Aftermath

According to numerous accounts, Black Library Live! was a huge success this year. Naturally, I'm a bit miffed that I couldn't be there in person, but there you go. Living on the other side of this rock has its disadvantages sometimes.

Those who attended the show and watched my half-hour video session will already know this, but it's high time I let the rest of you in on what I'm working on now. You ready for this? Hell, most of you probably guessed already...

My next novel will be about the Deathwatch!

That's right. Talon Squad are migrating from the pages of short story collections to their own full length novel (the first of many, if all goes well), and it's going to be a belter. Trust me. For my part, this is the most exciting Black Library project I've handled so far. Deathwatch, man! Special forces! The best of the best!

If I drank tea, this would by my cup.

In other news, I just received a link to another online review of Rynn's World. I have to say, if the book keeps getting reactions like this, it'll go to my head. HERE's the link to the review. If you haven't picked up Rynn's World yet, I hope you'll consider doing so.

And lastly, a special thanks to all of you who contacted me with your kind comments. I read every message, and they mean a great deal to me. Thank you very much.

Fist Love

It's a hell of a feeling to wake up to a nice review of your latest book, let me tell you. But that's exactly what happened this morning. Wait, did I say 'nice' review? Sorry. I meant 'frikking amazing!'. Keith Harvey of the website Red Rook Review got stuck into Rynn's World and shares his thoughts. I won't say more here since you can read the review in full for yourself via this link. And don't worry. It's pretty much spoiler free.

Big thanks to Red Rook Review for letting me know about this. It really made my millennium!

Launched!

Rynn's World is out now! It seems that some online stores have jumped the gun and started shipping my latest novel a week ahead of the official US release date. Judging by the first trickle of fan feedback, a number of you have even finished it already. Damn, you're fast!

I'm not sure if it's already shipping in the UK and other territories yet. I'll have to check on that. But, wherever you are, I hope you'll grab a copy and dive straight in. Oh, and don't forget to share your thoughts via a review on your favourite bookseller's website.

Missile Hits Fortress-Monastery in Tokyo

Okay, not a missile exactly. More like a package from my publisher.

I just received two advance author's copies of Rynn's World hot off the Black Library presses and, let me tell you, this one is a beauty. Bigger than a normal paperback (think omnibus size) and all shiny and cool with its full colour maps in the middle. Yeah, this is a good looking book. Of course, you can see that for yourselves in the image below.

And the page count? Minus the usual promotional pages at the back, the story runs in at 536 pages, the biggest book I've written so far.

I don't want to bang on about it too much, since it won't be in readers' hands until late January at the earliest, but don't forget that I'll be doing a video interview for Black Library TV in which I'll get to answer all your questions about Rynn's World and writing in general. I've had some questions from some of you already, but there's still time for more, so don't be shy. Just go to this site's Contact page to send me your questions directly.

For now, I'm cracking on with my Fear the Alien story. It's called Exhumed and sees the return of Deathwatch kill-team Talon Squad, heroes of my last short story, Headhunted.

As if the photo of Rynn's World wasn't cruel enough, here's the cover of Fear the Alien, just to get you all even more cranked up for next year. What can I say? I'm feeling malevolent today. (raises pinkie finger to side of mouth) Mwahahaha!


That's one meaty greenskin mutha! I can almost hear him roar just from looking at the pic. Nice one, Clint Langley!

Orkishly Impatient

Twitchy. Growly. Stompy. That's how I get when there's a package on its way to me. I check the mailbox about five times a day till it arrives. And Mr. Kyme (my editor) tells me that author copies of my next novel, Rynn's World, are winging their way to me as I type this.
[Insert irritatingly high-pitched noises of glee here]

By all accounts, the book looks bloody great - shining white Jon Sullivan cover, embossed title, full colour maps in the middle. I can't wait to see it. Sure, it was a tough ride, but I've a feeling it'll all be worth it when my diligent Japanese postie gets here, package in hand.

In the meantime, I've got plenty to get on with, as you'll know from my previous post.

... and my PS3 came back from repair. Sony are pretty cheeky with the price of the new drive they fitted, but at least they were super-fast. It was only gone for four days (including pickup and delivery). Not bad. Pity they can't fix my Killzone 2 connection issues while they're at it. Actually, that's probably for the best. ;)

Three is the Magic Number... So Far.

As you'll already know, next year sees the launch of Black Library's new Space Marine Battle Book series - a range of books focusing on some of the biggest events in Space Marine history (outside of the Horus Heresy, that is). You probably also know that I'll be kicking things off with my novel Rynn's World, which is released in February of next year.

Well, the artwork for the two books to follow - Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Helsreach and Mitchel Scanlon's The Hunt for Voldorius - is now up on various websites. Here's what the three books look like together:



I think you'll agree, they look pretty frakkin' amazing. I'm looking forward to having them sitting on my shelf, I can tell you. The spines even have a little image of a Space Marine from each of the relevant Chapters. Very cool stuff.

Jon Sullivan, the artist responsible for all three cover paintings, really is outdoing himself, getting better and better with each piece. Check out his website HERE to see more of his phenomenal work.

Video Nasty

That's Pedro Kantor, by the way. I got to know him pretty well over the last few months.

Not long now until Rynn's World is released. Yeah, it's officially a February release, but you Black Library readers always seem to get your mitts on things early, don't you?

Anyway, I hope you're all looking forward to it. Can't wait to see the advance copies myself - bigger than a standard BL paperback and with full colour maps to boot! They can't get here quick enough for me. Luckily, I've got about a dozen other things to be getting on with in the meantime, not least of which is a new short story for Fear the Alien, as I might have mentioned before.

I just got off 'the phone' (the computer, really) with my editor, Nick Kyme. We talked about about the pre-release run-up for Rynn's World and, of all things, a video interview I'll be doing.

I'm camera shy even on a good hair day, but there will be no escaping this one, and we're opening it up to you lot, too! If you've got a question about Rynn's World, Gunheads, Headhunted, Rebel Winter, writing in general or anything else, for that matter, then drop me a line using the form HERE. Feel free to ask as many as you like, but only the best will get picked (probably not by me, though I might have some say).

If your question does get picked, I'll answer it in the video interview (which I'm told will be shown on a nice big screen at the next BL Live event). So get your thinking caps on, people, and get those questions in. I reckon you've got until the middle of November, but I'll keep you posted on that.

Get me a damned Techpriest!

And make sure he's frakking capable!


I already knew that I relied on technology too much (and naively thought that that was fine), but it didn't really sink in just how tenuous everything was until my desktop PC died on Sunday. I'm not sure what happened, but I think the motherboard got fried. I've spent every waking minute since then mounting a massive (and highly amateur) recovery mission to make sure Rynn's World isn't lost.

That's right, the damnably mercurial machine-spirits nearly wiped out my latest novel, smack bang in the middle of the second draft rewrite with only weeks to go to the deadline. Yes, I do make regular backups, but... *cough*... they were stored on the same machine.

Luckily, after almost four days of high blood pressure and periodic rages, I finally managed to recover the files I needed and transfered them to another computer (learning quite a lot in the process).

Now, if I can just get the substitute computer to recognise my Warp-blasted printer (it's an obscure Japan-only model... another calamitous mistake!), I'll be back on track.

The universe loves to test me so.

Still Rolling

Gunheads just received what is probably its most detailed review to date courtesy of Texas-based novelist/poet Keith Harvey. Some of you who visit this blog regularly may recognise the name. Keith posted a review of Rebel Winter a while back. His review of Gunheads can be found HERE or on Amazon.

The book itself seems to have sold incredibly well, especially in the U.S. where Amazon.com are having trouble keeping it in stock. Insanely, there are second-hand copies now being listed for over $56. WTF? They're not even signed? Bizarre.

I'm still busy on Rynn's World, the biggest project I have ever tackled. It's easy to get utterly daunted, but you just have to chip away at these things little by little. It's the only way to do it. I've about four weeks left to get the second draft in. No video games for a while longer.

Entirely unrelated, fellow author and friend Steve Savile just launched a whole new look for his website. Warhammer fans will remember Steve for his well-received Von Carstein vampire stories, but it's his upcoming thriller, Silver, which ought to really make his name. Silver's central premise is hot, and, if it lives up to its potential, it's going to be a huge hit. You can find out more at Steve's website.

For now, I'll leave you with this link to a youtube video of the Russian Su-47 fighter jet. Talk about distinctive! This one looks like it sprang from the mind of a video-game artist. I'm not sure exactly how it stacks up against the current competition in terms of avionics, etc., but there are some great shots of it in flight. Enjoy!



Watching: Supernatural Season One (second time around)
Listening to: various songs from Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Reading: War Machine by Andy Remic
This week's petition: Permanently Ban Ivory Sales!

I Hate Crunch Time!

For a start, it's not like it sounds. You don't get a Penguin biscuit or a bag of Hula Hoops (not that I eat snacks or chocolate biscuits). Nope. Crunch time is about finding yourself facing an imminent deadline and running well behind. It happens. Good writing habits can prevent it, but, unfortunately, bad habits come easier.

The last three weeks have been crunch time for me. Today is the day that I hand in the loose, messy, plate-of-spaghetti first draft of Rynn's World. It's the biggest, most complicated thing I've written so far, and it still needs a trukk-load of work, but, like I said, we're talking about the first draft here.

Generally speaking, I'll write three drafts of a story. The first should be pretty loose. Don't worry about consistency too much. You just run right through it, letting your imagination take you along for the ride. It's all about getting words on the page, getting from beginning to middle, and from middle to end. It took me a while to realise that the first draft wasn't supposed to be the draft. It sounds obvious, but when you're faced with that first blank page, characters who don't yet have a voice, and the knowledge that expectations are high, you'd be surprised how many easy lessons you forget.

So, like I said, the first draft is real loose.

The second draft is for fixing all the scenes and events that don't really work. You read your first draft over, cringe a lot, keep telling yourself you can turn things around, and focus on sorting the junk bits from the good stuff. It's a toss-up to see which is harder, the first draft or the second. My favourite draft is the third draft.

The third draft is all about polish, language and style. You should, by now, have a story that works in terms of plot progression, character, pace and the like. For the third draft, you go through it one more time, line by line, making sure the language is clear, repetition is kept to a minimum, consistency is maintained, and that the vocabulary is appropriate (and not too obtuse - when I'm reading a book, I don't want to have to stop and pull my dictionary out. I want to stay in that imaginary world and be pulled long by the story. Fiction is supposed to be entertainment, after all). You work on your phrasing, on trying to make the sentences more evocative or dynamic. This is about the real nuts and bolts of English, but it's also about the art, too.

Finally, third draft done (and hopefully approved), you've got your book, the one that folks will see in the stores and maybe even buy. If you pulled it off, they'll like it, maybe even love it. If not, you suck it up (writers need a thick skin) and try to refine your craft on the next one. You don't give up, not unless you've realised you should definitely be a marine biologist or neurosurgeon instead.

Writing is hard for me, and never more so than at crunch time. My physical training, one of the most important aspects of my daily life, suffers terribly. I usually train about 2 hours a day, five days a week, a mixture of working on the heavy-bag and bodybuilding/conditioning. Can't live without it. During crunch time, though, the writing leaves no room for it. Sure, it was only three weeks this time, but for me, that's a long time to be away from the gym.

For now, crunch time is over. I just had a great workout and the old endorphins are back. My editor will read the first draft of Rynn's World and tell me what he thinks works, doesn't work, could work, etc. Then I get to rewrite, to make it better, to fix it. I'm looking forward to that.

As always, I tell myself next time will be different. Maybe it will.

Watching: Mirrors, a horror movie starring Kiefer Sutherland. Some good bits.
Listening to: the Alien soundtrack
Reading: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
This week's petition: Stop Icelandic Whaling!

Drive Me Closer!

As I write, work continues apace on Rynn's World. I'm into the final act now, and have to put all my energies into pulling off a suitably explosive climax. As some 40k readers have noted, the events that occurred on Rynn's World are known, but only in the very vaguest terms. My aim with this novel is to personalise those events, to show them through the eyes of those who endured them, and bring them to life.

To be honest, I think Rynn's World could have been a trilogy. The events that take place in the narrative fall quite naturally into three very distinct acts. Alas, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but not all that useful. Rynn's World was commissioned as a single novel, and that, too, has its plus points. At least there's no waiting between volumes to find out what happens next. :)

Changing topic, below you'll find a piece of artwork by the talented Dan Scott. I stumbled across this while bumming around the web one day, and got a good laugh out of it. Not sure if the caption is Dan's, but I thought Gunheads fans might get a kick out of it, so here it is:

Heh! Nice one, right?

Not much else to report at the moment. Everything is Rynn's World right now. My deadline looms ever closer, bleeding over into all other aspects of my life and utterly dominating them. It will all be worth it in the end, though. There's nothing like finishing off a new book.

Watching: X-Files Season Two (having enjoyed a nostalgic trip through Season One recently)
Reading: Meg by Steve Alten, The Clone Republic by Steven L. Kent (what is it with Steves?)
Listening to: nothing special until Nick Kyme's new audiobook comes out
Playing: (actually, I'm going to drop this category!)

I'm Surrounded!

I can't seem to turn around without bumping into a Space Marine at the moment, which is, of course, a good thing. It seems the next place they'll be turning up is on the Xbox360 and the Playstation3 (thanks to Jack for the tip-off).

This being the season of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the biggest video-gaming event of the year, gaming news abounds, and none of it is more exciting for us 40k-bots than word of the upcoming THQ/Relic Entertainment title Space Marine. Okay, so whoever came up with the title didn't get overtime pay, but it tells you everything you need to know, right?

Some of you may already have seen this news over on Nick Kyme's blog. If not, head over there now and check out the link to the excellent promotional video. It's a beauty! Look out for that ork warboss at the end. What a monster!

Anyway, rather than duplicate Nick's content, here's a look at the promo artwork which is currently doing the rounds:


In other news, the first draft of Rynn's World is about two-thirds complete and is definitely going to go beyond the initially specified word count. There's just so much story to tell, so expect a few extra pages for your buck, all jam-packed with blazing bolters and blown-out brain-pans (without quite so much alliteration, thankfully).

Other than that, my back injury has healed up nicely, so I'm back to training as hard as ever. That's critical for me as, if I'm not doing some type of training on an almost daily basis, my head gets a bit messed up. Gotta have balance.

Reading: Horus Heresy - The Collected Visions and anything at all by Peter 'Mr. Awesome' Benchley
Watching: BBC's Horizon (What on Earth is Wrong with Gravity?, Most of Our Universe is Missing, How to Make Better Decisions, etc.)
Listening to: Jim Swallow's Heart of Rage (or rather, I soon will be)
Playing: nothing until Tekken 6 comes out later this year

The Rynn's World Cover

Eagle-eyed readers who frequent both red-stevie.com and the Black Library website may have noticed a new blog entry on the latter which talks a little bit more about the Space Marine Battles books, and about the first entry in the series, Rynn's World (see my previous blog entry - 'There is Only the Emperor...' for more details), written by yours truly.

BL decided yesterday that it was time to show the cover. So, here for your delectation are three shots - two zoomed-in, cropped images showing detail, and one of the front cover as it's expected to appear on the final book. Awesome stuff!


The artist goes by the name of Jon Sullivan, and I think you'll agree he's done a bloody fantastic job! Anyone who loves a bit of fantasy artwork (and who doesn't?) would do well to head on over and check out the gallery on his website. Some of his work is, frankly, breathtaking.

As for the book itself, stay tuned. I'll keep you all updated whenever I can.

"There is only the Emperor..."

Well, Black Library have finally announced my next novel, Rynn's World, on their website's Coming Soon page. It's about time, too. From the moment that knowledge of the new Space Marines Battles series was accidentally leaked, fans have been speculating. All you guys who figured out that the first book in the series would be about the Crimson Fists were absolutely spot on. Well done.

Naturally, I was flattered and honoured to be chosen to write the first book in this major new series. It will be the first time I've tackled an entire novel dedicated to mankind's favourite gene-boosted bad-asses.

What's the difference with any other Space Marine book, you might ask. Apart from having the entire series focus on truly Chapter-defining battles in Astartes history, I think you'll see the difference easily enough when you actually have the book in your hands. The production values we're talking about here mean this will be a really beautiful set of volumes that will no doubt take pride of place on many a fan's bookshelf. I've seen the cover art for Rynn's World already. Trust me, it's gonna blow you all away!

I'm in the middle of writing said book right now, and I have to tell you, it's a battle in itself. The events on Rynn's World essentially came to define the Chapter as it stands now. It's a big responsibility, handling a major 'historical' event like this. The writing process is much the same for any Warhammer 40,000 story, of course, with the only difference being a need to stick pretty close to a greater amount of established background (without letting what is already out there get in the way of storytelling, which should always come first before blindly following so-called canon to the detriment of the tale).

Anyway, I look forward to you guys getting stuck into it next spring. I just gotta write it first. ;)

Oh, and look out for my Deathwatch short in Heroes of the Space Marines. That one is out real soon. Enjoy!