A Kepler's Dozen

A Kepler's Dozen is now available from Amazon.  You can order it at http://www.amazon.com/Keplers-Dozen-Thirteen-Stories-Distant/dp/1885093683/.
A Kepler's Dozen presents thirteen action-packed, mysterious, and humorous stories all based on real planets discovered by the NASA Kepler mission. Edited by and contributing stories are David Lee Summers, editor of Tales of the Talisman Magazine, and Steve B. Howell, project scientist for the Kepler mission. Whether on a prison colony, in a fast escape from the authorities, or encircling a binary star, these exoplanet stories will amuse, frighten, and intrigue you while you share fantasy adventures among Kepler's real-life planets.

April recap

The Martian Wave Kickstarter

The Ephemeris Omnibus 2013

What's been going on?

What's been going on?

Things have been kind of quiet here on the blog front.  I wanted to write a long post about what happened in Boston, but I never could quite get it to sound the way I wanted.  It basically read like me being pissed...I think we've seen enough of that.
I've been putting in some extra hours at the "real" job, including some 5 a.m. shifts, so that has left me a bit tired.  Rebecca and I also went to the Bon Jovi show a few days ago, and that left me even more exhausted.  I guess I'm too old for late nights any more...
Now that I've left Sam's Dot, I've been putting a lot of work into Nomadic Delirium Press, and it seems to be paying off.  There's a lot more interest in the publisher than there was a few months ago, and we've already started releasing some new titles, including a huge Ephemeris title and the first issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk (at least the first for NDP.)  I've also been having to field a lot of questions about what's going on with Sam's Dot, but I'd rather not get into that.
I've been putting a lot of effort into the Kickstarter for the next issue of The Martian Wave, and we're about one third of the way there, but we still need help... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1521750492/the-martian-wave-2013.
I'm hoping to eventually start posting more, but life seems to be taking a toll on my free time, so at some point, it will happen...

The Ephemeris Omnibus 2013

I've been working on this massive rulebook update for the Ephemeris game for quite a while now, and I'm very happy to say that it has officially been released.  This Omnibus features the core rulebook (with some rule changes, including multi-classing), as well as all of the rule supplements that have been released through the end of 2012.  That's all of the character sourcebooks, all of the species sourcebooks, and Critters and Pests integrated into one rulebook.  All of the class supplements show up in the class listings to create the most comprehensive rulebook ever written for the Ephemeris RPG.

You can find it athttp://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/113551/The-Ephemeris-Omnibus-2013.

The Martian Wave Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for the 2013 issue of The Martian Wave is now underway.  Nomadic Delirium Press is hoping to raise $700 to fund the project, and any help readers and writers out there can give is greatly appreciated.
If you'd like to check out the Kickstarter, please feel free to visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1521750492/the-martian-wave-2013
Thanks for all of your help!

March recap

The Battle for Turtle Island is here

A 12th birthday

I'm leaving Sam's Dot

There's something waiting for me in my dreams

Table of Contents for A Kepler's Dozen

Table of Contents for A Kepler's Dozen

Here is the table of contents for the upcoming A Kepler's Dozen collection:

• Middle Ground by Mike Brotherton
• Turtle Soup by Laura Givens
• The Gloom of Tartarus by Gene Mederos
• A Glint off the Glass by Rick Novy
• Omega Shadows by Carol Hightshoe
• Daniel and the Tilmarians by Doug Williams
• Exposure at 35b by Mike Wilson
• Hot Pursuit by David Lee Summers
• Tracking the Glints by Anna Paradox
• An Eternity in Limbo by J Alan Erwine
• A Mango and Two Peanuts by Steve B. Howell
• The Company You Keep by M.H. Bonham
• Kokyangwuti by Melinda Moore

The collection can be pre-ordered by going to http://www.hadrosaur.com/kepler.html

There's something waiting for me in my dreams

When doctors put people on medications that manipulate the neurotransmitter levels, they don't really tell you about the side-effects...or at least my doctor didn't.  And he certainly didn't let me in on what I'd go through after I was off of the medication.
I've been off of the meds for almost a week and now I'm suffering from some extremely severe insomnia.  Even worse than the insomnia is when I do sleep.  I have horrible dreams and nightmares about the death of loved ones, and other equally horrible things.  Needless to say, this leaves me quite exhausted by morning, and that along with the withdrawal symptoms leaves me feeling very unlike myself.  Luckily, I know that it's the meds doing this, so I'm not suffering the depression that this could easily cause, but I'm certainly not feeling like myself.
Not to worry anyone though, I'm not planning on doing anything stupid...just waiting impatiently to be myself again...

I'm leaving Sam's Dot

After a great deal of "soul" searching, I've decided to leave Sam's Dot.  I was recently promoted at my "real" job, and that has cut into my family time, and pretty much eliminated my writing time, which was down to almost nothing already.  So after a lot of thought, I've decided to say good bye to SDP.
It wasn't an easy decision, as I've spent more than a decade editing for them and for their predecessor ProMart Writing Lab, but I think it was the right decision.  I need more time to write, and I certainly can't take more time away from my family...so there it is.
I won't be leaving editing completely behind.  I will still be doing editing for Nomadic Delirium Press.  In fact, The Fifth Di... and The Martian Wave, which I've been editing since the ProMart days will be coming along with me to NDP.  The Fifth Di... will probably be converted into an inexpensive downloadable e-zine, and The Martian Wave will continue on as a print zine, although I would imagine that I'll have to run a Kickstarter just to get it off the ground.
So, it's an end and a new beginning all in one.  Most importantly, I think it's what will make me truly happy, and ultimately, that's what's important.

A 12th birthday

Yesterday was our oldest's 12th birthday.  It's hard to believe that she's almost a teenager...although her attitude certainly has its teen moments...
When I first came into her life, she was a little first grader, and now she's in middle school, having crushes on boys, and doing the crazy things that 12 year old girls do.  Although she frustrates the hell out of me at times, I'd have to say that for the most part, I'm very proud of the young woman that she's growing into.  I think that if she continues to make good decisions in her life, she could be just about anything that she wants to be...if we can only motivate her.
Happy birthday, Eryn!

The Battle for Turtle Island is here

The new game is here.
Imagine it's the 19th century, and the colonization/conquest of the Americas is underway yet again, only this time magic is real, and the Indians have a lot more of it than the colonists. This is the world of The Battle for Turtle Island: Buffalo Wars.
The colonists may have the better weapons, but the Indians nearly double the magic of the colonists. Maybe this time the history of the Americas will be very, very different. The Battle for Turtle Island: Buffalo Wars is actually two books in one. It has the core rules for The Battle for Turtle Island RPG, which will be a series of books featuring the different parts of the Americas, and it also has the Buffalo Wars supplement which looks at the battles for the plains.
You can choose to be a Cavalry Soldier, an Arapahoe Medicine Man, a Colonist Trapper, an Apache Warrior, or any number of other classes, and your character can choose to change classes as they advance. This book contains, the character classes, the special abilities for each Indian tribe, the goods, the spells, and much more.
The only other thing you'll need to play is some dice and a vivid imagination.
You can, and should, order it from any of the following:
Amazon
Smashwords
DriveThruRPG

February recap

Cosmic Crime Stories Vol. 5

Pre-order A Kepler's Dozen

An 8th birthday

Greetings from zombie land

Mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions

Last year, the publisher I work for merged with another publisher, and then this week I found out that the company I work for at my "real" job is going to be merging with one of their competitors.  I suppose this is just the nature of the economic world we live in, but I have to wonder if all of these mergers will cut down on competition throughout the business world.
The funny thing about this is that it sort of plays into the novel I'm thinking about writing...one in which the elimination of competition in the corporate world has some grim consequences.  Yes, it's a dystopia...

Greetings from zombie land

As this medication continues to make me less and less of who I am, I think I've come to the conclusion that it's time to stop taking it.  Unfortunately, this medication is one that you can't just stop taking...there are some serious repercussions if you do...like seizures and suicide.  My initial impulse was to call the surgeon that prescribed these things to me, but considering it took him many many months to even call me back after my appointment with him, I think it will be better to call my GP when I get a chance, and have him tell me how to do it.  I know I'll hear back from him, and I actually trust him...I'm not so sure about this surgeon.
Hopefully in the next month or two the fog will clear.  Unfortunately I will still have the pain to deal with, but these meds weren't doing anything about the pain anyway...

An 8th birthday

It's hard to believe that today is our middle daughter's 8th birthday.  It seems like only yesterday that I was pushing her around in a stroller when we were picking her big sister up from school.  Time goes by so fast.  There was a time when she needed us for almost everything, and now she can pretty much take care of herself...although she still likes to play the helpless child at times.
So, happy birthday, Jul.  Hope you have a great day, and I hope you love your presents...I think you'll be very surprised.

Pre-order A Kepler's Dozen

You can now pre-order your copy of A Kepler's Dozen by going to http://www.hadrosaur.com/kepler.html.  This anthology features one of my stories, and it will be released in June.
Here's the write-up for the anthology...
A new anthology of action-packed, mysterious, and humorous stories all based on real planets discovered by the NASA Kepler mission. Edited by and contributing stories are David Lee Summers—best selling author of Owl Dance, The Pirates of Sufiro, and other novels—and Steve B. Howell, project scientist for the Kepler mission. Whether on a prison colony, in a fast escape from the authorities, or encircling a binary star, thirteen exoplanet stories written by authors such as Mike Brotherton, Laura Givens, and J Alan Erwine will amuse, frighten, and intrigue you while you share fantasy adventures among Kepler's real-life planets.

Cosmic Crime Stories Vol. 5

The fifth issue of Cosmic Crimes Stories has been released.  This is the first issue that I've edited, although in truth, a few of the stories were selected by former editor Tyree Campbell.  I've always liked crime stories related to science fiction, so I loved taking over the editorial duties on this zine.
What's in this issue?  Here's the write-up...
Future Imperfect… Crime will always be with us, and as laws evolve, so will the techniques of violating them. In this issue, you’ll meet femme fatales, con men, evil politicians, and a war hero who has trouble adjusting to peace in space. Plus there’s another fine Robichaud article . . . and much more in this latest issue of Cosmic Crime Stories!
You can order your copy at http://sdpbookstore.com/cosmiccrimestories.htm.

January recap

Sam's Dot Publishing update

The Battle for Turtle Island release date

Gertrude Hambil

Back from Ohio

About time!

Brain funk

Me and my crazy ideas

Me and my crazy ideas

I don't know if it's this medicine messing with my head, or what, but I was thinking today what a great idea it would be to take my latest book, A Problem in Translation and turn it into an RPG.
Am I really crazy enough to think that this would be a good idea???

Brain funk

This medication they've put me on for my chronic pain has left me in a brain funk.  I feel like I'm slightly out of phase with reality at the moment.  Everything seems hazy, and my brain seems to just stop at times.  I've had bouts of dizziness and I'm even more exhausted than normal.
I'm hoping that these are only temporary side effects, and eventually my brain will adjust to this stuff.  I'm not really sure if it's worth having the pain subside if I have to feel like this...