What's Goin' On?

So,

I've been fairly remiss in posting stuff to this blog for a time. That said, there's been quite a bit to speak about. First, let's get the less wonderful stuff out of the way.

My post about World Con late this summer saw me feeling poorly. Here are the reasons for this, insofar as they have been determined.

1) My Gall Bladder was going haywire. (It had to be removed.)
2) I had contracted a bacterium that was attacking my stomach with ruthless abandon. (I had to take a serious dose of antibiotics, with acid reducers that are still necessary.)
3) The top two caused my ability to eat to be severely curtailed.
4) I find myself below the body weight at which I graduated high school. My clothes appear as if I have been borrowing from an older sibling. That's the awesome part of things, by the way.

Now, onto writing news:

1) The Crimson Pact Anthologies have been doin' all right for themselves. Having a rather vested interest in the whole project, this is a happy thing for me. To remind anyone who may have forgotten, I co-wrote the origin story, "The Failed Crusade" with Paul Genesse, and have had two other stories featured in the anthologies, as well. ("Red Test" and "Red Bandanna Boys")
HERE IS THE LINK to the website for the anthologies, if you're interested.

2) The publisher for CP, Steven Saus, invited me to be a part of a Christmas-themed speculative fiction anthology that would raise money for Heifer International. It so happened that I had an evil story about a bad Santa that fit the bill. Thus, "Spec the Halls" featured one of mine. The name of the story was "Kicked in the Teeth Again", and will forever jaundice your eye when you look at a department store Santa.
CLICK HERE to check out Spec the Halls.

3) Not content to just work on fiction, I've also gotten a poem published in Pens On Fire. My poem, "This Misspent Requiem", was featured in the January issue of that publication.
POEM can be read by clicking on the link.

4) I've also been working on new stories for the upcoming 3rd and 4th volumes of the Crimson Pact. I have two stories submitted to the editor already, and should be submitting another one within the next few weeks. More on that as the information is available.

5) As if all that were not enough, I've also been working with Paul Genesse to get his newest book in the Iron Dragon Series ready for publication. Since Paul and I were in college together and are close friends, we've been talking about these books for a decade or more, and seeing the most recent one come to fruition has been quite a thing. It is called "The Secret Empire" and you'll be hearing a lot more about it tomorrow, as the big media blitz will take place at that time. Suffice it to say, though, that I have insider knowledge about this, the third in his series, and I have to say that it's going to kick some major butt. Fans of epic fantasy are going to get their surfeit of fighting, deadly terrain, evil plots, difficult sacrifices, and staggering betrayals in this rip-snorter of a story.

For more info, please check out Paul's Website.

Cheers,

Patrick