HEROES AMONG SHADOWS Book Launch Day!

My first collection, HEROES AMONG SHADOWS, is now released!

It is available at Amazon. I have also put it through IngramSpark. If you prefer other platforms, check to see if it is available. (Or, if you want your local bookstore to order it!)

These stories will take you to tropical islands where spears and sorcery stand against gods and demons. You will meet a girl and her troll. Journey to a shadowy past where a veteran of the American Revolutionary War confronts dark forces. Travel to strange planets far away, and experience war in a North American timeline that never was.

There are two new stories in the book. The rest have been pulled together from previous publications.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Lono and the Little Gods
Pouring Whiskey in My Soul
The Pit of Punhaki
Claws of the Puma
The Island of Shadows
The Wreck of the Black Swan
The Vulture God
A Gate In Darkness
The Toll Taker and the Troll
Pearls of Uraton
Montreal Is Burning
Story Notes

Again worth a call out; Jeffrey Hayes of PlasmaFire Graphics did the cover!

HEROES AMONG SHADOWS, May 14th, 2024

I've chosen May 14th for the release of my first collection of short stories. Nearly all of these tales have been previously published, and there is a new story here for the first time (the story, in fact, which the cover art illustrates.)

These stories will take you to tropical islands where spears and sorcery stand against gods and demons. You will meet a girl and her troll. Journey to a shadowy past where a veteran of the American Revolutionary War confronts dark forces. Travel to strange planets far away, and experience war in a North American timeline that never was.

I could probably get the book out earlier, but first-time jitters. I want lead time if I need it. As of now, I put the book through KDP. Awaiting the print proof.

I also plan on listing through IngramSpark, so that bookstores and libraries can (or, will be more willing) to order the book.

Because of the way KDP works, the Kindle edition is already listed for pre-order!

The Lost Empire of Sol available for pre-order

 

Back in 2019, I posted about the THE LOST EMPIRE OF SOL. It's been on pre-order status direct from the publisher since then, but the pandemic messed up the release.

Anyway, it's finally ready for wider release now. You can now pre-order the ebook via Amazon. There is a print edition coming as well.

My story, "A Gate in Darkness", closes out the anthology. It was written quite a while ago. I probably have better writing chops now, but I think it's still a decent sword-&-planet action romp.

The Lost Empire of Sol, sword-&-planet anthology

This anthology of sword-&-planet stories has been a long time in the making. I won't bore you with details. It started, floundered, picked up, floundered again. Jason Waltz finally grabbed the project for his refurbished Rogue Blades Foundation/ Rogue Blades Entertainment effort.

So, here we are. THE LOST EMPIRE OF SOL, available for pre-order. (includes my story, "A Gate In Darkness.")

Press release and ordering information can be found here;

https://rbe-rbf.wixsite.com/rogueblades/post/rb-foundation-title-release-alert-the-lost-empire-of-sol-an-anthology-of-sword-and-planet-tales 

 

 

recent read; the DARK GATE novels by John Jakes

DMR Books are launching 2019 by having guest bloggers all month. I was invited to participate. (thanks Deuce & Dave!)

I'd been meaning to read two planetary adventure novels by John Jakes: MASTER OF THE BLACK GATE and WITCH OF THE BLACK GATE. I thought a post about them would be a nice change from examining Jakes' sword-&-sorcery tales of Brak the Barbarian.

You can read the blog post here.

Next Big Thing Chain

Currently, I have novel ideas but need to get them rolling past their rough outlines.  (maybe I should do that NaNoWriMo thing next month to get some traction.)

I do have a story that has a deadline, though, so that is probably my next project.  We'll go with that.  It will be novelette length.

What is the working title of your story/book?

"The Bronze Sultana"

What genre does it fall under?

Sword-&-planet.

2012, here we are

I squeezed in a read of Strange Worlds before 2011 ended.  That was a great way to end the year.  Yes, we authors didn't get to preview each others' tales until the book was out.

I'll refrain from a review because I'm one of the writers, but Charles Gramlich has a good review with thumbnail sketches of the tales. (and, a copy of the book to give away!)

I will say that I believe we're in good company and if you want to read a great and varied anthology of new sword-&-planet tales with great illustrations, please check it out.  I really dug the variety of the stories.  There are echoes and homages to the past with plenty of original things going on, too.

I started reading Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs (from Nightshade Books) and it is a doozy of a start.

Strange Worlds!

It's available now!

Assembled by artist/editor Jeff Doten, this anthology was a collaborative effort.  Jeff contacted the writers, each of whom chose a color illustration as the inspiration to craft a sword-&-planet tale.  Jeff then added some black & white interiors based on the resulting stories.

It's been a long time since a sword-&-planet anthology of new tales has been published.

I am very excited to be a part of this work, and I share the table of contents with some talented writers!

http://strangeworldsanthology.wordpress.com/

I can't wait to read the other stories!  (oh, mine is titled, "Pearls of Uraton")

The Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel

Last month (or so), a little "lost" sword-&-planet tale by Michael Moorcock showed up on Tor.com.

"The Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel" originally appeared in a 1990s anthology.

It's a quick web read, and while nothing amazing, it does what Moorcock does best - a feverish read from what appeared to be a quick writing session. I haven't read too many long novels from Moorcock, and, as James Enge once wrote, to me it feels that Moorcock's best is when the sparks are flying off the typewriter (computer) and the world building is off-the-cuff and only spawning what is needed to support the tale at hand.

Historically, Moorcock has often praised Leigh Brackett's writing, and this story is an homage. Though, I believe it also reads strongly as an homage to C. L. Moore's tales of Northwest Smith. It has more of a 'Weird Tales' strange alien vistas look'n'feel than a planetary swashbuckler.

I did grin, though, when I read "big sleep" and "long goodbye" directly in the prose. Those were two screenplays Leigh Brackett wrote (she did Hollywood screenwriting as well as science-fantasy-fiction.)

It's a good tale for a quick read and it's free.

miscellany

Today is the natal anniversary of Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), creator of Conan (the Barbarian), Kull, Solomon Kane, Cormac Mac Art, et al.

A toast to your shade, sir!

I spent last week dealing with a virus on our main home computer. They suck, and the people who create them (whether for 'fun' or 'profit') suck. Pox on them. I finally recovered the machine a few nights ago. I think my next desktop will be an iMac. I've had it with Windows clunkiness. (and if needed, you can run Windows right on the Intel Macs now, with the right software purchases.)

I finished my first Kindle read, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The White Company. The story revolved around a young English man's entry into the Medieval world after being cloistered in a monastery. After various incidents, he ends up with a mercenary archery company fighting in France/Spain. I found the book to be .. well, of its time. Slow to start, lots of talk and people traveling from one place to the next. Frankly, I was bored. I guess it's really more of a Romance (not romance) novel. Some humorous stuff, but very little action on the whole. And when the action comes, it is over very quickly. Also some very poor "telling, not showing" where entire dialog passages describe off-page action, like watching a stage play.

On the plus side, lots of historical detail (maybe too much, like Doyle was showing off all his research.) Good source for Medieval clothing, armor, weaponry (though, most weapons are cited, and not described being used!)

On writing, I signed on for a(nother) slot in an anthology (where I have already contributed one tale.) I started working on that this week. It's sword-n-planet, and I have a rough outline. I will enjoy visiting the exotic vistas and running the characters through their paces.

Cheers!

Furlough on Mars

I spent last week on unpaid furlough. I wasn't crazy about lack of pay, but I sure enjoyed the time off with my wife and daughter. We went to a local farm & wildlife sanctuary, had a cookout and other fun things. A few home projects were in the mix, too. (Stained some woodwork in our living room, little bit of garage cleanup, fixed a sprinkler head.) The weather was great for the entire week.

I did not read or write nearly as much as I hoped - but I did read. And yes - I wrote!

I am now 2000 words into a story. I'm back on the wagon and shaking off the rust! I'm sure it will need good editing when the rough draft is done, but at least I am writing and have been getting my a.i.c. time. (ass-in-chair [in front of computer])

For reading, I finished Otis Adelbert Kline's The Swordsman of Mars.



It was good, solid sword-n-planet. It hits all the s-&-p notes; body transference, swordplay, a princess & a savage girl, baridium mines & quirky inventions and scary, large creatures that have dog-like loyalty to their heroic masters. Technically I found it more appealing than E R Burroughs Mars tales. But I'll admit ERB certainly populated his setting with more imaginative creatures.

Definitely worth reading if you like sword-n-planet. Paizo has also published the sequel, The Outlaws of Mars, which I have already purchased and will be reading in future.


That's all for now, (few) loyal readers!