With great thanks to Phillip Lee, I now have a copy of the Battletech Novel, Embers of War by Jason Schmitzer.
The first new novel in what, five, six years? It's been sitting on my desk, enticing me to start reading it. I haven't started yet, but this is a step forward, one that is long overdue. I had a first draft of a Non-Battletech novel to finish, and with Embers sitting there, I managed to hammer out the last couple of chapter and set it aside.
I am not privy to the reasons why there was such a delay, That was something, as the saying goes, "Above my pay scale." But now they have started again, and the first four have been announced. Embers is the first, followed in no order that I know of by Loren L. Coleman, Victor Milan, and Michael A. Stackpole. As expected, Catalyst is bring out the big guns to get the novels off on the right foot.
I have two reasons I am glad to hold Embers in my hands and look at the cover. The first is as a reader. I still have (almost) all the Roc Battletech books, including The Sword and the Dagger. I still read through them when I want my Battletech fix and don't want to write it myself. I have the last half of the MechWarrior novel series, as most of the ones before The Scorpion Jar were disappointing.
My second reason is purely selfish; I want to write a Battletech novel. I want to see my name on the cover of a Battletech novel, to see the word I wrote on the page, staring back at me, and know my efforts were good enough to be. It has always been an ambition of mine, before I ever submitted to Battlecorps. And now I am in a position to be able to pitch a novel idea or two. This is my chance, and I've already started the process. Will I succeed? I have no idea. There's a X number of novel slots and a Y number of authors pitching for those slots. Those with Battletech novel experience have an advantage, one I need to overcome with great novel ideas.
Note that doesn't mean I will be given a novel to write; I still have to prove to the novel editor that I deserve the chance to write a novel. That's no different then every story I send to Jason Schmitzer for him to either buy or reject. In either case, I have to prove myself every time.
Well, no review here for Embers. I will start reading it tomorrow, because if I start now, I'll go until I'm done, and it's midnight here as I write this. But I am so looking forward to reading this. . . .
Craig
