Over on Suvudu, the illustrious Matt Staggs has a regular feature called "Take Five," in which authors offer five interesting/amusing/intriguing/otherwise relevant facts about a new or upcoming novel.
Well, a few days ago, he invited me to participate in a Take Five column on The Warlord’s Legacy. And since I’m writing this blog entry, I bet you’ve already figured out that I did. You can read it here, and as always, I’m happy for any questions or feedback you may have.
2010 was a lot of things for me, on a personal level. Many of them difficult, many of them bad. But 2010 was also the year I published my first wholly original (by which I mean, non-tie-in) novel. It’s a goal that I’ve had for well over a decade, a goal that a fraction of the people who attempt actually manage to accomplish. Whatever else does or does not happen with my career, I did it.
Sometimes, I think, it’s important to take a moment to remember that.
ETA: Lest I be misunderstood, I want to clarify that the above should in no way be taken as a slam against tie-in novels. I appreciate every tie-in opportunity I’ve had so far, and I look forward to doing more of them. I just want to do them alongside my own stuff. 🙂
A great Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and a wonderful Friday and Saturday to those who don’t. 🙂
So, some of you already saw this, but for those who didn’t…
The Conqueror’s Shadow made the SF Signal "Favorite Books of 2010" podcast! 
Thanks so much to John Ottinger, and big-time congrats to everyone else who also made the list.
So, I’ve got not one but two new columns up for your perusal. Or reading. Or pointing and laughing. Whatever.
First, my latest Suvudu column, about the "Hollywood ending" and why dark endings aren’t always superior to happy ones, using the TV series Supernatural as an example.
Second, SFF Chat is doing a series of eight guest blogs from Jewish authors for the eight nights of Hanukkah. My particular entry is an exploration–almost thinking out loud, really–about why I haven’t used many Jewish characters in my writing.
As always, I look forward to any comments, thoughts, or questions you may have. Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate it–and heck, to everyone else, too.
