Michael G. Munz

The official website of Seattle sci-fi/fantasy author and geek Michael G. Munz

Anxious!

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So with today being the last day my old publisher is in business, and my being nervous about making sure my books get transferred back to me and set up again for sale properly, you might say I’m a little anxious. How anxious? Well I’m glad you asked, hypothetical person! I’ve been venting a bit on Twitter…

I’ve sent A Dragon at the Gate to my editor!

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If you’ve been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you already know this, but just in case you’re not stalking me to the best of your ability: Yesterday, April 3rd, 2016, at just about exactly 3pm, I finished writing A Dragon at the Gate!!!

Yes, okay, so there will be more work done on it. My editor will surely have things to say, and I’m waiting to hear back from a beta-reader or two with some input, but it’s now in a state where I consider it ready to move on to the publishing phase. Note the use of the word “phase” in there. It’s not instantaneous. Along with the final editing, there’s also layout, setting things up regarding at least a little bit of marketing, and oh, gee, it still needs a cover!

A Dragon at the Gate

Still not the actual cover!

And since I mentioned the cover, I’m really excited to be working with Amalia Chitulescu again to come up with another great cover that matches the style of the first two in the series–both of which are her work. I’m not yet sure when we’ll have the cover finalized, but you can bet I’ll be doing a reveal here.

“Yes, Michael,” I hear you asking, “that’s all well and good, but when do we get to READ the damn thing?!” Dates are still in flux, but once I and the editor/designer/publisher peoples get all of our ducks in a row, it’s likely to be late summer or early autumn. Hopefully very early autumn, if it does take that long. I don’t want to keep you all waiting too much longer. Then again, maybe I should keep pushing it back because given some of the events in book 3, I do wonder if some of you will wish to kill me. 😀

But now, I’ve got a little more free time than I used to! I’ll be diving back into Percy Jackson (more on that soon), hopefully getting some more general geek content on this site, and, at long last, start to make some real headway on the Zeus Is Dead sequel. I can’t tell you how many times something funny occurred to me as I was finishing up ADATG that I couldn’t put into the book because it’s not actually a comedy. Well, I mean, except for Felix’s sense of humor. But he can’t say everything I want him to.

…And maybe there’s an unpublished fantasy novel that I’ve already written that might be making an appearance. But that’s for another time…

My Lightsaber Arrives!

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As I mentioned previously, I recently made one of those Big Life Purchases: I bought a lightsaber. I promised to bring you more details and show it off when it arrived, and finally, I am bringing!

The saber, a modified “Dark Menace” model from Ultrasabers, arrived in a long, slim box, ensconced in bubble wrap, with the blade already attached. I’m happy to report that UltraSabers had charged the batteries as well, so I was able to light that sucker up right out of the box without having to be patient any further. They also included the battery charger and little hilt display stand I’d asked for. The special silver pommel I’d ordered to swap out the stock Dark Menace pommel had already arrived, so I swiftly attached that.

my Dark Menace saber

My own Dark Menace, with a customized pommel and other wee tweaks. LOOK AT THE AWESOME!

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XCOM 2: First Impressions

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Meanwhile, in the alternate universe where you lost the war…

So at long last, Firaxis released XCOM 2 last night, and I’m here to report my first impressions of what–so far–feels like a worthy successor to the original. (Or, rather, the remake of the original, if you want to get really technical about it.) I’ve only had a chance to play a little, but what I’ve seen is fantastic. For the moment, I’m selflessly taking a break from it to give you my first impressions. Aren’t I wonderful?

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So, I Bought a Lightsaber…

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That’s right, I’ve made what’s arguably my geekiest purchase ever: I now own a lightsaber. Or, at least, a reasonably convincing facsimile of one. I’m sorry to say that it will not actually slice through walls, speeder bikes, or tauntauns. On the other hand, given how often I accidentally cut myself with mundane items, that’s probably for the best. Still, this sucker could probably break a bone or two if swung hard enough, so it may still be ideal for home defense. [Read more…]

Top 5 Most Awesome Star Wars Moments

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Top5Here on the eve of the release of The Force Awakens, I just can’t resist diving back into the Star Wars well one more time for this latest geek-related Top 5 List. Talking about Star Wars also takes the edge off of having to wait until I can see TFA myself and come out from this self-imposed spoiler bubble I’ve put myself into. (As I write this, it’s 7pm on Tuesday. I’ve already dialed down my social media viewing to avoid hearing anything from those who were at the Hollywood premiere on Monday, and I may very well avoid social media altogether at midnight when the press embargo for the movie ends and official reviews start popping.)

So, while I’m itching to view it all for the first time, let’s take a quick look back with…

Top 5 Most Awesome Star Wars Moments

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Guest Geeks: Nick Fraser on Star Wars, Star Trek, and Disappointment

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Guest GeeksThe day approaches. A new Star Wars film is set to rise upon the world, and many of us await The Force Awakens with emotions that run the gamut from overjoyed excitement to palpable dread. When I first heard there would be new films, my reaction was as close to “meh” as one can get. (Okay, so there was excitement and interest mixed with the feelings that I’d been burned before, but it balanced out to meh. Hey! The prequels brought balance to the Force!) And yet, as time progressed, my interest higher. Since the first trailer, I’ve been holding steady at cautious optimism, despite the voice in the back of my head telling me not to get drawn into the hype.
In truth, I’ve been doing my best to avoid the hype for the past month, primarily because I’m trying to avoid any spoilers. When the last trailer came out, I told myself that was it: I’d allow myself no more information about the film. I’ve been avoiding the interviews, the additional footage, even the TV ads. When that yellow narration scroll–the first new one we’ve seen in over ten years–crawls its way across the stars, I want to be completely fresh. But am I also avoiding the hype because I fear disappointment? That’s entirely possible. But today’s Guest Geek has some interesting points to make on the subject. Please welcome back previous guest Nick Fraser to the blog, and share your thoughts in the comments!

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