Change of Plans...

Artwork by Barry Windsor Smith

Okay, change of plans! I originally intended to write a Carsonne novel this summer for release next year. However, NEW EDGE SWORD AND SORCERY magazine is interested in publishing more tales featuring Brugo of Carsonne. So, I've decided to tell Brugo's story as a series of tales -- a "story cycle"-- instead of a novel. The idea is to collect all of these stories under a single cover when they're all finished, the same way I collected all the Magtone of Karakutas stories in the recently released MAGTONE SAGA.

So far, there have been two Brugo stories published: One in NESS, and one in OLD MOON QUARTERLY. A third story called "Six Bottles of Eternity" will be appearing in an upcoming 2026 issue of NESS. Meanwhile, a Carsonne story NOT featuring Brugo, "Down and Out in the City of Graveyards," will be appearing in the next issue of OLD MOON, which is due out very soon.

A first look at Gnori of Old Shard, as envisioned by artist Brian LeBlanc; a detail from a greater work-in-progress.

Speaking of story cycles, my other project for this summer is to finish the sixth and final tale featuring Gnori of Old Shard. All six Gnori stories will be collected in the WORLDS BEYOND WORLDS Expanded Edition, coming later this year from Flying Wizard Press. This new edition will include all the stories from the original WORLDS BEYOND WORLDS (published in 2021 by DMR Books, but now out of print), as well as the entire Gnori Saga.

The amazing Brian LeBlanc is working on a new cover for the WBW Expanded Edition as we speak--a cover that features Gnori himself. [<-Check out this sneak-peek at his work-in-progress!] Previous Gnori tales appeared in the BOOK OF BLADES and NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD anthologies. The final two Gnori adventures will be published for the first time in the WBW Expanded Edition.

In other news: LOVECRAFT'S DARK DREAMLANDS, featuring my 20,000-word novella "The Exodus of Sammon Hardbough," is being prepared by PS Publishing for release later this year. Editor and contributor Darrell Schweitzer tells me the great Jason Van Hollander is working on a cover for this eldritch tome, which is a perfect choice. Jason's art always evokes a superb sense of weirdness, from his many WEIRD TALES covers to his recent ZOTHIQUE: THE FINAL CYCLE cover art for Hippocampus Press [see below]. For me, the best thing about H.P. Lovecraft's work has always been his Dreamlands tales, so I'm supremely stoked to see this volume go to press, and I can't wait to read all the tales my fellow Dreamers have concocted.

Artwork by Jason Van Hollander.

Since I've written four Scaleborn novels in a row, I think I've earned a summer off. However, I'll still be writing new tales of Gnori and Brugo, so it's not really a break from writing, but rather a shift in focus. Will there be more novels? Scaleborn or otherwise? It's quite possible, but there is absolutely no pressure for me to write them. So the real answer is "Yes, if I feel like it, and if I come up with a good idea for the next one."

Sometimes not writing is the best thing a writer can do. All experienced writers know that not writing is a crucial part of the writing process. Before you can write anything of quality, you first have to THINK. The ideas must come first. Some ideas grow and gestate for years...while others spill out fully formed in a matter of hours. And sometimes writers need to get away from the keyboard for a while so they can get out there and live their non-fictional lives. It's far too easy to remain swept up in worlds born of your own imagination, while the real world passes you by. So, I plan to do a bit of living this summer. As well as a bit of writing.

Original 2021 edition of Worlds Beyond Worlds from DMR Books (cover by Brian LeBlanc).

My main goal is to release the WORLDS BEYOND WORLDS Expanded Edition by this Fall, if not sooner. When the time comes, I will announce it here as usual. Let me just say this: Even if you already own a copy of the original WORLDS BEYOND WORLDS, the Expanded Edition will be worth picking up for two reasons: The complete six-story Gnori Saga, and the superb new LeBlanc cover.

Live, laugh, and enjoy the blessings of summer!

That's what I intend to do.

Peace & Broadswords,

John