Welcome To Rogue Blades Entertainment

RBE publishes heroic adventure fiction, from sword and sorcery to epic fantasy to historical adventure. We are invigorating a NEW Age of Heroes with hard-hitting, fast-paced tales reminiscent of mythic battles and warriors from pulp and lore. With a clash of swords and ringing steel, RBE delivers the ultimate in motivational entertainment. Updated for modern readers from 13 to immortal, RBE titles provide thrills of action along with themes of courage, survival and hope. Rely on RBE for adrenaline-driving, Xtreme entertainment!

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  • Reduced Prices on Special RBE Combos!

    Posted By Jason on July 3, 2009

    In recognition of the current economy, RBE is reducing prices on some of the special deals previously posted here.

    In addition to the Special Birthday Sale running for the month of July, RBE is happy to announce new rates on the 3- and 5- book combo packages! Effective today - and for the foreseeable future - RBE has reduced prices by up to $23!

    CHECK out the TERRIFIC titles filled
    with AWESOME authors and covered
    in BEAUTIFUL artwork and
    ORDER your copies TODAY!

    RotB Author Courters Makes the Alameda Sun

    Posted By Jason on July 3, 2009

    “I have more metal in my bones than (comic book and movie hero) Wolverine.”

    SO says Scalding Sands author A. Kiwi Courters, mother of two boys, one outstanding female warrior, and a long road of recovery. On July 2nd, the Alameda (CA) Sun posted an article about Courters and how her writing has helped lead her back from horrendous injuries to a life filled with promise and adventure. It’s a praiseworthy article about a determined woman who didn’t want her personal story to be over. It’s the type of article newspapers should be filled with - the story of a mother who wanted to teach her children perseverance in the face of fear.

    Sounds heroic to me. As is Courters’ story “Stalker of the Blood-Red Sands” in the latest premium RBE anthology Rage of the Behemoth, out now! Grab a copy today and read that and many other stories of action and adventure! And watch for Courters’ answers to the RBE 7-Question Interview to appear here soon!

    ! JULY ANNIVERSARY SALE SPECIAL !

    Posted By Jason on July 1, 2009

    Today Rogue Blades Entertainment is ONE year old!

    Huzzah-huzzah-huzzah!

    In honor of RBE’s anniversary, RBE is offering the 7th month $7 incentive:

    ~ $7 OFF ~

    $10.00 Return of the Sword,
    the 2008 RBE premium anthology
    RotS (RBE)

    $10.00 Sportpack Combo,
    Option 1: Return of the Sword (FSP) & Sportpack
    Sportpack & RotS (FSP)
    Option 2: Sages & Swords & Sportpack
    Sportpack & S&S

    Special $7 Deals last from July 1 - 31, 2009!

    Mini-Interview: Brian Ruckley

    Posted By Jason on June 29, 2009

    Why write?

    I write because I always have, since I was a very young child. Not much more to it than that, really. It’s an instinct.  The ideas come, and I write them down. Although I suppose it’s also true to say that nowadays I write in part because I get paid to do so: if I couldn’t earn money by writing, I would do a whole lot less of it, just because I couldn’t justify the amount of time it soaks up.

    If you didn’t write, what would you do?

    If I didn’t write, I’m almost certain I’d be working in nature conservation or some other environmental field – that’s what I was doing before writing consumed most of my time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I wouldn’t be at all heartbroken to go back to it.

    If you could hunt any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own), would you? Which one, and why?

    I’m not a hunting kind of guy, really – unless it’s with a camera rather than a gun. But either way, I guess the monster to hunt would be Godzilla. Never going to be too hard to track down a rampaging giant dinosaur thing, given the trail of destruction he leaves behind, so at least you’d always be able to find him. Of course, once you do find him, you might be in a lot of trouble, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

    If you could have any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own) as a pet, would you? Which one, and why?

    I’m surprised how easy I find this question to answer, considering I’d never even thought about the possibility before. But I can say without hesitation that I’d like one of the dragons from Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books, please. One of the big ones. Why? Well, it’s a highly intelligent dragon you can ride through the sky. Why wouldn’t you want one of them?

    You are on a holodeck: You’re sitting in an intergalactic bar, sipping your favorite beverage, waiting expectantly for someone to take a seat at your table. Which author from any era does?

    Impossible to choose from the vast array of possibilities, but since I have to, I will (so it can’t be impossible, really, can it?): Ernest Hemingway.

    Why?

    Mainly because if you’re going to be in a bar with anyone, it might as well be someone who can drink you under the table and keep you amused in the meantime with any number of wild stories – truthful or otherwise.

    What do you talk about or do?

    My plan would be just to sit there and drink in silence while EH talked.

    More importantly, which chair does he sit in?

    Which chair does he sit in? Whichever one I tell him to sit in. He’s only a hologram, after all, so I’m the boss.

    Why Rhuan? What initiated his story and made you complete this particular tale?

    The basic idea for the story came before the specific character, so Rhuan grew out of the story rather than the other way round. I needed a central character who could be an outsider, stuck in an environment – the jungle – and facing enemies – both the locals and their magical giant serpent – he didn’t understand.

    What appealed to you about being included in Rage of the Behemoth?

    The appeal of doing an RotB story was all in that basic combination of elements: the giant monster, the specific environment and the hero. It just sounded like a fun chance to do some traditional, slightly pulpy heroic fantasy, and as soon as I heard the theme the idea of Vikings in a jungle popped into my head.

    Do you write/read aloud to/with anyone (family member or friend)?

    No, on the whole my writing is a silent and solitary business. I sometimes get invaluable and patient assistance from my wife when it comes to doing a final proofread of a manuscript, but she does that out of the kindness of her heart, since the stuff I write is not, generally speaking, the kind of stuff she reads.

    Quick: For each of the below, what’s your first thought in regards to the future of genre fiction:

    Publishing: Dying, dead, on life support - or just going through a change? If it’s any of the first three, will it be euthanized or revitalized?

    Going through a change, for sure. Likely to be a destructive change as far as some bits of the industry are concerned, hopefully a creative one for other bits. There will always be opportunities for talented and dedicated writers, but exactly what they will be – and how remunerative they will be – remains to be seen.

    Reading Formats: Print, electronic, audio, or interactive?

    All, with print slowly becoming less dominant but never entirely disappearing. Electronic books are bound to become more widely read as time goes by, and the hardware and software improve. The implications of that for the publishing business are seriously unclear to me. Sometimes it worries me, sometimes it excites me.

    Books: Hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, other?

    Not sure. I don’t think anybody is sure, if they’re honest. Trade paperbacks are pretty popular at the moment, but all paper and ink formats are vulnerable to changing markets and technologies. Perhaps in twenty years those few high street bookstores that survive will consist entirely of big machines churning out paper copies on demand – they would emerge in mass market format, I suppose. Who knows?

    Preference for reading/writing: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Horror Fiction?

    My personal preference? Mainly SF and historical non-fiction and graphic novels, with some fantasy, horror, thrillers and occasional literary fiction thrown in. Preference for Writing: Fantasy, so far, but horror appeals, as does SF (but for some reason I find that last one much harder to write than the other forms of speculative fiction, so may never make any progress with it).

    Thank you for joining the Rage of the Behemoth team and for your interview answers, Brian!

    “Beyond the Reach of His Gods” appears under the ‘Mysterious Jungles’ theme in Rage of the Behemoth. Brian Ruckley lives in Scotland, and is the author of the Godless World fantasy trilogy, excerpts from which, along with his blog and other info, can be found on his website www.brianruckley.com.

    An opening excerpt

    An unseen log boomed against Wolfrun’s hull. In the last few days, Rhuan of the Grey Hall had taken to posting a lookout on the prow, to ward against just such events. This great, fat monstrosity of a river seemed at times to carry almost as much debris as it did water. Some of that flotsam weighed enough to punch a hole clean through the planking: mighty timbers, even whole trees; once, a clump of them that drifted on the current, riding upright on their raft of sodden earth and entangled roots. Their uppermost, trembling branches had reached almost as high as the masthead, and a lizard as long as a man’s arm perched amongst the boughs like the captain of that mad vessel. Such a sight would be unthinkable in Rhuan’s cold homeland, but these foul and fetid territories held much that ought to have been impossible.

    An arrow clattered against the barrel next to Rhuan and fell beside him. Here was the reason why no watchman could now ride the wolf-headed prow, and why Rhuan himself hunched behind the gunwale of his longship: arrows too feeble to punch through anything but the thinnest hide, yet capable of killing a man if they so much as scratched exposed skin. The savages who loosed them set some dark, tarry matter about the points, and it gave any wounds they delivered a vile potency. Rhuan had already watched two of his men die agonizing, fevered deaths. One, whose hand had been transfixed by such an arrow, had lived long enough to see his arm turning black, stinking of rot, drawing attentive hosts of the flies that infested these jungles. They had cut it off and cast it overboard, and sealed the stump with fire, but still he had died…

    Watch for review praise for “Beyond the Reach of His Gods” and Rage of the Behemoth!

    Enjoy this interview and excerpt?
    Read
    more like it from other members of the anthology here on RBE.
    Better yet - buy your own copy
    of
    Rage of the Behemoth: An Anthology of Heroic Adventure today!

    Rage of the Behemoth is available

    Posted By Jason on June 26, 2009

    The limited cover editions of Rage of the Behemoth are available as of today, 26 June 2009! Wastes, Jungles, and Sands are in stock now, with Mountains and Seas arriving Saturday. These editions can only be ordered directly from Rogue Blades Entertainment.

    They are not available through any store, or online any where else! Order your copies through this website or pick them up in person wherever I have them with me.

    The regular cover edition of Rage of the Behemoth will be available by June 30th. Take advantage of the FREE SHIPPING deal extended until then.

    Come get some terrific tale-telling and add excitement to your reading life!

    Update: RBE, RotB, & Demons

    Posted By Jason on June 23, 2009

    To all my patient followers and interested parties: I feel your pain. I, too, cannot stand not knowing what’s going on. I’ve always said that if folks (individuals, such as editors, and business entities, such as publishers) simply let people know what is going on, most all the angst would evaporate. It’s the not-knowing that aggravates, the continued not-knowing that kills support and interest. So here goes.

    Trying very hard not to whine, yet still deliver a coherent tale, this is my - thus RBE’s - life at this moment: My family and I sold our house (for multiple reasons) after being on the market 6 months. Pretty good in this economy, but we did have a nice home that we did a ton of work on. We’ve been looking at homes since before we put our last house up for sale - close to 300 homes in total. Nothing existed that was in our price range and achieved/justified those reasons we had for selling. Nothing still existed after we sold our home. And still existed two weeks after we sold our home…and we had 5 days to find a home or not have enough time to close a mortgage on a new home before ours was no longer ours.

    We started to look at renting. Nothing doing, for reasons that would make this story far too long. We started looking at multiple houses in an afternoon, like a dozen homes in 5 hours type stuff. Still nothing. This supposed buyers’ market wasn’t. So, with barely any time left to negotiate on a home, we made an offer on a house that had a completely renovated first floor and totally unfinished upper that would allow us to do as we pleased with it. The folks wouldn’t budge. They were determined to get the price of a finished two-story home despite it not being one. It possessed many of the characteristics and the location that we wanted. Yet we couldn’t afford to buy the house and make the renovations - so we lost the house. With two days left on our mortgage lender’s extended time limit for a mortgage, we revisted a home we had liked previously but eliminated due to location (on a very busy road vaguely close to where I wanted to live) and price (slightly above what we had set as our limit and still requiring some work, fencing for the dogs, finishing a bathroom, etc.). Ironically enough, it is probably the second-nicest home we looked at and could afford.

    We were desperate. Thirty, no, twenty-nine days away from our own closing, we had nowhere to move to. I didn’t relish moving twice, so wasn’t keen on the renting for now and finding something later idea. Once we got really desperate, I determined wherever we moved would be it, we were staying there, renting or buying. So we went back to the above house for a third time, they had just lowered the price $10k, and we made an offer. They countered, we countered, we both agreed. Then came the home inspection.

    The basement wall was caving in. It’s basically a bi-level, so this is not only a foundation wall, it’s a finished wall. One day of destruction pulling down that finished wall, one foundation engineer, and TWO weeks of the sellers’ indecision on whether to repair the wall or take the house off the market later, they had fixed the wall, passed the city inspection, and the closing was days away. With nothing in our favor and time against us, we couldn’t negotiate or force a better deal - they fixed the basement wall but we were left with a torn up house that we had to return to livable condition. And then we closed and moved in.

    Moving days turned into a nightmare, as all of the scheduled helpers cancelled one by one the day before until only my wife and I were left to load the UHaul. Then the sellers wouldn’t let us move things into the house or garage the night before…then the buyers of our house who said we could take the day of closing to move out since they weren’t moving in that day showed up with a group of friends to paint the house…and were pissed we were still there. Fortunately one friend came by for half a day and one of my daughter’s friend’s family came by and helped us literally throw everything onto the UHaul and then unload it at the other end. Fortunately as well, we seem to have only lost 5 or 6 items to breakage…

    So we were in. That’s when we discovered that we had not accounted for storage. Fourteen years in one place allows one to cram a lot of stuff all over the place. Not only had we not been able to sell off some surplus furniture, we had moved from a ranch with a finished basement (that included one whole room of storage) and a two-car garage to a bi-level with almost no closets let alone storage and a one-car garage. Needless to say, the room that is supposed to be my library/office has been the reservoir for all things Waltz. I finally hacked out a corner to set my desk up in, but otherwise I’m still working out of boxes.

    And so we’re in. The next day the toilet’s wouldn’t flush very well. Three days later, after extensively trying to resolve the issues ourselves, we learned why: tree roots had clogged our sewer. With a little more research we learned that our ‘newly remodeled, move-in condition’ home (and they did do a sweet job on the first floor and an okay job on the lower) hadn’t been truly lived in for almost three years. Two years vacant and one year where the sellers only ‘lived’ there on paper. So those roots had taken over everything in those three years. Three plumber visits and something like 20 hours of cutting and cleaning and sucking later, the sewer was clean and our toilets flushed. Then the shower leaked. And the garage door caved in. And the air conditioning didn’t work. And the gas leaked.

    A zillion technicians and workers later, we have addressed some issues and have a plan of attack for the remainder. Or did. Today we just learned that we’ve been air conditioning the neighborhood. So there probably really wasn’t any problem with the air conditioner. I’d be under-performing too, if I’d been working nonstop against never-ending heat. So now, instead of finishing that bathroom and adding two closets that was going to happen next week, I’ll be gutting the under-the-house garage and re-insulating and sealing and drywalling and tracking down any other area that of the house that allows the conditioned air to escape. Then we’ll be doing the closets and such.

    Throughout all of this my spouse has stressed, despaired, stressed, raged, stressed, wept, stressed…as have I. I’ve gone from 1st shift to 3rd shift and now back to 1st shift hours and we’ve continued to maintain dual work schedules and dual childrens’ schedules and dual dogs’ schedules. And I’ve tried to stay abreast, or at least afloat, with RBE matters. Which AT&T’s Uverse has made even more difficult. I’ve been on DSL and without cable and using a VCR and on a standard corded phone forever. I was joining the modern world with this move, and advanced technology to cable/uverse, DVR, wireless networks, and cordless phones. It’s been interesting. The potential is there, I can see it, but it sure ain’t stable. At least not here. Four AT&T visits later, my TV and DVR work, my computers are networked and those connected via hardwiring work (mostly) fine; my laptop seems to be hit-or-miss, and as it’s my primary work tool, it’s messed some things up - like one of my file submissions to the printer, we discovered my connection broke mid-upload and then reconnected, so it seemed as if all went well. I’ve been catching that happening more often now. My emails and posts at various venues have vanished…again apparently interrupted. And my phone connection/reception generally sucks. It seems that I shall have to talk to Time Warner to learn what options they have for me and if they’re any better.

    In the mean time, in regards to RBE matters, I screwed up the first file of Rage of the Behemoth I was supposed to send to the printer and so had to rebuild it. During all the above. So I finally got it done, sent it in, only to have it kicked back for a missing font. Then again for missing totally. Now, I am happy to say, I have received the email that the proof is in the mail. Come Thursday, I should know if RotB is officially available or not.

    And that brings us to Demons. Again, almost everything related to Demons has been done during this tumultuous transition I’ve been living. Originally submissions were open until June 15th. Then I received a glut of killer stories, or at least stories that delivered the goods in the first two pages. These stories were advanced for final consideration. Before I was aware of it, I had over 30 stories advanced…and only - at most - 15 slots to fill. Time to close subs. Then I couldn’t get online through all the above messiness. By the time I did, dozens of more subs had come in. Once all was officially closed, I had 41 advanced tales. 41 tales I had read in complete, but over the course of the entire last month.

    I write personal acceptances and rejections. I have yet to write a simple ‘Dear John, Your story is rejected.’ I feel that the author not only took the time to write that tale, but also took the step to send it out to my attention in hopes of someday seeing it published. The least I can do is spend a little moment of time telling that author why I am not interested. Normally, these rejections ocur soon after reading the story. If not right away, I may jot a comment or single word about the story, but usually my rejections aren’t held onto very long. Until now. And I’ve made a mistake.

    I did not jot down those comments or single words while reading these stories in between home buying and repairing and having internet access. And after having lived through all the above events, outside of those stories I put “Accept!” next to, I’ve forgotten the contents of the rest. I have been faced with simply sending out form rejections or actually having to reread those stories and type my rejections immediately. This, while still working around the house and the internet, has proven to be very slow. I know many of you have emailed asking the status of your submissions. For that I apologize. I simply cannot take the time to individually repond to each until I send your rejection - or acceptance. Five, maybe six, of the remaining 30 tales will be being accepted…I just have to sort through them all.

    Others of you have waited patiently for contracts. Again, I apologize. My intentions have always been nothing but for the best for both parties, both the author/artist and RBE.  Without you all, RBE doesn’t exist. I know that RBE’s position in this highly competive market consists of reputation - product and service and me. Right now, on the market, for sale, RBE has only Return of the Sword. RBE needs more exposure. I am doing my best to accomplish that, both for RBE and for the contributors to each of RBE’s titles.

    My timetable as of right now is this:

    • Demons: Finishing accepting/rejecting
    • Demons: Contracts & edits
    • Rage of the Behemoth: Get the damn book! & begin shipping it out to all the contributors and pre-release buyers!
    • Rage of the Behemoth: Get it reviewed and blogged and twittered and moving! It’s a great anthology and it should be being talked about more.
    • Short story collection: Contract, & final edits, and art, and cover
    • Demons: Into layout and printing and still scheduled for an August 15th release!
    • Short story collection: Layout and printing, hopefully for a September release!
    • Poetry & Prose collection: Contract & edits and art and cover
    • Demons: Reviewed & blogged & twittered
    • Poetry & Prose collection: Layout and printing, hopefully for an October release!
    • August 1st, the next Rot? anthology will be announced

    Lots ahead for RBE, and much depends upon what time I can carve from this demanding house, but there it is, all laid out in black and white. I hope you’ll understand why I am not personally responding to every query about a certain story or even about RBE at this time. Feel free to add any comments or questions here, as if one thinks of a thing, I am sure someone else will too, so we’ll keep everyone informed that way.

    To you Demons’ submittors, if you just want to have your rejection immediately, I understand and am willing to provide simple form-like rejections if you so instruct me. Of course, your story just might be under consideration for those final few spots…

    Mini-interview: Rob Mancebo

    Posted By Jason on June 22, 2009

    Why write?

    Art and storytelling are some of the most ancient ways of communicating ideas. They place the divine power of creation into mortal hands and allow a person to expand to the fullest extent of their imagination.

    If you didn’t write, what would you do?

    If I wasn’t writing, I’d be . . . kicking myself and telling myself I should be writing. I did that for about thirty years, no sense breaking the cycle, right?

    If you could hunt any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own), would you?

    Sure.

    Which one?

    A werewolf.

    Why?

    That would be an awesome hunt. If you find one that needs to be hunted, let me know and I’ll go cast some silver bullets.

    If you could have any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own) as a pet, would you?

    No.

    Why?

    My pug already takes up any and all spare time and lap space. He’d be jealous.

    You are on a holodeck: You’re sitting in an intergalactic bar, sipping your favorite beverage, waiting expectantly for someone to take a seat at your table. Which author from any era does? Why? What do you talk about or do? More importantly, which chair does he sit in?

    I wouldn’t be wasting my time like that. Sorry to be a wet blanket, but any icon of the past that materialized would be a fabrication of what people or a machine ‘thought’ s/he was, not the actual person. Any advice or experience that could be shared would only be a regurgitation of what s/he had already shared through their writings.

    Why Asad al Din? What initiated his story and made you complete this particular tale?

    I was looking for an eastern swashbuckler. For something away from the western norm. His story was constructed in the manner of old folktales, although updated to add more character and dialogue. Something of modern rendition of an Arabian Nights tale.

    What appealed to you about being included in Rage of the Behemoth?

    What appealed to me about being in RotB was the chance to take a whack at bringing a big, scary monster to life.

    Do you write/read aloud to/with anyone (family member or friend)?

    Sure. I read to my wife when I get the chance. Both my work and that of others. I read to my children from an early age. It really increases everyone’s vocabulary, both reader and the listeners. Whereas TV seems to dumb everything down, even fast-moving action books increase everyone’s use of language.

    Why?

    So when the other kindergartners were listening to Peter Rabbit, mine were laughing at Breckenridge Elkins, thrilling to tales of Conan, or listening to the improbable adventures of Bilbo Baggins

    Quick: For each of the below, what’s your first thought in regards to the future of genre fiction:

    Publishing: Dying, dead, on life support - or just going through a change? If it’s any of the first three, will it be euthanized or revitalized?

    Going through a change.

    Reading Formats: Print, electronic, audio, or interactive?

    Ha! If I knew the answer to that I’d be investing in stock.

    Books: Hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, other?

    Paperback. Simple volume. People can afford more of them, and are more willing to pay for a paperback. People I know only buy hardbacks from an Author they really love.

    Preference for reading/writing: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Horror Fiction?

    I have a full-time security job, a part-time editing job, and I’m participating in a medical externship program. I’m afraid I don’t have much time to sit down and read what I want for pleasure. I tend to find myself up at about 03:30 AM to try and hammer away at stories. . . or still up at 01:00 AM–like now–trying to catch up on things.

    Thank you for taking the time to provide thoughtful answers to these interview questions, Rob!

    Robert Mancebo’s “Passion of the Stormlord” appears in the ‘Depthless Seas’ habitat in Rage of the Behemoth. Robert has been a husband for 30 years, father of four, grandfather of two, soldier, technician, writer, editor, general gatherer of interesting stories and history. Visit his home page at http://www.geocities.com/robmancebo.

    An opening excerpt

    “Make haste to furl the sail!” Asad al Din bellowed into the raging wind. His crew of Nabataean sailors struggled to haul down the billowing cloud of striped silk, but the power of the wind threatened to drag them off the ship’s wooden deck.

    “The might of the storm is too great, Captain!” Jalil called back. “It will cast the crew into the sea!”

    “Ease off the main sheet, you great lout!” Asad al Din roared as the knotted muscles of his arms and shoulders heaved against the sweeping tiller, keeping the ship’s nose pointed into the crashing waves. “Carefully now, carefully!”

    Three men dragging mightily eased the sodden line through a tackle, allowing the great triangular sail to release its hold upon the storm winds and flap wildly. That done, the rest of the sailors lowered the boom and bound the loose sail.

    “We make great speed, even with a bare mast,” Jalil called. “Surely this passing tempest is the retribution of Allah!”

    “Ha!” Asad al Din scoffed loudly. “The retribution of Allah is swift, but only against the unrighteous. This is but a storm in the season for storms.”

    “There is a fell voice echoing in the sky,” Jalil warned. “And I have glimpsed the dark bulk of a monster within the clouds. I fear this is no earthly tempest.”

    “Bah, save your tales of monsters for the children in the bazaar,” his captain replied…

    Watch for review praise for “Passion of the Stormlord” and Rage of the Behemoth!

    Enjoy this interview and excerpt?
    Read
    more like it from other members of the anthology here on RBE.
    Better yet - buy your own copy
    of
    Rage of the Behemoth: An Anthology of Heroic Adventure today!

    RotB Limited Lives!

    Posted By Jason on June 17, 2009

    Be of good cheer, y’all!

    The Rage of the Behemoth limited cover editions are on their way! I’ve just come from approving the final proofs and let me tell you, they are looking good! By this time next week I will have all 500 copies in my possession and I will begin shipping them out to all you patiently waiting fans!

    I have yet to hear back on the regular edition, as that is printed by my regular printer who handles my distribution as well, but I am hoping that timing falls the same. For those of you with orders that include regular covers, I will be sure to announce their availability as soon as I know of it.

    Whew! Late, but alive and kicking. I am eager to hear what folks think once these get to them - especially now that I can reveal that the ’secret’ 21st story is the very first tale of RBE logo character Kaimer!

    Demons Submissions Close Tonight

    Posted By Jason on June 3, 2009

    RBE is back online. Perhaps not fully functioning yet, and with lots of submissions to read, editing and layout to do, but back in the saddle again.  So that means that today is the last day I will be accepting submissions to Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology.

    The official end of submissions is 12AM CST, 06-03-09. Everyone who submitted while I was off-line should have received an acknowledgement last night. I will be reading and either rejecting or advancing all the tales received since 5/26/09 over the next three days. Immediately after that, I will be selecting the stories for final acceptance from the pool of advanced tales. Everyone should know by June 15th whether their story is accepted or not.

    Thank you for your patience and continued interest in the anthology. Here’s to quickly returning to business as normal!

    Demons Update

    Posted By Jason on May 28, 2009

    To all the Demons contributing members and submitting hopefuls:

    Due to numerous important events outside of my control yet of consequence to my family, I am extending the submission deadline until I announce it is closed. I anticipate this to be only through the weekend, but I will accept submissions until midnight of the day I announce they are closed.

    During this extended time, I will also be unable to respond either with acknowledgment or a status within three days. There are a lot of newly (over the last two days) submitted stories in the queue right now. Unfortunately, I will not get to read them or individually acknowledge their arrival at this time. Once I log off here in the next few minutes, I will not be back online probably until Saturday, if all goes well. So that means I will have to do a lot of acknowledging, reading, and rejecting/advancing at one time. I still intend to have final acceptances extended by June 15th, however.

    Thank you all for your understanding and support.

    EDIT: 6-03-09 - I’m back online and submissions will close at 12AM CST this date!