I came across this via John Scalzi’s blog.  Writer Steph Swainston (author of many well received fantasy novels) decided to take a break from her career as a fantasy writer and go back to school to become a teacher.  You can read the story in the Independent.

I think the story serves as a nice reminder that writers — just like surgeons, police officers, firefighters, and career soldiers, etc. — sometimes find … Read the rest

The official Star Wars site has posted the opening of my next Star Wars novel, Riptide (the sequel to Crosscurrent).  I think it’s one of the better opening chapters I’ve written (exceeded, perhaps, only by the opening of Shadowbred).… Read the rest

Jen is now six months along in the pregnancy.  And a baby on the way always makes me enormously nostalgic.  I’m not entirely sure why that is, but it is.  I was the same way with the boys.   Don’t get me wrong.  Things are great these days, better than ever.  But a child on the way makes me think of my own childhood and adolescence, and I turn wistful.

I don’t have any particular point, … Read the rest

It’s a well known fact that I am an eleventh level Grillmaster, with two levels in the Searseer prestige class.  I mastered the Dual Flip and Unbreakable Tong feats at five years old and have never looked back.  Normally, my skills serve me well enough, and I can bend the briquettes to my will as well as the next guy.  Alas, today was not normal.

After shaping the sanctified flesh into delectable discs of divine … Read the rest

Star Wars Books has been kind enough to post a couple “mini-excerpts” from Riptide, my next Star Wars novel (and also the sequel to Crosscurrent).   Hopefully, they whet your appetite for the novel, which continues the story of Jaden, Khedryn, and Marr.

First Mini-Excerpt:

Khedryn cleared his throat. “So, then, do you have a plan? What do we do about the escaped clones?”

“We find them,” Jaden said.

“Yeah, I figured that. I’m … Read the rest

First, if you’re in the U.S., I hope you had a wonderful Fourth.  We spent it with Jen’s side of the family in Lake Geneva, WI.  Boating, beer, good food, and good company.  It’s been a lot of fun.  The boys, in particular, have had a complete blast playing with their cousins.

We left Michigan for Lake Geneva on Saturday and the day we left a freak storm knocked out the power in Grosse Pointe.  … Read the rest