Publishing Announcement: Valducan and Black Raven Return

I’m very excited to announce that Crossroad Press has picked up my Valducan Series and Tales of the Black Raven.

Currently, I’m finishing up the remainder of my 90-day separation from my previous publisher, which means ebooks aren’t available and they are still selling off the remaining inventory of printed books. Audio is still available. Crossroad Press will be running the titles through a fresh round of edits and then putting them back out there for readers to enjoy.

Future Valducan and Black Raven titles will be published through Crossroads as well.

Established in 2009, Crossroad’s authors include Clive Barker, Joe Lansdale, C.T. Phipps, and even the Stargate novels. I’m extremely honored to be among them.

Re-release dates are not set yet. We still have a month left before we can even release, but it should be soon.

Thank you, everyone. I look forward to getting them back out there.

 

Publishing Announcement: Redemptor is coming

For those of you wondering when you can get your hands on REDEMPTOR (Valducan #4), prepare your ear holes.  Audible Original Publishing has signed Redemptor for release. AOP will release the novel as a 6-month audio exclusive. After that, it will become available in print and ebook editions.

Release date is still unknown (we just signed it, so there’s still editing, recording, editing the recording, and a bunch of other steps somewhere in the middle). But it will happen. No idea yet if R.C. Bray will narrate it, as he has the other Valducan novels. I hope his schedule allows for it. I’ll post more as I learn more.

Now, as for paper and ebook editions of Redemptor and the rest of my Valducan and Black Raven books, which will no longer be carried by my former publisher, I have a second announcement coming soon.  We just need to make sure all the final steps are in place, but they have found a home. More to come.

 

Life Comes At You Pretty Fast: A General Update

Things have been busy since my last post, but it’s a Good Busy and not that Oh, God, Kill Me Now Busy.

While the separation from Ragnarok Publications is still ongoing, my Black Raven Series has found a new home. I’m mostly sure the Valducan Series has also found a new home, but we’re still in talks and I’ll make a big announcement once we’re all signed and pretty.  I’m not worried. 

 

Achievement Unlocked

In the middle of this all, I spent 10 days touring Israel with a 2-day hop into Jordan to explore Petra. It was amazing. I walked in several ruins, visited historic sites, floated in the Dead Sea, stood atop an aqueduct, visited many museums, and petted more than a few stray cats.  I have piles of notes to use for future stories and even made several updates to Ashes of Onyx in some related areas (Those who follow my blog know that travel is my #1 source for inspiration).

My YouTube Channel has been shooting up in popularity.  I had my first video to break the 100,000 views milestone. While I’m still but a tiny channel in a sea of giants, I’m growing.  It’s currently at 4,500 Subscribers and has now made enough revenue to have covered my meager expenses (which means I’ll be spending even more on costumes and some half-decent equipment).  

This upcoming weekend (September 22-24, 2017) I’ll be a guest author at FenCon.  You can find my schedule HERE.

Finally, ASHES OF ONYX is complete. It surpassed my initial estimates and came in at 114,000 words. I’ve completed my full read-through, made many changes, and BETA Reader response has been extremely positive. It’s currently in the Querying Phase, which means its still a long, long way from any release.  While a complete stand-alone from any of my other works, I have started toying with the idea of a second story set in the same universe. Still too early to tell.

That’s it for now. I hope to have some more announcements soon.

 

Moving On

After three years and five books, I’ve decided to end my relationship with Ragnarok Publications.

I won’t lie. This wasn’t easy. But it had to happen.

I’m not going to go into much detail here. There’s several reasons, some big, some small, but the short of it comes down to business.  Writing is a business. Publishing is a business. And Ragnarok hasn’t paid me what they owe me.  How much? I wish I knew.

This isn’t a new problem. Other authors have left over the past year for the same reason and more.  It sucks. But business is business.

I’m not interested in trash-talk. So don’t expect that. I will always be grateful for Ragnarok being the first publisher to take the risk on me. I’ve made a lot of good friends there and many special memories.

So what does this mean?

Well, it’ll take a few months for the transition to take effect and all rights to return to me on the books already in publication.  So, I have until then to figure it out.  Hopefully, I will find a new publisher with a solid reputation who wants my Valducan Series (anyone know a good agent?).

What about Redemptor?

Well, Redemptor (Valducan #4) is completely back in my hands. Technically, it never left. Due to a merger and some other reasons, Ragnarok never sent me a contract (Crazy. I know.) So as of this moment, I have the full rights to it.

However, this also means that it will not be releasing this November. I’m terribly sorry for that.

Hopefully Redemptor will find a new home soon.

This isn’t a post I wanted to make. I wanted to post about how Redemptor is coming soon and about how Ashes of Onyx is nearly complete. But business is business.  Sometimes it isn’t fun.

-Seth

So You’re on a Convention Panel: 5 Things You Should Remember

Last weekend I was given the privilege of being a guest author at a writing convention. It was fun. I met a lot of people and caught up with several friends in the writing community. I spent some time on a few panels and watched some others. One thing that struck me was a common theme that I’ve noticed at a lot of conventions lately, and that’s that many people don’t quite know how to act on a panel.  It was a minority of panelists that missed the memo or never received it. I’d say 1 in 6. Unfortunately, when most panels have 5-6 members, that means that most panels had at least 1 member who wasn’t versed in proper panel etiquette. So allow me to explain a few things to remember in case you find yourself at a convention as a guest speaker/panelist.

 

1:  Be Approachable – Many people attend conventions to spend time with fandom and meet some of its movers and shakers. If you’re a panelist or speaker that means you fall into the category of Mover or Shaker. Congratulations. People will want to meet you, and chances are high that you want people to know you, like you, and hopefully buy your book.  Connecting with fans at conventions is easy. They’re literally all around you. So mingle. Be approachable.

I often describe working a convention as a 48 Hour Job Interview. You’re here to impress. If you’re like me and have a “resting bitch face” remember to keep it in check.  I can’t help it if my neutral face looks like I’m considering murder. I’m not (usually). And I don’t want that moment when someone works up the nerve to say hello to me to be dashed because I look angry. So I smile. I smile a lot. By the weekend’s end my face hurts. 

So smile.  Keep yourself in approachable places where fans and potential fans might see you and talk to you. Try to be aware of where you are so that it’s easy as possible for people to meet you and hopefully like you enough to buy your book.

 

2:  Arrive On Time – When it comes time for your panel or presentation, you need to be on time. Remember, you’re working this convention and Panel-Time is Go-Time. Show up before the panel starts. Get set up, maybe chat with people in the audience. People are depending on you: the Convention, the Guests, the Other Panelists. Don’t make them wait. Don’t show up three minutes in with lame excuses and interrupting someone else’s introduction because they eventually had to start without you.

Once again, this convention weekend is a job interview. You wouldn’t show up late to a job interview, would you?

 

3: End On Time – This might be jumping ahead, but while we’re on the subject of your panel/presentation’s time-slot, you need to end it on time.  I know that the schedule block shows you there for an hour, but it’s wrong.  You have 50 minutes. At 45 minutes you need to be wrapping it up, maybe take that “One Last Question.” At 50 minutes you need to thank everyone for coming and dismiss. At 55 minutes you need to be out of the room for the next panelists using the room to have time to set up and for your co-panelists and audience to run off to the restrooms and then maybe to another panel/presentation.

It’s extremely rude to hog the room for a wide variety of reasons. But one of the most important is that if your panel runs late, you risk the serious potential of throwing the carefully oiled machine of con-scheduling completely off track. If you force the panel or presentation behind you to start 5 minutes late because they couldn’t setup in time or because they had to awkwardly ask you to move a conversation outside, then they now run the high risk of running late, as well.  Not just for your room, but your other panelists and the guests will be arriving late to their next panels. A domino-effect can happen and no one wants that. So, watch the clock and end ten minutes before the next panel begins. This isn’t a request.

 

4:  Share the Stage – If you’re giving a 1-person presentation, then awesome. Have fun. But if you’re on a multi-person panel, then remember that every single person up there is not only another convention guest, but also a Mover and Shaker like you. Be aware if you’re talking too much. Let everyone speak. Try not to speak more than everyone.  Many people in the audience came to see your co-panelists. They’re not here to see you, but this is your chance to make a good impression and win them over. So don’t be remembered as the jerk who hogged the stage and didn’t let anyone else speak.  Interact with your co-panelists, have a dialogue, endear yourself to your co-panelists and the audience.

For the love of God, don’t steamroll your co-panelists. Trust me, no one is impressed and it doesn’t look as cool as you think it does. Be polite. The people on stage are your partners and co-workers. Be a good partner. 

If you’re a bad partner, trust me, all the other Movers and Shakers are going to hear about it, and that might hurt your chances of a convention invite in the future.

 

5: Your Time On The Panel Is Not The Time to Self-Promote – This might come as a shock to you, but unless the panel is clearly described as being about you and about your book, then it’s not. Most panels are over a wider topic in the genre, the fandom, or the industry. You were brought in as a panelist or speaker on this subject because of your knowledge and expertise. And while yes, you may think that this is the perfect time to plug your book every 3 seconds, it’s actually not. This is where you need to address your vast expertise on the topic and not yourself. 

For example: I was recently on a panel about Fantastic Setting. While I have written a fantastic setting or two, I never once mentioned my own work. I spoke about Edgar Rice Burroughs, Clive Barker, William Gibson, Anne Rice, Mark Twain, and Scott Lynch. I explained what made them good and what we can learn from them. After it was done, I met fans who liked what I had to say, complimented my knowledge and analysis of the subject, and I even sold a couple books. Had I instead used my time on stage to lay out my own books, people would have zoned out and stopped listening because that’s not why they were there.

I understand the desire to link the topic to your own book because obviously the audience is interested in this topic and therefore might like your book, but please resist. You were selected for the panel because of your expertise that allowed you to write this book. This is where you need to let that expertise shine. If you impress your audience with your vast knowledge on the topic, then they are more likely to buy your book than if you just tell them you wrote a book.  Panels last about 50 minutes. You get about 30 seconds during your panelist intro to say “I wrote a book”, and then the rest of the panel is about your expertise. After the panel or between panels you can self-promo to your heart’s content. That’s why you’re here. Your knowledge that you and add to the panel itself is why the convention invited you and that is NOT the time to talk about you and your book. This is paying your dues to the convention for inviting you. It’s NOT a sale-pitch.

But what if someone asks a direct question about my book?” you ask.

Good question. In the event someone asks about your book or how you handled a topic in your book, you have been given audience permission to discuss it. This is not free-reign. This is a 30-second window. Answer the question and then move it off of yourself. Maybe even bounce the question on a co-panelist to see how they addressed the issue in their own work. 

EXCEPTION: Like with writing, every rule has an exception. If you speak about a mistake you made in your book and how you learned from it, then feel free to mention it if it relates to the topic and as long as you are sure that you’re not twisting it into a “clever sales-pitch” of “Buy my Book”. Trust me, the audience and your co-panelists can tell the difference.

 

So now you know. As long as you can stick to these five simple rules, you’ll have a lot of fun at the convention and might find yourself invited to even more. 

What I Have Brewing

So while we’re waiting for Redemptor (Valducan #4) to release this November, I’ve been busy working on something new. Something very different.

My current Work-In-Progress is under the working-title Ashes of Onyx and it’s coming along rather nicely.  It’s a bit hard to describe (which is a problem when it comes to pitching it) but it’s a culmination of many ideas and concepts that I’ve enjoyed. It’s part Urban Fantasy, Horror, and Portal Fantasy. I’m about 75% sure the proper genre tag for it is New Weird.

Here’s the short description/pitch:

Kate Rossdale was once the most gifted sorceress to rise in Onyx Tower, Baltimore’s greatest coven. Then a murderous betrayal left her stripped of her magic, friendless, and on the downward spiral of addiction.

But all of that is about to change when she’s hired for dangerous job by a man she doesn’t trust. The payment: Restoration of her magical powers. The Job: Murder. As enemies close from all sides, Kate races across the globe and across worlds, venturing into exotic realms of forbidden dreams as she hunts her target – the magic-thief who robbed her of everything.

I can list a whole lot of favorite stories that served as inspiration for it. Problem is that any time I try to describe it by these works, people respond with, “Oh, so it’s like <Insert Completely Wrong Example Here>,” to which I have to reply, “No.”  But, I’ll go ahead and list some of them here.

Neuromancer, Imagica, The Dark Tower, The Devil Rides Out, The King In Yellow, and whole list of other tiny influences.

In short: It’s something like this, but not really,

 

So to answer the initial questions people ask based off of the influences I cited:

So is it cyberpunk?  Not at all.

Are there gunslingers?  Nope.

Does it explore the deeper aspects of human sexuality? No.

Does it include Satanism?  Hahahaha…. No.

Does it feature The Yellow King?  Um… yeah. But we don’t refer to her as a king.

So it’s a Yellow Queen?!  She prefers empress, but this is getting close to Spoiler Town, so I’m going to stop answering questions.

Is Spoiler Town near Carcosa?   It’s a suburb of it.

Right now the First Draft is at 64,000 words.  I’m estimating the book will run 100,000 total, so it’s safe to say that I’m 64% done.  I’m hoping it’ll be finished by September, and unless some unforeseen variable kicks in, I might have it knocked out before then.  The 60-80% portion of any book is always the hardest for me to write. After that will come the task of editing and then the gauntlet of pitching it to an agent. 

So for those of you who have been wondering why my blog has been so quiet, there you go.  Now that I’ve announced the project, I should be giving more updates as it progresses.

 

 

 

 

Let’s Chat About Impostor Syndrome

Last weekend I was honored with serving as a Guest Speaker at the DFW Writers’ Conference. It was my second year to do so and it went spectacularly well. In addition to participating on several panels, I taught a class on writing fight scenes (more on that in a second), and gave one-on-one critiques/consultations with authors.

It actually surprised me that I had two authors (well, three because one was a writing duo) actually pay a good deal of their hard-earned money to have me offer my opinion of their work. The week before the conference I was emailed ten pages from each of their novels to review. Now, I’ve been in workshops for many years. I’ve given hundreds of such reviews, but those were workshops with numerous members and offering a wide-range of opinions, not one-on-one paid consultations. Horrified that I’d disappoint them, I pored over those pages, marking every single item that I thought would be helpful. And yes, I found many things that I could help them on, and feel that I did as good a job as I could, but the entire time I was thinking, “Why me? There’s a million better authors out there. Real authors.”  

Real Authors.

In the end, the consultations went better than I could have hoped.  Both gave me sincere thanks for all of the critical and helpful advice. I don’t doubt their sincerity one bit. I wish all the best for them.  But even then, while they were clutching their pages, slathered with my red ink and notes, and thanking me for all my help, there was still a little voice in the back of my head screaming “Fraud!

Fraud.

I sold my first story in 2006. My debut novel released three years ago and my sixth book will be coming out later this year. Two of my audio books were Audie Award finalists, I’ve sold thousands of books, I have actual fans that reach out to me, yet that little nagging bastard of a voice still wont shut up.

In 2016, when I was asked to speak at that DFWcon, several of the local presenters got together to work on our presentations. Tex Thompson (who is one of the coolest people, and quite possibly an actual living angel) organized it, and during our first meeting she asked if we had any concerns. I sat silent, afraid to say what it was. Then Dantzel Cherry raised her hand and said, “I’m just going to address the elephant in the room: Impostor Syndrome.”

That was the first time I’d heard the term Impostor Syndrome, but I knew exactly what it was. I knew who it was. It’s the name of that asshole voice screaming in the back of my head any time anyone called me an author. Not only did I know that voice, but I’d thought I was the only person who even heard it. Everyone else was a real author or a real editor. I was a fraud, a fluke, some idiot that had just gotten lucky and fooled my way into their company. Tex (who I can’t stress enough is fucking awesome) assured us that we all deserved to be there. She must have seen the doubt in my eyes because she looked straight at me and gave me an assuring nod.

It helped. It helped having a name for that voice. Soon I discovered how many of us have that voice – way more than I’d have imagined.

While at this years’s conference I was talking to a few of the authors and one mentioned self-doubt. They were referring it in relation to self-doubt being an obstacle that must be overcome in order to finish and sell your story (which is very true). I warned that self-doubt never goes away after they’re published. It just morphs into Impostor Syndrome. One author laughed and said they couldn’t wait until then because those of us with Impostor Syndrome have at least been published. I couldn’t argue. Hopefully they’ll become one of those authors that sells their novel and never once questions if they’re frauds.

Sunday afternoon came time for my writing fight scenes class. It was in the last schedule bracket for the conference. I’d assumed that few people would show. It had been a long weekend and a lot of people would be heading out and going home. Why would they stay for some 15th rate author like me?

I admit a moment of terror when I walked in ten minutes early to setup my laptop and this very large room was already full of people with more filing in every second. I’ve done this presentation before. I have it down and I think it’s pretty good (or at least entertaining. I even give a bad Keanu Reeves impersonation during it). But I’d never given it for this many people, and many of those faces in the crowd were real authors, active members of the writing community, people who I’d somehow slimed my way into their company and was referred to as their peer. After a brief technical difficulty in getting my ancient laptop to work on the projector, I began what would be the final presentation and many people’s final memory of the conference.

It went amazingly well.

Better than I could have imagined. Not only did no one stand up in the middle of my class and scream, “You don’t know shit!” but it ended with a lot of applause, and people rushing up to thank me. It was incredible.

After 20 minutes of shaking hands, I strolled out of the room for Tex to tell me all the praises she’d heard about my class. It felt good. It felt incredible.

Once I got home, and still riding the high from the response I’d received, I posted my experience on my Facebook wall.

See that reply?  That’s a sincere congratulations. That’s someone complimenting me.

Do you see my response? That’s me downplaying it. I even added a smiley. But that’s not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was the echo of that little gremlin of a voice. “Don’t call me famous.”

Even while strutting on Cloud 9, happy as I can be at a job well done, I can’t even for a second pretend that I’m something that I’m not. I’m an author – an obscure one at best. That’s simple fact. I’m hoping to fix that.

But one thing with Impostor Syndrome, even if the stars align and I find myself in a position where I’m no longer obscure, will I accept that? Will that gremlin ever go away?

I don’t know. But like that wise author said when I warned them of the gremlin’s existence, I can’t wait to find out.

So in case you’re wondering why I’d post a blog lamenting about my own demons after what was by all accounts a triumph, the reason is simple. This is for all those authors who still wonder if they’re good enough. This is for all of you who downplay everything you do and lie in bed wondering when someone will figure out that you don’t belong.

You’re not alone.

Just keep telling that voice to shut up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redemptor Plot and Cover Reveal

One part of writing that I hope never grows old is the joy of seeing a book’s cover for the very first time. It’s like getting the first glimpse of a very dear friend that you’ve spent long hours with but have never actually met.  Shawn King at Ragnarok Publications has done some amazing covers, and I am thrilled at what he’s created with Redemptor.  

Hello, old friend.

Now, for those of you wondering what Valducan #4 might be about, here you go:

Three years have passed since Valducan knight Matt Hollis defeated Tiamat’s cult, but her demonic children are still on the loose. Now, a mysterious enemy is stealing holy weapons across South America, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. The Valducans fear that her followers have returned.

But not all is as it seems and a new player has joined this hunt – the paladins of the Catholic Church. To stop an evil that none of them have ever imagined the Order must set aside centuries of animosity and join forces with their long-standing enemy.

In the war against demons, there are weapons on both sides. Monsters aren’t born, they’re forged.

The final line was actually the first line that I knew about the book. I had the concept for Redemptor shortly before Dämoren was released. But I wasn’t entirely sure yet what it would be about, and it went through a few versions before the ideas fully crystallized. However, some of the plot elements I did know, and I slipped them into both Hounacier, and Ibenus, as well as a few of my Valducan short stories.

This one has been a long-time coming, and I’m very happy to finally see Redemptor for the first time. Matt is stepping back into a starring role and will be joined by several familiar faces and a few new ones.

I look forward to sharing it with you all.

 

 

 

 

2016 in Review

2016 will be a year long remembered with a negative edge. It began with Bowie’s death and continued on with blow after blow. But not all was bad.

This year I was invited to speak at AllCon and FenCon. The biggest compliment was the invitation to speak at DFWcon. Being a guest at conventions that I once paid to attend and listen at was an enormous step for me. I’ve met a lot of amazing people and it has done nothing but help my career. I hope 2017 continues this trend.

I released the Valducan shorts Hungry Eyes and Raid on Wewelsburg with the SNAFU series by Cohesion Press.

My publisher Ragnarok Publications finalized a distribution deal with IPG and now my Valducan and Black Raven books are available in major bookstores. I had my first experience walking into a Barnes & Noble and discovering my books on the shelves. In fact, it was the very same Barnes & Noble where I used to attend a writing group where some of the very same Black Raven stories were worked on. 

Hounacier was a Audie Award finalist for Best Paranormal Audio Book. And while we didn’t win, just being a finalist for such an award is an enormous deal. R.C. Bray has been a god-send. 

My third novel, Ibenus, was published in September and has been very well received.

I finished my fourth Valducan novel Redemptor and sent that in to my editor in November. I am extremely happy with this one and really look forward to everyone seeing it.

In July, I quit my job and am now writing and geeking-out full-time.

After much prodding from my wife, I’ve started a YouTube channel where I discuss gaming and nerldy things.  I’m having way more fun with that than I had anticipated and am quickly climbing he technical learning curve. You should totally Subscribe to it.

I’ve started a completely new novel that is unlike anything I’ve tried before. There is no title yet, but it will be a gritty Portal Fantasy and I’m really loving where it’s headed. No, I’m not done with my Valducan series, but this new one sort of forced its way to the front of my brain and it’s got some serious bite.

So while 2016 might not have been the best year, it hasn’t been all bad. I hope things in 2017 are even better, but until then, I wish everyone a happy new year and thank you all for your amazing support.

-Seth

 

 

 

Story Inspirations – Raid on Wewelsburg

My Valducan short, Raid on Wewelsburg releases tomorrow as part of Cohesion Press’ SNAFU: Black Ops anthology.  I’m very excited about this story because it shows a completely new perspective of the Valducan world with a different cast than any of the other previously released tales. With any story, there is always the defining moment of inspiration – a scene or an image that grew into a narrative.  “Raid on Wewelsburg” was a little different in that its inspiration came from an already amazing and unsettling story. It started with a cauldron.

 

 The Chiemsee Cauldron – In 2001, divers discovered a 23 pound, solid gold cauldron at the bottom of Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria.  Covered with Celtic symbols, the cauldron was originally believed to be a great archaeological discovery until analysis discovered that it was made in the 20th Century.

Research into the cauldron’s origin revealed that it was a Nazi artifact used by the SS and created by the jeweler Otto Gahr.  Gahr is most known for crafting the infamous Totenkopfrings (Death’s Head rings) of the SS.

 

 Death’s Head Rings – The silver rings were the honor rings worn by the SS.  The rings were decorated with runes and engraved with the owner’s name.  Upon the bearer’s death, the rings were sent to Wewelsburg Castle, the headquarters of the SS, and entombed there.

 

 Wewelsburg Castle – This German Castle was chosen by Himmler to serve as the headquarters for the SS and as the “Center of the World” for the Reich. The enormous remodeling and reconstructions performed are believed to have been in an attempt to make a modern-day Camelot, complete with a round table and a grail. It is also believed that this grail was the Chiemsee Cauldron.

On March 31, 1945, as the Allies were closing in on the castle, Himmler sent Major Heinz Macher in to collect several valuables, including over 9,000 Death’s Head rings.   Before fleeing, dressed as civilians, Macher’s men attempted to blow up the castle.  They only succeeded in blowing up one of the towers and the neighboring barrack house, but fire destroyed the remaining castle. No one has ever discovered the 9,000 silver rings.

While no one knows why or how the cauldron ended up at the bottom of a Bavarian lake, it is theorized that Macher gave it to an SS Division called the Nibelungen, which was also formed in March of 1945 and consisted primarily of Hitler Youth.  The name Nibelungen comes from German mythology about a race of dwarves tasked with protecting a great treasure. Some suspect that the treasure the Nibelungen Division was tasked with protecting included the cauldron.

On May 2, 1945, the Nibelungen were forced to retreat to the shores of Lake Chiemsee. They surrendered on May 8th, and it believed that during their time there, they sank the cauldron before it could be captured.

The Chiemsee Cauldron and its probable link to Wewelsburg has fascinated me. I’d always wanted to write about it and when Cohesion Press contacted me about their anthology, I knew that it was time. Working it into my Valducan mythology was fun because I wanted to keep as much of the incredible truth to the story as possible. In fact, I used every bit of the history above.

But even before the story was written, I knew the cauldron’s place in the Valducan mythology. My original draft of IBENUS had Luc mention the cauldron when he first discussed demons and governments with Victoria. Sadly, that scene was trimmed for pacing. But very observant readers will notice a few other links between “Raid on Wewelsburg” and several other Valducan stories.

As far as any inspiration that might be noticed between “Raid on Wewelsburg” and the Black Cauldron… well, I think I’ve mentioned before just how influential the Black Cauldron was on my young and impressionable mind.

I hope my readers enjoy this newest addition the the Valducan mythology as much as I do. The anthology releases tomorrow, but readers can buy it today for a special pre-order price.

-Seth