Hail Sword Swingers,
I've been writing slowly since my last newsletter, I admit, but things are moving. I will be refocusing my efforts soon and get back to the battle full force! Real life work has been a real headache and sucking a lot of mental energy. Further, over the last year I and my family have been dealing with a family health crisis which has impacted us in every way. Sadly, my sister-in-law has passed away. She was true Valkyrie. She put herself in harms way and saved several people from death. She was kind and my kids loved her.
But enough of my personal journal... what about the stories?
Anvil
I am slated for Anvil 5 with my Skarde, the Wandering Sword yarn: The Heart of Vasudaga.
It's a gripping tale of roguery, sorcery, double-crosses, and monsters! That issue is not available just yet, but you can find other gripping tales for pre-order on Anvil 4 right here - https://anvilmagazine.com/
Battleborn
I'm thrilled to announce that I will have a story in the inaugural issue of the highly
anticipated, heart-pounding, action-packed issue of Battleborn! No page will go unthumbed in this new magazine dedicated to Sword & Sorcery. I will keep the title of my short a secret for now. Edited by Sean CW Korsgaard and published by the redoubtable IronAge Media, this beast will hit the ground running. So put on your shoes and sign up at https://battlebornmagazine.com/.
The pre-order campaign begins SOON!
Swords & Heroes
Well, it seems I got something right as Lyn Perry has accepted my tale of supernatural
horror and earthly steel for Swords and Heroes. My story will be emailed right to your inbox late this November. Really, the email format intrigues me. Is there anyone else doing this? Sign up and get my story for free, and other free stories every month. And a Sword & Sorcery roundup! Thank you Lyn! Check out the misty realm of Tule Fog Press: https://tulefogpress.substack.com/p/swords-and-heroes-story-0
The Man of Pale Iron
I am working on a short story right now in the Sword & Sorcery vein (of course), but with a twist. Valkain is a grim man of the Dakargan clans of the windswept North. He has put aside his sword for the moment to take up the lucrative sport of pugilism. That's right, I'm taking inspiration from the old pulp boxing stories and setting the tale in the same Sword & Sorcery world that Skarde inhabits. Boxing & Sorcery!
The tone of these boxing tales is often quite different from pulp S&S, particularly with Howard's Sailor Steve Costigan stories, but the plots mesh. The story is done but frankly it needs a lot of work and partial rewrite, but I'll be shopping it around soon.
Citadel of Seven Swords Audiobook
As I mention previously, I applied for a grant to produce an Audiobook. Sadly, I was not selected. That loot would have come in mighty handy. Thing are not lost though. The man with the savagely gritty voice, The Hobo with the High Kick, Moose Matson has expressed interest in working out a deal with me to go forward. Fantastic! I am slowly but surely exploring options for distribution. Audible has its downsides, and Findaway Voices (Spotify) is a bit of an unknown for me. One way or another we will find a way!
Check Moose out- @moosematson on Twitter. He also voices Savage Realms Monthly (@SRM_Monthly on Twitter). And here is a playlist of his readings on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVgB--Le62G_0jb8cACJqX3SxmaKXPCFk
The Story of Robert E. Howard's CONAN
Robert E. Howard is almost as much a character as Conan himself! I explore the tales of the
Cimmerian Howard had published in long format videos. As of now I have covered the first two tales that saw publication; The Phoenix on the Sword, and The Scarlet Citadel. They seem popular, so I will keep them up as I can - they are time consuming to edit, but fun. Please check them out!
Princess of the Shrouded Mountain
I've been plugging away on Book 3 of the Wandering Sword series for a while now... and not making any great progress. This story has been the greatest victim of the time crunch of this year among my projects. But at the end of the day, I can't let myself be daunted by the scope of writing a full novel. A hundred words here, a thousand there, and it will be done in time. And time I will give it after I finish my Boxing & Sorcery story.
The indomitable Skarde, the wise Belgeti, and the beautiful ex-assassin Zlata investigate the mysterious stronghold of the Lords of Mountain - and end up trapped in a Land of the Lost. Antediluvian monsters, tribal machinations, and fearsome sorcery prove a greater barrier to escape than the cyclopian mountain walls. Will they ever find their freedom again?
That's all for now. Until next time,
Raise your fists up in the air,
Play metal!
-Erik
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