July 2025 News
Happy Summer to all my fellow northern hemispherians. All seasons have their uses as far as I’m concerned. I dig summer because I feel most active and alive, just like all the other plants and bugs and reptiles I guess. Something about working or exercising or just existing in 100 degree temperatures (Fahrenheit mind you) with nearly 100% humidity makes me happy and slippery in equal measures.
Quick Shout Out!
I have a take a moment for a fellow author Michael Michel. His latest book - A GRAVEYARD FOR HEROES, book 2 of 3 in the Dreams of Dust and Steel trilogy - dropped on June 11th and is making big waves.
"Loss. Redemption. Grief...and the dangers of belief."
Oh my! That looks pristine and clean and beautiful. What’s it about?
I’m just tickled that you asked.
Treachery looms across the land.
With scores to settle, the lowborn shake rust from their knives and trade allegiances for a promise of blood while the highborn rally their armies.
Namarr’s future rests on a blade’s edge, and the heroes who might save it can no longer hide.
Meanwhile, across the sea, Scothea has already succumbed to revolution.
Fanatics led by the Arrow of Light wrest the throne from an ancient line of kings. Now, their sights are set on a Third Crusade against Namarr. For most, it will be their last.
The pieces are set. The gameboard is chosen.
For those unwilling to play, there’s only one peaceful place left…
The inside of a grave.
that studdly muffin Michael Michel gazing longingly at his gorgeous books
A GRAVEYARD FOR HEROES, the second installment in the Dreams of Dust and Steel series, continues where THE PRICE OF POWER left off, with the plight of characters both loved and hated. Perfect for fans of A Game of Thrones, The Age of Madness, The Five Warrior Angels, The Broken Empire, and Ash and Sand.
Something Once Sacred
We’ve had a couple shows since last I posted and the pictures I’ve just found are nice enough to warrant their own space here. I’ll let you guess from whence this image was collected.
Brandon, Marshall, Me, Rusty in the back
Presently I play bass guitar in a rock band and on a church stage (don’t worry they cancel each other out) but I make myself unavailable for both during July so I can devote time and energy to the day job’s busiest month.
this photographer turned me into Hellboy and I’m here for it
The Four Beardsmen of the Bookpocalypse
DB, Tom, Charlie and I have had some great talks with some great guests recently!
Yes, we had Janny on. It was awesome and you’re never going to hear the end of it.
Here’s a quick list if you need catching up:
May 30th, guest - Gregory Kontaxis, author of the DANCE OF LIGHT series
June 13th, guest - Janny Wurts, author of the WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW series
June 28th, guest - AJ Calvin, author of (most recently) WRAITH AND REVOLUTION
We love talking books and writing, but we strive to delve into subjects with our guests that maybe they’ve never had a chance to discuss. I strongly recommend checking out any of our previous podcasts. I have loved them all. There are more planned so make sure you subscribe to our channel to stay up on these chats!
Writing
Writing V&V2 ain’t exactly chuggin’ along right now, fam. I’m sorry. One downside of summertime is that the majority of my attention and energy goes toward my day job, making it hard to focus on writing. A redeeming factor is that V&V2 is currently between late-stage drafts, which means all the scenes are written and just need to be fleshed out, spiced up, or otherwise fine-tuned. Those improvements are the type that come to me while driving, working, or pacing, rather than sitting here at a screen. Therefore I am still getting work done and the book is improving.
But if I have time to sit and write about Pappu the Falconer meeting real orcanes for the first time and realizing his true potential out from under the oppressive nature of his father Grimmet the Beastmaster, then I have time to tweak the kayak website, or make a post, or go outside and clean/organize kayaks, or work on the kayak rack or the yard, or etc etc etc * infinity.
Kayaks?
Yes, snarky ethereal voice. Sometimes I forget you don’t have a permanent memory.
Lake Hartwell Kayak
Spring was a little slow around Lake Hartwell but now we’re popping off.
Eleven kayaks and two paddleboards delivered for a company’s employee appreciation event.
Expansion is always on our mind, in some size or shape. These days that comes in the form of offering merchandise to renters and so I’m trying to integrate that into the booking software. So far the process has been perfectly intuitive and gone very very smoothly.
I don’t believe you.
As well you shouldn’t. It’s been a total f%*king s#1tshow. But we’ll get it done. After all, what’s a better addition to a day of paddling on the lake than a dry bag for your keys and phone and a couple of quick-drying towels?
Beer
Ok fair. Elsewhere,
Silexare Compendium
A billion years ago I had an online resource that acted like a wiki for the characters, beasts, locations, races, terms, for my published works.
Silexare Compendium entry “Abandon Road”, from A Sawmill’s Hope.
I want to reinstate it. It would be a hub for terms and art from books I’ve published and I doubt it would much resemble its archaic prototype (above) which died around 2021. Presently the published works the compendium would pull from include VIOLENCE & VIGILANCE and A SAWMILL’S HOPE.
But you unpublished A Sawmill’s Hope.
That doesn’t make the lore uncanonical. There are physical ASH books still out in the wild and in my personal collection. Also, I have the loose goal of re-publishing ASH, just not before finishing Turesia Untamed.
Unsure when I’ll get this live, assuming I do. Commissioning art would help motivate me to get it done and that would require my coffers be more densely stocked with silver and gold.
Next Month
…is not a thing I can say anymore on these posts. They’re now bi-monthly. Maybe I’ll figure out the new outro tag by September.
See you then
dtl
