Astra soars!
First off, the good news (there will be no bad news). Ronin Games has hit #2 in the Superhero Fiction category; it would have hit #1 but it was nudged out by a vampire-sex book. Amazon categories are…fuzzy. Ronin Games did hit #1 in the Superhero Graphic Novels category. Amazon categories are fuzzy. Sales are robust, and I’m on track to make at least as much as I did last year with Small Town Heroes (which means I will be able to continue to write and self-publish at least another year). The Amazon reviews that have been trickling in are also heartening; the fifth Wearing the Cape book may be the most highly rated book of the series.
In short, although it took longer than I wanted to finish (and longer than many impatient readers wished), Ronin Games‘ publication appears to have redeemed 2015 and may make it my best self-publishing year to date. Thank you, everyone who has enjoyed and boosted my work!
On a less serious note: someone over on TV Tropes has been keeping tabs on my body of work—my bibliography at the top of the page has been updated. So I wonder what new TV Tropes they will add to my page? I know it won’t be this.
And now I just blew half an hour following anime-trope links. Darn you, TV Tropes!
Where was I? Oh yes; thank you, everyone who has responded to the renewed call for lab rats—I mean playtesters—for Wearing the Cape: the Roleplaying Game. I am getting more and more excited, now that I’m back into working on the game book and seeing all the possibilities the Fate Core game system offers (I spent much of this year studying the rules and following posts on the game over at Fate’s Google+ site when not slaving over Ronin Games). Writing out a more detailed history and background for the Post-Event World than what is found in the books has been a challenge, but a fun challenge.
That’s it for now; everyone have a good September.
-M.G.Harmon
Marion G. Harmon, A Writer in Vegas. 
I am one of the intrepid WtC TV Tropes article editors! Woohoo! (Also, that second link was hilarious.)
Any projected beta test period length (mostly so I know when to save up for the Kickstarter 😉 ?
I hope to have everything in place for a January Kickstarter campaign.
I’m glad to hear Ronin Games is doing so well for you! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope we keep seeing new “Wearing the Cape” books from you for years to come.
good for you. The book really was well written and thought out – I liked it lot.
just typed a fairly long review on amazon.co.uk, the British site. you deserved it. 🙂
Thank you–it’s a nice little review.
George: Congratulations on Astra’s latest soaring to #2 on the charts. I will look forward to reading Ronin Games when I get the chance. I am still behind on my reading as I am working on my novels with my 17-year-old “brainchild” of a main character and her adventurous senior year. Right before attending the high school football game Friday night here in suburban St. Louis (yes, I still attend my alma mater’s high school games as a fan), I noticed your page on TV Tropes. I do appreciate their promotion of your series and they do a pretty good job with it. I also like the use of “social realism” as a description.
You are doing very well on your series and I continue to wish you further success on your projects. September for me involves travel throughout Illinois during the weekends. This weekend, it’s Quincy in western Illinois. Two weekends later, it’s Peoria. If you’ve been reading the news, Illinois has actually turned a bit dystopic as far as the way the state has been (ideas for future stories?). It has affected Chicago and the rest of the state (rest areas and state parks closing because of a huge fight in Springfield).
I’m looking forward to watching another heroine make her debut on CBS this week. I am curious to see how long this will run. I’m still mad from 14 years ago when CW killed off Birds of Prey so prematurely.
Take care. Keep writing. May our young ladies continue to be adventurous and wholesome.
I’m one of the ones who reviewed it as well as hoping to be one of the playtesters. I don’t normally write a review past giving a book stars but I had to with this one. It’s a ridiculously awesome escalation of the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Describing your world to one of my coworkers I’m trying to rope into joining my RPG group left him open mouthed and asking “so, when do we get to play in this world?!” So yeah, cannot wait to play this RPG whether I get to be a playtester or a proud backer in January.
Congratulations! Love the series! My GM submitted to have our group playtest – we are super excited for it and hoping it happens. (Question: he submitted the form and it cleared, but he says he never got an acknowledgement- should he resubmit, or did it probably get thru?)
Since I’m not sure who your GM is, I don’t know if I saw anything. He should probably resubmit.
Loved the book, it is definitely among my favorites in the series (which has not produced a bad book yet), my biggest issue is that it is just too short. I could have read a lot more about the three of them in Japan and loved all of it. I do hope that the ending is a sign that Kitsune will be an important character going forward. The potential dynamic of the devoutly Catholic Hope technically engaged to a seven tail Kitsune has just so much potential.
Is there any chance of Hope returning to Japan as herself, either as a sort of vacation or in an official capacity? I’d love to see her meet Kaminari again or just see for herself the impact the Remarkable Ronin had.
On another note, I’m rather looking forward to the RPG both to run a game and just for the chance to read more about the setting. And on that note, I have a question, the sheer scope and opportunities of your setting have so much potential that I can’t help but consider other stories that could be told. Would you ever consider allowing other authors to write works of their own in your setting?
1.) Thank you!
2.) Maybe, probably not, but the repercussions of the Three Remarkable Ronin’s adventures will make themselves felt.
3.) Yes. Why?
Simply, I’d love to write a novel in your world. It’s fascinating to me. Currently my writing focus is on finishing the next draft of my first novel, but I have been mentally working out the powers and dynamics of a super-powered team in the Post-Event world and I’d love to try to tackle their story as well someday.
Fair warning, I have two criteria; the writing must meet a certain standard (both morally and writerly), and it must fit the “canon” and not break the world. I always reserve the right to exercise dictatorial control. If it helps, it can be “co-written” (which would also help with exposure since it would go on two author pages and be seen directly by anyone looking up the Wearing the Cape series).
If those are possibilities pitch it to me and send a sample of your stuff; if it sounds like a fit we can certainly talk.
I honestly expected that much. I know that were it my setting, I’d want to be careful that another writer didn’t break something. And I always thought that I would want whatever story I did tell to fit into the world.
This is actually sooner than I was originally going to broach the subject (I intended to have my fantasy novel completed before ever contacting you about the matter) so I’m not far enough along in the process to have a solid pitch ready. But I just re-read the whole series and some of the ideas I’d had previously came rushing back to me. I will certainly contact you when I have something more concrete ready to go.
It has just been very cool how quickly you’ve responded to all of this and that you seem to be open to the idea.
I’m a big fan of the 1632: Ring of Fire shared world, which started as a single novel and ballooned from there as other writers participated. When there is a world full of possibilities, even a writer as prolific as James Patterson can’t tell all the stories waiting to be told (or think of them). So yeah, I’ve been considering it for awhile now; I have two writers (one a published author) committed to two short-stories in the Post-Event World already.
So when you have something, give me a yell.
came across an rw mary of the pagans
Thank you.
Hello. I am so glad Ronin Games is doing well! But I read the series (as you know, I post questions every time you publish a new story), and I have some questions now. I don’t want to put some serious spoilers into this post, but I’m really curious, so I am going to try and not input specifics about the story, just vague hints. Here are my questions:
1. Hikari’s arm: Permanent, or will it completely heal?
2. Are we going to learn more about omega-level breakthroughs?
3. What exactly is the relationship between Hope and Kitsune, and how will the exchange in Kabukicho affect Astra? (especially because it is said in the first WtC that Astra NEVER breaks her word?)This is my BIG question!!!
4. Are we ever going to learn what happened to Riptide and Grendel during their “Boys’ Night”?
5. There’s a point, about 82% of the way through the story, where a (future) interview with Astra talks about the places she’s been. There were two places we’ve not seen yet. Will we see one of them soon?
6. The Remarkable Ronin seem close now. Will their bond stay this strong in other books? Are they now a permanent team?
7. (Not a Ronin Games storyline question, but I’m curious) Whatever happened to Kindrake?
Glad you enjoyed the book! To answer your questions as generally as you have asked them to avoid spoilers:
1.) She’ll live with it.
2.) Eventually…
3.) The subject of at least one short-story and an ongoing subplot in future books.
4.) Possibly another short-story.
5.) She won’t. We might.
6.) They’ll always remember their ronin game, but not all of them have the same paths in the future.
7.) Nothing bad. Possibly the subject of another short-story, but always the possibility that she will appear in future books.
How do we sign up to play test your new RPG?
At wearingthecape.com. Use the contact page to send me your information, gaming background.
I read Wearing the Cape as the Hoyt’s Huns book of September. Ronin Games will be here Thursday. I should be complaining about the lack of book six by Saturday (although I still have the side trip to New Orleans to read).
And to think I was really iffy about the idea of superhero novels when Wearing the Cape was selected.
I’ll be on the KS for the rpg although if I want to play in your playground I’m much more likely to translate it to FASERIP.
I’m glad you have enjoyed the stories, and hope Ronin Games doesn’t let the team down. And I’m very much looking forward to the Kickstarter campaign myself.