First off, forgive the lack of blogging. It has been nuts. So here is a brief update so that you guys know I’m still alive.
Book Stuff
House of Assassins has been turned in to Baen.
I’m currently working on Monster Hunter Guardian.
I have another project I’m working on that I’ll be able to announce soon. I’m editing an anthology with someone else, and as soon as we get our last couple of contracts back from the authors, I’ll be able to talk about it and say who is in it.
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints is out July 3rd.
Target Rich Environment is out September 4th.
Misc. Other Stuff
Now this is why I’ve not been blogging!
Back in February I hurt my elbow lifting weights. I’ve been having to go to physical therapy. It’s getting better, but what a time suck!
We have started excavation on Yard Moose Mountain. It is a gigantic project. It is also a time suck because when you are developing a piece of property there are lots of little crises that pop up. You’ve got to deal with a bunch of different state and county agencies, and irrigation districts. You’ve got to jump through hoops. There’s meetings with contractors and the bank. There is SO MUCH STUFF.
And last week our Ford Expedition died, so we’ve been vehicle shopping. Right now we’re trying to decide what to get. The limiting factors being that I need something that can haul my exceedingly tall family around in, 4WD, and I like to buy cars outright. (too many years as an accountant dealing with depreciation and interest to like making payments).
Then we are also car shopping, because Correia 2.1 will be leaving for college soon, and we’re sending her off with my old beater car. But I don’t really want to get anything too nice to replace it, because 2.2 will be leaving a couple of years after that.
Appearances
This year I’ll be at Origins, GenCon, Salt Lake ComicCon, and LibertyCon.
The best way I have found to get through physical therapy is to get some Larry Correia books on audible. Really helped me when I tore my acl.
I don’t think they make any cars for tall backseat passengers. I can just barely find something that I can fit in the front seat of.
Go get ’em, Larry!
Honda Accords are pretty reliable and fairly roomy. I got a 2017 but it’s been pretty much the same model since 2015. It’s the first car I’ve owned that when the seat is all the back… it’s too far back.
As someone 6’4/260, I found I fit well in a Hyundai Accent. It’s a thing I find where I fit in some of the smallest models, but not the next few up…. that said, I mostly use it on moderate city driving.
“First off, forgive the lack of blogging. “
Forgiven. I like your blog posts, but… blog vs. books?
More books, please. [grin]
As a somewhat follower of Dave Ramsey, I don’t really see the point of buying a vehicle and paying interest on it. When I buy car, I just transfer the fund to the account to be used and just buy the car outright.
We’ve been very happy with our 4Runner (2017). Real 4WD, frame construction, not overboard on luxury features, still fits five kids and most of their gear.
If you’re looking for something practical, it’s hard to go wrong with Subaru, e.g. Subaru Forester. It’s roomy, 4WD, and pretty reliable. If you’re looking for something awesome, why not a Tesla ? It’s 4WD as well (with the upgrade), and the electric motor is so powerful it can probably go up a sheer cliff (note: don’t try this at home).
Every Subaru I’ve ever had was incredibly under-powered, and would have problems with any decently steep hill.
Really ? I’ve only ever owned one Subaru (though I also drove other people’s), and it felt pretty powerful to me (obviously not in the Tesla class, but still). My friend, who is an automotive fanatic of some sort, swears by the Subaru brand.
My family owned pretty much solid Subarus and Toyota back home in Alaska. Most everyone had at least one. Those things can CLIMB.
Let ’em go to pot, and they’ll die, but take care of them, and you can get 200,000 on them easy and still be driving up and down logging roads.
Both subarus I had were over 300hp and 300ft/lb torque so had zero problems climbing anything. What they did have problems with was reliability. The turbo engines rarely last past 100k without a rebuild. My friends H6 engine burned oil at 10k miles on the odo. Apparently that’s just a “thing” with the H6 motor and not something to worry about. Just add oil. After 3 of them I believe I’m now done with Subaru.
The Grand Tour tried out Tesla’s SUV and rated it better than any other SUV they’d ever tested at just about everything.
Do those guys have a recommendation site? Because if they do, that’d be a good place to find a good 4WD vehicle. They destroy cars that aren’t up to snuff.
Yes, if you have functionally infinite money (enough money to, say, buy your own mountain), then I’d say Tesla is the way to go. The only caveat I’d put on it is to check the range — if your mountain stronghold is more than 200 miles away from civilization, you might want to reconsider.
(Tesla’s range is of course larger than 200 miles, but I’m trying to be conservative.)
Put a looooooong extension cord on a spring-loaded reel on the trailer hitch. When it hits its limit the cord unplugs from the tension and automatically reels back in. Folks nearby in the intervening distance should watch their ass, though…
Nah, you solve the Tesla range problem by adding a trailer hitch and a small trailer with a Honda generator. Refuel the Honda as needed.
Priorities, man.
Save the money for the lightly-used tank.
I can second the Subaru recommendation. I had a crosstek until my youngest got t-boned at a four way stop by someone too busy with their phone to drive. She walked away shaken and unstirred.
I also love my Jeep. I’m a bit smaller than Larry though, so that may not be a viable option.
Another +1 for the Subaru choice. A 2-year-old lease return of a full-size Outback ought to cover your family. We’ve got a 2007 Impreza Outback Sport, and if I could figure out how to mount a plow to it I could be clearing parking lots. Nokian all-season radials on it; it goes through a Minnesnowta winter like a hot knife through butter.
Electric cars are a dead-end technology. At some point, sooner or later, it is going to become clear just what a nightmare dealing with the expired batteries is going to be. Then the same people who are over the moon about them now because ‘environment’ will be against them.
When and if infrastructure for Hydrogen cars comes to your area, I would look into them. It’s a much more promising technology, which probably explains why the ‘Smart Set’ isn’t pushing them nearly as hard as they are pushing battery powered cars.
In the meanwhile, Subaru is a great choice.
+++ on Subaru. We had one for some years and hubby used it for work (we got a good deal on two cars, one payment) and only sold it because hubby’s been using my car more.
Forgive the what-now?
Dude, the blog is a nice freebie, real life and paying work take precedence.
Besides, it’s not like you don’t engage with your fans on facebook or anything.
Thanks! Any news on the Memoirs: Saints eARC?
The first half and sample chapters will be released on April 15, that means that the 15 this year will be known Saints Day instead of tax-day. Expect the eARC at any moment.
I picked it up today 🙂
As I work at a bank, yes I am with you auto financing and depreciation not my favorite things. We have 3 boys so when dealing with autos my first words are how much is the insurance. Congratulations on getting the land in shape!!!!
“Back in February I hurt my elbow lifting weights. ”
This. Is. Why. We. Have. Guns.
No one ever broke his arm drawing his pistol. Just saying…
Larry. I’m 6’4 320lbs…go with a crew cab ram truck . I even fit in the back seat with the front seats slid all the way back.
Honda Pilot
WONDERFUL
Will you be signing books at Origins?
Don’t know how well they work for a Family of Enormous Height, but my BIL got almost 350K miles out of his 80 something Subaru.
Depending on how much you trust US News, there’s an article they published last year on the best cars for tall people (https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-for-tall-people ). I can’t say their criteria seemed complete to me, but I’m short so it’s entirely likely that the article included implications which I didn’t catch. Regardless, best of luck with the vehicle shopping.
Car suggestion:
Look at Toyota. Highlander (maybe), Forerunner (more likely.) Incredibly robust. Very comfy for me and I’m 6’2″. Good handling and performance considering its size. Good visibility, too.
Your books: HURRY UP. How long do you honestly think I can hold my breath? Jeez. 😉
Toyota Hilux? I hear good things about ’em.
Saw a YouTube video once of a TV show (I think it was a British show) about cars. They took a Toyota Hilux and tried to destroy it in various ways, then had a mechanic see if he could get it running with only basic tools. (Hand-powered wrenches, that sort of thing — the kind of thing a mechanic would probably have even in the poorest countries of the world). First they set it on fire — but the mechanic got it running. Then they drove it out to the beach at low tide, and parked it where the tide would come in and sweep it off into the ocean. After a day of immersion in salt water, they hauled it back to land, put it on a flatbed truck, and hauled it to the mechanic’s garage — and he got it running again. Then they went to a 24-story building that was going to be demolished, put the Hilux on the top of the building, and the demolishers set off the charges. The truck dropped 24 stories onto rubble, and IIRC the show’s presenters said that the driveshaft snapped in two on impact. They allowed the mechanic to put in a new driveshaft… and he got it running again. They finished off the episode by having that truck, which had been set on fire, immersed in salt water for a day, and dropped off a 24-story building, driven into the studio… to loud cheering from the audience. It had no windows or windshield any more, there was a door or two missing, the body was dented ALL OVER the place, and the interior had scorch marks… but it could be driven.
When I was in West Africa for a year, I saw Hiluxes all over the place. After seeing that episode, I understand why.
Top Gear
Yeah, a friend of mine told me about the Top Gear episode a couple of years ago, raving about the vehicles, and I remembered seeing them everywhere in Townsville, where they were popular for people who expected to be driving out into the bush. My husband told me that it was because Hiluxes were ‘tough, and they need to be to survive driving out there.’
That’s the main reason why I suggested it.
Sorry to hear about the elbow. PT for elbow ligaments sucks. If it doesn’t get better, consider putting it in a cast for a month. Radical, but ligaments are a bitch to heal.
If the Expedition died, I have a suggestion.
Ford Excursion, with a diesel in it. Buy it in Az or Nv, no rust. A quick look at Craigslist Phoenix will turn up dozens of them, I’m sure the same is true of Las Vegas and Salt Lake.
Because large people need a large truck.
Or, because new house, consider the F-250 crew cab. If money is a consideration, consider an -old- F-250. I have a 2011, first year of the new 6.7L Ford diesel. It still pulls like a train. Do not get the gas engine, it is a gutless fuel hog in that truck.
F-150 is also extremely nice, and excellent mileage with the Ecoboost 6 in it. Several family members have these, they rock. Just not as awesome as the F-250. It is good to be the king. ~:D
Oh, and don’t bother with the short-box. The long box is where its at, baby. You can throw a 4×8 sheet of plywood in there and close the tailgate. You can still park it. I drive mine in the city all the time. I suggest the old-man step for the tailgate, it makes my old-man life a lot easier getting crap in and out of the bed.
Correia 2.1 and 2.2 will be well served by a 3 or 4 year old F-150. I can hear them groaning in the back ground, but they will be sending up fervent prayers of thanks for the truck Dad gave them the first time it snows, and the first time they have to schlep all their crap from one place to the other.
I will of course be doing my part to support the Correia fleet by buying all the books. ~:)
Shopping for cars is one of those things that people make sound fun but actually sucks. Good luck on the hunt. Toyota Sequioas (and equivalent lexus) are supposed to be practically unkillable and should be pretty roomy. If you want to go used. Lots of good options for beaters, but I favor the toyota recently. Matrix and Pontiac Vibe being good options.
Is an earc for Saints in the works? B
Subaru Forrester all the way. Outback is great, but NOT FOR TALL PEOPLE! Forrester has mondo headroom and huge backseat legroom, more than the front seat on most cars.
I speak as a 6’3″ dude with a 29″ inseam, which means I have the torso height of a 6’6″ or 6’7″ guy. Almost nothing is tall enough for me, but the Forrester IS!
so when is seige coming out in german?
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints by Larry Correia and John Ringo is now available as an eARC: http://www.baen.com/monster-hunter-memoirs-saints-earc.html
Enjoy
Just finished off saints, and two quick comments-
1) Another great job between the two of you
2) That final line is going to earn both you and John a place in the special hell
I need more Stranger and stranger…. think this reality had a rift recently…. We now have a reality star as president is that covered?