The Vale of Shade is coming!

Hey all,

My first foray into novel writing will finally see the light of day! The Vale of Shade, naively conceived as a giant 1 volume monster of an epic, will be published soon in three volumes by me! Originally the first 2/5ths of the work was published by The Twisted Library, and I am still so thankful for the chance they gave me to see my work in print, but it has been a long haul and now I have the rights back. Over two years since accepted for publication, people will get to read the full journey of Arden, the cursed Prince, and his motley band of friends.

Curtis Hale, painter extraordinaire will be doing the covers. I've already seen the first one and man, you are in for a Gothic artistic treat!

The proposed publication will be:

Vol. 1: Test of a Prince- Some time in early October

Vol. 2: The Bastard Prophecy- Some time in January 2013

Vol. 3: Lord of an Endless Realm- Some time in March 2013

Man, I am very excited. These should be available both in print and for the kindle at those times.

Free Labor Day reading!

Passed out randomly in the middle of the night and gave myself a concussion and a black eye. Scared the Dickens out of myself. Recovering and feeling like my poor addled wits can write again in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I have some short stories for you to read. The links are on your right: The Dragon Wager and Thorbadin's Dilemma. Spread the word and enjoy! They will be free for the Kindle September 2nd and 3rd!

Yours Truly,
Trav

Hairy Bromance is official!

Hairy Bromance will be published by Damnation Books on December 1st, 2012. Just in time to laugh your way through the apocalypse.

Lots of News!

Well, a lot of news:

Hairy Bromance will see publication with the wonderful Damnation Books! More to come!

Wardmaster has gone through edits and should be out this October!

I did my first book signing in Lyndonville, VT.

My cat Mr. Cuddles returned to us after two months of absence.

My wife has developed severe arthritis.

My work on the Vietnam Memoir hit a stand still and although it will continue in the future, I needed to walk away from this one for a while.

Ride, Valkyries, Ride! the first volume about monster-slaying motorcycle mamas is well on the way, and I hope to have it done by the end of the year. It is only the first of many more to come.

The summer is pretty much over for me, but the rest has been good because of a rough year last year. Now, I look forward to Autumn smells and sights, Halloween, and loads of days when there is nothing to do but write.

I hope you all have had a restful summer and I promise I'll keep you updated more frequently.

Trav

Book Review: A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene

Here is another terrifying jaunt into the twisted mind of Brian Keene and his mysterious 13 (the otherworldly beings which are older than our universe and hate it with a cruel and undying passion). This time a small dying Pennsylvanian town falls prey to five crows which are so much more five crows. The real terror begins rather quickly as everyone in this small town are killed in horrific and awful ways, shut off from escape and all technology.

Thankfully, Brian Keene's supernatural warrior-hero, the ex-Amish Levi Stoltzfus arrives, but can this spell slinging bearded man be enough to save the handful of survivors. Will he even be able to figure out what is doing it in time to make a difference?

This story has some real moments of terror, exemplified by Keene's natural ability to create believeable characters that might carry an entire novel themselves if their life expectancy was not so short.

Do I love Levi's character (who made his first appearance in the mediocre Ghost Walk, an inferior sequel to the wonderful Dark Hallow)? Not really. But he proves himself very heroic by the end of the novel. It is here that I adore Keene's writing and find that it sits above most of the supernatural horror out there today. The morality is always gray and the characters and situation are realistically displayed from multiple points of view. I had a good time reading this book, and would recommend it highly for anyone who loves horror. It isn't Ghoul, Dark Hollow, or The Darkness at the Edge of Town (all of which I loved), but it was a very entertaining read.

Hairy Bromance is a go!

My paranormal dark comedy has been accepted for publication by Damnation Books! I am very excited to have people read about Barry, the werewolf, and Glen, the sasquatch, the great hairy drinking buddy duo as they thwart reptilian conspiracies, cross the country and strive for the mecca that is Comic-con.

Hairy Bromance had been contracted with another company, but the company did not do anything with the book, nor could I reach anyone for comment. The contract stipulates that in this case it returns to me after one year. Thus, good things do come to those who wait... and wait... and wait...

Just a little while longer and things will get very hairy... stock up on your Frontline.

Time to revisit some very old wounds...

Hello, faithful reader. I've decided to really challenge myself this time and write about something that didn't come flying out of my head. I've taken on the daunting task of immortalizing my father-in-law's experiences in and around Vietnam. That's right, it is going to be a no-holds-barred memoir that will take the American Marine's perspective on the conflict that divided a nation and cost thousands of lives. I hope to do it justice.

I've been having some pretty eye opening conversations with Richard for the past few weeks and have managed to crank out thirty pages of narrative getting him to his deployment. After a few edits on a previous work, I should be ready to jump down into the darkness. Wish me luck!