S.J. Saunders's Blog

Gone Too June

Well, it's been a bit. For any who don't know, both Rachel and I (not pictured above, as it's Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker who are depicted, seeing as how they're a favorite literary couple of mine) have been dealing with some health issues for a while which, while not seeming to be life-threatening, have drastically slowed the process of book production. As it stands, I have a couple of manuscripts ready or almost ready to publish and at least three more in the early stages. Barring more drastic mishap, they'll be out at some point. We're simply not able to share pesky things like release dates in good conscience.

That said, I don't think I've been more excited for a new series than I am with Order's Descent. Only Rachel has read it thus far, but her reaction has only increased my anticipation for a wider release!

In other news, episodes of (Tem)Portalers continue to drop on Patreon and Spotify. I've also been sharing some notes and worldbuilding from Order's Descent over on Patreon. I'm still reading and enjoying everything from the literary universes of Stars both Trek and Wars (with some Firefly thrown in for good measure lately) to Arc of the Scythe, Spellslinger, Discworld, Shannara, Cosmere, and more. I'm dipping a toe back into game mastering with a couple small games, as health allows, while also enjoying opportunities to play in the tabletop roleplaying of other game masters as they arise. And I'm just overall immensely grateful for the life I have.

With continued gratitude to all those who help to make the life of joy, love, and creativity I lead possible,

Seth

Febru-bonus

Some years give you more, whether you like it or not. The rocky swan song of '23 has unfortunately dovetailed with remarkable grace into the start of '24 in the Saunders household, but the meter of person health shifts begrudgingly toward a more sustainable equilibrium. And we've not been idle amid the turbulence, still finding ways to forge ahead creatively. 

Rachel's been quietly creating some excellent art, both book-related and otherwise (and I know I left a shameless plug for such things around here somewhere). As you may have guessed from the banner, I've also found a bit of time for some fan art, the above depicting some favorite Star Wars couples on an outing that went about as expected. Happy Valentine's Day?

Episodes of (Tem)Portalers are still dropping on Patreon and Spotify, and I've started sharing subject-to-change lore on the species of my next series with Patrons, as well. Breaking a fantasy world down for others seems to be useful in helping me to chip away at the current draft...and it's neat to feel like I'm slowly writing my own TTRPG book. Just without stats or gameplay. So it's more like an encyclopedia, or something.

Anyway, if you're able and willing to help finance some recent medical bills, all Patrons and purchases are appreciated (though I do believe I get the largest cut from sales made through my website)! Rachel and I still have much to be grateful for, far from least of which being that we currently have the latitude in life to pursue the creative endeavors which fuel our souls, and we offer our humble thanks to all who've chipped in to enable our dreams.

With the greatest of appreciation,

Seth

Novembeard

All right, so I don't make a point of letting my facial hair flourish especially in the eleventh month, but here's an idea of how it progresses between trimmings every lunar cycle or so. Plus, I've been told I need to have my face on the internet more. Consider this the dipping of a toe in such turbulent waters for one so emotionally opposed to having his likeness captured, I guess? I may even attempt videos, at some point. Pardon me while I shudder at the audacity of it.

In actual updates, the month's been a strained one, health-wise, disrupting for me what momentum my fellow novelists seem to find this time of year. Progress does continue on both releases planned for 2024, however, and the brain sparks to and fro upon having Future's Birth fully launched.

Backlog episodes of (Tem)Portalers continue to drop tabletop roleplaying fun on Patreon and Spotify (where one can apparently listen to all of my audiobooks as part of a subscription model now?), and I've enjoyed sharing nascent worldbuilding lore with followers. What do things like the economy and scientific advancement look like in the far-flung future of Deyrnas? These are apparently questions I like to ponder.

Wishing you all warm and restorative holidays,

Seth

Ten out of Twelve

All right. October happened. This last month has honestly been a bit of a blink-and-you-miss-it blip for me, having been sick for the first time in years in addition to the usual speedbump in sleep provided by the shifting seasons. I do feel as though I’m starting to come out the other side of both, however, and thought I’d share a bit of an update on productivity and personal life.

Firstly, the brief sabbatical I took in the wake of Valley of Renewal’s release has proved fruitful, as I have one new novel (the first in a portal fantasy series with connections to other works for eagle-eyed readers) approaching its final draft and another (the first in a science fantasy series exploring Deyrnas, the world of Future’s Birth a millennium in the future) nearing the ol’ six-digit word count milestone in the rough. Given various matters on the production side, the first of these likely won’t start dropping on Patreon until early next year, with a wide release a few months after, but I thought I should let you all know that I haven’t gone into complete hibernation with my series hangover. If anything, I’m more excited than ever to continue crafting stories!

Episodes of (Tem)Portalers have also been going up on Spotify, via Patreon, which is apparently a thing creators can do now. Pandemic times previously derailed our TTRPG adventures, but hopefully this platform will prove a bit more stable than PodBean. And hey, if people are still interested in the characters and story, perhaps they will find a way to continue!

On the personal life side, we at Riverbank Publishing are currently addressing some mental, physical, and work/life scheduling bumps in the road that may impact the approach we take to production, moving forward, but sometimes you need to downshift gears around a tight corner and hope for a straight stretch soon. Amid all the troubles of the world, from global to personal, we are still highly fortunate to be afforded the opportunities we have to create, and we’ll continue to use them to the best of our ability as long as we’re able!

In lighter news, the latest series of Taskmaster has been predictably great, thus far (it’s all on YouTube to watch for free now, so please go do so, by the way), I’ve had the time to play probably too much Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous while sick, favorite artists of both the musical and literary variety have been dropping wonderful new creations (I’m positively savoring Star Wars: Supernatural Encounters), and Psych is always a wonderfully cozy rewatch, especially when one is under the weather.

Wishing you all good health as we head into the holidays,

Seth

PS. As you may guess from the attached image, I've also been dabbling in Star Wars fan art. This one is Kyle Katarn expressing his frustration amid a squad of stormtroopers.

The Time of Renewal

Well, today's the day! Valley of Renewal, the final volume of Future's Birth, is hitting shelves, both digital and otherwise, so pick up your copy at bookseller of choice! Bringing this series in for a landing has been a labor of utmost love, and it's provided an immense creative garden for further projects to germinate in the years to come.As the world of Deyrnas embarks on a new era, I'll be taking a bit of a breath. My next book truly opens up the much broader world (for which readers of Valley may pick up on some easter eggs), though chapters won't start dropping on Patreon weekly immediately. In the intervening time of sabbatical, I'll be rehosting episodes of the (Tem)Portalers podcast made with my wife and friends, as well as sharing any poems or short stories that may trickle out of my brain. My boundless gratitude goes out to everyone who's been a part of this journey, and who continues to support my creative endeavors. What comes next is the culmination of everything that's gone before.Seth

August-ish

Through the Valley

All right, as we check in at the end of July, Valley of Renewal, the final entry in Future's Birth, has nearly completed its run on Patreon, with the wide release on track for the end of August! Early copies look good (along with the fancy new world map inside), and all I should have left to do is finish up editing the audiobook files. The end is nigh! Rejoice, I guess?Admittedly, I'll be glad for a bit of a break once the series concludes. I'd honestly forgotten how much goes into publishing four- to five-hundred page books within three months of each other. Decidedly un-picnic-ish. Hats off to fellow authors who somehow keep up that kind of turnaround on a near-constant basis! But also...maybe I think you're a little crazy.The first book in my next series is still on track for release next year, though, once I've managed to catch my creative breath. I know many people are sick of multiverse stories, but, as things may begin to shift that way in 2024, please believe that I'm not as good at bandwagoning as it may appear. Such plans have been in place for nearly a decade. I'm just a slow-burn kind of guy, or something.Anyway, I haven't been reading or gaming as much as I'd like with my nose so firmly applied to the ol' grindstone, but I have enjoyed starting the Conquerors trilogy by Timothy Zahn, as well as slowly continuing through Temeraire and the Stars Trek and Wars. Maybe some more Pathfinder will even finally be played on the forthcoming week of vacation, depending on how reclusive my brain is feeling. I know, I know. Everyone'll be done with Baldur's Gate III by the time I pick it up. I just like tend to prefer finishing one game (or even book or show) before picking up another. Such is my "curse".Wishing you all productive and relaxing Augusts, as needed,Seth

The Shroud Has Fallen!

We've got a few things cooking over her at Riverbank Publishing, and this will probably end up being my busiest year in a while. First, Sanctuary of Shrouds has completed its Patreon run, and is available in wide release today. Thanks to everyone who's already grabbed a copy and helped to spread the word! For those who haven't yet, pick it up at your bookdealer of choice and prime yourself for the impending final installment in Future's Birth.

Speaking of which, starting the first full week in June, I won't be posting chapters of Valley of Renewal (yep, that's the name of the final book!) every Wednesday. I'll be posting chapters every weekday. This accelerated release schedule will see Valley's wide release happening in August, three months from now, rather than next year. If you've been waiting to begin your Future's Birth journey until the end was in sight, well, this is it!

I've still been prepping future projects, but most of my focus is going into sticking the landing with Future's Birth, for now. That said, I have found some time for games like Pathfinder: Kingmaker (a fun but often frustrating time) this month, as well as continuing my Temeraire, Star Wars, and Star Trek literary journeys. Temeraire continues to be the sweetest death machine, Young Jedi Knights continues to be great fun, and the fallout of the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy continues to intrigue!

Oregon spring may be playing havoc with my sleep and overall mental fortitude, but at least we have strawberries and such on the horizon. Hoping you've all found some joy and creativity within the past month,

Seth

'23 1/3

So, that's a good chunk of the year gone. I suppose if that's to be considered the bad news, however, the good news is that the best of the year (so far as Riverbank Publishing is concerned) is decidedly yet to come! First up, May is the month in which Sanctuary of Shrouds draws to a close in its run of weekly chapters over on Patreon. For anyone wanting to slip in under the wire to snag a copy of the finished book in the format of your choice, now would be the time! Second, without giving too much away, Rachel and I are hatching plans that will hopefully result in another release from Riverbank before the year is out. Let's just say, if you've been waiting for a good time to jump into Future's Birth, you may not wish to lollygag!There might also be plans for other, long-gestating series to see the light of day, sooner rather than later.As for what's been going into my brain, as opposed to spilling out of it, I've begun my Temeraire adventure with great delight! If you're the type of person who likes well-written fantasy with a classical feel (plus dragons during the Napoleonic Wars) this'll be something for you to check out! I've also finally back-filled all the recommended reading prior to the excellent Destiny trilogy and am now forging ahead in the Splinter Timeline of Star Trek. Still loving it. Also some more Young Jedi Knights, finishing up with Pendragon, and throwing in some much-needed levity by throwing on some classic episodes of Would I Lie to You? Seriously, bless British game shows.Wishing you all a productive and joyous May, amid whatever strife the world may place in our paths.Seth

März Angrifft!

Yeah, it's a "Mars Attacks" pun. In German. That probably doesn't even work. Anyway...March has been a weird one. I finished the rough draft of the final entry in Future's Birth, but rather than celebrating my brain has apparently decided to deactivate. I've been poking at things other than writing, but largely taking it a bit easier, trying to let my brain recover. We'll see how it goes!In the meantime, new chapters of Sanctuary of Shrouds keep going up on Patreon. We're still shooting for a May/June release, and we've got things just about finalized to be sending out early copies to patrons soon!And yeah, been watching a lot of Star Trek, as I try to take things easier. Enterprise is...growing on me. A bit clumsy at times, but there's still a lot to like. I've also nearly finished the A Time To... series before I continue on with the Splinter Timeline post-Destiny. I feel like that's what I'm more excited about! I've also started in on Young Jedi Knights, which is delightful, and have finally gotten back around to Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle. I was a bit confused to find that the third book feels like the finale...but there are two/three more to go? We'll see! Oh, and finally trying out the Justice League Adventures comics based on the cartoon from my childhood has been most enjoyable.Beyond that, I'll be getting around to further drafts of Future's Birth Volume Nine hopefully soon, getting that one ready to start releasing on Patreon and a full release next year. The beginning of the end is upon us!April awaits.Seth

Feb Fastness

Four weeks and no change, except on leap years. I guess that happened again? I’m quite sure I did things, but especially for a shorter month I don’t really seem to recall them until I sit down to reminisce upon the abbreviated calendar page that was.

First off, progress was certainly made on personal endeavors, even if any works going up on TikTok and such are from previous efforts. Oh, right. I have one of those now, because…authors are supposed to, I gather? I do think it’s helped me to streamline the process of posting around the various social media, at least, but I do think I understand this new terrain even less than the other platforms on which I market and interact.

Chapters of Sanctuary going up on Patreon are certainly carrying the story into new territories, as well! And, as of this week, I’ve finished recording the audiobook for said eighth volume chronicling the exploits of the Heroes of Dragon’s Nest. Now I’ve just got the pesky job of editing the thing into something suitable for human ears. Production on all fronts is on track to have simultaneous release of Sanctuary across all formats in the coming months, though! This, while I continue chipping away at the daunting effort that is the rough draft for book nine, the world-changing (my fake one, don’t worry) finale of the series. Al. Most. There.

On the consumer front, I’ve been enjoying giving Lady Trent, one of my wife’s favorite series, a read. And, of course, I continue with my Star Wars Legends and Star Trek Splinter Timeline (re)readings. I’m currently visiting the early days of the Solo children as Jedi and popping back to the A Time To… series that leads up to Star Trek Nemesis, after experiencing the superb Destiny trilogy. I’ve also discovered that there were apparently comics in continuity with the old Justice League/Unlimited cartoons I loved as a youngster. Research seems overdue.

Looking ahead, the year’s had a bit of a shaky start for me, as I know it has for many others, but I believe there’s much good left for us all to do from here. May we have the courage and tenacity to give it a go!Seth