The latest of my informal chats on YouTube with readers about the Man of War universe went up on YouTube last night. This episode discusses the Union home front during the Krag war and continues to explore the role of women in the Union in the year 2315.
Please, if are so inclined, like the video and subscribe to the channel. I wouldn’t be entirely displeased for some shares as well, but I know that’s asking a lot!
The Hunters of Vermin, a short novel about Max Robichaux as a wet-behind-the-ears junior officer, was published yesterday afternoon. It is already in the top 1700 books (out of millions) in the Amazon Kindle Store and is ranked in the top 40 on several of Amazon’s bestseller lists.
I know it’s not the novel that most of my readers are Jonesing for, but it IS the novel that I could write and publish right now. I’m working on getting our people extracted from deep in Krag space . . . it’s just going to take a little while longer as I continue to recover from the health problems I’ve had over the past few years. I am working on it right now and it will be out as soon as I can get it into readers’ hands.
Until then, I hope you enjoy Max’s adventures as a young man. I’m hoping that this shorter work will tide you over.
Here’s a link to the purchase page on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Vermin-H-Paul-Honsinger-ebook/dp/B077V78N5Y/
I know the updates have been a bit thin on the ground lately, but I’m one of those writers who believes that his readers would rather be more focused on finishing the next book than on blogging. Here’s where we are on Book III of the “Man of War” Trilogy, Brothers in Valor (or “BIV”). A few days ago, I finished the rewrite based on editor Mike Shohl’s “conceptual edit” of the original manuscript. Mike liked it a lot (or, perhaps, spared my feelings by telling me that he did), shot me back a few more suggestions that I pulled an all-nighter to implement in 20 hours of straight work, and shot back to him. He approved it and forwarded it to the publisher, 47North.
The “Editorial Lead,” Jason Kirk (whom I generally refer to as the “Uber Editor,” mainly because I haven’t a clue what an “Editorial Lead” does) says that a publication date will be announced in a few weeks. Naturally, I will proclaim, promulgate, and shout it forth here as soon as the publisher notifies me.
A few notes on what you are going to be getting in this book. First, it is action heavy–space battles, a two chapter long boarding action, lots of “fun with nuclear weapons.” Without any identifiable decision to do so, I seem to be moving from a “Patrick O’Brian Model” more to an “Early Heinlein Model.” This book contains a lot less of Max and Bram sitting in Max’s Day Cabin drinking Wortham-Biggs Four Planet Community Coffee and eating Cajun/Southern food and a lot more shooting and blowing things up. Second, this novel is a bit shorter than the first two, but has more battle and action sequences than they do, so I don’t think that anyone is getting shortchanged. Third, the “early Max” flashback that I mentioned a few times didn’t make it into the final version. Expect it to appear in a later book, in a separately issued novella, or some other place. I’m environmentally friendly and throw nothing away.
Fourth, the ending is a shocker. Big time.
Now, back to work. The story continues in what is tentatively titled the “Brothers of the Black Sky” trilogy, consisting of To Stations My Lads, Our Courage Defiant, and Hearts of Steel (titles tentative, your mileage may vary, not available in all states, check local laws, written near a kitchen where wheat products are in use).
Let’s see if I can get this one done a lot (A LOT) faster than the last book.
Now, where’s that map of the galaxy . . . .
I’ve decided, against my better judgment, to put up my early draft of Chapter 1 of the next “Man of War” book, Brothers in Valor for you guys to read. I’m well past this part of the book now in terms of writing it now and have put this part through several revisions, so I’m fairly happy with the way it looks and reasonably satisfied that it integrates with where I want the book to go.
The main reason I’m putting this up at this point is to reassure readers that there WILL be a third book and that it is going to come out in a reasonable time frame. I also want to reassure readers that this book is going to be at least as exciting as the others (I think much more so, actually) and will be a fitting continuation to the “Man of War” series.
Lots of fans have written that they liked the tactical razzle dazzle that Max pulls out and that they wanted more. I admit that I have actually held back on that in the earlier books, so I’m experimenting with pulling out the stops in that department. I’m interested in hearing what people think.
You can get there from the menu at the top of the page or by following this link. http://hpaulhonsinger.com/brothers-in-valor-sneak-peak/
All of my battles get plotted out on this white board, even the comparatively simple ones such as this skirmish I’m writing today between Union Marines and Krag spacers on board a Krag cruiser. There is some trial and error involved–sometimes what sounds like a bright idea is shown to be rather dim when plotted on the board. As you can see, my handwriting truly sucks.
I’ve just posted a detailed discussion of the Systems Stations in the Cumberland CIC in the Inside the USS Cumberland Section. The direct link to the page is here: http://hpaulhonsinger.com/inside-the-uss-cumberland/the-cic-part-iv-the-systems-management-consoles/
In response to the highly cogent suggestions from one of my most perspicacious readers, I have significantly beefed up the page relating to the Maneuvering Stations, primarily to answer the burning questions which I’m sure have kept many of you awake night after night, thrashing in your sheets saturated with acrid sweat of angst and frustration:
1. Why does it take four men to steer the ship when one man can fly an airplane just fine?
2. Why do we need a Maneuvering Chief to give orders to Yaw, Pitch, and Drives? Why doesn’t the CO just tell them what to do directly?
If these are the kinds of issues at which your detail-oriented brain picks compulsively, like a seven-year old boy with a scab on his knee, then you should fly (FLY, I tell you FLY!) to this page so that your mind will no longer be gnawed by the cankering tooth of mystery (gratuitous Gilbert & Sullivan reference).
http://hpaulhonsinger.com/inside-the-uss-cumberland/the-cic-part-iii-maneuvering-stations/
I’ve added a new page to the “Inside the USS Cumberland” section. It’s an overview of the ship–specifications, commissioning dates, and similar data. It’s a work in progress, but I thought I’d put it up now and just keep adding to it rather than keeping it offline and posting it when it is done. One reader has already pointed out a few errors, which I promptly corrected. I hope you find it interesting.
You can go to the “Inside” section or just click on this link: http://hpaulhonsinger.com/inside-the-uss-cumberland/uss-cumberland-overview/
I have just put up a new page in the “Inside the USS Cumberland” section, entitled “Inside the CIC III: The Maneuvering Stations.” You can find it here: http://hpaulhonsinger.com/inside-the-uss-cumberland/the-cic-part-iii-maneuvering-stations/
Those of you who are more technically oriented may find it enjoyable.
And, once again, please consider this a reminder that if you have some technical, tactical, or other aspect of the Man of War Univese that you would like to see discussed in these pages, please let me know in the comments or by email.
I’ve just written and put up another “article” discussing the various stations in the Cumberland’s CIC. Rather than putting it on the “Posts” page and copying it in the “Inside the USS Cumberland” section, I just went ahead and put it in the “Inside” section and am putting this little note up to alert you folks who are interested that it is there. You can find the article here: http://hpaulhonsinger.com/inside-the-uss-cumberland/the-cic-part-ii/
More stuff like this will come on an irregular basis. The plan is to complete a discussion of the CIC stations and then move on to other topics. I can’t decide whether to do a mini-treatise about space tactics or a detailed discussion of the design, operation, and performance of the ship’s main weapons. The more I think about it, the more I am leaning toward writing something about tactics, but I could change my mind five or six times between now and when I actually write the thing.
I also intend to republish some of the material that is in the Appendices to the first book that is being deleted from the 47North editions. There’s a discussion of star and planet names and one about training, ranks, and promotion. Of course, as I’m also trying to write a third book and promote the first two books, this work will come in fits and starts, as I really can’t make it my highest priority right now.
If you want to let me know what kind of technical information (or other background material–history, etc.) you would like to read about next, or anything else you’d like to see in these pages, the comments are a good place to do that. Let me hear from you. I do actually read this stuff.
VADM Union Space Navy (Honorary)
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H. Paul Honsinger 