Tag Archives: Todd Fahnestock

Rob’s Update: Planet Comicon

Week 11 of 2023

Greetings all

Wynnifred On My Shoulder
Wynnifred On My Shoulder

My supervisor was looking over my shoulder all week.

She’s not a bad boss, but man, does she have to use her claws?

In any case, it’s been a solid week here. Good progress on Farewell, My Ugly. I’m now over 70,000. I had aimed at 80,000, but I think it’s going to run to about 100,000 after all. Oh, well. I should still have a full draft at the end of April.

I also wrote another femtostory for another anthology in the vein of Postcards From Mars. This one had a steampunk theme, and Cedar Sanderson gave me a great image as inspiration.

I call them femtostories because to me, a microstory is about 1000 words. These are 50. Picostory is probably more correct, but I think femto- sounds more fun.

If you want to see the image, I will put it up on my Patreon site on Monday along with a new snippet from Farewell, My Ugly.

Bonds of Valor
Bonds of Valor

The big thing this week is the cover reveal of Bonds of Valor. J. Caleb Studios did another excellent job, as you can see by this cover.

Take note of the amazing list of authors. It’s an incredible honor to work with such masters as Todd McCaffrey, Jody Lynn Nye, and Glen Cook.

This is another Black Company story, and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s so fun to publish these as that’s one of my favorite series.

By the way, many of these authors will be joining us on CKP YouTube on Tuesday, the 21st.  The YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/live/r4M0qkZWU4s.

I hope you’ll join us.

I also hope a bunch of you join us for the release of Bonds of Valor at FantaSci is about a week. Where has the time gone!

Side note, Sarah’s story is my favorite story I’ve had the pleasure to edit.

With that, I better go to bed. It’s going to be a long, exhausting weekend at Planet Comicon.

I can’t wait.

What I’m Listening To

My computer hum. I was chatting with Becca Gardner, who’s a great writer and an even better arranger of publicity. She’s really helped Todd Fahnestock, who’s also staying here for the con. However, she went off to do projects and I’m enjoying the white noise.

Quote of the Week

I love William Butler Yeats. He has such a vivid way of sending emotions through the reader with his poetry.  Here’s a quote I love. every fantasy author should know.

Seriously, how good is this?

“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.”

– William Butler Yeats

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 swirl and I swoop          Swiftly striking my prey

Latest Snippet: Chapter 3 of Farewell, My Ugly

New Mythology Works in Progress

Bonds of Valor comes out next Friday! Here’s the blurb:

A private eye saves his dead friend.

The Black Company deals with something fishy.

Deathmages, space mages, and forgotten magic.

It’s all here in fourteen stories of valor, heroism, and bonds that tie folk together, for good or ill. There are bonds of love, oaths to gods, and life-long friends.

Will the old, crusty worn-out veteran find his new partner just might be something? Will the knight learn humility from those who serve him? Will Indrajit and Fix restore the path of true love?

Or will the bonds between characters break under the pressure of evil wizards, ancient enemies, or massive dragons?

Come find out.

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (70,064)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • The Feasting of Vengeance (3,405)

Upcoming Events

New Releases

We have a new 4HU novel from Jason Cordova and Kevin Ikenberry entitled The Misfits. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BXWJGNDG.

And The Chimera Coup, book 1 of Christopher G. Nuttall’s amazing Heirs of Cataclysm series, is now out in audiobook. Get it here: books2read.com/u/bxrG6d.

Your pre-release this week is The Last Argonaut, by Ian J. Malone. I’ve been waiting for this warball novel in the Salvage Title universe for months! Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0BYHP4RX2/.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 350.8

Updated Word Count: 106,969

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.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Rob’s Update: Hovering

Week 31 of 2022

Greetings all

At the moment, I’m hovering just not of the Pennsic battlefield in Grove City, PA. This is my traditional night before Pennsic stopping point. It’s close, an easy drive, and has several food and hotel choices. My old standby, the Elephant and Castle is no more, but it’s still really convenient.

It was a week filled with travel. Since my last update, I’ve driven 2000 miles over approximately a day and a half of actual drive time, not counting overnight stays. And that’s not counting 200 miles to get to Council Bluffs, IA, where I wrote last week’s update. There was also two days at a family reunion where I forgot many a name but had a great time nonetheless.

The route took me to North Dakota, then across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s quite a scenic drive in places, especially where you’re going right next to Lake Superior or Lake Michigan. I actually added to the drive so I could drive along Lake Huron in the lower part of Michigan.

I had several good writing sessions along the way, both with Farewell, My Ugly and Sowing Spring’s Wrath, which now actually has words listed in its entry down below.

I also worked on a number of projects, mostly shifting tasks from one person to another. Small stuff in the main, but it all has to be done.

Tomorrow, I will get into Pennsic and begin the process of setting up. Anymore, this is a huge process that will take at least a couple of days, especially on the shop side of things.

My camp takes a goodly amount to set up and tear down, but for the next 2+ weeks, it’ll be as comfortable a place as I could want, except for the fact that my sweetie is stuck at home working.

The drawback of being an itinerant salesman at times, but in return I get bardic circles every night.

I’ve missed Pennsic. After 3 long years, I am so glad to be home.

What I’m Listening To

The overhead music at a place called Hoss’s. It’s too faint for me to make out much, but what I can is bland. However, they had a coffee-rubbed steak that was actually quite tasty.

Quote of the Week

Today, in 1809, Wellington led a British/Spanish force to defeat the French at the Battle of Talavera. I, like many, automatically think of Richard Sharpe when I think of the Peninsular War, so here’s a quote from Sharpe’s Eagle, the TV version of Bernard Cornwell’s book of the same name, which covers Talavera.

Sir Henry Simmerson : What makes a good soldier, Sharpe?

Richard Sharpe : The ability to fire three rounds a minute. In any weather, sir!
Sharpe’s Eagle

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes a delicious conversation about BBQ with Jim Nettles.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

Embers & Ash by Marie Whittaker is coming soon!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on The Chimaera Coup, a new series written by Chris Nuttall.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (1,392)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (18,132)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

This week, we have the second of James Tarr’s Echoes of Pangaea series, Fire and Bone. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B73NG155.

And it’s obviously not a new release, but if you haven’t gotten into the Eldros Legacy yet, here’s Khyven the Unkillable by the incomparable Todd Fahnestock. This is the first of what is currently 6 books, with the 7th out in August, the 8th out in September, and so on. Get the book that started it all here: amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z9W3ZSH.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 323.0

Updated Word Count: 147,095

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: The Flip Side

Week 27 of 2022

Greetings all

Wow, what a great couple of weeks it’s been since my last update.

First, it’s official. The marriage license arrived today. The wedding was as fun and exciting as something completely unrehearsed ought to be. We laughed a lot, our friends had a great time, and we sang songs until late at night. And we drank a lot of Tullamore Dew during the ceremony. Exactly what we wanted.

If you want to watch the wedding, it’s up on the CKP YouTube channel at: youtube.com/watch?v=yJLHL9_IKZY.

I had a great time at Lilies in general, not just the wedding. I sold more than expected, which is nice. I got to write the scroll text for a dear friend’s knighting and got to speak at another friend’s Laureling ceremony. Best of all, I got to sit and chat with friends I’ve missed for for far too long.

I want to thank Duncan for officiating, Fernando for being my best man, Hrodir for serving as Giulia’s beast of honor, my mom for giving me away, and Conna for providing the music. And, of course, thanks to all those who joined either at site or online.

The past couple of weeks has included a bunch of editing. We’ve been working hard and heavy on Embers & Ash with Marie Whittaker, which will be the next Eldros Legacy novel.

The next EL novel after The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings, I mean. This is coming out on the 12th of July, and is the first novel set on Drakanon. His continent, as you might guess, centers on dragons. And this story is filled with action and a great dungeon crawl.

Along the way, I’ve been putting together the release schedule for the fall. It’s huge. I’ll list that all out next week, and let me just say, it’s gonna have a bunch of great stuff. It includes a bunch of stuff I’ve been working on that I haven’t been ready to announce… until now.

Exciting times here for sure.

What I’m Listening To

Since I pulled up the link to paste it up above, I’m actually watching our wedding ceremony.

Quote of the Week

Today’s an interesting day for birthdays. Mike Tyson, Phil Anselmo, and Vincent D’Onofrio are all born on June 30th. I chose another who’s celebrating today, one of my favorite guitarists, Yngwie Malmsteen because this is how I’ve approached my writing career.

“The simple truth is that in order to become good, you have to be obsessed. You have to put in an awful lot of time and hard work and couple that with desire and unflagging perseverance.”
– Yngwie Malmsteen
Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes an interview with the mighty Chris Kennedy himself.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

The latest release is Lorelle of the Dark by Todd Fahnestock.

The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings is out on the 12th of July!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on Embers & Ash, the 7th novel in the Eldros Legacy.

Giveaways
Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (xx)
  • Farewell, My Ugly (12,390)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
  • Pennsic, 29 July – 14 August, Cooper’s Lake Campground, PA, pennsicwar.org/
  • FenCon, 16-18 September, Irving, TX, fencon.org/
New Releases

More from John Siers in his terrific Lunar Free State series this week. It’s The Gathering Storm and it’s the 7th in this series already. Great stuff.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 323.8

Updated Word Count: 144,304

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: An Extravaganzapolooza!

Weeks 25-26 of 2022

Greetings all

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

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

Anyway, on to the fun part.

Lorelle of the Dark
Lorelle of the Dark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Again, they go on sale tomorrow through next Thursday.

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

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

So…

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

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

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

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

The Val Kilmer scene? Yeeesh. So powerful.

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

What I’m Listening To

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

Quote of the Week

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

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

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes an interview with the mighty Chris Kennedy himself.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

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

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on The Forgotten King, the next Eldros Legacy novel.

Giveaways

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

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

Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy

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

Imagination Unleashed
Imagination Unleashed

Imagination Unleashed

books.bookfunnel.com/yourimagination/m2pkpvazgj

Summertime All-Genre Fantasy
Summertime All-Genre Fantasy

Summertime All-Genre Fantasy

books.bookfunnel.com/springintosummerallgenrefantasy/vejk3wrion

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

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

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

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

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 324.2

Updated Word Count: 143,498

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: T-Minus 9 Days

Week 24 of 2022

Greetings all

No, the title doesn’t refer to the release of Todd Fahnestock’s Lorelle of the Dark. That one’s only 4 days, 4 hours, and 38 minutes away.

If you haven’t heard it’s the direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable. By the way, you may notice that Khyven has a new cover, and it might get yet another at the end of the month. It is currently a finalist for the Colorado Book of the Year, which will get announced at the end of the month.

It’s also a great book to nominate for the Dragon Awards.

Speaking of which, if you have put in your nominations, you should go do so. Here’s the link: dragoncon.org/awards/.

Anyway, this week’s title refers to the running joke of late between me and my sweetie. That’s how much time we have left to “escape.” She even downloaded an app that will give the time down to the seconds.

We have similar, dark senses of humor, which is why we’re suited to each other.

Anyway, this past week has been wedding prep and editing primarily. I did get one day of writing in, but no more. Things will switch down the road, though.

At Lilies, I’ll be doing a bunch of work but not on my computer. Just to let you all know, I will probably do a placeholder update in two weeks, as I’ll still be there.

Tonight, though, there’s more editing.

What I’m Listening To

Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick, the full 22:40 minute long song. I love the short version that you hear on the radio, but the full version is so much more

Quote of the Week

Today is Keith Laumer’s birthday. He was one of the greats and sometimes doesn’t get enough recognition. The Retief series is brilliant space opera satire. The list of authors who’ve written in his Bolo Universe is like looking at the 1927 Yankee lineup, a huge list of all-timers.

Anyway, here’s a quote that has always been true.

“Baby, after considerable thought I’ve reached the conclusion that the only conceivable legitimate answer to the Universe as constituted is a peal of hysterical laughter.”

– Keith Laumer

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes a great interview with the effervescent Marisa Wolf.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

Lorelle of the Dark by Todd Fahnestock is coming on the 14th!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on The Forgotten King, the next Eldros Legacy novel.

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

This week you can get a new 4HU novel, As My Witnesses! This one is by Sandra L. Medlock and Casey Moores with Robert E. Hampson. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall with those planning sessions.

And remember, Lorelle of the Dark comes out Tuesday the 14th!

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 324.6

Updated Word Count: 142,243

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: She’s Gone Platinum

Week 23 of 2022

Greetings all

It was a great time at the Tournament of Valor this past weekend. I sold more than expected, hung out with the parents, saw old friends, and hit some of them with sticks.

It’s good to go home, and the SCA, especially the barony I started in, is a most home-like place.

This week I’ve been pushing through on the next Eldros Legacy book, The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings. If all goes well, you’ll get to see it on the 12th of July.

The Legacy of Shadows
The Legacy of Shadows

Of course, the next Eldros Legacy title is Lorelle of the Dark, by Todd Fahnestock. As you can see from this awesome compilation of the two covers, it’s a direct sequel to Khyven the Unkillable. This one comes out on the 14th of June.

Because of the event and a bunch of editing, I only had one day of writing, but it was a productive one at 2500+ words. Farewell, My Ugly is actually moving really fast when I can pay attention to it, so I’m excited about another Edward story.

Also got confirmed that I’ll have a table at FenCon, a convention in Irving, TX, which if you don’t recognize that city, is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. I grew up south of DFW, so in a sense, this is also going home.

This summer is shaping up to be incredibly busy. We’re chunking out Eldros Legacy novels with a bunch more coming. More coming in other fantasy universes as well. That’s all on top of the fact that my sweetie and I are getting married (which is why I won’t be at LibertyCon) and we have decided to move. Oh, yeah, there’s a family reunion and two big events between now and the end of August as well.

I’ll see you all in the fall, apparently. However, despite the mountain of work, I’m excited about what’s happening. So much good stuff.

But I better go pack a box or something.

What I’m Listening To

Thunderstruck by AC/DC. Such a fun song, especially the Two Cellos version.

Quote of the Week

The UK is currently celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Seventy years on the throne. To put this in perspective, over 86% of every human being currently living has never known any existence without Elizabeth as queen.

So let’s get some wisdom from Her Majesty.

“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.”
– Queen Elizabeth II

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

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

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

The Door Into Winter is out!

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

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV.

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on The Forgotten King by Mark Stallings.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath 
  • Farewell, My Ugly (10,003)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

CKP has a new author! Please welcome Mike Wyant, Jr. to the madness, with his book Last Bid for a Dying Earth. This starts a new series, the Anisian Convergence. Get it here: amazon.com/dp/B0B277YH7M.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 322.4

Updated Word Count: 141,505

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: Valorous Deeds

Week 22 of 2022

Greetings all

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

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

Lorelle of the Dark
Lorelle of the Dark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What I’m Listening To

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

Quote of the Week

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

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

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

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

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

The Door Into Winter is out!

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

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

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

Giveaways
Wicked Villains
Wicked Villains

 

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

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

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

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 320.6

Updated Word Count: 140,648

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: It’s Been A While

Week 21 of 2022

Greetings all

Yesterday, I got to do something I haven’t done in ages. I put on armor and hit my friends with sticks. At one point, I did SCA fighting once or twice a week, then I got busy with grad school and stopped going as much. Last night, I thought I was mediocre, but not a baby seal, which was all I could have hoped for.

As loyal followers have seen, I dropped about 80 pounds from a couple years ago. This meant two things. One, I moved better than I expected to do so, and also fought more. Two, my armor doesn’t fit any more. I am using borrowed armor for the moment.

Part of the reason is so that I can fight at a couple of events coming up. I’ll be selling my books as well, but unlike many other events, my sweetie can come and watch the booth while I get bruised and beaten. Trust me, she’s fine with allowing that to happen.

The new event to note is the Valor Tournament in Wichita, KS starting a week from tomorrow. If you’re going, come buy some books.

But fighting is one of those things you have to get in a rhythm and do consistently. In other words, it’s much like writing. And, to be honest, also like writing, if I’m doing both consistently, I tend to feel much better. I’m certainly feeling better than I have any right to be today.

I’ve been throwing some ideas at the page for Sowing Spring’s Wrath, and I’m facing a challenge, so it’s been slow going. The good news is that this is a foundational challenge, so once it’s resolved, I’ll be in great shape.

This is all part of the Save the Cat Beat Sheet. I used this with The Door Into Winter and it served me well. It allowed me to keep track of the forest while in the midst of the trees. I still pantsed the actual prose, but when I got to a point where I wasn’t sure to go, I had a vague waypoint to aim at. This is huge at the 55-75000 word area where I’ve always lost track a bit.

Just another tool to help me be more efficient, once I get past this hurdle.

Like the Sowing Spring’s Wrath Beat Sheet, this was a week of more foundational stuff. More stuff I can’t yet talk about but is exciting.

With that, I better get to figuring out just what weaknesses I want my characters to have. And you know, just in typing this little bit about my life and processes, I think I might have come up with another one. I guess I better go write that down, shouldn’t I?

What I’m Listening To

La Villa Strangiato by Rush. Hard for me not to be creative listening to this song.

Quote of the Week

Today is the birthday of Peter Mayhew, who of course played Chewbacca. So, that means we have to have a quote from that iconic character.

“Raarrwewraraerrrrrrrrr!”
– Chewbacca, Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope

For more great quotes from Chewie, go here: starwars.tours/the-8-best-chewbacca-quotes-from-star-wars/

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

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

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

The next book, schedule for June 14th, is Lorelle of the Dark, by Todd Fahnestock. This follows up immediately after the events in Khyven the Unkillable.

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

I’m currently working on a number of projects, including a bunch of new to New Mythology authors. There’s some cool stuff coming.

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

This week’s release is a new series from William Alan Webb and Kayla Krantz. Runners, book one of the The Core, is now available at: amazon.com/dp/B0B11GF3N2.

And of course, it’s only been 9 days since The Door Into Winter came out. You can get it here: amazon.com/dp/B09ZK1GR3S/.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 321.6

Updated Word Count: 139,674

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: The Door Into Winter

Week 20 of 2022

Greetings all

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

The Door Into Winter
The Door Into Winter

In the Halls of Winter, a wounded Giant awaits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What I’m Listening To

Take a Chance on Me by Abba.

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

Quote of the Week

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

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

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

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

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg is coming soon!

Currently available:

Get all the Eldros Legacy novels at: amazon.com/dp/B09Z9WVKYV

New Mythology Works in Progress

2023 FantaSci Short Story Contest open call.

The theme is Bonds of Valor, and you story must include deeds of valor centered around bonds between characters. This could be a romantic relationship, a buddy adventure, oaths to kings, or whatever you can come up with.

Deadline: November 30th, 2022
Word Count: 7-10,000 words
Specifics: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spaced.

It must also be a fantasy story. Any type is welcome, urban, epic, high, western, gothic, whatever, it just have to have magic. Finally, it cannot have been published anywhere else before.

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

Giveaways
Tales of the Future
Tales of the Future

Tales of the Future

books.bookfunnel.com/maysff001a/hqjxwa6r8l

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

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

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

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 322.2

Updated Word Count: 138,740

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series

Rob’s Update: Coming Down the Mountainside

Week 10 of 2021

Greetings all

This was a discombobulated week. In order to help the sweetie’s parents, I had to drive up to North Dakota and back essentially over the weekend. 13 hours each way plus hotel stays will take a bite out of a week, that’s for sure.

Still, I was productive this week. I sent off a story last week, got it accepted and edited this week. My story is entitled “Chooser of the Slain,” and it’ s going to come out in the Hit World anthology entitled “Valkyries” edited by Marisa Wolf. I had a lot of fun combining a valkyrie with Sam Spade and the crazy fun that is Hit World. That anthology will come out in the summer or early fall, I believe.

I also made progress on some editing. I hope to have the current editing project out the door this week, despite losing essentially 4 days.

And I’ve been kicking butt with The Door Into Winter. All told, I added about 7000 words, though the editing process killed about 2000 of what I had already.

When I write, if I know I’ll need a chapter to do a certain thing up ahead in the narrative, and I don’t really know what to write directly in the narrative at the point where I’m at, I will go ahead and scribble a very rough draft of that scene. Raw material more than anything. I’m at the point where I’m integrating a number of those into the narrative because I’ve gotten that far, which means some of the raw material goes away.

But it’s a great sign when I catch up to those points, because it’s another sign I’m getting close to the end.

What I’m Listening To

Lots of Sabaton this week. It’s been quiet around the house and I’ve wanted high-energy stuff.

It’s hard to pick just one, but one can’t go wrong with Winged Hussars.

Quote of the Week

Today is Chuck Norris’s birthday, and I’m not about to risk a roundhouse kick to the face by not having him provide today’s quote. Besides, I really like this one.

“The only time we fail is when we stop trying.”
– Chuck Norris

Dudes In Hyperspace

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

The latest show includes a interview with Joe DeLeone, especially focusing on spring football.

Cool Stuff In Eldros Legacy

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

Deadly Fortune by Aaron Rosenberg is coming soon!

Currently available:

New Mythology Works in Progress

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

Keen Edge of Valor is out to the advance readers. Deadly Fortune goes out to the advance readers next week. I’m currently editing something new, and I have to say, it’s awesome.

Rob’s Works in Progress
  • The Door Into Winter (86,556)
  • Rick Blaine (8,845)
  • CB (8,418)
Upcoming Events
New Releases

Mike Jack Stoumbos released his 3rd novel in the This Fine Crew series, Seed in the Sky, this week. You can get it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B09TS7FBF1/

And this is really cool. Kevin J. Anderson curated a bundle of fantasy novels, and he included the first book in the Eldros Legacy, Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock. You can get this bundle here: storybundle.com/fantasy. It’s a great honor for one of our books to be included and I hope you all take advantage.

Tracked Items

Today’s Weight: 322.4

Updated Word Count: 24,104

Eldros Legacy Archives: 813 entries

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

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Founder in the Eldros Legacy series