Sergeant Hellington may not look like it, but he’s someone you want covering your back.
He is a Sharaith denizen of Sufrinzon that can swim and breath the corrosive auv of its rivers and oceans as easily as walking the surface and taking in the wretched air.
As a squad leader of the Velsuvian Marines, the Sarge provides the Brigands unflinching support in their many conflicts against the ever-expanding Palle Empire. Ashe Stelfire heeds this respected comrade’s grizzled advice and considers him a friend.
But there’s something off about Hellington.
Superior officers are visibly fearful of him. He has been known to make orders that admirals then scramble to voice as the official word from the official chain of command.
He never faces repercussions for this seeming insubordination. Then again, the Sarge may have other secrets that motivates the superior officers’ deference to him.
…until they get a paper cut on their thumb. Yes, not as memorable as Mike Tyson’s “punched in the face” quote, but a paper cut is probably more apt for a writer. Less painful too.
I recently bought the Atticus formatting software, which I’ll be using to revise the formats in my ebooks and print books in the coming months after I’ve finished The Game War’s first draft.
My ultimate plan is to leverage this to offer both ebook bundles with 4-8 main novels and .5 bonus content novellas. While I’m at it, I intend to offer Repenter: The Hidden Chapters and Brigands: The Favor as a combined paperback. These two bonus stories are too thin to make their own paperback.
Plus I’m also thinking about doing hardback collections through Ingram Spark.
For example, I’d offer both Repenter and the Hidden Chapters in one hardcover collection. Then offer Brigands and the Favor as another hardcover collection. You get the idea.
My thinking on that is that if someone is going to pony up the money to pay for the premium version, they should also get some extra content. That’s the plan.
But what do you think? Does this plan for hardbacks make sense to you as I expand into other formats? Or do you think I should try a different approach?
If you’re so inclined, you can vote and provide feedback in the poll below.
As a reward, you will get a special message from Homer and Bart on the Frinkiac about this month’s character spotlight. Or you can even email me with the Contact tab above if you have other thoughts on the matter.
What do you think?
Vote on the Players of the Game Future Hardback Formats Plan and get a bonus message from Homer and Bart on the Frinkiac
Sickness within the household has thankfully given way to better health. So productivity has returned to its prior steady pace. I reached page 520 with about 146,800 words in The Game War. Last month’s stats were at page 479 with 135,300 words. And this month had a few less days from last month’s productivity check.
Making it past page 500 is another milestone, and I hope to have the rough draft finish out between 600-700 pages. Then I will let it set for a while and perform a lot of editing and reformatting of my back list. Ever onward!
Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:
Ramansa (to Vick): I’ll say this, darling. Your toys have me slightly envious.
Recommendation Corner
The Peripheral on Amazon Prime
I saw the trailer for this show and thought it looked intriguing, especially since it’s based on a William Gibson story. Without giving away the twists, it focuses on a sister and brother in the near future in a small rural community in the American South. They are VR gaming whizzes and they get an offer to test a new immersive game that looks and feels like real life. The stakes for this supposed game quickly escalate, and they discover that the game’s world is not what it seemed. Chloe Grace Moretz does a great job as an intelligent resourceful lead. And Jack Reynor as her war veteran brother has some heavy Bill Paxton vibes, which I enjoyed immensely. Give it a watch.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Yes, I like most of Stephen King’s catalog and I think he is one of the best storytellers in history. Even if you disagree with that statement, you can’t deny the man’s sheer output.
OK, stepping off the soapbox. This story focus on a teenager named Charlie who finds himself taking care of a grouchy old neighbor named Howard Bowditch and his equally old German Sheppard, Radar. It focuses much on promises, guilt, and obligation. The first part of the book spends a good chunk of time in our world in order to get the reader invested in Charlie, Howard, and Radar’s relationships. Of course, the weird, horrible, and fantastical ultimately make an appearance, and Charlie must plunge into it. I’m listening to it on Audible and Stephen King even makes a brief vocal appearance in reading a section that makes sense from a story standpoint. Good stuff.
Faith Nyms is a supremely competent ops commander in New Grelland’s military. She often provides strategy and insight to the upper levels of leadership including the Burnhelt family.
She must strive all the harder for the respect of her peers due to her long romance with Matt Burnhelt. Despite what could be seen as a position of nepotism, she is widely considered to be the best commander in the entire Grellish armed forces.
She is often serious, but deeply loves Matt. Perhaps obsessively so. Faith is very seldom apart from him.
And she has a soft spot for his brother, Ed.
His quips are often the cause of Faith’s stifled or no-so-stifled chuckles.
It’s been a long stretch past Halloween this week after the icky un-fun that is Covid payed an unwelcome visit to our house. Boo! But we kicked it to the curb with the help of the omicron booster jabbed a few weeks back for one of us and anti-viral meds for the other. Yay!
That regrettably hit my writing productivity this time around, just in time for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which occurs every November.
In chatting with a friend about it just a day or two ago, he said he uses it as a motivator to get words on a page for various projects, irrespective of their status as a novel or something else. And I absolutely commend him for it.
I tried NaNoWriMo several years ago, wanting to get as much words as possible, while knowing that I wouldn’t actually finish the novel. I flamed out after about a week and it took many more sessions to get back into a writing rhythm.
I learned that I’m much more of a distance runner than a sprinter when it comes to writing. My productivity may not win races, but I pride myself on getting across the finish line.
For me, every month is NaNoWriMo. It’s one part of the larger marathon. Still, it would be nice to beat last month’s so-so results.
And I shall endeavor to do just that.
One word at a time.
Players of the Game Works in Progress
As indicated above, the week of Covid did no favors to much in my life, including my writing productivity. I reached page 479 with about 135,300 words. Last months stats had me at page 440 with about 124,300. There’s a few extra days on this round since this reader group email is coming a bit further into the month.
So. Yeah. Not great. But better than nothing. Keep at it. And keep writing. I hear this month is nationally dedicated to it or something.
Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:
Hekati: You deserve this. You killed the airborne kliost. You murdered a new world before it was born. Everything that will happen. Know that you have it coming.
Recommendation Corner
The Witcher: Season of Storms- Andrzej Sapkowski, translated by David French
To use a term from Joanna Penn’s podcast, this is an “inbetweenisode” for the Witcher series. The ever-grouchy and horny Geralt finds himself embroiled in the twisted politics of a kingdom with a looming succession crisis, the nightmarish creatures created by mad sorcerers, and a few supernatural canines.
Geralt just wants to get his stolen swords back and get out. Circumstances conspire to prevent him from doing just that.
It’s nice to see a new novel adventure of the Witcher. Sapkowski imbues the characters with compelling dialogue and motivations. And the monsters are extra grotesque.
Special credit must also go to the translator David French. I’m reasonably sure that the prose pops all the more in English thanks to his efforts.
Andor on Disney+
This show is dissimilar to any other Star Wars movies or series of the Disney era. It’s not focused at all on the Jedi. It’s a slow burn that shows the Empire’s gradual strangling of the last vestiges of the Old Republic’s freedoms.
Cassian Andor is not the rebel spy we meet at the beginning of Rogue One. He’s a thief with utter contempt for the Empire’s arrogance. He gets pulled into the rebellion starting with his lethal encounter with corporate security.
Mon Mothma is also a stand out in this show with her scenes on the Coruscant in the Senate and her loveless household. She stands on a knife’s edge. It will be interesting to see the path that takes her fully into the rebellion. I’d love to see more shows with her after this two season run reaches its end.
An island nation in the center of the Fire Well on Trojis. The Grells stand against the Holy Alliance in their home realm, and the continued incursions by nether realms within the Fire Well. New Grelland thrives in this adversity. Its martial might is legend throughout the Realms.
The Grellish Claw is an ancient symbol that’s been used for millennia, symbolizing the hard people of both Old Grelland who were lost in the Eruption, and those who survived in New Grelland’s protected island.
New Grelland is a land that has seen and continues to see hard times. Many are those who will stand in defense of this bastion in the fire.
To the surprise of perhaps no one, I must confess I have a fascination with flag design and their usage. There’s even a word for the study, symbolism, and usage of flags.
Vexillology.
Many of my friends and family must suffer through my diatribes on how the University of Nebraska flag with its red field and big white “N” is actually more of a state flag than the thoroughly unremarkable state seal on a dark blue field.
So unremarkable that no one noticed that it was flying upside down at the state capital for several days.
True story.
And many other states share the 19th century-era state seal on a blue or turquoise field design. They all look terrible.
To me the proof of a good flag design is whether the people under it will show it to people who aren’t under it. In particular at airports. I can personally attest that the University of Nebraska “N” is on proud display on shot glass, T-shirts and more in Omaha’s airport.
The seal-on-blue state flag? If it was on display, I must have missed it.
I’ve been in an airport where the state flag is on all kinds of merch.
Denver, Colorado.
The Colorado blue-and-white striped flag with a red C and a gold circle inside of it is iconic. It’s on their freeway and highway signs. It’s everywhere.
To parrot some points made by the 99% Invisible and Hello Internet podcasts, the best flag designs are simple, easily recognizable from a distance, and so easy to draw that a kid can ably reproduce it. Ideally, they also contain no words, though a single letter or number can work, as evidenced by the Colorado “C” and the University of Nebraska “N”.
Flags have meaning, and that meaning can change over time, for good and bad. Most importantly, they can provide a sense of commonality among people who might not otherwise consider themselves as part of something larger.
Why am I waxing vexillological about this stuff?
Well that’s because my Players of the Game series has flags of its own. All of them could replace the Nebraska state flag as a vast improvement in my opinion.
And from time to time, I shall show you one of them.
Now is one such time.
So I just went on a rant about a state seal on blue, and now I show you an insignia on blue. Hypocrisy? That’s in the eye of the beholder. For my part, I say no.
The Grellish Claw is an important symbol. I describe it on multiple occasions throughout all of the Players of the Game series, most notably on ViRauni’s headband and Ed Burnhelt’s chest plate. It’s something under which they’ve fought wars and defended their homeland.
It was adapted from the flag of Old Grelland before it was lost in the Eruption. The blue symbolizes the azure flames of the Fire Well. The white circle is the protected island and the three-pronged claw is the indomitable Grellish people.
New Grelland is a land that has seen and continues to see hard times. Many are those who will stand in defense of this bastion in the fire.
(Special thanks to my brother, Tony, who helped me bring these flag designs to life with his fantastic graphic design skills.)
Players of the Game Works in Progress
I’ve reached page 440 with about 124,300 words on the Game War’s first draft. Last month’s stats came in at 400 with about 113,200. I’m okay with that, but I’ll always strive for more words if I can get them to flow the way i want them.
Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:
Matt Burnhelt: Diplomacy in a war. Novel.
Recommendation Corner
Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power on Amazon Prime
I was not really expecting great things out of this series. I thought they were adapting the Silmilarion, but it turns out that the Bezos crew only got the rights to the thoroughly dry appendices from LOTR. I’m pleasantly surprised. They production value is great. I like the varied characters. I don’t know the lore well enough aside from general stuff about Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf. It’s sprawling with lots of intersecting plot lines. I look forward to seeing how it’s tied into the larger mythos. It’ll be interesting to see a bunch of human kings get corrupted by their own rings at some point too. Good stuff.
Sandman on Netflix
This is also a really well done show. I’ve only read the trade paperback of the first Sandman series. I liked it well enough, but it didn’t quite grab me like it’s grabbed other people. Morpheus seemed a bit mopey and vindictive for me. And boy do they keep that going in the streaming version. He is a compelling, but sometimes unlikable protagonist. The show does a great job of layering it with a bunch of other interesting characters and locales. Matthew the raven is a favorite of mine. The score music is also memorable, and Morpheus has a very memorable recurring theme song.
As a writer, I especially liked the bonus episode focusing on an author’s attempt to break his writer’s block by imprisoning an actual muse. Thankfully, I’m able to plow through the mental goo associated with that most of the time. Though I’ll admit that “resistance” ensnares me more than I’d like.
Welt is a staunch ally of Ashe Stelfire. He also knows first hand the consequences of losing to Corsis. The Master of the Game inflicted a grave curse upon Welt.
Taking his head.
Through ethereal means, Welt still lives with a shadowy boundary at the base of his shoulders once occupied by his neck. He can still talk, eat, drink, and smoke gaun herb cigarettes. His friends value him sage and eloquent advice and his steady presence. He is a gunmancer, a specialist who mixes magic and technology with all manner of firearms, be they high tech or low tech.
Give him enough time, and he can make a weapon to slay the greatest of foes.
I’ve read many lines of dialogue and narration that have stuck with me over the years. One in particular has rung true for me of late from Logen Nine Fingers in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series. He repeated it often and other characters often quoted him as well.
“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”
I’ve had a few vexing conversations in the past month. Ones that came at me as slow as molasses. Thankfully, I also prepared myself for them. I trudged through them and got on the other side. Anvils of Damocles may lurk in the future, but at least I’m through this part of it.
I didn’t have much control over the timing, but I can tell you on no uncertain terms, it is far better to have the hard task acted upon, rather than dreading it. Far better indeed.
Players of the Game Works in Progress
I reached page 400 with about 113,200 words on the Game War’s initial draft. Last month’s stats were 351 pages with about 99,200 words. That’s more or less the same level of production as last month. I’m calling this one a win due to the above-mentioned life stress stuff. Plus page 400 is a milestone in of itself, as is blowing past 100,000 words.
PLUS: The New Players: Origins is recently released. Grab it now with the links below if you haven’t already.
Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:
Benefactor: “It’s my experience that anyone who truly thinks he is a ‘great man’ is anything but.”
Recommendation Corner
She-Hulk (Both on Disney+ and the Comic Book by Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio) She-Hulk has always been among my favorite Marvel characters. She’s the smart and jolly Hulk. I also enjoy her 4th wall breaking, which she’s been doing since the 80’s.
The Disney+ show is lighthearted and just plain fun. Tatiana Maslany does a great job as Jen Walters in both her short human and tall hulk forms. And I disagree with the haters, I think the CGI is fine. It’s very evocative of Dan Slott’s run from the aughts.
And Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio’s current run is also among my current faves. Humorous, great art, and they brought back Jack of Hearts, one of my favorite D-list characters.
Fun stuff.
Better Call Saul
Oh, man. What to say about this series now that it has wrapped up? It is a fantastic character study of the complicated, broken man named Jimmy McGill who made an increasingly horrible series of choices. His transformation into Saul Goodman very much enabled to Walter White to fully become the even more broken Heisenberg.
All of the characters are fantastic in the final season, especially Nacho, Mike, Kim, and Howard. Carol Burnett’s guest role in the final few episodes was also really well done.
If you’ve never watched the Vince Gilligan ABQ-based shows, I envy your new experience. I recommend starting the series with Breaking Bad, then the El Camino Netflix movie that spotlights Jesse Pinkman, and then finish the binge session with Better Call Saul. I’ve heard these shows lauded as some the better TV ever made. I don’t disagree.
The New Players: Origins novella is now available on paperback and ebook! It’s a collection of stories that explore into the beginnings of the Burnhelt family, Xax, Harry Mang, and more.
Check it out!
Great powers come at great cost.
A god of technology, a reality-warping entity encased in silver armor, two inheritors of peerless skill, and a hyper-powered duelist. Ed counts himself among these New Players as a nascent champion of his homeland. But he must first contain the dire inferno burning within.
Or it will incinerate him.
He must master the mighty torrent blazing from his very blood as he trains in the art of combat. At the harsh tutelage of his legendary mother. The lessons will be hard.
And lethal.
Learn how Ed and the other New Players master their skills in this anthology of short stories. And what they lose along the way. And the dark nightmares spawned by their good intentions.
You’ll love this collection of prequel material because of its illuminating connections to the main New Players novel and the sacrifices the characters make in order to keep their world bright.
Gnorok (the G is silent) is a one of Ashe Stelfire’s best friends. He pretends to be a Demon mercenary. In truth, he’s Dragon-Human hybrid called a Murdrake. He and Ashe start out as competing rivals, but the pair of them soon find they work well together. Gnorok also gets romantically entangled with Salatha, a Wred Witch with questionable loyalty to their cause. He leads the Brigands. Always from the front with his blade bared.
Buy the Players of the Game Series on eBook and Print!
