It’s a new year. 2021 was a very stupid year, but I did get a lot of writing done. So this is what I’ve got going on now, and what’s coming up.
Book Stuff –
My next new release is Servants of War with Steve Diamond, which will be out March 1st.
The Gun Runner paperback just came out this week.
No Game For Knights is the next noir scifi/fantasy anthology after Noir Fatale, edited by me and Kacey Ezell. It is done, but I’m actually not sure the release date off the top of my head. (I think its summer 2022)
I’m currently working on Tower of Silence, book 4 of the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior.
After that I’ll be working on Monster Hunter Memoirs: Fever (with Jason Cordova).
There will also be a sequel to Lost Planet Homicide on Audible.
That’s the immediate future, after that will be the next main line series MHI novel after Bloodlines, and the 5th and final Saga of the Forgotten Warrior novel. The 2nd Grimnoir trilogy is still waiting for me to get around to it, and there’s another Monster Hunter Memoirs book with a different coauthor that I just signed the contracts for, but I don’t think there’s been an official announcement. I’m also doing a novella for David Weber’s War God series in a collection along with novellas from David, Jim Butcher, and more this year.
Other Stuff – There is a really fun announcement coming, but I kind of need to be on social media to push the kickstarter, and I’m currently banned (like usual!). No, sorry fan page, it’s not a TV show! It is something cool though. Hopefully I’ll be able to talk about that in a couple weeks.
We are in Writer Dojo season 2 now. Hopefully we will start recording some episodes with guest stars. The technically minded guys are working on getting all the bugs out of that now. I’ve been enjoying this.
Gritty Cop show has been on the back burner. I really need to finish that project, but I’ve been crazy busy.
Appearances – I was supposed to be at LTUE in a few weeks, but I’m out. I don’t feel like doing a bunch of useless anti-scientific bullshit to placate hypochondriac shitlibs on their power trip.
I will be at LibertyCon. I’m waiting for some communications from another con after I accepted their invite (seriously guys, answer your emails). A few others are up in the air.
Personal Stuff – It’s been a relatively mild winter on Yard Moose Mountain. I am saddened by the lack of snow plowing opportunities.
One of my kids did total one of our cars on black ice a few weeks back, which sucked (the kid is fine). Bear River Mutual Insurance was easy to work with. I bought a truck to replace it (since I’m plugging stuff, this is my 4th car from Ken Garff). I will not say what brand truck because I don’t want to get dragged into you peoples’ Ram vs. Ford vs. Chevy religious debates (I know how comment sections work!). It can pull a good sized trailer, I can put small trees in the bed, and my dog likes to ride in it.
I rarely talk about my kids online because I tick off too many crazy people, and crazy people love to yell at other people’s kids, but the biggest thing that’s happened for our family recently is one of my daughters has left on an mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She’ll be off having adventures and we won’t see her for a year and a half.
Off course you would rate your truck by how Faust likes it. The proper thing to do. At least as long as the paint is drool resistant. ????
In order of importance:
1. Glad your kid is alright after the accident.
2.Good luck to your daughter on her mission
3. Happy to hear about all the good things coming down the road. Looking forward to the books.
Good luck to Sister Correia! There’ll be ups and downs, but a mission is a great learning experience!
Toyota makes some good pickups.
I mean, if you’ll forgive the black pill, if the US does become a third world hell hole, why not go full third world warlord?
/spits out black pill
Yeah, I don’t buy the logic, but it struck me as the take that would be maximum fun.
I’ve been a bit down to get into much of this stuff. I’m glad I finally made myself go read Bloodlines, it was fun. Yeah, I would like to see what happens next, but it worked on its own enough for me now.
I second your Toyota Hilux idea. I mean good luck having your kid break that even if they flip it a few times. Also you could possibly do some silly shit to it >_>
Granted I think they stopped making them so getting ahold of one could be a bit tricky.
The real rules of the road: Autoduel (Car Wars). The right of way goes to the vehicle with the biggest guns.
Congratulations on the new truck, and your daughter’s mission! Hoping she’ll serve ably and return home safely.
Upside to having to buy the truck…..you can put a bigger snowplow on it. 🙂
Thanks for the book update. Emma and I won’t be going to LTUE either, so we’ll see you when we see you (Hoping they don’t cancel MisCon again). And looking forward to more Writer Dojo!
The missions practice of the Curch of Latter Day Saints is a great idea. My brother did a mission to Fiji through Teen Missions and I’ve always regretted not doing one myself.
Side note: I propose the State Department be forcibly move to Provo, Utah, ’cause the residents of Foggy Bottom will not go voluntarily. There, the State Department shall recruit only among veterans who speak a foreign language in demand. ‘Course that also requires reorganizing the State Department into a manageable entity instead of the political clusterfuck it is now. If my plan is implemented, most of the foreign officers of the State Department will be LDS. This is a good thing. The State Department will become an ‘America First’ organization, perhaps for the first time in its sordid history. Think about it.
I also propose the construction of an enormous Federal Institute at Shemya, Alaska. Or maybe Adak. Until Congress repeals the Civil Service Act, selected civil servants will be transferred to the Federal Institute at Shemya where they can spend their days counting paper clips. I suggest the entire body of the FBI be moved there immediately to assist in the construction of the facility.
Shit no to that last part. We got enough Fed problems in Alaska as it is, we don’t want more.
Overall good news, which is good! And yes, lots of folks are not playing the game LTUE is trying to pull.
Just when you thought the Cold War between Krasnovia and Pineland had settled down we have this: summit.news/2022/01/18/us-army-guerrilla-warfare-exercise-to-target-freedom-fighters/
Troops to battle against fictional ‘Pineland resistance movement’.
The US Army is set to conduct a “guerrilla warfare exercise” later this month in North Carolina where troops will battle against “freedom fighters.”
Yes, really.
The two week “unconventional warfare exercise” will take from from Jan. 22-Feb. 4 on privately owned land in a remote location which remains unknown.
“Called Robin Sage, the exercise serves as a final test for Special Forces Qualification Course training and it places candidates in a politically unstable country known as Pineland,” reports the Charlotte Observer.
“These military members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland resistance movement,” said the the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center.
I’m a torn man, but I guess I’m cheering for Pinelandia this time. It’s probably more a reflection of my current feelings toward “authority.”
Yeah, Robin Sage happens every SFQC.
I saw that and just howled (with laughter.) Where have they been these past, um, years?
People DID warn us of this, from Benjamin Freedman to Yuri Bezmenov to Alex Jones and many others, but fat and happy we sat.
Uh, yeah, happens fairly often. The SF candidates act as support for the freedom fighters, and the other military act as the “red force.”
I think Tom Clancy even mentioned it in his Special Forces book (so . . . 2001?)
For a teenager to put her life on hold and serve on a mission like that is something any parent would be proud of. It speaks volumes about their values, about the power of faith, and the difference good parenting makes in someone’s life. Congratulations.
Wow, you are crazy busy indeed. What’s a typical day like for you? Do you have any particular time management philosophies you use to get it all done?
What is the setting for Servants of War? Sounds interesting but it would be nice to have more to go on than just a tittle lol
P.s. I’m going to buy it regardless I’m just curious what it’s about
It is a new setting, think WW1 eastern front in a world with dark fairytale magic.
A Kickstarter? Wonder if it’s the cop show RPG, the comic, or something else.
“Hopefully we will start recording some episodes with guest stars. ”
I request Chris Avellone. He’s trying to rebuild his image while suing a jilted ex for making false accusations against him (that she supposedly remained very public friends with him for years after they occurred…) and seems relatively free (in schedule). Michael Kirkbride would also be fun, with his ability to build truly alien worlds. Those two and Amy Henning (who I’d be really surprised if you got as a guest) are pretty much the main three video game writers people will recognize the name of, did more than two games, and are considered GOOD at writing. One of them, followed by Chuck Dixon, would be a duology on the challenges and advantages of writing for other mediums.
“I will not say what brand truck because I don’t want to get dragged into you peoples’ Ram vs. Ford vs. Chevy religious debates”
Too late: *knock knock*
“excuse me sir, do you have a moment to hear our message about salvation thorough the grace and glory of Ford trucks?”
Just finished the grimnoir chronicles again and patiently waiting for the next three! Also inspired me to get on my ass and write.
One of my wife’s coworkers is LDS. Apparently, one of his sons was assigned to Utah as his mission. From what I understand, he felt a bit of ambivalence about it. Still fully committed, and understood why that would happen, but also felt a bit let down.
Top Gear did a series about the Hilux which was incredibly fun.
https://topgear.fandom.com/wiki/Toyota_Hilux
At one point they actually rolled the whole thing into the ocean and then pulled it out and ran it.
They are still made, they just aren’t called the Hilux in North America. The name was dumped here in the 70s. A little hard to find information on the differences, but near as I’ve been able to tell over the years it’s just a Toyota Tacoma or 4runner.
My ’87 four cylinder ran for 300,000 miles before I sold it to a guy who was going to clean it up and ship it down to PR where he had some family property. Only real issue was the bed starting to rust out just in front of the wheel wells but that was partly my problem because I didn’t have it spray lined to protect it.
Man alive, LTUE…
Between the people who have said they aren’t going, the ones who have passed, (and man those are still guy punches) and the few who couldn’t attend for one reason or another… yeah, that covers about everyone I cared to see, and that’s before we get into the whole “you’re on programming” email that was erroneously sent out to a whole bunch of people.
I’m quite bummed, because I already missed FanX last year because of masks, and LTUE last year was totally digital, so all of the people I’d normally see at least twice a year I haven’t seen in two years going on most of three by the time FanX rolls back around, *assuming* it doesn’t have any problems this year.
Who has said they aren’t going besides Larry and Brad Torgersen?
I know Dave Butler was the toastmaster, but he dropped out because of this.
Honestly I have no idea who else. Once I washed my hands of it, I don’t care what anybody else does.
Who cares if it is a Ram/Ford/Chevy, the ILOH better own a Hilux with a twin DshK.
Finished the newest WriterDojo. Got to say, the way the ocean and its products are anathema to Lok’s people is indeed one of my favorite bits of world building. It’s one thing say something about a culture, but it’s truly amazing to see it define their day to day life so heavily.
Was the capitol always in a desert, or was this another change from that feedback?
It was always in the middle in the desert to be away from demons. The impurity part was already in there. The last minute change was mostly related to profanity.
Glad your kiddo is okay, Larry!
My plan for LTUE (at this point) is to crash their party. I will get a room for two nights like I usually do (Thursday and Friday, and using their discount because I’m mercenary like that), but I will not buy a membership or participate in any way.
Instead, I will hang out in the lobby and the bar and socialize with people, and also get some writing/editing done. MASKLESS. Because if I’m not part of their little soiree and am just kind of sitting in the same spaces, which I have paid for via a room rental, they can’t do jack or say boo to me. They can cope and seethe at my lawlessness, and I hope they choke.
Here in Georgia, we rate pickup trucks by the number of deer the bed will hold. (Our deer tags are good for 2 bucks, 10 does, and if you draw a quota hunt for a state wildlife management area, it doesn’t go against your yearly limit.)
My wife laughs like a madwoman when I mention how many deer we can harvest in Georgia, she just imagines a truck going down the road with feet sticking out of it in every direction.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED Servants of War! You guys did such a great job with it, and thanks so much for the shoutout in the last Writers Dojo!
Also… given my workload, I’m having a hard time keeping up with my reading, and you’re making my “to read” stack reach the ceiling!!!
I blame you. Don’t stop!
Larry is an evil truck atheist! Burn him!
I was looking forward to going to LTUE in person as well.
But since I spent most of last year in hospitals and physical therapy anything that requires that much walking around while wearing a mask that restricts my breathing and didn’t protect me from the Commie Cough the first time is out.
Ken Garff eh?
I hear what you did there….
Just finished MHI 8: Bloodlines, pre-ordered Memoirs: Fever around the same time I purchased the “Gardenier” trilogy of Memoirs, can’t wait!