The Battle of Leipzig Continues

After a hiatus of several months, the battle resumes. From 12:30 to 1:30, Allied reinforcements arrived. Russian guns, infantry, and cavalry hurried into battle. The Allies sought to attack and overwhelm the French center with the fresh troops and guns, while threatening on the left and right with the worn troops who had been fighting since morning. On the Allied left, the French repulsed the Prussian infantry attack on Crostewitz.

Russian artillery galloped onto the field. They quickly moved forward and unlimbered. The horse artillery fired but couldn't find the range. The heavy guns unlimbered but could not fire before the French guns opened up, damaging them and forcing them to limber and pull back. 

Russian infantry stormed toward the French center. They were met with withering fire from two batteries of Guard Artillery and French infantry. The Russian division had to fall back with heavy losses.

To the right, a Russian infantry brigade assaulted a French infantry brigade and drove them back. Both brigades suffered tremendous casualties. The Allies followed up that success by throwing three waves of Guard cuirassiers at the French infantry and artillery still at the base of the hill. The French turned back the first two waves. The third wave of horse and steel overwhelmed the defenders, breaking the formation and destroying the infantry and the guns.

The pair of red squares with Xs in the middle mark the location of the clash of cuirassiers and infantry with artillery. The cavalry withdrew after their victory rather than brave the French guns on the hill. The other square with the X marks the location of French infantry brigade before it was driven back by the Russian infantry. The X with the circle marks the location where that same Russian infantry disintegrated under French artillery fire. Farther to the right, Allied artillery fired ineffectively against the French troops in the town. The Russian infantry had yet to work up the courage to again assault the town after the terrible fighting there during the morning.

The Prussians targeted Crostewitz on the bank of the river with three batteries and pushed a brigade forward to attack in the confusion. The artillery fire failed to do any damage and didn't cause enough confusion to prevent the young guard troops in the town from driving away the Prussian infantry before the assault could build momentum. On the other hand, the French young guard artillery zeroed-in on the Prussian guns and eliminated two of the three batteries. The two boxes with Xs in them mark the location where the Prussian guns were destroyed. They had taken heavy losses in earlier counter-battery fire, so a successful barrage on each finished the destruction.

More Allied guns, infantry and horse are on their way. The French dice have been pretty terrible, turning initiative back to the Allies almost as soon as the French received it. Fortunately, the fire from the French artillery has more than compensated for the initiative problem. In addition the French are already in position, so the plentiful reaction opportunities they get have been adequate for the defense.

_________________________

The Shrinking Zone is still only 99 cents! Click the link at the top of the page. I've cunningly disguised it with the label: "The Shrinking Zone."

 Interview with

Robert G. Williscroft

Author of: The Oort Chronicles and The StarChild Trilogy

(I'm going to take a guess and suggest that Robert is on the right in the photo.)

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I am halfway through writing the 2^nd Oort Chronicle, Federation: To the Stars. It follows Icicle: A Tensor Matrix. In Icicle, Braxton Thorpe (a wealthy entrepreneur) dying of cancer arranges for his head to be cryonically preserved upon his death. He wakens in an electronic matrix where he discovers the presence of another intelligence, the Oort, that is older than humanity, and learns of an impending existential threat to both the Oort and humanity—an alien invasion. They engage the invading aliens and prevail, capturing two aliens. In Federation, after Thorpe has saved the Oort and humanity, together with the Oort, he establishes the Oort Federation—to coordinate the activities of humans and Oort throughout the Solar System. They develop an FTL drive, deal with intransigent rogue elements in the Solar System, discover the truth about the Oort and the alien invasion, and eventually mount an expedition to the home system of the invaders who attacked the Solar System in Icicle.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

The inspiration for The Oort Chronicles is linked to the inspiration for Slingshot, the first book in The Starchild Trilogy. I spent a year at the geographic south pole in charge of the National Science Foundation’s atmospheric projects at the pole. I took several scientific papers with me to study during my sojourn. One paper by Keith Lofstrom was very exciting. It described the science and technology for building a Space Launch Loop—a way for getting into orbit and beyond without using rockets. When I returned to the U.S., I looked Keith up, and we spent several days together working out the basis for a novel that chronicled the construction of the world’s first Space Launch Loop between the Pacific equatorial islands of Baker Island and Jarvis Island. That became my noel Slingshot. It was launched in Seattle at the International Space Elevator Conference, and every Space Elevator scientist in the world has a copy of this novel on his or her desk.

A couple of years ago, Keith and I were discussing his latest work. He described ServerSky to me. This is an orbit-based global internet concept where the backbone of the network consists of billions of  10-cm thinsat chips in orbit that collectively form a powerful, self-powered, global-coverage internet system. Independently, for years I have played around with the concept of cryogenic preservation of a human body or brain for later revival when appropriate technology is available. I discussed this with Keith, and he suggested that the Oort Cloud could easily support thinsats made of ice that could function like his ServerSky thinsats. I combined these three concepts, ServerSky around Earth, ServerSky in the Oort Cloud, and cryogenic preservation of a human head, to form the basis for Icicle: A Tensor Matrix and the subsequent volumes of The Oort Chronicles.

Do you write in more than one genre?

I do. I write Hard Science Fiction, as already discussed, and I write Cold War submarine and diving espionage technothrillers. These are based upon my own personal experiences during the Cold War as a nuclear submariner and saturation diver.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

My research is meticulous. The science, engineering, and technology in my stories, whether SciFi or technothrillers, are accurate, genuine, or reasonably projected from what we know today. Combine that with my ability through language to make complex topics understandable to ordinary people.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I firmly believe that I am the captain of my ship and the master of my fate. My principal characters exhibit this trait.

In real life, I led a team of saturation divers who locked out of a bottomed sub and tapped into Soviet underwater communications cables. I spent 22 months underwater as a submariner, a year at the geographic south pole, three years in the Arctic ice pack, and a year conducting manganese nodule research off a ship in the equatorial Pacific.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I try to respond personally to every communication I receive from readers. I am happy to appear at book clubs, reading circles, and the like, if they are within reasonable driving distance.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Two authors come to mind: John B. Rosenman, author of The Inspector of the Cross series, and Alastair Mayer, author of The T-Space Series.

Inspector of the Cross Series.

The Inspector of the Cross is a Boris Vallejo/Frank Frazetta painting brought to life within the pages of a classic space opera yarn. Turtan is the epitome of a Frazetta/Vallejo hero, a man’s man, a warrior full of derring-do and wild adventure. The women in his life, human or otherwise, are as eye-filling and lethal as anything Vallejo or Frazetta ever imagined. Step aside, Barbarella – you ain’t got nuthin’ on Yaneta! Rosenman doesn’t worry about the niceties of biology or physics as he spins this delightful yarn, and he blows away political correctness. You might not want your pre-teen to read this, but any red-blooded young man or woman will love this far-future adventure.

Alternatively, The Inspector of the Cross is a complex study of religious and cultural differences. Rosenman imagines a far future where two dramatically different cultures wage war over vast distance and time. Turtan has lived nearly 4,000 years, mostly in cryosleep. His subjective life is about 40. As “Inspector of the Cross,” he represents the Empire of the Cross – the Holy Roman Empire that rules all humanity in this distant future. Opposed to the humans are the Cen, a cruel, logical race that is slowly winning the war. Without FTL drives, communications time is measured in decades or centuries. Turtan pops in and out of the normal time stream as he travels in frozen sleep over interstellar distances. The Cen are sufficiently similar to humans, that they can interbreed, and they each are attracted to their sexual opposites in the other race. The Cen are not inhibited by Human moral constraints, and so are winning the war. Turtan continues his quest for a weapon that will allow Humans to overcome. Anyone who has read the Christian religious classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress, cannot help but see the parallel between Turtan and the Pilgrim. I do not know whether or not Rosenman intended this parallel, but while Turtan is significantly more lusty and warrior-like than the Pilgrim, their lives are remarkably parallel. Rosenman introduces the Jax, a ubiquitous small sentient race who act as servants to both Humans and Cen. The Jax, however, are more than they seem, taking on a role hauntingly similar to that of the angels that help the Pilgrim from time to time.

If you like science fiction, and especially if you like space opera, you will love this series!

The T-Space Series.

Unlike John Rosenman’s writings, Alastair May writes genuine hard science fiction. The science and engineering are real or reasonable projections of what is real today. Humanity is ready to travel to the stars. The Western Block nations have developed a working spacewarp drive based upon the Alcubierre solutions to Einstein’s General Relativity equations. The drive requires a huge amount of power, but Western Block fusion reactors are too large to fit into the warp bubble the drive creates. The Chinese Block nations have developed a smaller fusion reactor that will fit into the warp bubble, and so the two blocks combine their technologies to undertake the first interstellar trip to Alpha Centauri. In the Alpha Centauri system and other systems they eventually visit, they discover terraformed planets, modified 50 million years ago to exact human standards.

As humanity expands away from Earth, explorers continue to discover terraformed planets comprising what comes to be called T-Space. The series consists of two parts, the initial exploration and settlement of the terraformed planets (The Alpha Centauri Series and The Kalkuloa Series), and about 50 years later, the T-Space Archeology Series with archeologist Hanibal Carson and starship pilot Jackie Roberts who search for the race that did the terraforming while dealing with ancient, primitive cultures and interstellar criminal syndicates.

This is hard SciFi as good as it gets.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

What a tough question 😊 My just published First Oort Chronicle, Icicle: A Tensor Matrix, comes to mind as my most sophisticated, thought-provoking novel yet. It introduces the radical concepts of human-to-electronic uploads, immortality, wormhole transportation, FTL travel, and believable interstellar conflict. On the other hand, The Starchild Compact & The Iapetus Federation, the second and third volumes of The Starchild Trilogy taken together, constitute a magnificent epic saga of humanity’s expansion into the Solar System and beyond, driven by outside forces beyond human control and by forces on Earth that may very well be incubating within today’s international cauldron.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

My surviving birth was probably the pivotal event that enabled my writing career. More to the spirit of the question, however, I have lived a life of adventure dramatically different from most people. I grew up in Europe, spent 22 months underwater, a year in the equatorial Pacific, three years in the Arctic ice pack, and a year at the Geographic South Pole. These experiences give me a unique perspective on life and what is possible. For example, spending nine months at the South Pole in isolation with 16 other people helped me to understand how a crew might handle a trip to Mars.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

How large of an advance would you like for this manuscript?

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

I am the captain of my ship and the master of my fate. In my world, someone doesn’t make me angry. If I get angry, this is my reaction to an internal or external stimulus. In my world, I am responsible for my failures and successes. You do not receive my respect automatically; you have to earn that. I will always treat you with courtesy, however, until and unless you demonstrate your unworthiness. I am very fond of something the Honorable Dean Alfange wrote back in the early 20^th century:

I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not
wish to be a kept citizen humbled and dulled
by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and
to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to the
guaranteed existence; the thrill of
existence to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence
nor my dignity for a handout. I will never
cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefits of
my creations and to face the world boldly and say,
this I have done.

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of ’22. Hamilton offers the “Dean Alfange Essay Prizes” established by Dean Alfange and awarded to the students who write the best and second-best essays on a feature or an issue of American constitutional government.

Alfange was the American Labor candidate for governor of New York and a founder of the Liberal Party of New York.

____________________________

Thanks to Robert for participating in the interview. It's not every day that submariners and antarctic visitors drop by.

I got to enjoy some time with my oldest daughter yesterday. I was telling her that we should do a podcast together. When it came to titles, I suggested something like, "I Hate Everything You Like." She suggested, "Cover Your Ears, My Dad is Talking." We're on the same wavelength.

 

Interview with Raymond Klein 

Author of Interstellar Police Force

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

The Interstellar Police Force, Book One: The Historic Mission, is my first novel and can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YXTFBGT/

This Science Fiction-Action-Comedy, set on present day Earth, begins in a far-off galaxy. Prodor Moffit and four other prisoners have escaped to Earth and it's up to two IPF Agents to find them. But, right off, they are met with problems.

The first is that they have limited information on the human race that only goes up to the late 1950's. The second is that the Agents are alien in appearance, so to complete their covert mission they must replicate themselves into humans. The commander's replication succeeds, but due to a computer glitch his partner is replicated into a Doberman Pincher. 

With mid-twentieth century information in hand, the agents successfully land. And with the help of a young Earth girl who unwittingly discovers their true identities, the mission to re-capture Prodor Moffit and the other prisoners is on.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

The idea actually came to me in a song that was playing on the radio as I was driving home one day.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

Right now it's science fiction.

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I think it's the humorous parts in the book that makes it standout. If you like Douglas Adams and the short lived TV show Firefly, then I think you'll like this series.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Again, I think it would be the humor that I've added to my characters.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Well, I guess it would be that I did have a Doberman by the name of Genghis Khan and I do have a 1959 Ford Thunderbird sitting in my garage. And no, it doesn't run!

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

I really can't think of any one author or book that is underrated.

 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Well since this is my first novel it would be The Interstellar Police Force, Book One: The Historic Mission. But, I am about 98% finished with The Interstellar Police Force, Book Two: The Beauty of Violence. It just needs a little polishing up and then to the editors. But, in my humble opinion, Two is as good or better then Book One.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

This is my first novel so, I'm still kinda waiting for that fortuitous event to happen to get my career moving.

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Dear Mr. Klein,

         May I buy the rights to your novel?

  Sincerely,

S. Spielberg.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it? 

Well, in my novel Genghis Khan is always saying, “Geez O' Cow!” in frustration. I got that phase from a co-worker. It cracked me up the first time I heard it. And a quote I take to heart is from Ray Bradbury, “One thousand words a day.”

 

 

The power of the One Ring was indeed formidable. From the moment the fiends of Moria splintered the massive doors to Balin's Tomb, RC began to consider the possibility of having Frodo put on the ring. RC controlled Gandalf, Aragon, and Frodo. K-man controlled the other members of the fellowship. Big-K ran the forces of Moria. The outlook wasn't brilliant for the fellowship nine that day. In the dark mines of Khazad-dum they're trapped and know the cave troll comes.

Big-K evaluated the fellowship and sensed the danger in Legolas' bow. The elf could shoot twice with one action, or shoot once for an increased level of damage. The K-man called this the "mega-arrow" option. The goblins managed to put two arrows into the blonde Barbie-man, but the wounds were not serious. Aragorn managed to heal the elf before the action got too intense. The halflings stayed to the rear, but eventually Big-K, realizing that he could win by killing any four of the fellowship sent scurvy minions who had entered on the flanks to attack the half-pint skulkers. Once again, RC wondered if the situation had become desperate enough to have Frodo slip the ring onto his finger. I told him the situation was not desperate. He thought that it might be, but refrained for the time being. 

As events continued, RC had Gandalf cast a light spell to annoy the attackers and put them at a disadvantage in combat. Shortly thereafter, Big-K rolled the trigger for the cave troll to enter. Amazingly, RC succeeded in getting Gandalf to cast a manipulate spell on the creature. He had the brute turn against the smaller fiends. Everyone anticipated great havoc among the attackers when the cave troll would seize, smash, and bash the imps of Moria. That anticipation withered like a tender sprout in an inferno when the fellowship fumbled that piece of fantastic fortune with a terrible toss to return control to the bad guys. 

New waves of attackers streamed across the broken fragments of the chamber doors, bringing darkness and nothing more. The cave troll, now free of the spell, strode forward with chain and spear, wearing terror and radiating fear. Gimli wrought stern work with double axes to slaughter goblins. Boromir slew a minion or two. Sam and Frodo with Merry's help surprised the pair of goblins who dared test their skill. Legolas put shafts through a couple as well. RC thought that perhaps now was the time for Frodo to slip into invisibility by using Sauron's trinket, but he held off when he understood that doing so carried the very slight risk that Frodo would fall under Sauron's control--and the game would be lost, along with all of Middle Earth.

The cave troll waded in--right into another of Gandalf's spells. The wizard put a hold spell on the monster. The fellowship kept the initiative. The full-sized warriors stabbed it with their steely knives, but they just couldn't kill the beast--you know, Hotel Moria, you can cry out any time you like, but you can never leave. They inflicted many wounds on the troll, but his Durable Plus attribute prevented him from succumbing to the attacks. Legolas countered the troll's special attribute with a "mega-arrow." K-man went through his ritual of choosing his two dice. He put them together with the sixes toward him before taking them in cupped hands. He licked his lips. He began shaking the dice, as he always did, right up to the point that the numbers were about to fall from the cubes. He cast the bones for a paltry sum. He spent one of his remaining special points to re-roll one die. The result proved but mediocre. Legolas' attempt proved bootless--not doubt he was distracted, thinking about that Lothlorien Leaves and Lembas Shampoo commercial he had scheduled for next week.

The fellowship had the upper hand. The cave troll had been sorely wounded. The Moria imps were dying by the score, but RC thought he needed something more. He deemed the situation to be desperate. The weight of the ring grew heavy upon him. He moved Frodo toward the cave troll. No cowering halfling here. He would bring the fight to the beast. He meant to strike a blow for the shire, to bring honor upon all the hobbits and their countrymen. However, he had been warned that Big-K would direct the cave troll to attack Frodo. He took precautions. It's tough to fight someone you can't see. Frodo could fight RC's will no longer. Frodo put on the ring. RC took up the dice and shook them round and round for the fate of nine travelers and the whole of Middle Earth. He shook and shook while Sauron's eye scanned the land from shore to shore. When the speckled bones came to rest upon the blood-stained floor, Sauron's eye pierced the chamber door. When would the fellowship escape the mines? Quoth the cave troll, "Nevermore." Somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout. But there was no joy for the fellowhip--mighty RC had struck-out. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory giving control of the ring to Sauron.

Even though good lost in the worst possible way, we still had a good time. Evil was not dismayed at all. RC seemed unconcerned that he had contributed to the mass enslavement of all of Middle Earth to the dark lord. He was imagining what the next adventure would bring.

 

Author Interview with

Samantha Evans

Author of: Dragon Master and The Land of Four Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

My newest book which will be released on May 3rd:

Arabella is a girl of high standing, and her father wants her to marry someone she barely knows. But she wants to be someone more than just a member of the court. With the help of some new friends and her curiosity, will she get her to wish to become what she wants, or will there be barriers along the way.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

Just a new idea came to my mind. It is going to be a two-book series. 

Do you write in more than one genre?

Just fantasy fiction. 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I love writing in the first person. 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I am a loving fan of fantasy fiction. Reading books have been a hobby of mine. 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Being a mom of three reading, and writing has become a common thing I do at home every day. 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

My dear Friend Vicky Peplow writes fictional historical thrillers. Here is a blurb about her most recent book:After Billy loses his life in a mining accident, he becomes the carrier of the Old Coal Miner's Lamp, helping to guide other lost souls on their way to the Light.

Mike begins having strange flashes of the past and seeks out the help to make sense of what he is going through.

Danielle answers the call to assist Mike with his visions, but when she too begins to have some strange sensations, will she continue to search for the truth or steer clear of the unknown?

Connections will be revealed and a darkness will rear its head along the way.

Will Billy, Mike, and Danielle be able to work together to overcome the obstacles and defeat the darkness?

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Ella is everyone’s favorite. Due to how it is about a dragon who helps someone and they develop a deep friendship. 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

After writing, and publishing Ella I realized that I can continue on with writing and not be afraid. 

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it? 

“ Never give up on your dreams.” My grandma says that to me. Always stuck to me, and when I write I think about this all the time. 

______________________

Thanks to Samantha for participating. Her book covers are stunning.

For those of you who may recall that I sometimes refer to the home here as Le Chateau du Chat Gris, I give you evidence of the reason for the nomenclature.

Although my wife and daughter have another name for the cat, to me she is Lynx. I'll include another picture and more information about her in my February newsletter, which you can get here to keep up to date on my books and special deals. Last year I made some of my books free and put the rest at only 99 cents for a couple days -- only my newsletter subscribers got notice of that limited time deal. I'll also give a short book review in the February newsletter.

In my writing this week, I sent off a short story. I'm rereading Threading the Rude Eye, book one in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. I have to admit that once I get a few chapters in, the story really captures me. Some of the characters don't have the depth and richness that they will eventually acquire, but the mystery and incompleteness of exactly what they plan to do and how they plan to do it intrigues me. The reread is a good way to get back into the story as I write book 5 in the series.

 

Well, Pilgrim, if you're wondering what all the fuss is about, I'll explain it to you.

 For your reading pleasure, I've attached two excerpts from The Shrinking Zone, which is still available for only 99 cents in ebook, and $9.99 in paperback. Links to all of my books are directly above. You can also find them here.

I selected these two excerpts at random, with the only proviso being that they didn't give away too much of the story, or spoil for future readers the outcome of the scenes from which I took them. As always, the author has generously approved my use of these excepts.

Excerpt one:

Rodrigo waited for Vince to tear out on the four-wheeler before he sent the Jeep hurtling through the sagebrush and the darkness. He rapidly increased his speed, going straight for the space between two sets of headlights. The one on his right must have caught sight of him, for the black SUV veered away and slid to a stop. Rodrigo didn’t slow. The other SUV didn’t stop, but instead turned toward the Jeep. The maneuver sprayed a plume of dirt into the air.

Rodrigo cut hard left, going through the dirt-laden darkness the SUV had vacated. The SUV spun around in pursuit. Everything not locked down in the Jeep bounced, rattled and banged. The jockey box which hadn’t latched properly flopped open when the front end of the Jeep found a badger hole. The box of shells bounced out when the Jeep came down. Bullets spilled from the open box to scatter like frightened mice on the floorboard.

Rodrigo couldn’t spare a hand to shut the jockey box or to...

Excerpt Two:

Outside a few torches appeared in the night. Red eyes gleamed in the torchlight.

Don pushed the two women out the back door. "Go. Ride. Hurry, or you’ll never get out of here.”

...

A torch appeared from the corner of the house. Diana’s M4 spit a single shot. The torch and the exper who held it fell back around the corner.

“Don’t forget these,” Kim said, tossing Don the keys to the Buick.

“Go.” Don slapped the horses as they turned away.

Horses and riders disappeared into the night.

Don moved to the hayshed and peeked around to where he could see the lane. The first set of headlights started to make the turn to come to the front door. A storm of rocks and a piece of rebar struck the F-150.

Another fine review posted on Amazon for The Shrinking Zone last week. I'll share it in my newsletter which you can get here.

In other news, the review and edit of the new short story are complete. I implemented most of the changes my proofreader suggested. I will give the story another once over before I send it off this week.

I begin phase III of my workout program tomorrow. It's not part of some new year's resolution. I started the program in November. As you may suspect, my new year's resolution was, "I aim to misbehave." Which reminds me that I'm in the middle of a Firefly rewatch. I highly recommend it as instructional material on the elements of good story telling. It's also great fun. 

I've gone over the first 20K words of the next book in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series, adding and subtracting along the way. Antonio is the brightest light in that part of the story, but Alex and Lucette are getting the next steps in their respective adventures set up. Alex has made a particularly exciting advancement in his use of the essence. I still need to outline, at least in some general way, the next part of the tale for Iago and Atu, as well as for Akram and the other dragon hunters with their new acquaintances Frode and Njal. Lt. Roberts and his new pet are going to be a formidable obstacle for Alex and the patriot soldiers. The Commander is also likely to return to the New World, bringing the death and destruction which attend his presence both on and off the battlefield.

 

Author Interview with Christopher Keene

Author of

Cycle of Blades and more

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m editing a romance fantasy book that’s passion project for me. Here’s the blurb:

When Princess Emily is poisoned, ex-poisoner and journeyman Holt Gnarl goes on a quest to find the rare flower needed for the antidote. The flower is on the other side of a country riddled with plague, and Holt must obtain it before the month is up. To add to an already dire situation, the duke’s troublesome middle child, a young woman named Riva, follows him to escape the expectations of being a nobleman’s daughter.

When the duke’s men don’t come to take Riva home and Holt fails to get her to return, Holt allows her to accompany him. Encountering both beasts and brigands on the road, Riva insists Holt tutor her in the art of poisoning. Holt agrees, but Riva soon discovers that many of his skills are due to the various masters he trained under, not all of whom he left on good terms. As she meets each of Holt’s old mentors, Riva comes to understand both how Holt grew to be the man he is and the type of woman she must be to survive in such a threatening world.

Forced to take on the role of master and protector until Riva can fend for herself, Holt experiences the struggles his mentors went through when he was their student. These struggles help him to confront his past and settle old scores while also exacerbating Riva’s feelings toward him and his hidden feelings toward her. Although bogged down by losses and reconciliations, Holt and Riva persist in their journey. Time is ticking, and the life of Riva’s sister hangs in the balance.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

True Grit, Howl’s Moving Castle, Uprooted, a bunch of places.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Arguably. Fantasy and Sc-fi generally get lumped together though.

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

In fantasy, my books are usually stand alone so it actually has an ending, which it the problem with a lot of modern never-ending series. Plus, they’re good. You don’t have to trust me. Read them yourself.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I guess my relationships. I’ve been with my girlfriend for over a decade and I think our interactions come out a lot in the heroes and heroines.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I don’t care about anyone’s identity when it comes to writing. I judge people’s work on its own.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Matthew Stover’s Heroes Die is my favorite book, and I don’t hear his name being passed around much.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

At the moment, Cycle of Blades for adults, War of Kings and Monster for children or young adults. Each of them is standalone fantasy and decent examples of my work.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I got picked up by a small American publisher when I was in my early twenties, who have supported my early work.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

What doing think of [insert story element]? E.g. realistic villains, magic systems, made up cultures, twists and foreshadowing. Literally anything to do with story telling.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

I quite like Spike Speigel’s “Whatever happens, happens” from Cowboy Bebop as it acknowledges the chaos of existence and our lack of control over it.

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Thanks to Christopher for participating. I particularly like both the title and cover on the last picture  I posted there.

Here at the Chateau du Chat Gris, January grips us tightly in its frigid hand. Yesterday at the hardware store where I stood in line, but then elected not to buy the overpriced product I had planned to get, I overheard a guy talking about frozen pipes under the house. The snow which fell in copious amounts hardened during a few days when the temperatures fluctuated between below freezing and slightly above freezing. The cat walks over it with no difficulty, but the rest of us break through in a crunch-thump pattern as we walk across it. Those places in town where the sidewalks didn't get shoveled have become treacherous trails of uneven ice and snow. One such place includes my path to the courthouse. Sometimes is easier to walk in the street that to brave those perilous paths. January is not one of my favorite months, even though some of my favorite people were born during the month.

As for my writing, not only have I edited the short story (after I sent it to the proofreader), I have also started on book 5 of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. I'm going over the 20 some thousand words I had on it before I had to break to write The Shrinking Zone - which is still available for only 99 cents. I'm toying with an idea for science fiction story - and adding to it as I go. After that I'll outline the rest of the book.

In the meantime, perhaps you could benefit from this bit of wisdom.