving on, it’s time for a cover reveal! Tugarin’s Revenge, book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see.

This book comes out on November 22nd, so about two weeks. Then, on December 27th, you’ll get Chernobog’s Wrath to complete the series!

I had a good week of progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. I’m getting close now, sitting at nearly 93k. I’m in the final battle, which is large sprawling, and a whole lotta fun. I’ve also got to go back and clear up a number of rough spots and various notes, but I’m getting there.

Elsewise this week, I had an interesting time popping down to Stillwater, OK to hang out with a guy in my fantasy football. I started that league with some people I knew but also with a number of internet friends. At this point, I’ve now met nearly all of them, which I think adds to the fun of the league.

As a side note, this league has been really interesting, unlike many fantasy football leagues. To be fair, I created it, which means I shaped it the way I want it. It’s highly complex, using more players than any other league I’ve seen and with more categories that any other league I’ve seen. It also has a large number of keepers, which are players you get to keep from year to year. I like all these things, so it suits me well. I also like that we’ve had a different winner, I think, every one of the seven or so years it’s been around.

Back to the trip, we met at Eskimo Joe’s, which is a bit of a local legend down there. I got matching sweatshirts for me and the wife. How romantic am I?

Note some new additions to my upcoming schedule below. I extended it out to Pennsic, but the key thing to note is that I’m set to go to Gulf Wars again in 2025! I hope to see a bunch of you there.

With that, I’ll say goodnight as I just thought of a scene to write.

What I’m Listening To

Bengals against the Ravens. Lots of interesting players to watch in this one!

Quote of the Week

Happy birthday to Guy Gavriel Kay, a great writer and a major influence on my writing. Here, he espouses one of the tenets I aspire to in my own stuff.

“After a while, you start to realize that you should write a book you would want to read. I try to write a book I would enjoy.”
– Guy Gavriel Kay

New Mythology Works in Progress

Tugarin's Revenge
Tugarin’s Revenge

Tugarin’s Revenge, book 2 of the amazing Vechnoye Saga by H.Y. Gregor has an amazing cover by Alexandre Rito as you can see. It’s out on November 22nd!

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (92,799)

Upcoming Events

  • Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
  • Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
  • ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN
    chattacon.org/
    I’m the Toastmaster!
  • Gulf Wars, March 8-16, Lumberton, MS
    gulfwars.org/
  • LibertyCon, June 20-22, Chattanooga, TN
    libertycon.org/
  • Pennsic War, July 25 – August 10, Slippery Rock, PA
    pennsicwar.org/

New Releases

This week we have Shadow Wired: Alliance by Gustavo Bondoni, the third book in his Shadow Wired series. This has been one of my surprise series of the year—some series have good individual books but not a good finish and vice versa. Not Shadow Wired! Each individual book is a great story, and all three lead up to a great finish to the trilogy. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DLBWJRYP.

This week’s pre-release is Salvage Harbinger, the second book in the Salvage Title Universe’s new series, The Invasion. Like the first book, it was written by Nick Steverson and Jason Cordova, so you know it’s going to be a great read (and that the body count is also probably going to be pretty high.) Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DM4DHSMQ.

And don’t forget Reka’s Grasp! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Your pre-release this week is

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 362.4lbs

Updated Word Count: 243,000

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Happy Halloween!

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Week 45 of 2024

Greetings all

I hope everyone is having a happy Halloween. The grandbaby’s getting loot right now and will be in a costume contest in a bit. She’s adorable.

I, of course, RAWRed at her. I am Opazilla!

Before I get into the update, here’s a shout out to all at FactoryCon! Wish I could be there.

This was a week of errands for me, so was less productive than normal, but it was to be expected. One of those errands involved running up to Iowa and back in sort of a Smokey and the Bandit kind of thing. It’s a good thing, though, that helps us all out through the year.

Reka's Grasp
Reka’s Grasp

We’ve had a great couple of opening weeks with H.Y. Gregor’s Reka’s Grasp, which you can get here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4. It’s a fantastic book and I’m honored to be a part of it, and in fact, a part of Jon R. Osborne’s excellent Milesian Accords universe.

The best part of it all right now is we’ve just about got Tugarin’s Revenge in the can! Yep, this is book 2 of the Vechnoye Saga and it comes out in three weeks.

Stay tuned next week for a cover reveal.

But wait, there’s more! Chernobog’s Wrath, the conclusion to the Vechnoye Saga comes out on December 27th. It’s like an extension to Boxing Day.

Side note: Does anyone really know what Boxing Day is? Sure, I could look it up, but what’s the fun in that. You all tell me, because I’m curious.

Oh, and there’s even more! I just got House of Owls, the 6th book in the main thread of the Milesian Accords from Jon this week so it’s in the pipeline.

All the magic, myth, and mayhem you could ever want over the next few months!

Anyway, we’re about to roll into the holiday season and I’ll be honest, it’s been a long time since I looked forward to a holiday season as much as this one. Last year, the grandbaby and parents hadn’t yet moved to Anthony, so while we had some great times, it was only when they could come visit.

This year, however, I’m getting to be a part of it all on a daily basis. Best thing ever, I have to say.

What I’m Listening To

Tool’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter. This is such a great song, and Tool’s version is even darker than the original. Fantastic stuff.

Quote of the Week

October 31st also happens to be the birthday of one of my favorite authors, Dick Francis. He had quite a life, becoming a pilot in the RAF during WW2 and a champion steeplechase jockey before earning status as one of the best mystery writers ever.

By the way, if anyone wants to give me a few thousand dollars so I can go to the Cheltenham Festival some day, I’ll let you. I’ve not actually seen a steeplechase race live and it’s one of those things you need to see from close up.

Anyway, here’s a great quote from The Edge, one of Francis’ best where an investigator for the Jockey Club goes undercover on a train traveling across Canada.

“Thought before action, if you have time”
– Dick Francis, The Edge

Dragon’s Tidings

Quilt Guild day on Saturday. Show your guild membership card for 10% and get cookies!

New Mythology Works in Progress

Reka’s Grasp is out. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Tugarin’s Revenge is out on November 22nd.

Chernobog’s Wrath on December 27th.

It’s going to be epic.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • The Feasting of Vengeance (87,339)

Upcoming Events

  • Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
  • Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
  • ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN
    chattacon.org/
    I’m the Toastmaster!

New Releases

This week we have a new (old) series from William S. Frisbee, Jr., the Conglomerate Trilogy. It’s a previously released series but with new edits, new art, and new awesomeness. If you liked The Last Marines series, you’ll love The Return, first book in the series. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DKP5V9MT.

This week’s pre-release is Shadow Wired: Alliance by Gustavo Bondoni, the third book in his Shadow Wired series. This has been one of my surprise series of the year—some series have good individual books but not a good finish and vice versa. Not Shadow Wired! Each individual book is a great story, and all three lead up to a great finish to the trilogy. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DLBWJRYP.

And don’t forget Reka’s Grasp! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 364.2lbs

Updated Word Count: 242,000

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Reka In Your Grasp!

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Week 43 of 2024

Greetings all

This week is all about the release of Reka’s Grasp, which comes out tomorrow! However, that’s the official date. For subscribers, you can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Reka's Grasp
Reka’s Grasp

The devil lies in still waters.

Grad school applications are Nikita Baird’s biggest problem—until a friend dies in her arms after a sinister accident. Rusalka and Baba Yaga were just fairy tales—until they aren’t. Soon Niki can’t deny the truth. Something inhuman lurks in the river.  

Worse, her own roommate just might be the killer.

Ryan Fortner, Crypto Division, works alone since his partner died on their last case together. Now he needs Niki’s help, even if he doesn’t want it. Together they plunge into a realm of shrouded histories, dredging up more than just folklore.

Niki and Ryan must navigate the currents of myth, tragedy, and redemption to stop the drownings—before the river’s grasp can’t be broken.

Be prepared for me to blast that out on Facebook and Twitter, along with having a link for it next week here in this space. H.Y. Gregor knocked this out of the park, and it’s a worthy addition to the already awesome Milesian Accords universe created by Jon R. Osborne.

For me, this was a week of getting things done. I made good progress on The Feasting of Vengeance, though it’s one of those weeks that the total didn’t really rise because I realized a chunk just didn’t work and cut it out. I wrote a new chunk, a better chunk, to replace it though.

We also had two days of errands this week. One was a fairly normal Wichita go to all the places thing, but the other was to deal with maintenance of our big quilting machine. It needed the work and the closest place is Hennessey, OK, which is about an hour and a half away.

The wife and I took this time to do the trip together, and we did a number of other errands. One of those was replacing my phone. I had a Note 9 from 2017 or so and I’d have kept using it except it was getting really difficult to charge. I’m still dealing with the frustrations of “improved technology.” It’s an S24 Ultra, for those who’re interested.

Anyway, I’ve still got things to do for the RedFish festival, so I’m off!

Remember, Reka’s Grasp is awesome!

What I’m Listening To

Losing It, by Rush. This is a truly amazing elegy about people who were once brilliant at something, but age has taken away some of their skill.

Here’s a particularly relevant lyric to me now:

The writer stares with glassy eyes —
Defies the empty page,
His beard is white, his face is lined
And streaked with tears of rage.

Thirty years ago, how the words would flow
With passion and precision,
But now his mind is dark and dulled
By sickness and indecision

And he stares out the kitchen door
Where the sun will rise no more…

Whoof. The song came out on Signals in 1981. Me in junior high didn’t really grok that song, but now, it really resonates.

Quote of the Week

I might as well give the closing quote from Losing It. It’s too powerful not to include it.

Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you — the blind who once could see —
The bell tolls for thee…
– Rush, Losing It

Dragon’s Tidings

We’ll be at the RedFish Festival in Harper on Saturday!

New Mythology Works in Progress

Reka’s Grasp is out. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Tugarin’s Revenge is out on November 22nd.

Chernobog’s Wrath on December 27th.

It’s going to be epic.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • The Feasting of Vengeance (82,009)

Upcoming Events

  • Market Faire, November 30, Anthony, KS
  • Kris Kinder, December 14, Kansas City, Mo
  • ChattaCon, January 17-19, Chattanooga, TN
    chattacon.org/
    I’m the Toastmaster!

New Releases

This week’s release is Shadow-Wired: Doomsday, the second book in Gustavo Bondoni’s Shadow Wired series. Do you like non-stop action in a techno-thriller? If so, this book—and this series—is for you! This series left me saying, “Give me more Gustavo!” and has caused a number of our early readers a lot of lost sleep as they just couldn’t put it down! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DJQB6V69.

Your pre-release this week is Reka’s Grasp! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DK4JWFL4.

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 360lbs

Updated Word Count: 237,000

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Responsibility of the Fleet!

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Week 38 of 2024

Greetings all

Responsibility of the Fleet
Responsibility of the Fleet

Responsibility of the Fleet comes out tomorrow! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam.

Here’s the blurb on this book:

If she saves her brother, she can’t save the world.

The uneasy peace Princess Azriyqam helped forge between the Twin Kingdom of Evenmarch and the Consortium of Man remains, aided by her brother Prince Avnai’s service in the Consortium Fleet.

However, Avnai’s ship faces destruction from a new people on the far side of the Endless Ocean. Tasked by the Consortium’s Chief of Fleet Intelligence to save her brother, Azriyqam discovers a greater menace, one that endangers not just her home and family, but the entire world.

Faced by terrors beyond imagining in a fortress of legend, she must discern friend from foe to gain the strength she needs to choose. Will her choice save all she loves? Or will she fail, losing all she holds dear.

It’s chock full of action, adventure, and magic, just like the first two in the series. If you haven’t read the series, check it out here: https://amazon.com/dp/B095CXTH85. It’s a great read.

Release day is always nice, and it’s been a while, but it won’t be all that long until the next one, Reka’s Grasp, from H.Y. Gregor. In fact, that’s the first of a trilogy you’ll see released in October, November, and December. This trilogy opens a new branch in Jon R. Osborne’s acclaimed Milesian Accords series.

And there’s more coming in 2025. Exciting times at New Mythology Press.

Exciting times for me as I made major progress on The Feasting of Vengeance. I finished a major thread I had to get right, as it serves as a major part of the story’s foundation. That was about 7000 words this week.

Then, I reincorporated it back into the full document, having pulled it out so I could focus on just that. Once that happened, I could really match things up to the Save the Cat Framework. I’d started that already of course, but pulling that out shifted how the chapters would work in the overall book. That’s now fixed, which is a major task in its own right.

Now, I have a boatload of XX prompts. I use XX (not XXX 🙂 ) to mark places where I need to double check something, expand on something, or anything else that requires me to come back to it. By doing that, I can continue to type the narrative without stopping to look things up.

That means I have to go back and check for all of those. I cleared out about a quarter of those this week as well, but best of all, they’re often great places I can dive right back in and throw words on the page without having to stare at the document and remember what I wanted to do, which often happens when I first look at a project.

I also spent a bunch of time expanding a couple of Okkorim projects. I have one that’s in the editing stage where I’m building it up, and another that’s going to get to the editing stage next week, hopefully.

All in all, a productive week, especially since my Achilles has gotten much better. It’s still sore, but I can walk this week, which I couldn’t last week.

Anyway, that’s enough for now, except to say, “Go by Responsibility of the Fleet tomorrow!”

Have a great week everyone.

What I’m Listening To

Bills v. Dolphins. Football season is back!

Quote of the Week

Today would have been Neil Peart’s 72nd birthday. Of course the quote comes from him. I could, of course, choose a song lyric, but I think I’ll pick something else this time.

“The important thing is: if you fail once, or if your luck is bad this time, the dream is still there. A dream is only over if you give it up-or if it comes true.”
– Neil Peart

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 show arms and the man Making merry most times

New Mythology Works in Progress

Responsibility of the Fleet comes out tomorrow! This is the 3rd of G. Scott Huggins’ amazing Endless Ocean series detailing the deeds of Responsibility, a half-dragon who came from a tough past to claim her birthright, including her real name: Azriyqam..

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (59,622)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

This week we Shadow Wired, the first book in the Shadow Wired series by Gustavo Bondoni. It’s time for some awesome cyberpunk action… right now! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0DG32SJZ6.

Your pre-release this week is Responsibility of the Fleet!

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 359.2lbs

Updated Word Count: 208,000

Firehall Sagas Archives: 758 entries

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe