Skull Island eXpeditions

Others have posted better introductions to Privateer Press's new fiction line, so I'll keep this one brief.

Skull Island eXpeditions launched today with three new novellas set in the world of the Iron Kingdoms, which encompasses the eponymous roleplaying game as well as the Hordes and Warmachine miniatures games.

My contribution is a tale called "The Devil's Pay," featuring a down-on-their-luck mercenary company on an unusual commission into a dangerous swamp full of unexpected foes and rivals. The cool thing about this story is that it contains the first fiction reveal of the new faction for the Warmachine game. A full novel, also by yours truly, follows next month.

You can buy the novellas straight from the SIX website in PDF, .mobi, or .epub format, as well as from Amazon's Kindle store.

If you enjoy my Pathfinder Tales novels, there's a darned good chance you'll enjoy "The Devil's Pay." I hope you check it out along with "Instruments of War," by Larry Correia, and "Moving Targets," by C.L. Werner.

Some of the folks that let me hang with them at Gen Con are press-release cool.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Author List Released for 2013 Gen Con Writer’s Symposium

INDIANAPOLIS (April 2^nd, 2013) – The Gen Con Writer’s Symposium recently released the list of participating authors for 2013, and it includes some of the greatest science fiction, fantasy, and media tie-in writers working today. More than fifty talented authors and experts will participate in the panels planned for this year’s Writer’s Symposium, including Guests of Honor Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.

Participating authors include: Saladin Ahmed, Lou Anders, Brad Beaulieu, Donald J. Bingle, Dylan Birtolo, Maurice Broaddus, Jennifer Brozek, Richard Lee Byers, Wesley Chu, Lawrence C. Connolly, Larry Correia, Larry Dixon, Maxwell Alexander Drake, Erin M. Evans, Dave Farland, Matt Forbeck, Jaym Gates, Paul Genesse, Geoffrey Girard, Jerry Gordon, Dave Gross, Sarah Hans, John Helfers, Jim C. Hines, William H. Horner III, Kerrie L. Hughes, Howard Andrew Jones, Gary Kloster, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jay Kristoff, Mercedes Lackey, James Lowder, Scott Lynch, Ari Marmell, Robert Mosher, Daniel Myers, Chris Pierson, Patrick Rothfuss, Jason Sanford, Ken Scholes, Erik Scott de Bie, Lucy A. Snyder, Mike Stackpole, George Strayton, James L. Sutter, Kelly Swails, Marc Tassin, Howard Tayler, Monica Valentinelli, Elizabeth Vaughan, Gregory A. Wilson

This collection of talented writers includes New York Times bestsellers, USA Today bestsellers, and winners of numerous prestigious literary awards. This year alone, Writer’s Symposium panelists received eight nominations for the coveted Hugo and Nebula awards.

“We’re extremely excited,” said Marc Tassin, the Gen Con Literary Coordinator and the Symposium organizer. “The list of authors that have signed on to participate this year is quite incredible. This year’s Symposium is an unprecedented opportunity for both experienced and beginning writers to learn from some of the greatest writing talents out there today.”

"Having participated in numerous writing seminars both in and out of genre over the years, I am stunned by both the caliber of the participants and sheer size of the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium," said Lou Anders, Hugo award-winning Editorial Director of Pyr books. "I'm not sure anyone quite realizes that this symposium has quietly built itself into one of the largest and most impressive writing symposiums in the field. Anyone with an interest in writing science fiction and fantasy literature, whether media tie-in or not, should definitely have this on their radar."

A full event list for the Symposium is scheduled for release later this month. Tickets to Gen Con are available at www.gencon.com .

For more information, please contact Marc Tassin ( contact@genconwriters.com ).

About the Writer’s Symposium: The Gen Con Writer’s Symposium is one of the largest writing conferences in the world. Established in 1995, it offers more than 110 hours of events for both new and experienced authors. The Symposium features more than fifty authors and has served as a springboard for the careers of many accomplished writers. The Symposium will be held August 15^th to 18^th, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana as part of the annual Gen Con gaming convention. For more information on the Symposium, visit www.genconwriters.com .

About Gen Con: Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who owns the company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. www.gencon.com

Skull Island eXpeditions

Something very cool begins next week.

Privateer Press will release the first three novellas in their Skull Island eXpress fiction line. These are stories taking place in the land of Immoren, the setting for the tabletop miniatures games Warmachine and Hordes, as well as the Iron Kingdom roleplaying game.

In a nutshell, it's the classic fantasy world +  big fighting robots of various denominations, from steampunk to H.G. Wells to something resembling anime mechs--yet somehow it all holds together in a rich and cohesive universe.

Veteran authors C.L. Werner and Larry Correia have written two of the first three novellas featuring iconic characters from the Warmachine and Hordes games, "Moving Targets" and "Instruments of War."

I've written the third, featuring the Devil Dogs mercenary company led by Captain Samantha "Sam" MacHorne. While she's the most famous Devil Dog, the story is about the entire company, especially Sam "the boys." "The Devil's Pay" falls somewhere between Aliens and Firefly in its combination of horror, mayhem, and dysfunctional family dynamics.

The novella also serves as a prelude to Dark Convergence, a novel introducing the setting's latest faction, a group of art-deco clockwork fanatics. That should be a pretty big deal, as it'll be the first substantial look players will have at the faction before its models are available later this spring.

I hope you'll check 'em out.

Here's where they're teasing new information. Go like the page, and you'll see all the new updates.

The stories will be available directly from Privateer and also from Amazon. I'll post direct links as soon as they're available.

Euro-centric Fantasy

Elaine Cunningham posts about the unbearable whiteness of most fantasy fiction.

Researching Flattery

A few months ago, Mordicai Knode wrote a flattering overview of the Radovan & Jeggare novels at tor.com. One line that stuck out for me was, "Part witty banter and part brothers-in-arms, Varian and Radovan read like a cross between Gilmore Girls and Reservoir Dogs, smack dab in the middle of a sword and sorcery world."

Reservoir Dogs I knew and adored, but I'd only heard good things about Gilmore Girls. When I saw the first season DVD set was on sale, I snapped it up and watched the first episode a few nights ago.

Now I'm doubly flattered by the comparison and delighted to discover this gem of a TV series, which reminds me in the best possible way of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without the supernatural element. 

I love finding something like this when the complete series has become affordable. I sense a binge coming on in April once deadlines relax their grip on my life.

So thanks twice, Mordicai.

Bite Me! Kickstarter

Christina Stiles kindly (?) added a $5 pledge level to receive just the short story I'll write for Bite Me! The Gaming Guide to Lycanthropes. I don't recommend you pledge at that level, however, because for $10 you can have the whole book, including my story, in PDF format. That's a pretty great deal.

Take a peek at their Kickstarter and consider throwing a sawbuck their way. I'm a part of it if they hit their minimum goal, but at $7,000 they'll include interior illustrations by my former TSR compatriot Jennell Jaquays. I'm also super excited at the prospect of miniatures when they hit the $11,700 stretch goal.

Go check it out.

My Werewolf Problem

Several months ago I put my foot down and said I'd accept no new work until I'd cleared my desk, which now looks like it'll happen in May. Twice I've failed in my resolve, both times for short projects that I don't have to start until I'm clear of my big deadlines.  One of those projects made me cave because it was short and included one of my magic words: werewolf.

My first "fandom" was Universal Horror monsters. At the time, Larry Talbot was my anti-hero, and even after I realized that The Bride of Frankenstein was by far the best film of that era, werewolves remained my favorite classic monster. They've worked their way into a number of my novels, most recently Prince of Wolves (2010). So Christina Stiles got a "Hell, yes" rather than the "No, I couldn't possibly" that I'd intended.

Christina and Dawson Kriska are Kickstarting Bite Me!, a Pathfinder RPG Guide to Lycanthropes. Along with some of my fellow TSR survivors Sean Reynolds, Wolfgang Baur, and Jennell Jaquays, I'll make a contribution to the book. Mine will be a story. It might involve werewolves. There might be biting.

Launched at midnight, the project has already hit 1/6 of its goal and has another 29 days to go. I'd love to see them hit the 50% mark today and start announcing their stretch goals early next week. The miniatures stretch goal is the one I'm most excited to see them hit.

Please help Christina and Dawson make that happen.