Yesterday, September 17th, was my one year anniversary of starting Monster Hunter Nation.

I started this blog as a place to pimp my book.  It has evolved into a place for me to make fun of stupid people, which is very cathartic. 

I haven’t written much during September. I’ve been swamped here. Hopefully I’ll be able to remedy that, (with writing, not with being swamped, as being swamped pays the mortgage).

On the writing front, MHI is coming out from Baen in 10 months.  MHI:2 The Rough Draft is done.  The novelization of the Mr. Nightcrawler web-serial, book I of III is in production. I’ve got another sci-fi project that is just killing me to hurry up and write.  I can’t even really describe the plot here, because it is just that weird, but it will be very cool. 

I’ve written a few more articles for magazines in the last year, and I’m now writing for the United States Concealed Carry Association news letter. I’m writing beside respected authors that I started reading in high school. 

On the professional front, FBMG is growing. The Summer of Endless Despair is finally over, and people are actually buying stuff again. The annual machine gun shoot is coming up in a couple of weeks, and we’re pumped.

This weekend is Mountaincon, in Layton, Utah. I’m on some of the panels. I’ve actually gained the status of “local author” which is pretty damn cool.  A huge step up from “wannabe author”.  This is also gunshow weekend, and will be the first show that I’ve ever missed since we got into the business.  The guys will just have to handle it without me, because I’m going to be arguing about Star Trek vs. Star Wars all weekend. 

Politically, when I started this blog, I was fixated on the suckiness of the Republican candidates we had to choose from to run against Hillary. We wound up with my 2nd least favorite running against a Democrat who I had dismissed as the Boy Band of the election. Luckily we recently added an actual Republican to the ticket, which is nice.

Teaching wise, I’m still the busiest CCW instructor in the state, as far as I know. I’m teaching a lot more pistol, and having a really good time doing it.  I recently had somebody come through my class who had been to Ayoob’s LFI and Gunsite. I was a little nervous, because here was a person who has seen first rate instruction, and I was a little worried how I would stack up.  He had a great time and said that he learned a bunch of new things.  As an instructor, it doesn’t get much cooler than that.

On the personal front, my family has had a great year. We’ve had lots of good experiences, the kids are growing, and life is good. We had one beloved relative pass away, who will be missed greatly. Some close friends have gone through some serious challenges, but such is life.  

So I’m just going to keep on blogging. It has been fun.  The fact that I’m coming up on a quarter of a million hits is a little disturbing, but kind of cool.

MHI will be out in July 2009 from Baen. I spoke with Toni Weiskopf today. It will be dated as an August release, which means that it will actually start hitting stores in July.

I haven’t picked a winner for the quote contest yet, because there are just so many good ones.  Some of them are just plain laugh out loud funny.  I’m going to have to hold off until I get the revision done, and then pick one. 

You guys are awesome.

A week ago, today, I broke my toe.  And it wasn’t by doing anything cool, like kicking a ninja in the face.  Oh, no, not me.  I was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for my kids and knocked the glass bottle of grape jelly off the counter.  It landed just right on my 2nd toe on my left foot.  Of course, I was barefoot.

I’m feeling better now, but breaking toes sucks.  There’s not really anything you can do about it, except tie it to the other toes and call it good.  That’s the same thing the hospital would do, only it saved me like $200 to have my wife do it.

“You know what the difference between me and you really is?  You look out there and see a horde of evil, brain eating zombies.  I look out there and see a target rich environment.”

            -Dillis D. Freeman Jr. 11/2/2001

That was the quote that kicked off MHI. It actually has nothing at all to do with the story, but it was that quote that gave me the general vibe I needed to put together several ideas that I had into one coherant plotline, that I eventually turned into Monster Hunter International.

That quote was pretty much perfect to kick the book off. I had read that quote off of www.thefiringline.com and I contacted the poster that wrote it, and asked their permission. He had no problem with me using it, as long as I attributed it him. I’m still thankful for Dillis giving me permission to use it.

As you all know, MHI has gone on to do pretty good. Having a good opening quote helps!

I just wrapped up the rough draft of MHI:2. Looking good so far. One problem. No opening quote.  I’ve got tons of good quotes from my own characters, but I kind of want something written by somebody else.

So I would like to kick off the Offical MHI:2 Opening Quote Contest. I need a quote. You guys are smart. Many of you have read my book, and even if you haven’t, as long as it is monster related, and works with the overall MHI theme, (evil looms, cowboy up, kill it, get paid), we’re good to go.

There really aren’t any rules. You got a cool quote you think I can use. Post it. If it wins, I’ll use it. The prize?  Uh… you get attribution under whatever name you feel like me using, and so you get your name on the front page of a future best selling novel. (well, we’ll just assume best selling, you know, power of positive thinking and all that jazz).

If you think your quote is so massively awesome that you can build a whole book off it, and you don’t want me to take it, then don’t post it here!  If you post it, I’m assuimg you want me to steal it.

So bring them on. Post your original monster related quotes here.  I can’t promise that any of these will win, but even if I end up using one of your quotes and tweaking it, you still get the attribution. (assuming you want it).