June 14

Next update on July 10

Sorry about postponing the updates, but things have been crazy busy!

My San Antonio Spurs are in the NBA finals, so I’ve been glued to the TV every game. Even went down to SA for game 4 (which they lost -blah!), and I’m heading down for game 5 as well. I’ve been a Spurs fan for over 20 years, but most of that was while I was living in Canada. Now that I’m in Texas, the chance to see them in the Finals in person is a dream come true.

We’re also right in the middle of the US Open, and I am a bit of a golf nut so that’s eating up my time. I don’t really have a favorite golfer, but I still love watching the Open. It’s a brutal test; a war of attrition. I actually don’t like to see the winning score be over par, though – I think if the winner is in the -4 to -8 range then the course was set up well.

Oh… and there’s this book series I’m working on, too. That’s kind of important. Maybe you’ve heard about it? The Chaos Born trilogy? Children of Fire, the first book, hits shelves on August 27. Right now I’m in the final stages of book 2, The Scorched Earth. But I’m also working to promote Children of Fire, and there’s a lot on the table.

Let’s start with a couple radio interviews I did with VGS AM 640 up in Canada.  Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 for my perspective on my work with BioWare, my new projects and video games in general. Hoping to do a few more interviews over the next couple weeks; I’ll be sure to post them here and on my Twitter account.

I even got a new headshot done to use as the author photo on the book jacket. The other one was about 7 years old, and I’ve actually changed quite a bit. Hair = less. Fat = more. I love living in Texas, but sadly I’ve embraced the BBQ and Tex-mex lifestyle wholeheartedly, and it shows.

If you want to see my fat ass in person, I’ll be going to San Diego Comic Con in July. Tickets and hotel are booked, so this one’s official now. I get in Thursday and leave Sunday, so I expect to have some signings on Friday and Saturday. Times and location are still TBD, but I’ll be posting the info on my next update. (And on my Twitter feed.)

I’m also still planning on attending Gen Con in Indy in mid August, but we’re still working out the details. I haven’t been to Gen Con since it left Milwaukee. Last time I was there I went to promote Neverwinter Nights with BioWare. This was in 2000, a month before my first two novels – Temple Hill and Throne of Bhaal – were released. (I wrote Temple Hill first, but they both came out in the same month.) Since I was there anyway, Wizards of the Coast – the publisher for both books – decide to have me do a book signing. People could buy my books early at the Wizards booth at the Con.

Of course, nobody knew who I was at the time. So they paired me up with another novice writer who had written a video game tie-in novel and sat us at a table for a signing. And nobody showed up. In one hour, we signed 5 books between us. It was actually pretty painful. At the same time, R. A. Salvatore was there, and he did 2 signings each day, with hundreds of people waiting in a line that wound its way through the entire convention floor. For two straight hours he signed his name for rabid fans, over and over, while I sat there twiddling my thumbs.

Obviously, I’m looking forward to going back to Gen Con now that I’ve established myself a bit more. The timing is similar – just a few weeks before one of my novels comes out – so it’s possible we might have copies of Children of Fire available at the Con. And even if we don’t, I figure folks will have plenty of other stuff for me to sign. (In case you haven’t heard, I’m kind of a big deal now.)

Okay, that’s it for this update. Next one will be the week before SDCC. I’m going to talk a bit more about Children of Fire in that update: what inspired me to write it, what makes it different from other fantasy novels, and why you should read it. Until then, GO, SPURS, GO!