Archives: News

Previews

Yesterday I got to see some thumbnail sketches of covers for my upcoming novel, and I have to tell you, that was pretty cool. This book is starting to feel real. Also, I’m having fun with the the final editor prompted revisions, which is a really great sign. I can hardly wait to get started working today on them.

I’ve been talking with some of the people over at the PulpRev site about what they’re looking for in good fiction and it reminds me an awful lot of what those of us involved with Flashing Swords were discussing back, jeez, ten years ago or so. I pulled up the old New Edge manifesto from 2008 and took a look at that. I used to sound a lot more angry.

But then maybe it’s harder to be angry and pushing for a place in line when I finally got the book deal I’d been dreaming of for most of my life. I’ve talked less and less about short fiction venues because I haven’t been LOOKING for them — almost all of my fiction time has been taken up writing books, and if I write a new sword-and-sorcery tale these days I can usually find a market for it. Not so long ago that wasn’t the case, at all.

Seems like I had more to say, but the clock is ticking and I have work to do.

 

It’s All About Meeeeeee!

Nerds On Earth invited me over for an interview the other day. Now’s your chance to learn my secret origin, a few details about the new series I’ve been working on, background info on how I approached writing for Paizo, a thumbnail version of my writing techniques, seven favorite books, and other assorted nerdery! Investigate at your own peril!

Seriously, I had a nice time and I’ve been enjoying poking around their site for the last week or so. You should take a look around. There’s plenty of interesting stuff to see over there.

Scheduling

I’ve been trying to clear off my spinning plates before things get REALLY busy. I haven’t really managed it completely yet, owing to the fact I think I’m a little worn down from all the frantic stuff. It’s as though my mind is insisting on a longer break than I think I need. I keep letting my attention wander or focusing on the wrong things.

But after some downtime over the last few days my batteries feel a little recharged. Hocking and I are putting finishing touches on a new Hardboiled Monday article, and Bill Ward and I are talking about doing a Harold Lamb re-read of the first book of Khlit the Cossack stories.

I also got my finalized schedule of events for GenCon this year. I’m on some pretty nifty panels. And I need to sign up for some more conventions near year’s end and the start of next because lo and behold I’ll have a new book coming out next spring. Looking forward to getting notes from my editor on it this week.

In other, more mysterious news, both of my mystery projects are coming along, and man, am I excited about the sword-and-sorcery one. It’s all I can do to keep that one under wraps. I do look forward to sharing the details about them both with all of you.

For now, apple in hand (because I haven’t finished breakfast) it’s time to get to work.

 

Resolution

A few weeks ago I sat down and resolved to examine my life a little. This may sound a bit grimmer than I’ve been feeling, but here it is: I’ve realized that my life is almost certainly more than halfway over. It’s time to prioritize a bit. What do I wish to do with what I have left, assuming I have an ordinary healthy span and don’t lose my mind?

Putting aside the obvious goals of always striving to be a better father, husband, and human being, I looked at the way I spend my time and tried to come up with some ways to get to the things I like or have wished to do and haven’t found time for. 

Dedication

Remember how my new book, Through the Gates in the Sea is now available? Well, inside is the saddest dedication I’ve had yet to write: “To the memory of Kris Ghosh, M.D. (1969-2015), father, chef, surgeon, traveler, and brother in all but blood.”

Wish I could have dedicated it to him while he was still with us. Still can’t believe he’s gone.

I haven’t yet had the heart to delete his contact info. I suppose some part of me still expects to receive a phone call from him, greeting me in his terrible fake Liverpool accent…

Behind the Scenes

A few weeks ago Paizo’s James Sutter asked me to draft an essay about my newest Pathfinder novel, Through the Gate in the Sea. It ended up being a peek behind how I drafted the novel, with a little discussion about my own role-playing gaming. If that sounds of interest, you can find it here.

I think this novel, and its predecessor, Beyond the Pool of Stars, are stronger than their predecessor Pathfinder novels. In particular I love the characters, and would like to return to them someday. The famously hard-to-please reviewer known as Mrs. Giggles even seemed to like this one, although she couldn’t help sideswiping the previous novel a little as she talked it up. Ah well. I was pleased that she enjoyed the book as much as she did!

This week also brought a video review from Dungeon Master Mark, one which could only be described as glowing. So, good news all around, actually.

Nominations

On Monday I meant to fit in another Robert E. Howard related topic, but I ended up talking about Breckinridge Elkins for so long that I left that topic for today.

I recently learned that in addition to having a number of friends on the preliminary ballot for the 2017 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards, I myself am on there as well! Three times!

• I was nominated for an essay I wrote for Two-Gun Raconteur about one of my favorite historicals, Robert E. Howard’s “Gates of Empire.”
• Bill Ward and I were nominated for our Conan read-through, which actually began in 2015, but concluded in 2016. We were nominated last year for the first half of the read-through and I have fingers crossed we cross the finish line for the back half of it. I was proud of our work and thought Bill especially had some great analysis.
• Lastly, this site itself was nominated — which seems like the longest shot to me, although I suppose I do talk about Robert E. Howard an awful lot, even more than I do Harold Lamb.

Favorite Book

On a podcast interview the other day I mentioned my favorite of my own books. Rather, I MEANT to mention the title of my favorite of the books I’ve written. I think I instead said “my favorite book,” as though I am even more egotistical than you might suspect. I assure you that while I have a healthy dose of self-respect, I don’t think my favorite book is one that I wrote.

But that got me thinking — among all of those I’ve read over many years, do I still have a favorite book? It was much easier to choose when I was a kid. Certainly I can point to ones that used to be favorites, like Swords Against Death or (perhaps unfairly because it’s actually a series, albeit one about the size of single modern doorstop fantasy novel) the first Chronicles of Amber, narrated by Corwin. But do I re-read those anymore? Not for a long while. So then perhaps the favorite is Hour of the Dragon, or some Robert E. Howard collection, or maybe a Leigh Brackett collection of short stories, or maybe a collection of Harold Lamb tales, or James Stoddard’s The High House, or something by Wade Miller or Ben Haas or Raymond Chandler or one of the Parker novels by Donald Westlake/Richard Stark.

The truth is, I don’t know anymore. I have various favorite writers, and favorite books, but I’m not sure I have ONE favorite to rule them all. There’s no single text that I refer to again and again above all others that’s my end-all and be-all perfect example of the way writing ought to be. I suppose it would be cool if there was.

What about you folks? Is there a favorite, or are you more in my camp where there’s a range of favorites?

Sundry

I promised myself that I’d do a better job keeping up the blog, but there’s really not much to report. I turned over the “new” novel — new to everyone else, but not me, since I’ve been working on the thing for years — and have taken most of this week to play catch-up on all kinds of house and farm stuff. There’s a bunch of vegetation that’s grown up through the horse fence that I have to cut back or chop down, not to mention the fence itself. And don’t even get me started on all the work I have to do inside, or (sigh) the taxes.

Horses really DO think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and one of ours routinely leans with his not inconsiderable weight against the upper board. Eventually the board breaks, and then I have to cut a new one to size and replace it, a process that takes 45 minutes ONLY if everything works perfectly. Usually it’s more like an hour and 15 minutes. I spent most of Monday repairing everything currently busted and cast a sad eye on the other boards that are ready to go if he decides to lean on them a few more times…

Winning

You always hear about people who win contests, but they don’t seem like real people. Sometimes it feels like they were invented just for the camera, because you rarely meet them in person.

But the other day I picked up some Special K for the wife with a “you can win an XB0x One” ad on the cover. And lo and behold, there was a magic sticker on the inside. We read it and re-read it, making sure it didn’t ACTUALLY say that we were eligible to win, or that we’d won second place or something… but no, we actually had won a new XBox One, which was unexpected and kind of cool. Kellogg’s mailed it to us just yesterday.

So, thanks Kellogg’s! That’s a pretty cool thing. I’ll open it soon and see if it came with any games.