Holy Hannah, I apologize, folks. Been a tad busy.
First and Foremost: New Anthologies Out!
I have two short stories available for purchase; one was released earlier this month, the other is due to launch around October/November.
I’ve been told that my story in Knights of Malta, LawDog’s latest release and second in his Malta anthology series (behind Ghosts Of Malta), is some of my best work to date. Apparently good enough to qualify for top billing on the cover, which is the first time this has happened.
My smile upon hearing that stretched from Dutch Harbor to Ketchikan, I tell you what.
Alongside appearing with both of my friends Lawdog and Jonathan LaForce, both veteran authors in their own right (and Veterans, come to think of it), I’m proud to say that this anthology also features my good buddy E.C. Ratliff, in his first ever published story. He also received top billing on the cover (his story is the first, mine is the last), and that thought honestly makes me feel happier than being on the cover myself. That’s freaking awesome.
There’s a bunch of other really talented authors in this book as well. I picked up a copy for myself, and their stories all make for a damned fine read.
It is currently available for purchase, in print and ebook, on Amazon.
The other anthology, The Deer Shot Back, is a sequel anthology to Cedar Sanderson’s How Not To Shoot Fish….And Other Deer That Got Away. These are collections of real hunting and fishing stories that Cedar has painstakingly made illustrations for (something she did a hell of a job on). She’s just finished the final illustrations for The Deer Shot Back, and will be releasing it soon. I’ll announce it on here when the book goes live. In the meantime, give the first in the series a read!
In Progress: Novels, Anthologies, & The Toob
Tomorrow ***October 15th*** (Date got bumped) is the last day to submit for Chris Roche’s “Primal Voices”, a “Dinos Among Us” short story anthology. This idea was born months ago, from a throwaway comment my buddy E.C. (see above) made criticizing the new Jurassic World movie in a group chat some author friends of mine and I participate in. That prompted a hilarious discussion that culminated in the anthology call my friend Chris Roche put out, asking for stories:
Chris is the anthology organizer; I tossed in my hat to help edit submissions. Stories must involve dinosaurs and humans in some form, and be between 5,000 to 8,000 words. Submit stories in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format to dinoanthology@gmail.com.
Still plugging away at the novel. The hard drive crash really hosed me, but I’m making up for lost time. And honestly, I think the newer version works a little better. More to come.
The YouTube Channel is at a bit of a standstill, mostly because funds have been tight and I haven’t been able to spare the coin for automotive projects. I have content for two episodes (filmed back in April) that’ I’ve been working on; it’s just taking me awhile.
Other Happenings
The main thing I’ve been battling is the VA and DOD on retirement pay and disability claims. Sucks, but it is what it is. Left Hot Emma and I in a bit of a financial bind, but family, friends, and our church have been helping us through it. Hopefully, that gets resolved soon, but, being government, you never really know.
Similarly, been working on getting my journeyman electrician’s license, so I can go back to work on a regular basis (the other obstacle being VA appointments). The State of Montana finally accepted my military hours towards a civilian journeyman’s license, so there’s that. I’m just waiting to take the knowledge test, and then I’m golden.
In happier news, I’ve been doing odd jobs to get by. One of those odds jobs happened to be doing work as an extra on the set of a little TV series they’re filming around here, called Yellowstone. You may have heard of it.
I’ve done a total of five scenes for them, to date. I had to sign an Non-Disclosure Agreement, so I can’t tell you which scenes they were until after they air. I got $10 for anybody who can find me in all five of those scenes, though. They’ll be in Season Five, which comes out in November. No guarantee all of the shots I was in made it to the final cut, but we’ll see.
I’ve also been doing work for a prequel series for the main Yellowstone show called 1923. Filming for that one is still ongoing, and the series will start airing sometime next year. I’ll keep you all posted.
Recently, Hot Emma and I attended FenCon in Irving, Texas, right by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Met a lot of great people, saw old friends, made new ones, and had a great time. Emma gave a panel on sewing, I got some books sold, and I was introduced to Oilfire for the first time (that stuff is dangerously good!).
In other news, I’m doing okay, healthwise. Other than weathering wildfire smoke and a minor hospitalization en route back from Texas due to an allergic reaction of unknown cause, nothing new to report.
Thanks for all your support. I encourage you all to check the new books out, and if you liked what you read, let me know! Always eager to hear what you guys like, what you don’t like, and things you’d like to see in the future.
In the meantime, y’all have a good one.
Old Hat Nation 