Dear Reader,
Phew!
Sometimes I feel a bit like our little friend here (by the very talented Even Amundsen), hammering away at making something, day after day. I wipe the sweat, sometimes literally, off my brow and set my work aside to catch a meal with my lovely wife or wrangle my offspring, you know life stuff. But then sure enough those brief respites are done and then it’s back work, hammering away. As you are doing this work you’re never sure if what you are making is going to turn out, if all the pieces are going to fit or not. You know you have some skill, some vision, but so did the fellas who built that one really big boat (Titani-something or other) and look how that turned out.
Never do I feel that more than when I finish a trilogy, and now perhaps most strongly I feel it knowing that a trilogy only marks the halfway point.
You see Dust Song, Book 03 of the Dwarvish Dirty Dozen, is being released today, September 27th 2022, and I’ve poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the series. I hope that it’s our best series to date, but more than that it’s part of a much more ambitious project. I’m not just referring to the six book series, that will comprise the entire Dwarvish Dirty Dozen series, but also my plans with Mr. Anderle to continue to explore and expand the Skharr Universe. So far we’ve been trying to take our efforts in different cardinal directions. For my part the Outcast Royal series introduced the East of the world, while the Dwarvish Dirty Dozen covers the North-East, while Mike’s efforts with Skharr, Cassandra, and the Myth of the Dragon series cover the West, North-West, and South-West respectively. Little by little we’re building a bigger and bigger world of sword and sorcery, and I’m excited to be part of it but let me tell you it’s a lot of work!
Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I am perpetually humbled by all those who choose to keep coming back for more of our tales, stoking the fires of my forge with words of encouragement (especially those lovely reviews) and of course their hard earned money and time. Thank you to all my Dear Readers out there. I appreciate each one of you, and I hope to continue to work my craft on your behalf for many years to come.
And with that I’ve let the old hammer rest too long, and I’ve got to get back to it. So much to create, and never enough hours in the day.
Here is the link for Dust Song if you haven’t already Pre-Ordered and I look forward to hearing from you all very soon.
Sincerest Regards,
Aaron D. Schneider