Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 3,180 entries, all of them here in full.
September 27, 2018 · 813 words
When It Goes Wrong
Dish Network decided to give me Showtime for a week, and I recorded some movies that I hadn’t seen in theaters. Viewing them made me think about ways that creative projects can fail, and how the failure can be in the writing. So I thought I’d share my thoughts, that being what these blog-things are supposedly […
Read entry →September 22, 2018 · 107 words
Hazards of Travel
So here’s a new one! Observe that suds are pouring out of my hotel toilet and covering the floor. There was also a strong disinfectant smell. It was also happening in a neighboring room. The hotel custodian confessed himself baffled, and helped me evacuate to a room higher in the building. At midnight. There was [&hell
Read entry →September 13, 2018 · 154 words
Encouraging Word
Reviews for The Accidental War are beginning to tumble in. B&N SFF BLOG: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/a-countdown-to-disaster-in-the-masterful-space-opera-the-accidental-war/ “The Accidental War eventually breaks open into genuinely exciting action, but the book’s most dramatic moments are the mos
Read entry →September 9, 2018 · 167 words
Hella Week
So Barnes & Noble finally got around to putting the Investments paperback on sale, and here’s your link. Otherwise, it’s been a hella week. The Accidental War dropped on Tuesday. I sent Quillifer the Knight to the publisher at 1am Friday morning. I opened a bottle of champagne afterwards, but discovered it had turned t
Read entry →September 4, 2018 · 529 words
Launch Day!
Launch Day! It’s no accident! Two new books drop this week! September 4 is the release date for The Accidental War, which continues the story of star-crossed lovers Martinez and Sula begun in The Praxis. Seven years after the conclusion of the Naxid War, they find themselves caught up in a war that no one wanted, no [&
Read entry →August 30, 2018 · 200 words
Fraught. (And Schizophrenic)
My life at the moment is fraught, because I’m juggling two important tasks. First, I’m gearing up for the launch of The Accidental War next week. Second, I’m madly trying to finish Quillifer the Knight, which is also due next week. I’ve got three scenes to go, but the problem with my scenes is that I never […]
Read entry →August 29, 2018 · 149 words
La Reina
I have been lax in posting a tribute to Aretha Franklin, so here it is. This is a Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Carole King, in which the Queen of Soul takes one of King’s most famous songs and shows what she can do with a piano, a mink coat, and her own astounding voice. […]
Read entry →August 24, 2018 · 227 words
I Am At Bubonicon
. . . or will be shortly, anyway. The weekend will be spent at the 50th annual Bubonicon held in Albuquerque. In the time, I’ve missed maybe 6-8 of them, and attended all the rest. I’ll be doing a reading, participating in panel discussions, and giving a speech. But if you don’t come for me, […]
Read entry →August 20, 2018 · 75 words
It Begins
Another set of goodies arrived in the mail over the weekend, copies of The Accidental War fresh off the press. The official release date is September 4, but apparently the books actually exist, and in my experience books that actually exist do manage to find their way to stores. So if you’re interested in the […
Read entry →August 15, 2018 · 236 words
Top of the World
Now here’s an interesting phenomenon. It’s raining on the left side of this photo. On the right side, it’s clear. This is Taos Ski Valley, which is quite narrow. This allows you to observe weather as it creeps along between the walls of the canyon. There was one memorable day when I was sitting on […]
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