Hey awesome,

How’s 2022 going for you so far? We’ve been tucked up in the camper, so it’s been pretty quiet over here. The first week of the year I did very little of anything, and partway into this second week I’ve written nearly 10,000 words, so I guess that’s balance for you.

That means I’ve been making real progress on both Salt in the Wound (for Fallen World) and the Spider (for Hit World with Bill Webb). Maybe I’ll have a good snippet or two to share in the near future... ;) In the meantime, why not help yourself to a free short story? “Salt” my first Fallen World short, is available now to my fabulous mailing list folks – click here and help yourself. There you’ll meet Helen, lead of the “Salt in the Wound,” from her father’s perspective.

And for a taste of Hit World…the first Hit World anthology cover is out, and the book itself is coming January 28!

Looks good, right? I can't wait for you to meat Dahlia, and find out why she has such a fondness for the hottest of hot peppers. So many good times to come!

As for good times right now – for those of you who are audio lovers, I have two fabulous anthologies for your listening pleasure.

Have you checked out the Salvage System books? Kevin Steverson created such a fun sci fi universe, and in true CKP style, invited a bunch of us to come play. Every story in “Through the Gate” is fabulous, and I’d love to hear what you think of mine. Selithra had made a few appearances in my stories, and I’m planning her novel debut for later this year. The audio link is here.

Another great sci fi universe I got to play in last year was Starflight. From the world of one of the first open sandbox role-play video games, Starflight is a little cyberpunky, a little space opera-y, a little conspiracy theory-y… a deeply entertaining place to play, basically, and the anthology of video game tie-in stories is hugely entertaining as a result. Now available here for the delight of your ear holes!

In other news, have you had a chance to check out Ally? I’d love to hear what you think – it already has 120+ reviews, which is pretty cool. If you’re wondering what happens in the galaxy of the 4HU after Ally, you can find out here…

Tempest Rage! RAAAAAAAAGE. As the back copy says:

Trapped on all sides…

The Dusman have accepted the Humans as allies but have given no indications as to what their long-term intentions are. Their goals have to be large, though, as they continue to spread their influence across the Human colonies… and beyond.

Fighting continues to rage between the guilds, both in the shadows and out in the open for all to see. Although one of the Synthetic Intelligences has been killed, the others are now restive, acting from the shadows to affect events galaxy-wide. Unfortunately, the search for Minerva—the Science Guild SI—hasn’t borne any fruit; wherever Minerva is, she is sure to be plotting the downfall of humanity in general and the Four Horsemen in particular, and she will likely strike when humanity least expects it.

Civilizations battle civilizations, looking to redress old grievances. This should be a time of great profit for the Mercenary Guild, yet the guild sits on the sidelines, allowing the battles to rage nearly unchecked.

Meanwhile, the threat of the Kahraman grows ever nearer. Although they withdrew, everyone knows they haven’t gone far, and they could show up again at a moment’s notice.

As the end of The Guild Wars draws near, only one thing is certain—the tempest will rage until the very end.

It’s not the end of the 4HU by any means, but is the end of the Guild Wars… maybe. (dun dun duuuuuunnnnn) Check it out, and see what happens to some of your favorite characters.

Back to work with me – hope you're staying warm and safe!

Til next time,

Marisa