If you haven’t noticed, it’s 2018. Wake up! It’s okay if you didn’t notice. Life comes fast, and since I’ve gotten back to reality after that brief jaunt to Afghanistan, I don’t think I’ve come below the sound barrier. Things are always happening. I still have to get the Christmas tree out of the house.
So what do we have on the horizon in 2018? Well, first of all, ROAD OF THE LOST RELEASES ON THURSDAY!!!!!! That’s January 11th if you’re catching this blog late. If you need more classical style epic fantasy to take you back to your dungeon-crawling days around the kitchen table with an assortment of differently shaped dice, there’s still time to pre-order the eBook for 99¢. If print is more your style, the print book will release on the same day. If you want to know what you’re in for, here are links to a few of the reviews out there already:
4.5 stars from San Francisco Book Review
Don’t Let the Dryads in this Book Fool You
Port Jericho did a great job capturing the essence of the book in their review.
With Road of the Lost almost here, I think we should take a quick peek at what’s next.
As of right now, the only conferences on the horizon will be RT in Reno, NV from May 15-20. The 13Thirty Books crew and I will be there and we’ll have a new anthology this year for the convention. I have a few other conventions I’m looking at attending this year, so stay tuned!
I’ve also been trying to catch up on my Warhammer-ing since getting home. I’ve played a few games of 40k’s 8th edition, and I am definitely a fan. I was skeptical with all these Primarchs coming back and the big changes to the rules, but after looking over the rulebook and getting my hands on the Astra Militarum and Blood Angels codices, I am excited to get some gaming in this year. My favorite part of 8th edition is the core rules are relatively simple. All the complication come from the individual armies and units, so it’s ultimately up to the player how complex the game will be.
So, I’ve been putting in some time behind the paintbrush (And yes, I shelled out for the official Citadel Pallete Pads and I have no regrets):
And let’s not forget that the Las Vegas Open is coming up!
Like many of you, it’s been back to the gym and clean eating for Jess and me. Tomorrow is the first heavy carbs in a week, which can’t come soon enough. I’ve been experimenting with some programming from Gym Jones and MTN Tactical, but I’ll be doing lots of running and pull-ups the next few weeks to make sure I don’t bomb this fitness test coming up in the first half of the year. Once that is done, then it’s back to doing the fun stuff, such as looking at weights, shaking my head, and walking away or checking into the gym just to get a smoothie.
And last, but certainly not least, we hit the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise in 24 days, 22 hours, and 15 minutes!!!! Not sure if you can tell, but I’m excited. Some awesome bands lined up this year, such as Sabaton, Alestorm, Wolfheart (gotta love them Finns!), Battle Beast, Freedom Call, Korpiklanni, Naglfar, and Sonata Arctica. Insomnium is returning as well, so won’t be in want for my beloved Finnish Death Metal.
2018 is shaping up to be a pretty exciting and eventful year (let’s hope not too exciting and eventful). I’ll be updating the blog a bit more regularly now, so keep your eyes peeled for the excitement that’s on its way.
Aidan Russell 