Hey folks! Max here with a news update. Though a glance at that headline will tell you what’s dominating this news post.

That’s right, it’s Life, The Universe, and Everything 2023! Which kicks off next Thursday, exactly one week from today! It’s so close!

Being so close, I’ve already been getting my preparations taken care of. Just yesterday a big box of paperback books showed up for sale at the LTUE vendor hall. Two big boxes, actually, but I’ve repacked them into one big—and admittedly quite heavy—box. Hopefully I’m bringing the right amounts. Last year, paperback copies of Shadow of an Empire completely sold out before noon on the first day, a timespan of less than three hours. Axtara copies lasted until the last day before running dry, so I think I numbered them properly that year, but they’ve been selling a lot stronger elsewhere since then, so I upped the number anyway.

Basically, if you got left out of getting a copy of Shadow of an Empire in paperback last year, this year there will be a few more copies—though they’re still likely to go quick, so act fast! Axtara – Banking and Finance copies will also be in good supply, at least for a day or two. I think.

Point being, there will be books at the vendor hall for at least the first day. But that’s not all! I’ll also be at the book signing event, and I’ll be having some fun stuff for the occasion. Given that the majority of my sales are digital, I usually don’t sign a lot at the signing event. Though I do sign some. Mostly I just talk about writing and books to any that come by, and give out cards and bookmarks.

But this year, I’m upping the ante. This year, I’ve got prints of a few of my most downloaded covers. And I’ll be doing giveaways during the signing. So if you want a nice 24″ print of Axtara’s big ol’ grin to take home, swing by my signing booth on Friday, February 17th!

Now, with all that said about LTUE, we’re not done yet! Once again this year I’ll be paneling, and so here’s a reminder of my panel schedule, in case you want to come see me and a bunch of other experts chat about this stuff!

Hit the jump so that all this formatting doesn’t fill the main page or get broken on other sites that link to the primary.

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MY LTUE 2023 SCHEDULE

• Thursday, February 16th
  • So You Want to Be a Writer: Tips and Tricks for New Creators – 9 AM
    • Yes, it’s early. But self-explanatory! We’ll definitely be yawning, but that’s par for the course for any 9 AM panel!
• Friday, February 17th
  • Farming in Rough Terrain – 10 AM
    • We’re going to be talking about the experience and the worldbuilding of making a go at it in tough condition!
  • A Hero of a Different Stripe Release Party – 11 AM
    • Come to the launch of the newest LTUE Anthology collection, A Hero of a Different Stripe (and I really hope at least one of these stories is about a skunk)! I’m not in this one, but I’m attending the launch for a couple of reasons. Come hear some readings from the this year’s selected authors and get your copy signed!
  • Tooth, Claw, and Tail: How to Write Compelling Creatures into Your Fiction – 1 PM
    • Oh, this is going to be fun. Especially since I can use some of the nightmarish stuff from Starforge now that it’s no longer quite the spoiler. But the point of this panel is to talk about all sorts of fantastical creatures, from Dragons to the new!
  • Book Signing – 7 PM
    • Yeah, I talked about this one above. Come win some stuff and get all your books signed! And yes, I will sign an e-reader if that’s what you want! Also, I am not the only person at this signing. There are some awesome folks at this event, so you really should swing by if you can!
• Saturday, February 18th
  • Exposition Etiquette: Sharing Your Worlds With Readers Without Overwhelming Them – 11 AM
    • This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but given the number of times the topic has been requested of Being a Better Writer (many) it should be quite well-attended.
  • Gala Banquet Dinner – 7 PM
    • What’s this? Max actually going to the Gala Banquet Dinner? Well, most likely. I haven’t actually grabbed my ticket yet, but this year I do plan on attending the dinner, so unless it’s sold out on day one, this is where I’ll be.

Now, that’s my LTUE schedule insofar as panels I will be on or specific appearances that I will be attending. But outside that?

Those of you that have run across me at various panels know that I love to spend my time at LTUE gaining knowledge or being reminded of things I already learned once but want a refresher on. So I’ll be moving through LTUE throughout each day, attending panels and talking with people in the halls. If I need a break, I’ll take it in the green room, so if you see me in the halls I’m always willing to chat—provided I’m not headed to a panel that I’m participating in, that is.

By the way, if you want to plan your own LTUE 2023 out, this link goes to this year’s program book. It’s a PDF, so fair warning mobile users. But it’s the full booklet with all the panel descriptions.

Seriously folks, LTUE is one of the highlights of my year. If you’re at all interested in writing, you should be there.

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Okay, is there other news? Well, yes. The next Jacob Rocke book is coming along nicely, and about somewhere between halfway and two-thirds through at 50,000 words. I’ll be getting more done on it today, but so far it’s coming along nicely.

I’ll be honest, I don’t think Rocke’s adventures are usually my strongest. But some readers very clearly disagree with me on that, and it doesn’t mean I’m not putting the effort and work in (I spent a good hour at minimum going over training material for blood tests that included watching medical equipment training videos for blood pregnancy tests for this book, to give you an idea of what’s been going on with this process). But I’m glad you fans enjoy them, and you’ve been patiently waiting for years to get a new Jacob Rocke mystery.

And … yeah that’s about it. That’s the news. I’m going to get back to work on that Rocke novel now. Have a good weekend, everyone, and I’ll see you Monday!