Updates and Web Logs
Summertide Salutations
Good Morning frens, greetings from Mordor on the Trinity!
What is new here at the Casa del Sauvage?
I continue to earn my place at the new day job, which proceeds well, paying the bills, paying down debts, and leaving me with a bit of walking around, nice.
As most of you likely know already, AetherCzar’s Big Based Book Sale is back. #comeAndReadIt frens!
The #bentSpearCrew’s latest crowdfund wrapped up, raising funds for publishing the latest New Voiced Anthology. We’re all excited for this to happen. I realise now I shilled this everywhere but here, look for that to change going forward.
I have taken another break from birb-poasting and find my attention span and productivity only improve. Hmmm. Perhaps refocusing on this space will be better return on my time, although birb-poasting has gotten me more subscribers.
You may have caught a fleeting glimpse of your local Sauvage at the NTRPGCON, it was a swell time, much fun was had. While attending, I had an Idea(tm), so there may be something to update on this going forward, watch this space.
I note that I now have pledges of support should I choose to go paid. OK, dear readers, choose thy fate, what will my first exclusive Substack Serial be? Let your voices be heard and take the poll! If you really want a weekly paid serial, you will voooot harder!
Following the Star Geese: Mercenaries and Panzerkampfmarchen in the Far-Future
Stories From off the Rez: Near-Future adventures of unvaxed biological reservists, going off the reservation!
The Toils and Troubles of Tennant Tummnas: Following the misadventures one long suffering Fawnish Officer-of-Foote in the Queen of Winter’s service.
You may notice that ‘In Another World With my Tank’ is not an option. That is because my editor has claimed that one, so I am work feverishly cleaning it up and expanding it out to full bodied novella. I have great hopes for this one.
I will say, in conversation with the quantity or quality debate, the world is big enough for all of us. I want all my people to make it, I do like popcorn and pastiche and I am easily amused; yet I would also like to see some high art and literary chops grow up in our space. This much is clearly true, we need more and better editors, and to found our own houses. Let Cirsova and Pilum be standard bearers, let us found our own zines and presses, #weMustRebuild IRL, digital is only a first step of the journey, not the destination.
Let a thousand flowers bloom!
See you soon!
I leave you with a little preview, just a taste of new material in draft, don’t want the Editor-in-Chief to yell at me more.
In Another World With my Tank.
Chapter 10
Wild Vollgas gegeben
Und ran an den Feind!
Anna of Kamekkos, daughter of Alexos, Megadux of Kamekkos, was alive. This was by itself a miracle. By all rights, she, her entire household, and the entire castle garrison should been roasting on pig-men spits by now, or worse. But she, and most of her people, were alive. But not her brother. And not Olympos. He had taken a spear point meant for her, no hesitation, no fear, not even so much as a by your leave or look out. He still breathed, but not for much longer, the choice of letting him fade into sepsis and blood-poisoning or giving the mercy stroke weighed on her.
She watched, leaning on her Orsino’s trembling shoulder, torn between love, frustration and guilt, pride and possessiveness, all at once, as he quietly died, bleeding into his torn guts, blood bubbling a red froth on too pale lips. Anna looked crossly about, darting eyes definitely not watering, trying to find one of Olympos’s clerics, why was not one of them here, laying on hands? She had lost so much already, she was not yet ready to be rid of this troublesome priest. It wasn’t fair!
‘It never is childe’ coughed the man in black, spitting up bloody foam, ‘life never is, always tried to teach you that, at least. Agh! Who would have thought they had a reserve of great ogres, strong enough to threaten your magi-powered plate?’
‘Where are your clerics old man?’
‘Ha! You never did pay attention to your religious lessons, against the rules it is. Our miracles are for others, never ourselves. We live and we die as He wills, that’s all.’
‘I forbid you! I am in need of more lessons!’ Anna even stamped her foot like she used to, once upon a time, in those happy days in the shade of the palace gardens, under the blossoming pomegranates.
‘Don’t cry little one, I’m just going home to sleep for a little while, just a wee little nap... We will see each other again, you are forgiven, you are all forgiven.’
‘I’ll do it,’ interrupted Orsino, somehow strong as age-worn stone and crying a river at the same time. Anna could never figure out how old men did that, all passion and control together at once.
‘You will not!’ Anna hissed back, ‘he is mine! I will send him if anyone does, hand me your schisor, Orsino.’
With thread-cutter in hand she knelt low to him and embraced him, one last time.
Voted for the first one since far-future sci-fi appeals to me in ways that near future ones don't.
Anyways, welcome back to the Stack (not that you've left, lol). Personally, I'm slowly but surely tuning out of the bird app. It's just such a timesink with very little return-on-investment. I'm probably doing it wrong, though.