Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 3
September 26, 2023
Celebrating GameHoleCon’s 10 Year Anniversary
Hiya,
I’m returning as a special guest for GameHole Con’s 10th anniversary, where I’ll be running an adventure I designed, participating in panels, and signing games. Here’s my GameHoleCon 2023 schedule!
Thursday, October 19th
10 am CST – The Cursed Citadel, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
3 pm – Narrative Design in TTRPGs
6 pm – The Cursed Citadel
10 pm – Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Livestream
Friday, October 20th
9 am CST – The Cursed Citadel
1 pm – Worldbuilding for TTRPGs
Saturday, October 19th
10 am CST – The Cursed Citadel
3 pm – Horror in TTRPGs
New Gaming Release! Mistborn RPG Nobles The Golden Mandate
Of Gilded Words and Poisonous Tongues!
In the Lord Ruler’s Final Empire, blood is destiny. A skaa birth condemns you to a hard life of labor and service. A Terris birth marks you forever as an outsider, an uncomfortable reminder of a bygone era. To be born noble is to live at the peak of political and social power, blessed with the potential for Allomancy — but it also means a life of vicious politicking, ruthless competition, and the perpetual risk of betrayal and ruin. As a noble Hero, you face the same question as all who defy this grim order: do you have the courage to shrug off blood and destiny, to stand against the brutality of this world, and fight for a better future… for everyone?
Nobles: The Golden Mandate is the final supplement for the Mistborn Adventure Game. Developed in cooperation with Brandon Sanderson and Dragonsteel Entertainment, this book dives deep into the history and intrigues of Mistborn’s most notable families, from the ten Great Houses who dominate the halls of power to the up-and-coming Lesser Houses that forever nip at their heels. This essential guide melds information from the novels with background developed for the Mistborn: House War board game to form a rich environment for storytelling in the cutthroat world of the Final Empire’s nobility.
For players of the Mistborn Adventure Game, this supplement offers extensive guidance for playing a rebellious noble Hero, adding nobles to a skaa thieving Crew, and exploring what it means to defy the Lord Ruler. Also included are new rules for creating Noble Heroes: Traits, Stunts, and a new Power, Family, which lets you bring the full power of your name to bear in cunning and creative ways. For nobles with a more daring streak, there’s also new background information and character options for playing an elite, Allomancer-hunting Hazekiller!
For Narrators, an exciting multi-session adventure titled “Thieves in the Ninth House” takes your Crew to the Eastern Dominance, where they’re hired to liberate an honor hostage from the clutches of House Urbain. This seemingly simple job soon proves to be anything but, for in the world of Mistborn there’s always another secret…
Nobles: The Golden Mandate is not a complete game. You need a copy of the Mistborn Adventure Game, some dice, and imagination to play.
Who the Book’s For
Fans of the Mistborn novels and the Mistborn: House War board game; players and Narrators of the Mistborn Adventure Game; or gamers who love RPGs of politics and intrigue like Amber, Houses of the Blooded, or Vampire.
Important Notice
Mistborn Adventure Game Digital Editions will no longer be available after December 31st, 2023. Get them now or they’re gone forever.
July 8, 2023
My Debut Poetry Collection is Now on Kindle!
Written by Monica Valentinelli, into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is the author’s debut collection of twenty-one poems. The collection’s theme is broken into three books inspired by parts of the shadow: the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra. The fears presented run the gamut between surface-deep and existential. As such, some readers may be uncomfortable with light swearing and unsettling imagery.
In book one: umbra, twenty-one original poems expose the author’s shadow. Notes and references for each poem follows in book two: penumbra, naming her fears and how she tackled them. Lastly, in book three: antumbra, the original drafts of each poem—including improper punctuation and sloppy word choices—are reprinted in their entirety, extending well beyond the umbra.
into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is now available for your Amazon Kindle!
Celebrating a 2023 ENnie Award Nomination
The 2023 nominees for the ENnie Awards have just been announced, and I’m proud to mention I’m a finalist for the 2022 Level 1 Anthology from 9th Level Games along with a slate of fantastic folks!
The full contributor list for the ENnie Award-nominated 2022 Level 1 Anthology is: Gabrielle Rabinowitz, Evlyn Moreau, Dustin Winter, Quinn B. Rodriguez, Sea Carnelian, Loretta Brady, Skylar Bottcher, Gianna Cormier, Glenn Givens, Samantha Sinacori, Steffie de Vaan, Graham Gentz, Monica Valentinelli, Kyle Ott, Desks and Dorks, Patrick Watson, Dare Hickman, V.R. Collins, Zane Graves, Scott Slater, Alexi Sargeant, and Jim Dagg.
After you download a copy from DriveThruRPG.com, be sure to pick up One Night in the Catacombs. I designed this game as an expanded edition of “One Night at Bain House” featured in the anthology. Huzzah!
Congratulations to my fellow 2023 ENnie Award nominees! Woooooooo! Good luck and cheers all around. Voting will be open to the general public in mid-July, so be sure to watch for updates. Huzzah!
July 3, 2023
Joining the Pacific Rim RPG Team for a Cinematic Adventure
Heya, I wanted to give you an update that I’m writing a cinematic adventure set in the world of Pacific Rim for Evil Genius Games! The Pacific Rim franchise is something I am having fun re-watching for inspiration. One of the reasons why I love Pacific Rim is because, at its core, it sends a strong message that in order to defeat a mysterious and world-ending threat, we need to overcome our differences and stand together.
From the Legendary Series Kong and Pacific Rim Kickstarter:
The Evil Genius Games team is back with a Double Feature tabletop rpg you won’t want to miss! For our second project, we are releasing two brand new officially licensed cinematic tabletop adventures, utilizing our signature modernized d20 roleplaying system, set in two of our favorite universes — Kong and Pacific Rim. Our Cinematic Adventures were just the beginning. Now, we’re introducing Cinematic Adventure Paths (CAPs) — long-form adventure campaigns using the Everyday Heroes
system that take your characters from Level 1 to Level 10 across dozens of hours of exhilarating gameplay. CAPs are more than just a guided role-playing experience. In both of these scenarios, you’ll dive into the lore of each world and see places you didn’t see in the films as we introduce new canon into these beloved franchises! Insert yourself into the stories you’re familiar with. With our CAPs, it’s like you’re living the movies.
In Pacific Rim, it’s clear to me “standing together” isn’t just about immense, co-piloted Jaegers tackling Kaiju. It’s also about the Jaeger co-pilots meshing seamlessly, the politicians trying to decide where to allocate funds for the Jaeger program, the diplomats figuring out how to best ally with other countries, the engineers and construction workers building the Jaegers, the scientists and mathematicians studying Kaiju—the list goes on and on. I’m excited to write in this narratively-rich, near-world setting flush with fantastic and memorable characters and heart-thumping fight scenes. Can’t wait to see how my piece of the adventure comes to life!
Updates regarding the adventure path will be provided by Evil Genius Games. If you missed the Kickstarter, you’ll want to read this update about what happens next.
The post Joining the Pacific Rim RPG Team for a Cinematic Adventure first appeared on Monica Valentinelli.February 8, 2023
Egypt Bound! February Fungus, Classes, and More!
Hello!
I’m traveling to Egypt this year, and have paid a nonrefundable deposit. To help with expenses so I can fulfill my lifelong dream witnesses an ancient, cultural wonder, I’ve been working on a few fundraising efforts I’d like to tell you about.
This month, there’s fungus amongus. I’m participating in @feefal_‘s February #Funguary art challenge. Mushrooms have been posted in a variety of places, but you’ll find them daily on ko-fi/booksofm.
On Saturday, February 11th, I’m teaching a class through the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers titled: Selling Your Work Online: The Ins and Outs of Internet Retail. It’s a great class mindful of creators who despise sales and marketing.
I’ve just released my debut poetry collection titled into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears. This collection was made possible by patreon/booksofm. All new and existing patrons will receive a copy of the eBook as their reward.
On Saturday, March 4th, I’ll be leading Magic & Magic Systems Workshop through Apex Book Company.
Lastly, if none of those efforts appeal to you, you can send me to Egypt. Anyone who supports me on GoFundMe will receive an eBook of pictures from my trip when I return.
I hope there’s something in this smattering of links that tickles your fancy. Thank you!
The post Egypt Bound! February Fungus, Classes, and More! first appeared on Monica Valentinelli.February 7, 2023
New Release! into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears
Written by Monica Valentinelli, into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is the author’s debut collection of twenty-one poems.
The collection’s theme is broken into three books inspired by parts of the shadow: the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra. The fears presented run the gamut between surface-deep and existential. As such, some readers may be uncomfortable with light swearing and unsettling imagery. In book one: umbra, twenty-one original poems expose the author’s shadow. Notes and references for each poem follows in book two: penumbra, naming her fears and how she tackled them. Lastly, in book three: antumbra, the original drafts of each poem—including improper punctuation and sloppy word choices—are reprinted in their entirety, extending well beyond the umbra.
into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is currently available in multiple digital formats.
Smashwords: (epub, mobi, pdf, lrf, pdb, txt, html)
DriveThruFiction: (epub, pdf)
If you’re new to DriveThruFiction, please note that purchasing a copy from that eTailer automatically grants you access to all additional formats and corrections uploaded for that title’s listing.
You can also find this collection at additional online booksellers, including Amazon and iStore, pending approvals required for broader distribution. Additional announcements may be forthcoming collating these new venues.
Funded on Patreon (@BooksOfM), into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears would not be possible without the support of Monica’s patrons and supporters.
Interviews and review copies are available upon request from the author.
The post New Release! into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears first appeared on Monica Valentinelli.January 10, 2023
50-75% Off Sale on OGL-Affected #TTRPG Titles
In light of discussions regarding a leaked draft of the OGL, several gaming publishers have put their games on sale.
I’m not sure how long the sales will last or what’s to come. I do know that licensing is extremely complicated (OGL stands for Open Game License) and often requires an attorney’s review. My DMsGuild titles fall under a separate license, so those are not affected. At the moment, I’m waiting to make any further decisions or comments at this time until the new OGL is released and attorneys have a chance to review it.
December 26, 2022
My Year-End Summary and 2022 Publications
Hello, hello!
2022 was an interesting year in many ways. Reflecting on 2021, this year was a time to start shedding everything that wasn’t working for me. My 2021 New Year’s Resolution was to write for myself every day and the most important part of this goal turned out to be the importance of writing for myself. As it turned out, one of the things that wasn’t working for me was worrying about what comes after release/submission or—even worse—predicting what those outcomes would be. To be blunt: no sphere in publishing has fully recovered from the pandemic. Past Monica might have worried about that, because this affects my future. Present Monica says: “Well, shit. That sucks. Nothing I can do about all of that except focus on what I’m doing now.”
I’m happier than I’ve ever been despite substantive cuts and losses—this year was full of surprises. At the beginning of the pandemic, I made a huge wish list of stuff I wanted (or wanted to learn and do). Many of the things I was hoping for came true in an unusual way. I’m not a “true believer” in magic in a fantasy sense, but I absolutely believe in the psychology of perspective and how that shapes your reality. For example, if you’re convinced that artists must suffer, deep down, in order to make great art? Well, if you’re an artist you’ll wind up suffering—with or without the art. Deprogramming harmful messages to release the outcome is challenging AF because there are a lot of them! For me, this year I knew I wanted to get back into photography. I had no idea that desire would turn into snapping pics of animal ambassadors and guests at an AZA-accredited zoo—a fabulous and joyful outcome.
This, dear Reader, is also the reason why I’ve decided to abandon my New Year’s Resolution this year because it doesn’t work for me. Instead, I’m focusing on a symbol and all it represents—the sun—to “color” my perspective with a little warmth and light. Timely, too, because the sun is having a very hard time getting past all the clouds and snow. And, with a little luck, I’ll be going to Egypt.
With that in mind, here’s a list of my 2022 publications. In addition to this list, I had the pleasure of teaching through the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. If you get an opportunity to take one of Cat Rambo’s classes or check out her books, please do so! You can check out one of her recent stories online; read “The Woman Who Wanted To Be Trees” on Slate.com. Cat is a rare gem who builds community in an empowering way, and she’s an important part of the speculative fiction community and publishing landscape.
I’m looking forward to a productive 2023. On Saturday, January 7th, I’ll be teaching a new class called Emotional Self-Care for Creatives. Also in January, I’ve got an essay about the witch hysteria in Apex Magazine along with a new project I’ll announce via BooksOfM on Patreon.
Thanks for sticking with me in 2022. If you’ve got your own end-of-year blog posts, please link to them in the comments. And Happy New Year!
Published Games in 20222>I am pleased to announce that two of these games topped DriveThruRPG.com’s best-seller’s lists in 2022 according to Geek Native. Congrats to all who worked on these games with me!
HUNTER: THE VIGIL SECOND EDITION, 2022, Onyx Path Publishing/Paradox Interactive – Number One Best-Selling Horror RPG of 2022 and the Number One Best-Selling Modern Era RPG of 2022!
ONE NIGHT IN THE CATACOMBS, 2022, BooksOfM
TALES OF THE RED: STREET STORIES, 2022, R Talsorian Games – Number One Best-Selling Science Fiction TTRPG of 2022!
LEVEL 1 Volume 3, “One Night in Bain House,” 2022, 9th Level Games
DEAD MAN’S RUST, Scarred Lands 5th Edition, 2022, Onyx Path Publishing
December 3, 2022
New! Workshop to Help you Adapt your Stories to Games
Saturday, December 3, 2022
1-3 PM Pacific Time
Are you a writer with a fascinating world? Characters? Have you thought about turning your novel into an RPG or your short story into an interactive game? In this class, gaming industry veteran will walk you through the ins and outs of adapting your work to fit a gaming world. This class is not designed for adaptations of someone else’s work. Scholarships are available!
Join me in December for a fun online workshop to learn how to turn your fiction into a game. Registrations are now open! You’ll get a comprehensive overview so you can confidently learn the ins and outs of adapting your fiction. Hope to see you there!
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