Tag: kentucky

New book, in process

Finally settled on a name: Obligations of Rank. Got the copyedit back and just now finished implementing those changes. Rattled the cage of my cover designer to move things from the back burner to front. All in all, coming together nicely.

Wasn’t sure if I needed to add maps to this one and ended up adding two: one of central Kentucky, as that story moves around a bit and I don’t want the readers to get lost. The other is just to illustrate the progress of the Martian terraforming project. I also had to update the stemma as there are just too many family connexions to keep track of.

If all goes well, it should be out for Thanksgiving in the US; the third week of November.

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The Great White North

As Officer Cadet Patel explains below, that has become a reality. With my future history’s Maunder Minimum, the snow and ice are coming, putting pressure on the populations of Canada and the Russian Empire. As a nation with reactionless motors and helping to terraform Mars, the Russians have a potential escape route (besides their hegemony over the American west coast); the Canadians have no such thing, hence they occupation of the old American Midwest.

Nice to see Robert getting all “crown prince” at the end of this snippet. Which is also the end of Part II of my MS. I’m getting into part three, about Prince Laszlo, and… oh, boy. I’ve never written a character like this before. I wonder if I’ll fall afoul of the SJWs and their enforcers? The world wonders.

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Bardstown Exchange

With so much of my time spent talking, either the new podcasts or slogging through the chapters of “Foes & Rivals” audiobook raws, I have neglected manuscript updates. Time to rectify that. With Kentucky Province now added to Faustina’s imperium, there is still a little more work for “Bob Hardt” and his intel group to do; that is, sounding points west of Frankfort. The center of gravity there is Bardstown, a going concern for nearly 300 years. Taken aside by his CO, Robert is almost but not quite called out as to just who the hell he is.

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Autocrat

A special guest appearance! This is only the second time I’ve seen Fussy in-person in this novel. She was playful when messaging Robert through his tablet but is a much harder person in the flesh. I wonder if being an absolute monarch wears at her? She almost sounds relieved to think someone else will have the burden of the incorporation of the Midwest. And, just who might be her heir?

This is the conclusion of what will be chapter ten. There’s one more, with Centurion Hill taking his team further west then up to the Ohio River, but that’s another day. Please look forward to my next podcast, in two days; I’ll be getting into the details of the Machines of Machine Civilization.

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Hard Decisions

And just like a bad penny or a case of herpes, Sky is back again. Do I have to metaphorically spray Roundup on my story to get rid of her? At least she’s made her decision and is Roland’s problem, now.

The locals, not knowing what, or rather who is coming, Centurion Hill pressures Deke Webb into his decision, too.

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“L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace.”

Another meeting but it also offers readers a peek into the neo-feudalistic structure of the imperium. If some of the NPCs in the story have trouble wrapping their heads around it, I expect my readers to, as well. But I’ve never been one for huge blocks of exposition. I’m sure more will come out in some conversation in the future.

If I have to explain things, well, that like having to read the instructions to a game; by definition, that’s a failed game.

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A Series of Reveals

With my first podcast behind me – and already notes for the second – time to get back to what is happening in former Kentucky. The short answer is: quite a bit and very fast. I think these story notes will be the last or second-to-last chapter of this section.

It was, honestly, nice to get Sky off the stage. She tends to take over; like kudzu.

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“The George & Dragon”, pt3

This brings me up to about half of what I was shown on vacation. And speaking of which, I’m taking a tiny one; after last week’s industrial fun of 650 mile daily drives followed by canyon hikes at 5500 feet, then an 18-hour flight and wait back, the DayJob Sunday and each day this week until now, I dozed off twice yesterday. Not while compounding or anything such as that, but still. So, with today and tomorrow off, I’m doing as little as possible today and maybe some audio recording tomorrow. Very, very tired.

This is the third and last of the pub arc. I think we’ll see Roland and Sky one more time before Part II of this work-in-progress closes. I do know there’s a lot of politics coming up next.

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“The George & Dragon”, pt1

Even being tired at DayJob, I’m still trying to write down the reels I was shown on vacation. I think I’m as interested in Sky as Robert is, so she makes a quick reappearance. Additionally, a fellow Gabber has been having some health issues, so, besides praying for him, I also borrowed what little elements I know about him to create Tribune Atkinson of Tenth Legion. He’s only a bit part here but looms large at a meeting next morning. That’s likely 2-3 installments from now, ’cause it’s not just Sky who the young prince unexpectedly encounters in this pub…

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“The George & Dragon”, pt2

Would a force of nature such as Sky settle for a normal boyfriend? Of course not. Funny in that she does not begin to grasp what a world she might be pulled into: demi-humans and the imperial family. Could you imagine a family dinner and Roland walks in with the white wildcat on his arm? I’d love to see that! Maybe I will.

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