The Dragon Award nominees were announced this morning. Gun Runner, by me and John Brown, is up for best Mil SF. Ironically, I know almost every other author in that same category, and they’re awesome. Hell, I’ve Book Bombed two of them. 😀 I’ve known Marko since before either of us were writers. I think Christopher is one of the best young writers alive. I was just talking to Rick this morning before either of us realized we were nominated in the same category!

Best of luck to all the nominees. That’s a lot of talent in that category. I usually tell my fans to spread the love because I’ve won before, but not for collaborative works. Then it’s about the other guy getting recognized, and John Brown is a great writer and all around wonderful human being.

For me personally, looking over the ballot, I figure Andy Weir takes sci-fi with Hail Mary. Jim Butcher takes fantasy with Battle Ground (but he’s up against Brandon Sanderson, so coin flip). No idea on YA. Alternate History, Eric and Chuck. Tie in, I like Abnett, but Zahn is the master, and it’s for Thrawn. Horror I’m really rooting for Michaelbrent Collings (I taught him to shoot!).

Comics and graphic novels, not my area, so no idea. On TV, I’m voting for the Expanse because I’m Team Amos. No idea on the movies (I watch almost nothing the year it comes out). Ghost of Tsushima was brilliant. And haven’t played any of the table top games

The Monster Hunter Bloodlines book tour is done. It was a gigantic journey (4k miles put on a rental car!) starting in Minnesota, driving all the way to New Orleans, and then back up into Missouri, doing signings nearly every day, and ranging back and forth hitting most of the book stores even sorta along the route.

I was really worried about attendance this year because of Covid and some of the stops had just put mask mandates back into place. But in towns that weren’t locked down I had similar turn outs to my last visit there, and in places that were I had probably 3/4 of my last visit, which all things considered is pretty good.

I forgot to get pics of some of the signings, but I’m hoping somebody in the audience of the book store got pics, and I’ll post them up later. (I need pics of New Orleans and Wichita, and I think Mike’s got pics of Minneapolis)

I have fun at these things. I get to meet cool people and talk (a lot!).

By the end I had driven through 9 states. This is the rental car as I was turning it in. 4047 miles. (and if you prepay for a tank of gas, you bring that thing in on fumes!)

Basically for the last week I was a long haul truck driver who did book signings at night. The worrisome part was the rental Tahoe had California plates, but luckily nobody threw rocks at me and told me to go home as I drove through Texas.

There was one scheduling glitch that I didn’t notice until near the end. My last signing in Missouri was scheduled for the day I was flying out, but the event was in a town that was too far from the airport for me to make it there in time to catch the flight. So we had to cancel. My apologies to everybody who got shafted on that one.

And because a bunch of people asked in the comments while I was gone, the audiobook should be out in early September, and the Kindle book was available, it just wasn’t showing up linked the hard cover, but that’s fixed now.

As much fun as tour is, I am really happy to be home. It mentally wipes you out. So this week is going to be a relatively lazy one and then it’s back to work wrapping up Servants of War.

Yes, I know I’ve already posted this list here, but I’m going to be on the road, probably won’t be able to access the blog much, so I might as well make sure this is the first thing on the page for the duration.

Come by, say hi, and please tell your friends.

July 31st, 3:00 p.m.
Dreamhaven–Fund Raiser for Uncle Hugo’s
(with Mike Kupari)
2301 E. 38th Street
Minneapolis, MN  55406
612-823-6161
http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/

If you want an autographed copy shipped to you, use the Uncle Hugos link above and make sure you order in advance so he has enough copies on hand!

August 2nd, 1:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
8625 Northwest Prairie View Rd Spac
Kansas City, MO 64153
816-505-3355
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2184

August 3rd, 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
1920 N. Rock Road
Wichita, KS 67206
https://bradleyfair.com/tenants/barnes-noble/

August 4th, 6:00 p.m.
Half Price Books
5803 E. NW Highway
Dallas, TX 75321
https://www.hpb.com/001

August 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Garden District Book Shop
New Orleans
2727 Prytania Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
https://www.gardendistrictbookshop.com/

August 7th, 1:00 p.m.
AAFES Comics/EclipseAAFES
14145 North Dakota Ave
Suite SZX01
Fort Leonard Wood, MO  65473

The second collection of my short stories, Target Rich Environment 2, is now up for preorder on Audible

https://www.audible.com/pd/Target-Rich-Environment-Volume-2-Audiobook/1705296947?qid=1627313885&sr=1-3&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=CKGKWRJ48V9KJWEGKD72

So many of my short stories have been recorded in other anthologies, but these are all new recordings narrated by Basil Sands. He did an awesome job on volume 1.

Okay, people have been asking about when the Monster Hunter Bloodlines audiobook will be out. Normally they come out the same week as the hardcover (until 2020 at least!). But I just talked to Audible and it’s not going to be out until early September, possibly earlier, and I should know the actual release date in a few days.