Alternate Title: The Season of Familial Obligation

Some of you may be wondering: Where are all the books David promised us in late 2011? I’ve read Wrath of the White Tigress and The Storm Dragon’s Heart and now I want more. More, damn it, more!

I am deeply sorry. Nothing would make me happier than having more books out for you to read.

I am working on the next book, but things are going slowly. And at this point I’m four months behind on my publishing schedule. It’s likely that I’ll be five months behind once December ends.

I’ve been stressed by intermittent familial obligations over the last 16 months. For most of that time I was able to keep pace with my work and so I thought I could get out a number of books late this year in spite of it all. In June, the stress of obligations ratcheted up but then cooled off again. I was a month behind pace then, but figured I could catch up.

Then came September.

I won’t go into details because they would do neither me nor you any good and most of it is private in nature. Suffice to say, my parents have been in dire need of my assistance. And when my time isn’t directly occupied by helping them, I find myself unable to work. The stress of the situation sometimes leaves my mind vacant of creativity and I want nothing but rest or some mindless endeavor.

In short, I’m having to take care of things only I can take care of, things I do out of love and respect for my family. Things that are not pleasant and leave me little creative time.

But in January, my time will be my own again. The bits of work I can manage now will become torrents and new work shall appear.

If you’ve always thought Avatar: The Last Airbender needed a shot of Johnny Quest vibe, this here’s the book for you!

The Storm Dragon’s Heart

Turesobei dreamed of adventure, a way to prove he was no longer a child.

Wizards should be careful what they wish for.

Destined to become his clan’s next high wizard, studious Turesobei has constantly struggled to live up to other people’s demands and expectations, but now he’s had enough.

When his treasure-hunting father arrives with important news to discuss with the current high wizard, Turesobei spies on their secret meeting and accidentally foils an assassination attempt. As a reward his father invites him on an expedition to find an artifact known as the Storm Dragon’s Heart.

But when disaster strikes, their quest becomes a race for survival.

Aided by a sassy ninja cat-girl and a mysterious diary that transforms into a winged familiar, Turesobei must face deadly cultists, vengeful spirits, and a mad wizard from a rival clan who’s determined to use the artifact to destroy Turesobei’s homeland.

The Storm Dragon’s Heart will delight readers with a thrilling tale of exotic lands, mystical creatures, forbidden love, and fast-paced adventure. (Ages 10 and up)

Purchase the ebook at: Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

The print book is coming later this month!

Galactus would never select me. I’m a terrible herald. Norrin Radd I am not, though I, too, seek Shalla-Bal. I have been sitting on important news, failing to alert you, dear reader and friend, that my novel of heroic sword and sorcery adventure, Wrath of the White Tigress, will soon debut as the first novel from Typing Cat Press! [1]

WotWT will be available from Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and other fine ebook retailers at the highly affordable price of $4.99. The specific release date is yet unknown (though sometime in the last days of June). I will let you know as soon as I can. (The Kindle and Nook versions will appear first.)

The print version will follow in late July, priced around $10–12. Above and to the right, you can see the beautiful cover art created for WotWT by Sandara. This same cover will soon appear on the Podiobooks version as well. (I’m looking into doing an Audible version of the book for those of you who’d like to purchase the entire audiobook without interruptions.)

WRATH OF THE WHITE TIGRESS

He thought he was a hero.
She showed him the truth.
Now he’ll do any­thing to stop the man who made him a monster.

For twenty years Jaska Bavadi has faith­fully served the Palymfar Order and its Grandmaster, the powerful wizard Salahn, but an encounter with Zyrella Anthari, last high priestess of the White Tigress, shatters the spell that chained Jaska’s mind.

Now faced with the horrors he unknowingly committed against people he swore to protect, Jaska must put Salahn’s reign of cruelty to an end. Together, he and Zyrella race to save the White Tigress and stop Salahn from opening the Gates of the Underworld. An army of palymfar warriors stands in their way, but the dangerous secrets that cloud their destinies threaten to doom them first.

In the tradition of ­­Michael Moor­cock, David Gem­mell, and Glen Cook, Wrath of the White Tigress delivers a thrilling tale sword & sorcery fans will love.

[1] Full Disclosure: I am a co-founder of Typing Cat Press.

Over a month ago, on Halloween weekend, I went to World Fantasy Convention 2010. And I am writing about it at last. Yes, it was so awesome that I was overwhelmed and could not manage to translate the experience into words. Or, perhaps you’d rather I said that I was immediately engulfed by NaNoWrimo in November and couldn’t find the time? And then Thanksgiving, of course.

Those of you who know me best will suspect that outside of writing fiction I’ve just been my usual lazy self. Because I just don’t work hard on stuff that doesn’t involve the use of dialogue and actions scenes. (Maybe those dishes in the sink should speak and have sword fights?) Anyway, to that I say: Stop knowing me so well. Also, I find blogging difficult, like I do all writing that isn’t fiction or poetry. I’m not certain why that is. But maybe this site needs posts written in fiction style.

Anyway … World Fantasy Convention is a yearly gathering of fans to celebrate fantasy literature and give out the World Fantasy Awards. And by fans I mean, 850 people (attendance is capped), most of whom work in the industry or wish to work in the industry. Agents, editors, artists, and writers both published and aspiring. Sure, sure, fans also attend, but this is really a big fantasy publishing hobnobbing affair. At WFC you will not find costumes or gaming, and the dealer’s room is filled only with book dealers. It is also a convention that moves around from year to year. This one was in Columbus, Ohio.

That said, if you are just a fan and you wish to spend some up close and personal time with a few of your favorite authors, you won’t get a better chance than at WFC. Buy them a drink or five. Also, the panel I went to was excellent and I heard that all the others that I didn’t have time for were good as well.

Why didn’t I have time for panels? Because I was meeting people and socializing. A lot. Howard Andrew Jones suggested that perhaps Pepper and I had some clones stashed away because we seemed to be everywhere. Sadly, I don’t have clones. That’s why there aren’t two of me writing and bemoaning the dishes in the sink. (What, you think if I had clones I would get more housework done? A clone of me is still a clone of me, after all.)

I met everyone I could over the weekend. And I met everyone on the list Lou Anders gave me. (Thanks, Lou! I seem to continually owe you and fear you will cash in one day.) A big thanks to Jim Minz who made sure I met everyone on the list, and then some, even though he was not on the list. (Jim, if you should ever read this: I, your friend Dan, am grateful.) Additional kudos to the aforementioned Howard Jones and Michael Kabongo for introducing me to a number of other people.

I had a great time meeting and chatting with the Black Gate crew and so many others. I shall not name nor count all the many other helpful and friendly people I met because I fear I will leave someone out and then come back and edit this post a dozen times to make amends. If you met me, be assured that I am glad to have met you.

Truly, the amazing thing about WFC is how friendly everyone is and how easy it is to meet people. The binding element at WFC, a few examples notwithstanding, is a love of fantasy literature. Not whether you are published or have amazing sales figures, or anything else.

And if you do aspire to become a member of the fantasy publishing industry, you need to go. As a writer, you don’t have to. There are plenty of people who have become published and are published who never attended WFC. But it will not hurt to meet agents and editors. It will not hurt to socialize with your fellow writers. And I rather think it will help. You may find new critique partners for advice. Or, for instance, perhaps you suffer from a delusion that editors are not mere mortals but are champions of all things good and tasteful, far above you and I. Easy to do, I suppose, since they hold the power of publishing the desperate aspiring writer in their hands. But watching a couple of intoxicated editors toss Werther’s Originals off a terrace and into the lobby at 3am might absolve you of such notions. If such things were ever to happen.

So go to WFC if at all possible. And if you do go, meet everyone there that you can. That’s the point. And don’t give up. The first day started slow as we acclimated but then it kicked off into grand fashion. Also, your home base is the bar because that’s where most people will be. You may stray to the signing, the room parties most especially, and a panel or two, but always come back to the bar.

Remember, never stop meeting people. Nearly every day since WFC, I have chatted with the very last person I met. (Amanda, that is you. But maybe you knew that?) I will not dare to imagine what would have happened if I had given up. Because believe me, I was tired enough to quit. As it was, I didn’t have to take the initiative and I was bolstered by a nice cup of hot bland tea from Starbucks. (They claim it’s English breakfast but it tastes distinctly American to me.)

World Fantasy gave me new friends and connections. It also recharged my aspirational batteries. It stroked my muses, and they really like that since my ego gets most of the attention. So I am amazingly thankful for the experience and since the last day of the con I have been trying to figure out how to get to San Diego next year.

On Labor Day weekend I attended Dragon*Con! And I shall discuss now, belatedly, my experiences. Dragon*Con is the one event I attend every year without fail. Notice I said event, not convention. Dragon*Con is my new year mark, signaling a time for reflection followed by a fresh start, a time for setting new goals. I might miss a holiday celebration or such. But I will not miss D*C. For years, we couldn’t afford vacations or other cons, but we always saved up for D*C because it was the best bang for our buck. (Okay, okay. Pepper and I have a Christmas Eve ritual that we’ve never altered in 14 years. But that’s it.)

Fairy Pepper and Me

How can I best describe D*C to you? Well, as my good friend Lou Anders put it, “Dragon*Con is like Spring Break in a Fantasy World or some sort of Middle Earth Mardi Gras.” (Though I never knew the hobbits were so into goth and steampunk.)  Tens of thousands of people into alternative stuff. There is no one aspect that defines D*C. It is not a comics, gaming, sci-fi, or anime con. It is all those things and more. It is the largest fan convention, covering fans of pretty much everything geeky and cool.

I’ve only ever had one disappointing D*C, when I was sick the whole time, and I still enjoyed myself. So how was this year’s extravaganza? For me, 2010 was the best yet. I think because of all the new people I met and just a general sense of well-being and confidence. Despite family crises back home that have tugged at my sanity the last few months, I arrived at the con as healthy and happy as I have ever been, though in sore need of sleep before it even started.

I got to see a lot of the usual faces. Good friends I have known and loved for years like Will, Melissa, Jason, and Celeste. (Though I missed a few friends who were absent this year!) Spent time with some new friends such as Lou Anders and Rene and Ben Sears.

with Lou Anders and John Picacio

Met John Picacio, of whom I’d heard so much that was good, and found that it was all true. (I’m interviewing him for the October issue of Redstone Science Fiction.) Met other cool and interesting people like Mike Resnick, Clay and Susan Griffith, Jon Sprunk, Irene Gallo, Jill Maxick, and Todd Lockwood (who by accident called my wife Pepper, Pepper, thus cementing the nickname I’d already given her). Mr Resnick kindly gave me much-appreciated advice. Oh, Howard Andrew Jones of Black Gate magazine and Elizabeth and Duncan of Darkcargo. I’m certain to have forgotten some folks, and for that I’m sorry.

with Jason and Celeste

I went to podcast and writing panels. I went to concerts (CruXshadows and Voltaire). Random dancing. An all night rave. Drinks at a couple of Hyatt bars. Will and I cutting up and getting on Pepper’s nerves. Fine dining at the Landmark Cafe. Truly, much fun was had. Oh yeah, bought quite a few books, of course. And Scott Sigler’s The Starter! Stayed at the Sheraton this time. Will stay elsewhere next year, just to shake things up. Had a nice courtyard room. Perhaps the Marriott.

One bad thing about D*C 2010, the only bad thing for me: I thought the wait in line to pick up my pre-reg badge was ridiculous, worst I’ve ever had at an hour and thirty, but then I learned that people were having to sometimes wait three and four hours. (D*C, something must be done.)

Rogue from CruXshadows

Of course, the con was bigger this year, as always. But to me it seemed to increase dramatically. I don’t know what the numbers were, but I’ve been to nine of these things and I have a sort of feel for the crowds, I think. (I think lots of things, you know, and some of them must be accurate.) Friday was absolutely nuts! The crowds were Saturday-sized from previous years. Saturday felt a little bigger. (The Marriott was rocking with people and costumes! Took 20 minutes to navigate through there.) Sunday was normal Saturday-sized, like Friday had been. And Monday seemed busier as well.

Pepper and I helped at the Pyr Books booth on Monday afternoon. And assisted with the break down and packing afterward. She accomplished more than I did, steering in customers and giving out pins, telling people what Pyr was about. (Never underestimate her. I don’t.) I was so tired by that point and found it difficult to be social, but I did manage to sell a number of James Enge’s Blood of Ambrose and This Crooked Way. (Socializing, you should know, is never easy for me, but it keeps getting easier these days, so I must be doing something right.)

Prioritizing … Dragon*Con is so big with so much going on that there’s no way you can get to everything. Just isn’t possible. This year was fantastic, but there were a few important things I missed out on. I think it may be time to phase out one or two regular activities that have worn thin in order to do some new stuff. I’ve been much more social at the con the last two years, and that’s a good thing. I certainly plan to keep doing more of that.
And I have something special in mind for next year. We’ll see how it works out. Yes, it’s a secret. No, I wouldn’t stay up all night wondering about what I’m up to.

Anyway, big shout out to all my friends. Without you guys, the con wouldn’t be the same!

I forgot to mention that my interview with Lou Anders was linked by io9 and scored over 10,000 hits. They hooked it with “which novel is science fiction’s Harry Potter?”

Good stuff.

The io9 link.

Who am I? That seems like a good place to start.

I’m a scrib­bler and pod­caster who loves pulp sto­ries, espe­cially sword & sor­cery tales. My favorites are the dark, edgy ones, along the lines of Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane nov­els. It’s hard to find such sto­ries, so I write them. I call my style Dag­gers & Dev­il­try. Because it sounds cool and appro­pri­ate. And because the term “sword & sor­cery” was defiled by Hol­ly­wood cash-grabbers.

My first three nov­els of heroic fan­tasy involve set­tings inspired by East Asia, India, and Morocco. South­ern Europe in the Mid­dle Ages inspired the fourth, but I sprin­kled plenty of exoti­cism in, to be sure. I’m not opposed to writ­ing mod­ern pulp fan­tasy, or even sci-fi. In fact, I have plans for such nov­els. How­ever, they will still be Dag­gers & Dev­il­try in style.

I live in Birm­ing­ham, Alabama. My favorite sub­jects out­side of writ­ing are Dao­ism, Tai­ji­quan, pro­fes­sional foot­ball, Crim­son Tide foot­ball, ancient his­tory, diet, and fitness.

I enjoy play­ing and design­ing role-playing games. In fact, my love of pulp fan­tasy began in 1990 when a copy of the Storm­bringer role-playing game (4th edi­tion with a cover by Michael Whe­lan) caught my eye in a comic book shop just out­side of Eglin Air Force Base in Val­paraiso, Florida. Years of read­ing Michael Moor­cock, David Gem­mell, Fritz Leiber, Robert E. Howard, and oth­ers fol­lowed. Embrac­ing inter­ests aroused by the genre, I stud­ied his­tory, lit­er­a­ture, and reli­gion at the Uni­ver­sity of Alabama. (You can’t really do any­thing but write, teach, or work retail if you major in such subjects.)

I don’t travel much, but I reli­giously attend Dragon*Con in Atlanta each year. If you’re going to be there, drop me an email. We’ll gather and chat a bit. I usu­ally don’t bite.

Geez, I could go on for­ever, but I think you’ve heard enough for now.