Balls In the Air and other such musings…

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain. We’re still in a holding pattern awaiting runway designation. Currently, I’m sending our staff around with some free refreshments. I remind you to keep your seatbelt buckled at all times, be kind to your fellow passengers, and avoid any unnecessary hostilities like cursing in front of small children or lighting anything kept inside your shoe. Your patience is very much appreciated.

We’re just past seven months in which I finished my latest novel and I’m still not ready to hit the publishing button. As with every indie book I write, there’s always something new to learn about the publishing process. One of the most important things I need to remember going forward is doing a better job scheduling with vendors to ensure a limited amount of downtime. I’ve currently been waiting three months for my illustrator to provide a cover, something that was promised to take no longer than three weeks. Sometimes my gentle nature gets the better of me and I feel like raging. Or just eating a lot of cookies. I’ve found I’ve developed a sweet tooth in my “older years.”

It’s been an interesting summer otherwise. Minnesota was beautiful with its bevy of lakes ripe for plunging, boating, and fishing. Our family also hit the road and did some traveling to the southern states. Iowa is an interesting state. Beautiful in its own way, but I never knew it had more soybeans than corn. Saw a lot of both.

The boys and I have been doing a lot of Cub Scouts activities as well. This is the first year I volunteered (read: coerced) into being a Den Leader. So far it’s been great, but I only have three kindergarteners in my den, one of them mine, so we all play together well. Two weeks ago we did our first campout of the fall season and we gleefully slept in tents outdoors. The glee ended when it dropped below freezing and I found myself coveting the blankets I’d covered my sons’ sleeping bags with. I should have known they wouldn’t need them–heat generators they are–so once they kicked off those blankets, I nabbed one and slipped away to the land of Nod. The rest of the trip was great as we shot BB guns, did some archery, hiked, sang campfire songs, cooked most of our food over an open fire. The usual stuff. The most fun I had, however, was watching all the boys run through the forest building forts and playing games with no direction. No iPads were involved. No talk of Fortnight. Just good old plain fun. It can still be had. We also went to a Minnesota Timberwolves game in which Boy Scouts were given a tour of the practice facility, team offices, and even went down to the floor to fist bump and high five players as they entered the arena. Bravo, T-wolves. You guys did good.

Speaking of games, I’ve gotten into Dungeons and Dragons again. Well, sorta. Outside of getting a few hesitant parents to agree to join me, I have still yet to host a game. I’ve nosed around the local gaming places and should find one soon, but I do miss my group of fellas back in California. That game would have been far different (drunken buffoonery) than any I host here. Still, there’s something to be said about how D&D has come back en vogue. They’ve even remade the game so it’s sleeker and more fun. After the original company that owned D&D was bought out, they pumped a lot of money into doing things right and the new modules, books, miniatures, and aids have only elevated the game. As far as I can tell. After seeing a few videos online, I can’t wait to slice up a couple goblins.

One observation I made: there are a lot of new characters and classes to choose from. When I was 12, fresh off watching E.T. the Extraterrestrial for the first time, all I wanted to be was a rogue thief. the idea of creeping up the side of castles, avoiding traps, and slipping through secret doors left me giddy to no end. Now all I want to do is…play a rogue thief. I know. No evolution at all. But being a guileful, larcenous voyeur fits me. And I’m fine with that.

This week I bought a lottery ticket for the massively huge Mega Millions jackpot. Surprisingly, I didn’t win it. Someone in Simpsonville, South Carolina did, which immediately brought an image to my mind of Mr. Burns rubbing his hands greedily from inside his power plant. Fear not, good readers. Had I won, I still would have gone on writing. It just would have been on a gold plated keyboard from my always-airborne G5 in the sky. Is it just me or does S.R. Hadden look a lot like Mr. Burns in this pic? Hmm. Makes you wonder. 

Hope to post the cover photo and publish date info on the new book soon. Thanks for being patient. While you’re waiting, a couple of good recommendations. If you haven’t read Peter M. Brett’s Demon Cycle series, give it a go. Great character work and some fun fantasy tropes that are elevated with solid writing. And I’m not the first to recommend Lou Berney’s new novel, November Road. It’s a crime drama story that showcases some real talent. Berney’s going to be a giant in the industry.

Thanks for checking in. As always, be good to each other and keep reading!

EJR