Submitting to Shrapnel

I've seen a few positive posts about Shrapnel #1, and a couple of questions about actually submitting to the magazine. Back in March of 2012 (Eight years ago!), I wrote a couple of posts I called the "Dos and Don'ts of Battlecorps Writing." Battlecorps has been discontinued, replaced by Shrapnel.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was thinking about revisiting the subject, advice about how to have a fighting chance of having your submission being accepted. I can't promise, in any way, that Shrapnel's Managing editor, will accept your story or article. What I want to do here is give you some tips that will at least make him think about it. I will include examples from my own stories to illustrate my points.

1) Read the Guidelines and Follow Them -- the guidelines are there for a reason. Writing in Battletech is writing inside a highly defined set of parameters, and requires the writer to follow them. If a submission clearly doesn't follow the guidelines, that does not bode well for anything else that is required from all writers. Adhering to the guidelines shows you can follow instructions.

2) Keep the Story Small -- When I say, small, I mean there's no room for massive plot and dozens of characters in a story that is at most, 7,000 words. That's roughly 23-28 pages of double-space typing. That's not a lot of room for plot, characters and resolution.

• a) Characters -- Ideally, you have one or two characters that are the main point of view the reader has into a story. Most of story will be seen though their eyes, their thoughts will be the one the reader will have insight to. Several supporting characters are possible, but each must have a purpose to the plot. Too many characters and they become just blobs; it is better to have two or three well-defined characters then half a dozen faceless blobs.

• One of my favorite things to do is take a basic character type and give it a twist; Mouse from my story, Shadow Angels, is an example A large man, he acts as the teams heavy support. Yet, he knits in his down time. In Thirteen, Ansgar Shurasky, an officer recovering from a mental breakdown, finds his new 'Mech haunted and advised by the his sister's ghost -- or is it his his own mind projecting a part of himself? Look for little things to make each character unique.

• b) Plots -- there is no room in 7,000 words for a complex plot. The best thing to do is have a main plot and maybe a subplot, if there is room for one. Plots need to be straightforward for the most part. It's okay to have a twist in the story, but you cannot go too deep into a plot in so few words.

• I like working themes into my stories. In The Lance Killer, the story is about superstition, survivor's guilt and redemption. A Matter of Honor is about honor and acceptance.

• c) Scope -- Scope is important. Scope is the level the story is told at. Most novels have several levels of scope from the rulers and generals issuing the orders, all the way down to the foot soldier who's trying to survive the next five minutes. A short story doesn't allow all those levels. It's best to chose one level and stick with it, the lower, the better. A soldier trying to survive the next five minutes has a more interesting story then a General kilometers away issuing orders. For my story in Shrapnel #1, Blind Arrogance,  I told the story of a battle that had already been told in a novel, but instead of the grand sweep of a story, I told the battle from the POV of a Lance commander, who only saw his small corner of the battle.

3) Know the Battletech Universe -- On the face of it, it sounds like a no-brainier. But writing for Battletech needs a deep level of knowledge than a casual fan had. (I know there's are a few of you out there, just as I know there are some deeply committed fans.) The Battletech Universe has been built up over thirty-five years, and have a background that no other fictional universe can match. A thousand-plus-year timeline, thirty or so factions detailed out, thousands of 'Mechs and vehicles designs, technology laid out, and planets explored. That's a lot of stuff to dig through and it can be overwhelming.

My solution is to pick a time, a place and an event; then research the heck out of it. For the story Salvage, I chose Aldebaran, 3028, during Operation Rat (the story was part of the Operation Rat series, so the time and event were already determined.) For the story, I had to know which units were involved, something about the planet, and the time frame. It becomes just finding where to put the scenes.

It also gave me an idea of what 'Mechs I could and could not use in that time period; I could use a Raven, a Crusader, and a Catapult, but not a Bushwhacker or a Thantos. Being aware of when a design becomes available in the timeline is important; it shows your depth of knowledge.

• a) It's a matter of Details -- The great thing about Battletech is all the background is already in place -- you bring the characters and plot.  For Salvage, I used the AFFS ranks, and the Confederation using their pre-Xin Sheng rank system, for example.Also, a nugget of advice: The first Clan Mechs seen in the Inner Sphere have two that depends on the point of view of the character -- A Clan Warrior would not call his Timber Wolf a Mad Cat (Which gets a bit fuzzier when talking about the Mad Dog/Vulture, as the Combine uses a third name for it -- the Hagetaka). Any story that gets past the first hurdle (Being rejected right off the bat), will be sent to the fact-checkers, who will look at the details to make sure they all fit. Details are important; it's what makes the stories comes alive.

4) Don't go Overboard -- What do I mean by that? It means trying to make a major splash with your first story. Taking a major named character and using them as the main character. Using your home-brewed Mercenary RCT in your story. Rewritng events in Battletech history. Mary or Gary-Sue characters. BattleMechs acting more like Gundam Mecha. Show you can write a solid story, with your own characters and follow rules. Once you have a few stories under your belt, then you can start reaching out a little more (the home-brewed RCT and the Gary/Mary Sues characters needs to stay home though)

5) Develop a Thick Skin -- being a writer involves ego, and ego can be bruised. It's not easy to have a story rejected -- I have had stories rejected before. It's a hazard of the profession, and you need a thick skin. You may think your story is the best one every written, but it could also be the third or fourth similar story the editor has seen in the last week that has a similar plot/characters or it violates one of the suggestions above.

• a) So What do you do, if it is Rejected? -- Look at why it was rejected and consider what the reason was. Unless the Editor asks for a rewrite, move onto the next story, and don't make the same mistake


• b) So What if it's Accepted? Than congratulations and move onto the next story.

That's enough for now. Battletech is a fiction-driven universe; its what make the Universe come alive. It's a fun universe to write in, a chance to create your own thread in the Battletech Tapestry.

I may come back with another post like this, talking about different things relating to the actual craft of writing Battletech.

Later,

Craig

Shrapnel Issue #1 is out!

Well, it's finally here....

Above is the cover from the new Battletech Magazine, Shrapnel. It's being distributed to the Battletech Kickstarter Backers first, then it will go on sale (I don't know when or where, or how much, or any other detail like that at this time.)

So, what is in it? Well, stories from the authors you see listed on the cover above, plus stories from Chris Hussey, Jason Hansa, and Lance Scarinci. They are all brand new stories here, including the first part of a serial story from Micheal Stackpole. Yes, they are all Old Guard writers, but you have to use what you have -- more on that below.

There are also a few articles related to the Game itself, for both the tabletop game and the RPG side of things. There are articles that give flavor to events, but can also be used as the start of an adventure for a savvy Games master. I wrote an article about Sniper Rifles for AToW RPG, to  expand the selection of weapons, giving each faction their own weapon. There is a Dark Era track that can be used by either Battletech or Alpha Strike games, and a look at a unit with ties to a legendary mercenary unit. It's is designed to appeal to everyone who is a Battletech fan, but it's mostly new stories.

I can only talk about what I wrote. When this venture was getting off the ground, I really wanted to do something that hearkens back to Battletechnology Magazine. One of the regular items in Battletechnology Magazine that I enjoyed was the "Tales of the Cobalt Coil." These were stories told by patrons of a bar in the Cathy district of Solaris City, and told in the first person for the most part. There was something about those stories that made them more intimate, and I wanted to recreate that. From this idea, Tales from the Cracked Canopy was born. Set in the rebuilt International Sector of Solaris City after the Jihad, the Cracked Canopy is a bar where anyone can walk in, enjoy some good food and a beer, watch the matches and forget about their worries for a while.

But I didn't want a copy of the Cobalt Coil, so I came up with an idea; The Memory Wall. Along the back wall of the Canopy, there are small mementos and items that have been brought in by patrons and left there. Each item has a story behind it, and each patron who leaves an item tells the tale of what that item meant to them.

Phil agreed to run with the idea, and I wrote what I think is a good story to start it off with. Blind Arrogance is the story of the death of a well-known unit, as told by one of its former members. I won't say anything more than that, but it is a sad story.

I worked out some background on the regular characters, like the employees and a few of the regular patrons, and another writer has already claimed the Canopy story spot in the next issue. I hope it becomes a regular part of the magazine, and would be a good way to break into the magazine (Hint, Hint). Maybe in a future post, if there is a call for it, I will post those series notes here on the blog.

As I mentioned earlier, all the stories were written by the Old Guard, but this Magazine isn't just for us old-line writers this is an opportunity for a writer looking to break into writing for the Universe. I have written about what to do and not to do when submitting to Battlecorps; looks like its time to revisit those pointers, bring them up to date, and repost them as time when submitting to Shrapnel.

So, how do you submit to Shrapnel? You go here: Shrapnel: The BattleTech Magazine - Fiction There is a copy of the Guidelines are there, and a portal to send your story in. MAKE SURE YOU READ THE GUIDELINES!!

That's all for now. I hope you enjoy reading Shrapnel when you get it. I also hope this becomes a great success -- it it does, it will be because of people like you.

Later!

Craig

The Con Season and Coronavirus

For the sake of transparency, I have never attended Gencon and the last time I attended Origins, It was still a mobile con and was in Philadelphia. It's simply a matter of money -- cons like that are not cheap to go to. The following is my opinion only, formed mostly from reading several sources and casually talking to people.

That being said, I know something about both cons, just because  of my work with Catalyst Game Labs. Both Origins and Gencon are big cons, but the emphasis each one has is slightly different. Origins is a players' con, where people go to play and browse the vendor's hall. Some new stuff is released, but mostly it's Games and good times.

Gencon is a little different -- while it's still games and  times, its the place for gaming companies to reveal their big products of the year -- new games, major expansions, new stuff. It's the place when companies interact with fans in Q&A sessions, where game developers try to sell their home-designed games to a company looking for the next big thing. It's where new companies have the best chance to be noticed. In short, it's a place where business goes on in the shade of fifty thousand people playing games of all types.

But this year is different and that difference is the Covid-19. The Coranavirus. The fear of this virus has thrown everything off-kilter with stay at some and social distancing. For some companies, that is a serious problem. Fortunately, Catalyst is already spread out, with people all over the world and an HQ that's in the Big Boss' house. Also, Catalyst's investment into E-books will allow products to still be released, bringing in money that way. But it's more than that.

First is the manufacturing and shipping. Since most gaming companies use China, Covid-19 has delayed things, and that doesn't include all the real-life politics which still could bite companies in the ass. Things are getting back on track, but there is still too much unknown. It is getting close to the final date to get new products printed and shipped.

Second, the economy shutting down for more than a month. Everything beyond food and other essential services are shut down -- sports leagues, schools, restaurants, and other smalls business have been ordered closed. Conventions and events of all types have been canceled -- San Diego Comicom the big one that comes to mind. Here's a list of the ones so far: List of events affected by the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Only now are places beginning to open. Many people have been laid off/furloughed/working from home, and money has become tight for millions of people. Food and family care come before fun.

(In my case, I've been off the property less than a half-dozen times in March and April, and they were for food runs and trips to the pharmacy.)

Which leads to the cons themselves Origins has already been moved to October. Here is that announcement: ORIGINS GAME FAIR POSTPONED TO OCTOBER; ORIGINS ONLINE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE. That's a four-month delay, at a time people don't usually take vacations, and people are beginning to think about holiday season. Even then, it's not a sure thing -- Covid is still too unknown to know if it'll be back in the fall (Or even if it's still going to be around) They plan to have a virtual con in June, but have no idea how that is going to work.

On the other hand, Gencon is still sticking to its schedule. Their most recent update: Updates on Gen Con and COVID-19.

The problem is that the virus is still unknown factor. It could fade away, or it could hang around and continue causing trouble. It has to be making planing difficult -- will the products be on time, will the Con be as scheduled, or, worse-case scenario, will the con happen at all? And if the con goes on, how many people will have the money and time to show up? How much product do you need and how much do you bring to to the con? Can you afford the warehouse feeds for leftover stock? Can you afford a four-month delay or a canceled convention?

And it's not just the conventions themselves, but the business that depend on conventions -- restaurants, hotels, bars, and other businesses around the convention center. Most are already hurting and a reduced or canceled convention will be hard. I've seen stories that maybe a third of the restaurants in the US could go out of business.

Here's the thing about restaurants: they work on thin profit margins. When I was a manager in the pizza delivery business, out FLC (Food, Labor, Costs) were to be no more than 94% of our income. Which meant if the store earned $10,000 in a week, the store made a grand total of $600 profit -- less then $100/day. The FLC covered the cost of food, the employee's wages, and the fixed costs (rent, insurance, maintenance, etc). Most restaurants carry no more than two weeks worth of money in their accounts for unforeseen expenses. I have no doubts that other small business have similar cost considerations. Some are being creative with pickup or delivery, but that is only a small fraction of their normal income.

 Here's an article on the effects the Virus is having on the dining industry: By the Numbers: COVID-19’s Devastating Effect on the Restaurant Industry.

The economy has been thrown for a loop, and a lot of companies are not going to make it. Many smaller companies will go under and even the larger companies are going to be hurting. Little or no money is coming in, but fixed expenses like rent and insurance still need to be paid. Assuming the business survives, it will take some time to get out from under the cloud this virus has the entire world under.

Things are different this year -- and society world-wide has been altered. I think, as I write this, Gencon and Origins 2020 are going to be pale specters of what they normally are. I HOPE I am wrong. Maybe in a couple months, Covid-19 will vanish, never to be a major threat ever again, and both cons set attendance records. But I'm not optimistic.

BTW -- the photos above.... The first and third ones are from this article on Sarna.net: What’s up with Catalyst? at GenCon 2019, while the second on is from this article: Recap: Shadowrun at Origins 2019 The photos are not mine -- they are used to merely illustrate the article.

That's enough for now! Later!

Craig

Overdue Update and Something about the Pardoe Graphic

(This chart s from Blaine Pardoe. I asked Blanie's permission to use this as a springboard for this blog entry, hense, the Pardoe Graphic.)

I did not realize how long it has been since  I put up a blog post -- 8 Months! Not a single post in that entire time! I am ashamed of myself! Especially since I'm sticking close to home these days, due to COVID-19!

Now, where to start? The Kickstarter, I guess. At the end of the Kickstarter, There were 11,277 Backers that put in $2,586,421. That's impressive, But, if you add the late backers in, those who backed the project after time expired, the results are even more impressive -- as of the time I write this, it's 14,271 Backers and a total of $3,054,525! Now, I know there are backers who chose to back this twice, but those are impressive numbers!

Now what does the successful Kickstarter mean? It means Catalyst is now trying to pull everything together, and while I'm not directly involved in the Kickstarter, I do know people are working hard on it and it's taking up much of their time. The COVID-19 Pandemic hasn't helped, but as far as I know, thinks are moving along. I can't give you any dates, but what problems that are are things beyond Catalyst's control. I have seen the questions and complaints about characters, and this is something above my paid grade.

Now, a word about Shrapnel, the new Battletech Magazine. I don't know when Issue #1 come out, but I do know it's a lot closer to being done than not. I have a story in it and I hope it is the first of a regular feature in the magazine. I also write an article for the Magazine. I haven't seen anything more than glimpse of it, but it looks good.

So, what else have I been doing? Writing. I have a couple of things submitted to Catalyst (beyond what will be in the Magazine) that might see the light of day this year, but when and where is out of my hands. There is new fiction being written, that much I do know, but I have no idea when any of it will come out.

Which comes to the other part of this post. Blaine Pardoe posted the graphic above on Facebook. While it is amusing, there's a lot of truth there. I have done almost everything on that graphic, from trying to find the right reference (Either in a physical copy in PDF form), to looking up pointless trivia on Sarna.net, to slipping in Easter eggs into stories (Not every story or product I've been involved with, but enough), to The position of figure (I've actually rolled dice in a quick and dirty Hit/miss and location -- In one published story I wrote, I rolled Boxcars for a hit location, and thus a Warhammer quickly died without a fight.)

(Though I do admit that when I tell the editor that I have a great plan in store, they sigh, pat me on my head and walk away, shaking their head. I also have to admit the Fact Checker voodoo dolls are a bit dusty from disuse.)

I occasionally engage with fans on Social Media, but I don't go out of my way to get involved with them. I am approachable, so if you have a question or comment, don't hesitate to post it!

Above right is my nomination certificate for IAMTW 2019 Scribe awards. (Still a little bummed that Travis and I lost out to a Warhammer story) Took a while, but it's in my hands and as soon as I am able to, I plan to get a good frame for it. Doesn't it look fantastic?

That's all for now, back to writing!

Later

Craig

The Battletech Kickstarter -- WOW

As I write this, there are 28 hours left, and over 9500 backers had pledge $2.14 MILLION for the Clan box --- enough money to make it one of the top crowdfunded games in recent memory. It has been a smashing success on all levels.

I can't supply much in the way of behind the scenes, as this is all way about my pay grade, but I do know that the Catalyst people are beyond happy. Because this is more than just a Clan Box supplement -- This is BattleTech standing on top of a mountain peak and screaming, "I'M BACK!!!"

So, what does this mean for the people at Catalyst and the Freelancers for the coming year? A lot of work for everyone -- artists, 3-D modelers, writers, layout people and the company's brain trust. There is a lot to be done, and it's going to take some time to get everything sorted out.

As you can see from these sketches below from the Kickstarter page, there is a lot being down now, even before the campaign is over. there's close to a hundred 'Mechs that need to be redesigned, modeled, molds created, and minis produced. And the other stretch goals (Including a Plush Urbie!) -- I have never seen so much being offered for a Kickstarter.

 For me, the most interesting thing among the stretch goals is the Magazine. I do know it's been discussed for a couple of years now, (Between me and someone else with ties to the Catalyst brain trust), But as to what will be in it and any details, it's too early to say. From my own, personal perspective, I want this new Mag to be fiction heavy -- mostly stories with a few game-related items to round it out.

Why do I feel that way? BattleTech is almost unique among sci-fi universes in that for most of it's existence, it has been a fiction-driven game. After FASA closed and the game jumping ahead 70 years to help set up the MechWarrior click-tech game, when Catalyst took over the game, the lack of Novels crippled the game. The only source for Jihad-era fiction was Battlecorps, and short stories were poor substitute for novels.

But now that fiction again become the driving force the BattleTech universe, it would be on oversight to forget about short stories. Many stories in BattleTech, small characters moments and stories are not suitable for a novel or novella. I am a firm believer of stories all across the era and at all levels -- short stories, novellas and novels. Short stories are the perfect vehicle to discover and develop new writers for the Universe.

The details about the magazine are still far from being decided. Loren in the first AMA said it would be a ". . .living project. We can keep adding or subtracting to form it into what you (the fans) want."

I have my biases -- I want the fiction to lead in the magazine, to make the magazine appeal to the widest group of readers possible. I personally want to see 80/20 split between fiction/game material.

But it comes down to the Powers That Be, and their decision. All I can do is make my opinion known and hope it has some influence on their decision. In any case, I am happy to see the magazine finally become a reality. It has been around as a concept for a couple of years now. I don't know how long or what form this magazine will take, but we now have four issues to get it right. I really hope we can, because this could be a great addition to the product line, and a way to draw in new people to the game.

So, as I finish up the blog entry, the totals for the Kickstarter are now, with 24 hours to go,  $2.17 Million, and 9600+ backers. Wow!

Later!


Craig

Gencon, The Kickstarter, and Everything

Well, let's get the bad news out of the way first: I didn't win the Scribe Award I was nominated for, and neither did Travis. One of the three Warhammer stories we were up against won. So that means I have to try again. Hopefully I can make this a regular thing.

Now for the good news: The next Battlecorps Anthology is apparently out! Entries for it have been spotted on both Barns and Noble and Amazon and I expect there to be Hard copies at the Catalyst booth for Gencon!

The back cover blurb reads as follows:

REDEMPTION. RESISTANCE. RESOLVE.

A young Davion MechWarrior seeks to repay a debt incurred by the misfortunes of the Fourth Succession War. A tightly-knit farming community bands together to repel vicious pirates or risk losing their livelihoods...and their lives. A Kurita MechWarrior given a final chance to serve the Dragon stands alone against renegade mercenaries. And the survivors of a crash-landed Steiner command must hold the line against ravenous Word of Blake forces to protect the Allied Coalition's quest to wrest Terra from the Blakists' unyielding grip.

Kill Zone: BattleCorps Anthology, Volume 7 collects the very best of the short stories published on the BattleCorps website from 2010. Charge into the war-torn future to experience nine stories filled with BattleMech combat, heroism, betrayal, honor, and duty.

Veteran BattleTech authors Kevin Killiany, Blaine Lee Pardoe, and Jason Schmetzer, alongside fan favorites Craig A. Reed, Jr. and Jason Hansa are showcased in this anthology, which includes an all-new tale from Scribe Award-nominated author Travis Heermann.

My story in this collection is Reap What You Sew. It's a story about pirates and what's supposed to be a simple pirate raid against a bunch of farmers turns out to be neither simple not easy for the pirates. It was to be part of a pirate anthology Jason Schmetzer solicited for, but Reap was the only one that was submitted. Still, it's a great story about how some things are not as they appear.

Gencon will be another miss for me. I can't afford it. Would I love to be there? Hell, yes! I've never been to Gencon, never been to Origins since they've been in Columbus, Ohio. (I have attended Origins twice -- once when it was in  Baltimore and in Philadelphia. I still have the T-shirt for the Philadelphia event). Maybe another year, but like other years, I will live vicariously through YouTube videos and the hopefully live stream of the "What's up with Catalyst?" seminar.

Now, for the elephant in the room, the Clan Box Kickstarter....hooo boy.....

As I write this post, the current amount pledged is close to $940,000. Nearly a million dollars.

Let that sink in for a moment. Nearly a million dollars. For a tabletop game that's now old enough to run for President, a game that had reached it's seniority despite everything that's been thrown at it, with different companies and different offshoots of the game. A game that has been declared dead more times than Dracula but keeps going. A game that survives.

Over 4,600 people have backed this effort so far, and I expect to see that surge with Gencon coming up next week. To those who have backed this, I thank you. We the freelancers haven't gotten our marching orders yet, but there will be work for all of us for the next six months to a year. Right now, Catalyst's management is focused on Gencon and the Kickstarter.

By the end of the week, the total should be over a million dollars, with more than three weeks to go. My own prediction for the final total on August 17th will be between $1.75 and $2 million dollars.

What's been unlocked so far? Too much to  go on here, but it is a lot of stuff to go over in detail. But were looking at close to a hundred minis, several novels, and oodles of goodies that makes me wish I could slap down five figures down without a second thought. (But like with Gencon, there this small problem called money preventing me from doing just that.)

Right now, it's watching the Kickstarter total rise into the stratosphere and begin to prepare for the work ahead.  That won't start to happen until the second week of August, as Gencon is foremost in Catalyst's mind. But I expect the company to hit the ground running once Gencon is over and everyone has had a chance to recovered from it. There's a lot to be done over the next couple of years, and I hope to be part of it. In case you need the link to the Kickstarter, it's here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/450703636/battletech-clan-invasion/description Be sure to read through it all, because there's a lot of digest.

Thios has been a long post for me, so I will end it here.

Later!

Craig

Updates

Well, nothing much is going on with me at the moment, Battletech-wise. I'm still waiting on a couple of proposed projects I submitted, but I have no idea if or when they will see the light of day. I contributed to a couple of upcoming projects, but again, have no idea when they will see the light of day.

But there are a few things I will comment on. First, the Kickstarter. . . Whoa. I was surprised as the rest of the fanbase when Catalyst announced the upcoming Kickstarter. The minis look incredible, including the classic designs. I have no idea what the actual contents will be, but it has my attention.

Next up is the House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition. Written by the people who created the story for the HBS computer game, the House book, this books is just like the major State handbooks, giving the history, social structure, government, and military of the Aurigan Coalition. It fills in some of the background the game didn't get into and gives the tabletop player/RPG player enough information to play games in and near this small state. A nice crossover and hope we'll see more of it.

Last up is Iron Dawn: Book 1 in the Rogue Academy Trilogy by Jennifer Brozek. Fiction is a major part of the Battletech line, and one way to bring new blood into the game is appeal to younger people. Once way is writing fiction for those younger would-be fans. While Battletech fiction has never been overly "adult" (IE lots of swearing or graphic scenes of sex/violence), they are not really written toward teenagers. Novels like Iron Dawn, while not "written down" from the normal Battletech novels, that are geared toward the younger reader, mostly by having younger than average main characters. It's a good way to pull in younger readers and I hope we'll see more of them in the future.

Origins Game Fair has come and gone without anything new in Battletech beyond the announcement of this year's World Wide Event. It's set in the Dark Age/IlClan era, but I won't say anything more than that so as not to spoil anything for those who haven't played it yet. Gencon is where the new products will premiere. I will be waiting not only for the new products, but for the "What's up with Catalyst," Seminar. 

Hopefully, the last half of 2019 will see more new stuff and the advancing of the timeline.

Later!

Craig