Something I wrote on Substack

 So I thought I'd share it here - so folks can follow me there too if they like. 

Though that's a bit more focused on writing than what I put here.

On Letting Go

Ghost Warrior Book 2 - Necessity is now out!

 I realize it's taken a bit longer than expected, but Wolfhounds has been eating up a lot of time, and I did have a few obligations that I needed to deal with. But! It's done! Check it out!!

Ghost Warrior Book 2 Link

 

Also, this Sunday (9/22) Stand Alone, Book 1 in the Wolfhound series will be on sale for 99 cents. This is an Amazon sale, and it will be in the US and Canada.

Hello everyone! I've got a couple of announcements:

1st I have a new Novella out in the Portals of Infinity (POI) world. Well, it's not exactly new, I wrote it a long time ago, but I never published it. It's the story of how Will's sister Nikki ended up as a champion for Arianna, but told from Her viewpoint. You got to see some of it in POI #3, well now you see all of it.

I showed it to my patrons on Patreon, and they liked it said to publish it. I'd honestly kinda forgotten that I had it. But it's up on Amazon now, so if you want it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGHWR9W3

2nd, the third Wolfhounds Audiobook for Force Majeure is now up for pre-order on Audible. It's release date is October 1st and here's the link:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Force-Majeure-Audiobook/B0DFHR4NKR

(Note: Podium is working on Book 4, War Child, but I don't know when that will be released. I'm currently writing #5 - End Game and hope to release it sometime in October).

3rd, Necessity, Ghost Warrior #2 is almost ready for release. Right now I'm waiting on cover art and to hear back from some of my Beta readers. If could be out as soon as next week! I've got the cover art sketch, so the process after that is usually a quick one.

 

Texas Hold 'em

 

A number of years ago (a number that is larger than 10) I used to play Texas Hold ‘em. For money. I played in local tournaments, at a local casino (card room might be a better term), that happened twice a week. I also played at two Indian Casinos, about once a week at the open tables.

I was not a ‘big fish’, small would have been a more appropriate term. I ended up ‘in the cash’ on the regular tournament a fair number of times and won it once. Chopped the pot a couple of times, because it got you out of there faster and why not? Going head to head can take a looooong time.

Going out to the two Indian Casinos, one had a more ‘professional’ level of players, and while it was fun, it wasn’t really a money maker (though I did make money). I credit the level of players to being close to Tahoe where they have ‘real’ casinos, and Reno where they have real gamblers.

Gamblers at Indian Casinos tend more to be people just looking to lose money. Especially if they’re of a certain racial group that has a certain culture and while I’m not going to mention it, if you’re a gambler you know all about this, and if you’re not, you will definitely think I’m talking about someone else. This is one of those ‘secrets’ you learn to make money.

Now, when you go to the Indian Casinos that are farther from Nevada and especially places like Reno and Las Vegas, a small fish suddenly becomes a much bigger fish - especially if you stay away from the ‘No-Limit’ tables. So I’d look at the ‘Limit’ tables and I’d look for ones that were rife with the group of folks I was looking for. I’d then sit down and proceed to make $100 an hour playing cards.

So I understand the game, and I understand how it works. Yes I’m not up on tells and all of that like I used to be, and even then I played more by mathematics than by psychology. It’s hard to develop a really good and strong feeling for a player when you’re just at a limit type table. When you’re playing on a regular tournament circuit though, even a small one, you do get to know each other.

For example, whenever I went head-to-head with the ‘Mexican guy’ (he was born here, but he was very much of Mexican heritage) who was a landscaper? I always accepted his offer to chop the pot. He made it seem like he was ‘just in a rush to get back to work’ but he was one of the shrewdest card players out there. Sometimes I wondered if he really was a landscaper, or just dressed up like one for these early morning (started at 8) tourneys. Guy was very much a ‘big fish’ on the small circuit. He always finished in the money.

All of this is a lead up to the first book in my ‘Days of Future Past’ trilogy, wherein, the protagonist is playing Texas Hold ‘em for money, and he’s pretty much cheating, because he’s getting help from Coyote. Someone took great offense at the scene where he’s gambling in the Gold Star casino, and one of the local big fish, by the name of Phil, comes in and throws a ‘tantrum’.

They went on and on in their review about how, while they’ve never played poker, no professional poker player would ever act that way! That poker is a serious game! How people are well mannered and quiet!

Yeah, I laughed pretty hard at that. Guess they never heard of the ‘Poker Brat’ who Phil was very much modeled after. A man who has made millions of dollars at high-stakes poker. That particular game was very much based on reality, though it was a bit of a pastiche of things I’ve seen in high-stakes tournaments that I’ve watched.

I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff at Texas Hold ‘em tourneys and tables. I’ve even seen dealers cheat to throw the game for a particular player. Even had it done to me once. Yes, dealers cheat. As long as they’re not cheating the casino, the casino doesn’t care!

And it goes on a more than I’m comfortable with. It’s one of those things you watch for, and all of the pros will catch it in a heartbeat. You either get up and leave, or you call it out and get shown to the door. But it very much happens. The reason that casinos use diamond back cards is to make it easier for the dealers to cheat. Remember that.

So yeah, all of the card playing, and even the craps shooting in the start, were based on things I’ve seen as either a player or an observer, in poker games. People do engage in weird or histrionic behavior. They do it to throw off their opponent. They do it to increase their odds of winning. It’s rarely a ‘quiet’ and ‘studious’ game. When it’s your turn to bet, you can do and say damn near whatever you want. And a lot of people do. When it’s someone else’s turn, you’re supposed to be quiet, but I’ve seen that rule pushed and broken on more than one occasion. If the dealer and the pit boss know you, and you’re a good tipper? You get a lot more leeway than any newb or stranger.

DragonCon goes full A**hole

DragonCon just banned a book Cover from the  awards ballot. One that had qualified to be on it. They did so because 'someone' complained. The complained that the artist (A friend and one of MY Cover Artists) uses AI as part of their process (they use it as a tool, they're an artist who works in various media). Note: It was not in the rules that you couldn't nominate covers that the artist used AI tools to create.

Also Note: They didn't ban any of the OTHER covers where the artists used AI Tools.  

I'd say it's apparent that DragonCon has issues with either the artist (again a FRIEND of mine) or the Publisher (Again MORE friends of mine - I know these people!)

So by all means, click the link below and see the book that the people of DragonCon thought was so dangerous that they had to remove it from the ballots before you could vote for it, as they must have known it would win! Also you may want to check out some of the stories, I know many of the authors in this anthology and they're all quite good. 

https://www.amazon.com/Goblin-Market-Raconteur-Press-Anthologies-ebook/dp/B0D48C5X63/

If you're a fan, SIGN UP FOR MY MAILING LIST!!

 If you're a fan and want to know when my books come out you MUST SIGN UP!

Because Amazon is NOT going to tell you about my new release for WEEKS IF EVER.

Got that? Amazon is NOT telling people about my new releases anymore. So the ONLY WAY you will know, is by signing up for my mailing list! (and make sure it doesn't end up in the SPAM folder).

I only send out notifications when:

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Wolfhounds, Book #4 - War Child is now live on Amazon

 Wolfhounds #4 - War Child is now live on Amazon:

Link -> War Child

 

Just Letting you all know I'm still here!

 

This is just a sort of 'state of the author' kind of thing. Life is still throwing challenges at me and not letting me say 'Umm, I'd rather not'. I hurt my sacroiliatic. To the point where I couldn't function - it was quite painful. I start PT later in the week, and my doc (specialist I went to) has ordered me to start working out again.

We have a new puppy who will be a horse eventually (Great Dane).

Knight, the dog who was the younger dog when King (my dog) died, wasn't getting on well and developed (or rather finally showed) some issues after King died. He wasn't doing well on his own, which was part of the reason for getting another puppy.

BUT, now HE's sick. Badly too. One of his hind legs is swollen and his white blood cell count is high. Vet had him all day and had no idea what was wrong. So now he's home and we're keeping an eye on him, trying to get him to eat (he all but stopped a few days ago) and drink, go out to potty, all of that.

None of this stuff has been cheap, either.

Add to that a few other unexpected events with high price tags and it's been a fun month.

Ugh.

Right now, I'm just hoping we don't lose Knight. Because it's a very real possibility. If they had a clue as to what was wrong, yeah, I wouldn't be so worried - but they don't.

My current goal is to write Ghost Warrior #2. Then probably Wolfhounds #5 ending that short series. I want to write another book for Baen, POI #12, another Valens Heritage book, AND do some side project stuff.

I'd very much like to have ALL of that done in the next 4 months or so (yeah, I'm crazy, I know that).

I did get the cover for the sequel to Summer's End today (Some Time in the Fall) and it looks nice. It's currently slated for March 2025 for release. Wolfhounds #4 (War Child) should be out within the next week. I'll post the cover on my blog once it's ready to go.

So overall, I'm still writing and I'm still moving forward. I just keep hoping for less interrupts so I can spend more cycles writing. So I can give you more books to read.

Because you folks are the reason I do this.

Book 4 of Wolfhounds will be out soon

 I realized today I hadn't posted anything here in a bit. Part of that is I've been making posts on my SubStack, which have been more about writing, and part of that has just been trying to get bk4 finished. It's about 10 days behind schedule right now, because of life stuff. Like getting sick, or getting injured :-P. 

However the 1st draft is done and it should start the editing process in a few days. I'll start the re-write tonight. 

The title is 'War Child' btw, I'll put up more about it as I get the cover and such.

(Frustrated screaming intensifies)

There are a fair number of people, who I know personally, and have known for decades. These people all know that I am a Highly -Successful Self-Published Author.
Yet, few of these people will take a few minutes to ASK ME about how it all works and end up getting scammed out of money!!

Dammit!! What the hell people!

MONEY FLOWS TO THE AUTHOR! YOU DO NOT PAY SOMEONE TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOKS! Hell, I can walk you through it in a few minutes and save you a fortune.

Maybe I need to write up a presentation and put it on Youtube or something.

Why don't people read anymore?

 I'm serious about this. Too many people just 'skim' books, they don't read them. So they REALLY don't know what's going on in the story, they miss a lot of the side plot and minor arcs. This leads to them not understanding the story, or even knowing what the story is really about.

It's like going into an expensive restuarant, burying your face in an expensive dish and rooting about like a pig on the plate just mashing your face into everything.

Today Sucks

 So Yesterday I released the New Wolfhounds book.

This morning I wake up to a wet floor in the den. I figured it out quickly, someone knocked the line off of the dehumidifier up in the attic, some time ago. Maybe two weeks ago when there was service being done? And it was knocked off because it wasn't installed correctly last year.

So, WATER everywhere in the attic. No idea what the final damage will be, hopefully we won't have to have any walls replaced as so far, the water only ran down inside the wall. Still there's a lot up there and trying to dry it out. The company who does all the work for us have sent people out, because I'm VERY concerned about an electrical fire. Because water on top of electrical equipment up there. Also with all that powered off we have no AC and it's gonna be in the 90's today with about 90 percent humidity.

THEN, on top of all this:

Someone HATES Wolfhounds book #3, Force Majeure. They hate it SOOOO MUCH, that they posted a negative review with blatant spoilers about EVERYTHING they HATED. 

I'm guessing that they're 10? Maybe 12? We know how puberty can be tough on boys...

Look, I get it if you don't like the way a book ends. I'll admit I was still dealing with the death of my dog (and long time friend) during all of the writing of that book. Perhaps it's a bit darker in places that it would have been. But it was always the plot to have certain things happen and I floated ALL of it past my Patreons and SubscribeStar members to make sure it wasn't out of line. I also floated it past a bunch of my Beta readers. None of them had a problem with what I did.

But this young man just couldn't deal with the kinds of things that adults do in life, and that yes, bad things happen to people, even when they're doing good. Or that SOME PEOPLE have different moral standards than HE does. 

I mean, I don't care if he doesn't like the book. I don't care if he gives it a bad review. I DO care that he put spoilers up, and there's only two other reviews, so that everyone has some of the plot elements given away. People like this are why we can't have nice things. They can't let anyone else enjoy things that THEY don't like. They just can't keep their pie-hole shut.

It's like the people who complained that Rape is MENTIONED in the book. Your NEVER SEE IT, but to show just how bad the bad guys are, we learn that they rape and murder women. 

OH MY GOD!!! YOU MENTIONED RAPE!!! Mind you, you never see it. You just hear about it.

Seriously, WHAT THE H**L PEOPLE? You can't deal with hearing about bad things? Have any of you watched the news, ever, in your life? Studied history? I've had to deal with incredibly nasty things in real life. I've saved women from being raped. I've saved people from dying. If you're such a fragile flower that you can't deal with just hearing about something happening in a fictional story, off screen, I'm worried for you and your ability to just function in life! 

Yesterday was my birthday. It's also the anniversary of my mother's death (Yes, she died on my birthday 4 years ago). So I don't celebrate it anymore. Instead we were going to celebrate it today, and then all of this happens. So yeah, today sucks. Yesterday sucked. Tomorrow isn't looking any better.

If you want to help me, WRITE a review, don't just give a rating, WRITE a 4 or 5 star review to push that idiot off the front page. Maybe report it. BUT!!! Don't do it if you haven't read it AND enjoyed it. Maybe the book does suck. Maybe I should just give up on writing this series. Hell, I almost quit when my dog died. Maybe I should have.