August 2022 - Now Shipping

Birthdays, why I like bookplates, and the case against Blue Jays

I write stories set in unique worlds, make video games that you can spend a lifetime playing, love metal music, and absolutely hate birds. Welcome to the newsletter.

Book Birthday

Have you heard this term before? It’s often used in “Author Twitter” circles to celebrate the day a book comes out.

This sort of thing:

Anyways, To Steal the Sun is going to be a diva, and instead of a book birthday, I’m giving it a whole birthmonth since it's being mailed out today, and people will hopefully get it by the end of the week or next!!

I’m a mix of overjoyed for my backers, relieved that the wait is over, and anxious about readers reactions.

If you are a backer: Please, please, please… post pictures of your book copy when you get it! I’ll also direct you to the Goodreads page, since you can leave your (obviously 5-star) review and thoughts there!

(Note: if you happen to be someone that missed the Kickstarter - there are physical copies available for pre-order here and the kindle version here).

Ex Libris

If you watched the latest update on Kickstarter, you might have noticed that I used signed and numbered bookplates for the hardcover version (all 400 of them).

The reason I signed a plate instead of the book itself? 

I’m a collector of first editions. I have a two-tiered collection. One just being random books I snagged at first printing (because I have a book buying problem), and a second that I’m starting to actively seek out and keep in pristine condition. My most valuable is probably a G.G. Kay first edition of Tigana. I also have a first edition of Shantaram and The Devourers — all books that inspired parts of To Steal the Sun. 

In fact, I was in Ireland over the past two weeks and made it a point to see a first edition of Ulysses up close and personal. This one was worth over $600,000 (EU).

One of the things about bookplates that I prefer is that they don’t mar the book at all. 

Sure, you can (and some people do) paste the bookplate into the book (here’s how). But I like having the pristine copy…, yet I find something special about the author's signature for it too.  And as it turns out, some people collect bookplates all by themselves. 

All this to say, I felt that even though plates were the more expensive option, I would have chosen a plate for my hardcover and a sign-in on the soft. So that’s what I did for backers of the Kickstarter.

Fan Expo 2022 Toronto

Yup - I’ll be there Aug 25-28 with my Aardehn partner in crime, Eric Vedder, and all the great people from Raid. If you plan to attend the event, come by and see us (we will be sitting at booths A462-A476).

This, I believe, is the first time I’m listed as a “comic creator” instead of a “gaming guest”… maybe eventually, I’ll get in as an author (haha!).

It doesn’t matter, though - I’m thrilled to be going and as I am a comic creator, I’ll take it!

I’ll have exclusive To Steal the Sun swag, AND we’ll be debuting some new information about Aardehn. Eric has a sick image that I desperately want to—but wont—spoil… and I wrote this little piece that will be on the flip-side:

(Look away if you’re going to attend FAN EXPO)

My favorite things of the month

Game: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Switch
I’m about 15 hours in (I played a lot on my 9-hour flight back from Ireland) and I am starting to need some youtube help on how to play. I’m enjoying it, but the systems are complex and my combat routine has devolved to: side attack, knock down, stun, “ultimate” - rinse repeat. So, I’m missing something. Regardless, my favorite part is the story context for getting a new set of party members. That was surprisingly cool.

Reading: Ulysses - James Joyce
Yeah - since I was in Ireland, I figured I would try to read this for the fifth time. I’m the farthest I’ve ever been - about 150 pages in - and things are starting to click a bit. I can’t write anything about this book that hasn’t been written before, so my favorite part was when my kids got so steeped in Irish culture that they started asking me about Ulysses and noticing it and Joyce everywhere we went in Ireland.

Watching: RRR
Bollywood goodness. So wholesome and fun, with dancing and singing — but also comedy and action. It’s an epic, and it's great. My favorite part: At the 40-minute mark, there is a song where the main characters run towards each other, underwater no less, for a bro embrace to rival the all-time great.

Listening: Voyager
Australian prog metal has been underrated in my metal life. No longer. These guys are in constant rotation, and I love them. My favorite part is this whole album.

Game Dev news

You may have seen the trailer for the latest game I’m honored to be a part of: Soulframe. The 4k render is brand new and drool-inducing. Check it:

Also — if you’re into Warframe (and you should be!) — do not miss the next Dev stream. It is packed with update info and has the debut of the Styanax Anime.

It's this Friday (Aug 26 at 2 p.m. ET) Watch it here: http://twitch.tv/warframe

Bird hate of the month: Blue Jays

OK - so NOT the team. They’re great!

But the actual bird is terrible.

They’re the honey badger of the ornithological world with a “song” that sounds like an elephant's trumpet strangled by barbed wire. 

I’ve heard bird lovers (as if) say that the Blue Jay is “Bright, brash, aggressive— they stand out in a crowd.” 

They say this affectionately. To me, that’s code for hooligan:

You could watch this awful video of a Jay snatching a baby sparrow from its nest if you want to hate them as I do. The only minor upside they have is that they eat wasps... and that’s sort of ok.

All that to say: The Blue Jays suck.
(Not the team, the bird)
—

Until next time,

S.M.