I’ve not been saying much about the Sad Puppies controversy lately, because right now it is out of my hands. Some employees of a publishing house said some pretty outlandish things, and their customers are ticked and writing lots of letters. I’m staying out of that one.

But some author friends had this made for me and sent as a gift. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to be identified. 🙂 The holster was made by Dennis Badurina of Dragon Leatherworks That is python, and it looks way cooler in person than it does in the pictures too. It is really pretty. Yes, that is a Sad Puppy with a rocket ship. This is really a pretty piece of leather.

All of my regular 1911s are ugly working guns (like the Springfield in the picture). I’m going to have to buy something pretty just to go in this. This is a barbeque gun set up. Eldest Daughter has been shooting a lot (and getting pretty darned good) and she has already tried to claim this holster for herself (“but Dad, it is pink!). This is the same daughter who has tried to claim my custom STI Tac 4.15 9mm (the Lorenzo gun) for herself. I think this is part of her plot to get her own 1911. Clever kid.

Dragon Leatherworks also did a bunch of the props for Jurassic World.  http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/2015/06/10/oak-ridge-gun-shop-crafts-props-for-jurassic-world-movie/71046122/

I will be signing books at the Cottonwood Corners Barnes & Noble, in Albuquerque, Saturday July 11th at 2:00.

I’m in town for a family thing, but having never stopped anywhere in New Mexico to sign before, I figured I had better do this. I’ve spoken to a lot of you online and look forward to meeting you in person.

Normally signings are for when a new book comes out, but since Son of the Black Sword doesn’t drop until October, if you have any particular title of mine you want to make sure they have copies on hand to sign, you can call and request them at 505-792-4234. Otherwise bring your old stuff in, or just drop by and say hi.

You might have noticed that I’ve not posted much about this topic lately. My original points, that there is political bias in the system, which would result in slander and sabotage, has been pretty well proven. I don’t have much else to add.

Recently a Tor editor said something false and asinine. This is kind of a tradition, but for a bunch of fans this was the final straw. People got really mad (it turns out regular fans don’t like being called neo-nazis) and this time the comments came to the attention of Tor management.

I’ve personally stayed out of this one. I’m used to being lied about by these people. However, it turns out regular fans aren’t. Go figure. 🙂

As far as I’m concerned, this is between Tor and its customers. A bunch of folks have come out to condemn Tom Doherty as a misogynist for trying to protect his company, and more #standwithGallo to double down on her comments about how everybody who disagrees with them politically is a racist, sexist, homophobe. That’s awesome. You guys do far more to prove my original contention than anything I could have ever done on my own.

Here are some articles that I really enjoyed about the topic.

The first is from an author which goes into her personal history to explain why the Tor editor’s comments offended so many people.  I found this one pretty powerful.

https://www.affsdiary.com/shadow/2015/06/10/nazi-is-not-a-term-you-throw-around-lightly/

The next is from another author who has traded fire with actual neo-nazis, and I don’t mean argued on the internet fire, I mean literal bullets. In South Africa, Peter put his life on the line to stand up against real actual evil, lost friends, and is still picking shrapnel out of his body.

http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/an-open-letter-to-tom-doherty-of-tor.html

I recommend both of those to put this latest business in perspective.

On a related note, this one was sent to me yesterday. It is a pretty good summary from somebody who wasn’t involved. http://www.contrapositivediary.com/?p=3432

People keep asking me to fisk the latest dumb attack articles, but it is all the same regurgitated nonsense. The Gawker one in particular was just asinine. But I’ve said what I need to say for now, and in the meantime these books aren’t going to write themselves.

It looks like I’ll be going to Albuquerque, New Mexico next month for a family thing, and since I’ve never been there before I might as well try to do a book signing while I’m there.

So Albuquerque residents, who should I contact? I love B&Ns, Books a Million, etc, so if you’ve got a chain there with a particular store that does a lot of sci-fi and fantasy that’s great, but if you’ve got some indy places that you really like there, let me know.

You can’t write a big fantasy novel without a map. That’s just how it is. I’ve always wanted a book with a map in it. This is from the Son of Black Sword landing page over at Baen.  http://www.baen.com/sonoftheblacksword_draft.asp

The extremely talented Isaac Stewart did the maps for this project. I’ve been a fan of his work since Mistborn.

EDIT: the sample chapters and a free short story are at that link too.