Maybe I've Been Slacking

 Maybe, I've been slacking, but I've got an excuse, any of you heard about Covid? Well, I got it a few months back and while I only had things taste off and I only really felt couch-ridden a few days, the brain fog has lingered. So writing has been a slog and I lost out on being part of a Sword & Planet anthology that my friend Christopher Ruocchio is putting together. 

That was a blow because I was really excited about being able to have a story in there with my friends like Chris and Dave Butler for example - who I'm already in about a dozen antho's with. 

Anyhow, my wife sent me to the witch doctor she likes to get me on a regimen of minerals, vitamins and other supplements to get me back on track. At the same time, I'm pushing to get the responsible author system moving, so getting my newsletters up and running for me and the pen name = James Alderdice. 

Speaking of which, there is a giveaway going on now with Butler for multiple copies of several books - sign up now and you've got a great chance for some signed print books! Click HERE

And I'm gonna make a supreme effort to be better at the responsible author thing and post here sooner than a whole year!

What A Collection - Ken Kelly!

It's the artist Ken Kelly's birthday and when I did a tweet and facebook post about it,

I realized - you know what? I am positive that Ken Kelly has done more book covers that I own than anybody else - and that's a lot considering I typically buy every Frazetta I can find. Kelly is such a work horse and has done so many Conan's and other sword and sorcery related covers that it is staggering. He has done a lot of heavy metal covers too, but I don't think I have any of those but when it comes to book covers wow -its staggering.

I just did a count in my office I have about 30+ books with Frazetta covers. And I am not counting doubles - just one individual cover per book.

But I've got 70+ Ken Kelly covers - loads of Conan and Robert E. Howard, but also some Kane, Karl  Edward Wagner books like his Bran Mak Morn - Legion From the Shadows, the Robert Adams Horseclans series and John Maddox Roberts Stormlands series, and then even a variety of standalones and anthologies.

Happy Birthday Ken, and thanks for the bigger than life barbaric art!

Pulp Speed = 4 Books in a month!

I truly meant to spend some more time here at the blog and try to do weekly posts, and that fell pretty hard.

But on the plus side I have been able to keep writing even though I feel busier than ever despite the Corona. I'm finally starting to feel Pulp Rev speed flowing.


Between March 29th and April 22nd, I released 4 books - count them 4 books.
In my #SAVANT series of weird western/gaslamp fantasy Memento Mori, with Porter Rockwell and Elizabeth Dee (John Dee's descendant and heir to his magical legacy)

I got the rights back to my first novel Heroes of the Fallen so I have rereleased it with a new cover, slight edits and a big old glossary in the back that I always wanted included. Its sequel is coming sooner than later - I'm hoping to have Blood Of Our Fathers out in a couple months.

The eighth book in the Brutal saga WRATH is out and I'm pretty stoked for it.

and trying out a new attempt at the beginning of the series, I went and put a new book at the beginning of the Brutal saga THE USURPER which has already made #1 in the Western Science Fiction category on Amazon.


Now granted these weren't all done in a month, Heroes was completed years ago, but got new edits this month, formatting and a new cover by the phenomenal J Caleb Design (he also did WRATH's cover)

Memento Mori was written this year but despite the shortest of these books at a mere 32K it took me the longest.

Wrath is around 55K and went real quick but I did have some of t written and waiting in the sidelines for awhile now.

The Usurper is 102k and that's where I think I really shine at the pulp speed. A few of the chapters were previously written, but considering its almost all new material and was written in January 2020 and April 2020 (not between those months when I was doing the others) that is some serious speed.

In any case, felt like I needed to keep the neglected blog updated and I will try to do better soon.

A Mighty Fortress

I've got a short weird western tale in the newly released A Mighty Fortress anthology.

It is a Porter Rockwell short titled, The Tears of Nephi.

Its a little light on steampunk, but I put in a little - the collection as a whole has the unexpected grouping of being Mormon Steampunk tales, and was initially inspired by the incredibly awesome Dave Butler. He wrote City of the Saints which I highly recommend, and then later down the road put forth the idea for a collection of more tales set in a semi-similar vein and there were so many submissions that was to be one antho became two and then as of today 4!!!

I have the honor of having the closing tale of this collection.

Thanks as always to my editor and friend Holli Anderson.

Check it out if you have a mind too.

The Dragons Hour, Remembering Robert E. Howard

It's no secret that Robert E. Howard is my favorite author. This is his birthday so I'm dusting the blog off for the new year and giving him a toast as it were.

I'm writing this just after midnight, so I'm not sure yet what tale of his I will read later, but I surely will, of course not too much times goes by since the last time I read one. Recently, I revisited one of my favorite Conan yarns - People of the Black Circle and shortly before that Iron Shadows in the Moon.

Around Halloween as a family we listened to some of the audiobook of The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard and I was very pleasantly surprised that my son brought up In the Forest of Villefere just a few days ago. The boys have always loved Pigeons From Hell, my kids like creepy.

That's probably why I share it with them, because I am so amazed and taken with the stories. The tales light the fire of wonder in me and I want to share that with the kids.

I went to Howard Days in 2018 and meant to blog about it then and never did, that's when I kinda fell of the wagon blogging here, then I wasn't able to make it in 2019, but it is my plan to go this year again. Its an interesting feeling walking through his house and thinking about being where he was when he wrote - not just his desk but all over the house from what I have heard. It was like visiting a sacred shrine and I can't wait to go back. I have also been able to visit Hemingway's graveside but spending so much time in the Howard house had a lot more personal feel than just seeing Papa's stone and museum.
Meeting a bunch of online friends in person finally was a big plus too!

Not sure where I am going with this other than just expressing heartfelt appreciation to the man for countless hours of reading enjoyment, contemplative thought and the sheer love of the written word.

Wish you had been around a bit longer to write more, but I surely love what you did accomplish.

SKOAL!

This is a print I got at Howard Days, that is in my study.

My son, Mathias (14) made this Conan bust for me for Christmas.

Release the FURY

Its that Day! Book 6 in the BRUTAL Saga FURY is live here! Grab it and leave a review!

We follow Gathelaus on his way to reclaim his kingdom, and along the way he finds a out of the way territory plagued by a terrible monster named Fiendal.

This is a twist on Beowulf and I've wanted to do this for a long time, Beowulf was something I read in the first grade (I'm sure it was a watered down version but all the important elements were there) and obviously I've been hooked on Heroic fantasy ever since.

Love the cover by J Caleb Design, the man is amazing.

Below is the amazon blurb.

When you face a dragon, better a stout heart than a sharp sword… 

Gathelaus the Sellsword returns to his stolen kingdom, only to find himself on a bleak and barren shore, far from the capitol. Rumors abound of a dragon terrorizing the land and he is determined to deal with the legendary monster.

But after assassins waylay him, he is forced off course through a haunted wood, where more monsters haunt in the dark places. To save the noble few, spells, blades and dragons won’t stop the Sellsword from leaving a swath of righteous carnage in his wake…

FURY is an action-packed heroic fantasy in the vein of classic pulp fiction meets Ragnarok. If you like dragons, larger-than-life characters, and witty humor, then you’ll love James Alderdice’s gritty tale.

Buy FURY to get lost in a bloody sword and sorcery adventure today!

Let Sleeping Gods Lie

I've had plans for this one for years, but finally got down to business finishing up the ideas that had been percolating for a long time, ever since I read that Orrin Porter Rockwell, my real life-yet fictitious weird western character did actually spend time during the gold rush in a boom town named Murderer's Bar.

He even opened up a saloon and did all kinds of things to make money, like shooting contests! I have already written another story set in these days based on a real incident, though I'm not sure when BAD MEDICINE will see print as the publisher failed in their western kickstarter recently, so who knows, it might be awhile. In any case, LET SLEEPING GODS LIE is out there on amazon with a print copy coming soonish.

I had so much fun writing this, one of the best times ever, just living in the moment with all the action, laughs and creepy Lovecraftian vibes shaking out. I was chuckling to myself quite often with some of the supporting characters among whom is Black Bart - yes that Black Bart who also makes a casual appearance in IN MY TIME OF DYING.

It was fun to reread some old Louis L'amour books and even a couple Lovecraft stories I had missed like The Strange High House in the Mist - because I have a hardly touched Lovecraftian god = Nodens making an appearance.

Oh yeah, also gotta love this cover by the fantastic Carter Reid.