Rob’s Update: You’ll Be a Man, My Son!
Greetings all
Tonight, at midnight Eastern, The Ravening of Wolves goes live. It is my best novel to date, which is as it should be. I should be getting better each time and I think I am.
But I’m as sad as I am excited. Someone who I really looked up to passed away earlier this week. Ron was someone who helped show me what it is to be a man, fostered my love of fantasy, and made me think in long discussions over all sorts of challenging topics. I was often wrong, and he usually showed me how and why I was wrong, but I was never ashamed of being wrong. It was something he expected me to grow from. And, quite often, I did.
Still, he was as pleased as anyone at my growth as a writer, and now as a publisher. So I will celebrate The Ravening of Wolves by listening to Black Sabbath. He’s the one who first introduced me to them, after all, and I have, for forty years now, associated them with Ron. For all that they have done for the music world, Black Sabbath benefited from the connection.
Anyway, this was a moderately productive week. I started major edits on a novel in a sooper-seekrit project. I started editing some stories for Talons & Talismans. I got another manuscript to edit. This one is the sequel to Keep of Glass by Steven G. Johnson. It’s entitled Heart of Ice and it’ll be out in the fall.
I also pounded away at three short stories I have to have done by the end of July. This includes one for Kevin Steverson in the Salvage Title universe, a story for William Joseph Roberts, and my own story for Talons & Talismans. Lots of good progress on those, and I’m excited about pushing myself with something special in each of them.
My story for Talons & Talismans, by the way, is a story of Rabah and Jaime Muniotz in Shijuren. I’ve only written one story involving them, and they’re from a far earlier time than my novels in the world of Shijuren. They’re the founders of the order of chivalry that Ausartxango belongs to, and it’s time for them to build up that order.
Tonight, though, it’ll be a night to remember those who helped shape me.
What I’m Listening To
The Sign of the Southern Cross by Black Sabbath.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote is from Kipling’s If, which is something I think about quite often. There’s always another thing to learn in it, another way to improve what I am.
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:― Rudyard Kipling, If
New Mythology Works in Progress
Current open anthology calls:
Talons & Talismans Open Anthology CallFantaSci 2022 Writing Contest Open Anthology CallAs mentioned, I’m currently editing a number of short stories that will appear in Talons & Talismans. These are from the authors whose name will appear on the cover. Early in August, I’ll give you all a complete rundown of the lineup. Trust me, though, it’s got a bunch you know about and appreciate.
It’s been about a month, but I’m still ecstatic with the response to Scott Huggins’ Responsibility of the Crown. This is book one of the Endless Ocean series. How do I know it will be a series? Because Scott has already sent me an outline for book two and it’s got even more action and adventure than the first one.
As mentioned, I’m also in the process of editing Heart of Ice by Steven G. Johnson. This is the sequel to Keep of Glass. Expect that in the fall.
In general, I’m blown away with the enthusiasm and excitement shown by authors in and around Chris Kennedy Publishing. New Mythology Press is about to explode with constant content, good content. That explosion will begin in the fall and then who knows when it will ebb, because the tide is rising and lifting us all.
Rob’s Works in Progress
CWTAE (3768)MON (877)CSC (1823)Rick Blaine (8,845)CB (8,418)Cynewulf (8,642)Gato (2,312)Upcoming Events
ConFinement 2.5, 25-27 June, Mount Juliet, TNhttps://www.confinementcon.org/Lasers & Lagers, 29 June, Panama City, FL
https://www.sharkflight.com/lasersandlagers/InConJunction, 2-4 July, Indianapolis, IN
https://www.inconjunction.org/Salina Comicon, 10-11 July, Salina, KS
https://www.clintscons.com/salina/Armistice, 29 July to 9 August, Slippery Rock, PA
https://www.cooperslake.com/clchome/eventdetails.php?clceventid=3a1d242a-9dfb-11eb-88ad-10ae3c21f154DragonCon, 2-6 September, Atlanta, GA
https://www.dragoncon.org/FactoryCon, 22-24 October, Coinjock, NC
Details in the CKP – Factory Floor on Facebook.20BooksTo50K, 8-12 November, Las Vegas, NV
http://20booksvegas.com/
New Releases
Tonight! Midnight! The Ravening of Wolves!
Okay, that’s cheating a bit. Let’s get back to what all came out this week. We start with Robert Krog’s Shank, the fifth in the Hit World universe. Why do i highlight fifth? Because if I’m doing the math right, they’re putting out at least a book a month in that world. That’s the way to do a shared world, in my opinion.
Side note: Remember that last sentence.
Anyway, you can get Shank here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09752YW55.
For all my talk about beginnings, this week is the end of Chris Kennedy’s trilogy of trilogies. The Progenitor’s War is the conclusion to humanity’s battle for survival across all of time and space, and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096WRN6TY.
Today’s Weight: 336.2
Updated Word Count: 159,863
Shijuren Wiki: 733 entries
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob HowellAuthor of the Shijuren-series of novels
Website: www.robhowell.orgBlog: www.robhowell.org/blogShijuren Wiki: https://shijuren.org/tiki-index.phpFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/robhowell.org/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhodri2112Currently Available WorksShijuren A Lake Most Deep (Edward, Book 1) The Eyes of a Doll (Edward, Book 2) Where Now the Rider (Edward, Book 3) I Am a Wondrous Thing (The Kreisens, Book 1) Brief Is My Flame (The Kreisens, Book 2) None Call Me Mother (The Kreisens, Book 3)“What’s in a Name” in When Valor Must Hold (An Edward prequel story)“An Oath’s Other Edge” in Dragons and Dribbles : A Corner Scribblers Flash Collection w/ guest author, Rob Howell
Nick Patara, PI
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