Rob Howell's Blog
November 18, 2025
Rob’s Update: Write for the Wastebasket
Greetings all!
It’s been a good past couple of weeks. Sorry about last week, but if something comes up, I tend to get distracted with grandbaby time on Wednesday, so the update slips.
Ah, well, grandbaby time trumps everything right now.
A couple of weekends ago, we went to Calontir’s Crown Tournament. Congrats to our new heirs Xerxes and Andromir. Closer to home, my wife was able to step down from her position as the regional president. It’s a challenging job, and I’m so glad that bit of stress is out of her life.
I got a some done, maybe not as much as I’d hoped, but it was one of those weeks where things kept cropping up to slow me down. On the Okkorim side, I finalized a module that had been an absolute bear for me to work on. I also made progress on another project due at the end of the year.
I also got word back that my Kaj Ludek story didn’t make the cut. Ah, well, I’m still that much closer to a collection of stories from him. On to the next anthology.
What I mostly focused on, though, was my new novel. I’ll talk about details more, but I got about 15,000 written in it at this point, which is nice progress given that the publisher wants this to be more in the 50,000 range instead of 100k. I’m aiming to have that done by the end of the year too.
We’re also starting to ramp up for our 2nd birthday party, which will be held on the 20th of December. These last two years seem to have flown by.
In any case, if you’re near Anthony, come join us! We’ll have pizza, specials, and whatever else seems fun.
With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening ToMore Midsomer this week. The murder rate there per 100k is fascinating.
Quote of the WeekHappy birthday to Johnny Mercer, who has this great quote about writing. My mom had a similar quote over her computer: Write lots of bad pages.
You must write for the waste basket.
– Johnny Mercer
Rob’s Works in Progress
Sharpened Spear (15,104)Upcoming EventsFenCon, February 20-22, Dallas, TXfencon.org/Gulf Wars, March 14-22, Lumberton, MS
gulfwars.org/Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 339.4lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
November 4, 2025
Rob’s Update: The Files of Kaj Ludek
Greetings all!
This past week saw me sending out another anthology submission. This is the second in the Files of Kaj Ludek. The first was in Vice Noir, and it debuted him as a PI in 1980s Kansas City.
It wasn’t intended to be a debut, but I liked the character and the writing business involves creating characters that then want to see the light of day over and over.
Anyway, Kaj is the grandson of a Czech man who fled to England before the war and fought at D-Day and across France to Germany. That gives me the cool Czech name and a neat family background.
It also allowed me to give him a gun with a neat backstory in its own right. He carries a Browning Hi-Power, or rather, an FN Hi-Power made and used by the Germans during the war. His grandfather killed an SS officer and took the gun, and now it’s a family heirloom.
Kaj himself served in Vietnam. Nothing extraordinary, no Green Beret thing, just an infantry grunt who saw more than he wanted.
The best part of writing these stories is setting them in KC. The worst part of writing these stories is setting them in 1980s KC. I’ve done a bunch of research about what was there at that time, and so far, I’m confident I got it right.
The one in Vice Noir involved the Civellas, the local mob. There’s some interesting stories there in their own right, some of which continue to this day.
This one involves the Steamboat Arabia, which was dug up in 1988. I submitted it to Raconteur Press’s anthology High Class Muscle, and here’s hoping it gets accepted.
I also spent this week working on other projects. I’d gotten to the part of my current novel where I needed to really do the basic Save the Cat Beatsheet so I’m writing in the basic general direction. I’m excited about this one, but I’m just going to tease it for now.
We also did a bunch more work around this building. Certain parts of it are finally taking shape.
So, all in all, a great week! Here’s hoping you have a great one yourself.
What I’m Listening ToBack to Inspector Morse.
Quote of the WeekHappy birthday to Will Rogers. I like today’s quote, and wish I could live up to its message.
Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.
– Will Rogers
fencon.org/Gulf Wars, March 14-22, Lumberton, MS
gulfwars.org/Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 344.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
October 28, 2025
Rob’s Update: Happy Halloween
Greetings all!
Sorry about no post last week, I had impromptu grandbaby duty that lasted longer than anticipated. Oh, darn, more grandbaby time!
It’s been a productive couple of weeks. I’ll send off a short story later this week. I made progress on the bigger projects too, plus did a bunch of cool stuff around the building.
Last weekend was the annual cleanup weekend where the Community Empowerment group gets dumpsters and encourages us to take advantage. Well, take advantage I did, getting six truckloads of junk out of the basement.
Yes! The basement. It’s not totally clean yet, but it’s close. It’s a big, open space of about 100 feet by 30 feet. My plan is to turn it into the wood shop. The existing shop is nice, but it’s cramped. This won’t be cramped.
Later this week, I’ll be recording a Blasters and Blades podcast show. I’ll get to talk about some of the gods I created for Okkorim and I’m excited. I’ll let you all know when that gets released.
Of course, it’s Halloween this weekend, which means trick-or-treating. That’s so much more fun with a grandbaby, just saying.
I’ll be pushing along on the various projects during the days, all of which are coming along. It’s a good time to get things done around here.
Happy Halloween everyone!
What I’m Listening ToWe’re watching the Addams Family, the original TV show with John Astin and Carolyn Jones. This particular one is the Halloween episode with Don Rickles. Brilliant stuff. Here’s wishing you some happy gloominess!
Quote of the WeekHappy birthday to Charlie Daniels. I bet you can get this week’s quote, because it’s perfect for Halloween.
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
‘Cause Hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose the devil gets your soul
– The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Charlie Daniels
Upcoming EventsFenCon, February 20-22, Dallas, TXfencon.org/Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 349.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
October 14, 2025
Rob’s Update: A Fist Bump to Remember
Greetings all!
This has been the Rushiest of weeks that I’ve ever had, at least since the release of an album. First, as I mentioned last week, they’re going back on tour in 2026. I scored my ticket on Friday, and never have I been happier to have a Citi card since it got me in a couple days early.
I’ll see some of you in Fort Worth on June 30th, which will be a fun detour on my drive home from LibertyCon.
Geddy Lee CollectionThen, on top of that, Geddy Lee just released a new baseball book. If you didn’t know, he already had a great connection to the Negro Leagues Museum in KC. Some years ago, he donated over 400 baseballs signed by Negro League players and there is literally a Geddy Lee exhibit there.
So, the NLBM was the obvious place to have a signing, and surprisingly it was the only signing he’s doing for his book 72 Stories. I was one of the people there, of course.
Geddy LeeIn the presentation portion of the event, Geddy talked about scoring baseball games. When it was my turn, I mentioned that I kept score and that one of my prize possessions is the scoresheet from my slow-pitch softball perfect game.
He said, “A fellow geek!” and gave me a fist bump.
I’ve decided, after some consideration, not to bronze my hand. I’ve even washed it a few times since then.
Still, it was a neat experience for me to top off a fantastic week for this Rush fan.
I finished another Okkorim project this week. That makes something like 25 different projects over the last couple of years, over 1 per month and some of those are hefty pieces. The process is accelerating, too, so that’s exciting.
I also made progress in all three of the projects I’m working on. I’m especially excited about the noir PI project, which I expect to finish this next week.
I’ll keep hammering on the three this week. With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening ToDeath in Paradise. A light, fluffy murder show. It’s one of our favorites.
Quote of the Week“Ow, my eye!”
– Harold Godwinson, presumably
Okay, I made that up, but Happy Hastings Day to those who celebrate.
Tracked ItemsMy Weight Today: 353.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
October 7, 2025
Rob’s Update: We’re On Fire!
Greetings all!
We’re on fire! Well, not really, though we’ve had a far more interesting evening than expected. A motor to an HVAC unit decided it was time to quit, and it sent a little smoke and icky smell through the ventilation.
No big deal, in the end, though we did get to meet the fire department.
This past week the wife and I went to Houston for Quilt Market. This will shock you, but it’s a big market for those who sell quilts and quilting supplies. Amazing, huh?
It was like most trade shows, and if you’ve been to one, you’ve generally been to all of them. We saw a lot of cool things, of course, including some amazing new dragon fabrics which we’ll have in 2026.
Plus, I got to see my first drone show, sponsored by Moda Fabrics, who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. It was really cool.
Moda Drone ShowAlong the way, the wife and I had a bit of a vacation, something we really haven’t done. We stopped at a variety of interesting places along the way and tried out a bunch of new restaurants. We’ve had little time for such things, so spending time with each other was really the best part.
Even with the trip, I had a reasonably productive week. I’m working on three projects and made some progress on each, including major progress on a new short story. We also finalized next month’s Okkorim module.
Of course, the big news this week is Rush related, and I have two cool things to talk about.
First, Geddy Lee will be doing a book signing at the Negro Leagues Museum for his new baseball book on Saturday. I’ll be there. Gonna be really cool as it’s been a while since I’ve been there.
Second and jaw-droppingly wow, Rush is going on tour next summer!!!!!!!
That’s actually like a 1000 exclamation point statement for me, but you only get 7 for now. Anyway, I’m going, and I think this time I might splurge on VIP tickets. I’ve never done that before, and I thought I’d never have the chance. I’d be an idiot not to at least investigate doing so this one last time.
I’m incredibly excited. I haven’t missed a tour since Signals and I’m not missing this one.
So it was a great week, especially the part where the building didn’t burn down!
What I’m Listening ToMore Lewis, which is nice comfort food after tonight’s excitement.
Quote of the WeekHappy 86th birthday to Bill Snyder. If you’re a college football fan, you know he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, turning Kansas State into a perennial bowl team.
To put that in perspective, one year K-State was the single worse team in the NCAA, even ranked below Wichita State. To put that in ever more perspective, that particular ranking was the year after Wichita State ended their football program, so K-State was so bad, it was worse than a football team that didn’t even exist.
Sadly, he was not a quote machine, so I don’t really have a quote, I just wanted to gloat about that one year the Shockers didn’t even have a team and we were better than the Wildcats.
Tracked ItemsMy Weight Today: 355.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
Rob’s Update: Dragons Enjoyed
Greetings all!
This past weekend, we hosted Dragon Day here in Anthony. We sponsored Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater and got to take the grandbaby to her first movie. She couldn’t quite make it through the whole thing, but going for an hour at 2 is pretty good, I think.
Also, we got several local joints to make dragon-themed food or drink. All the stuff was tasty, with a spicier burger from Petunia’s, a spicier pizza from Kristy’s Kafe, and a dragonfruit version of a mule from the Idle Hour.
It was an exhausting day, but a lot of fun. We’ll be doing a Dragon Day every year. I would guess we’re sponsoring the original How to Train Your Dragon, which is what we wanted to sponsor this year but the studio wouldn’t let us because of the new version. Ah, well.
I spent time writing on a new project this week as well. I didn’t, quite, get to my goal of 7000 words in it, but I came close at about 6700, so that’s a good start. I’m aiming to finish by the end of November, which is more than doable since the publisher wants me to end up around 50,000 words instead of my customary 100,000.
We’ll see. Brevity is the soul of wit, and there are times I’m witless.
I also finished another Okkorim module. Chunking out at least one a month every month and let me tell you, these are lots of fun.
Tomorrow, we start our drive to Houston to go to Quilt Market, one of the big quilting trade shows. I’m pretty excited, actually, though I suspect I’ll be toting a bunch of stuff for the wife.
By the way, this means the shop will be closed Thursday through Monday so if you were planning to visit, I suggest a different weekend. Feel free to make online orders, though. Our crack staff will be fulfilling those as normal.
I’ll also be taking my computer to see if I can’t get some time just writing. It’ll be nice to be away from the shop for a few days.
I guess I better go pack. Catch you all next week!
What I’m Listening ToIt’s baseball playoffs, so right now I’m watching the Dodgers hammer the Reds, having hit 3 home runs off Hunter Greene. That Shohei Ohtani dude might be pretty good, though.
Quote of the WeekToday is the birthday of the Persian poet Rumi. Sadly, I can’t read any of the languages he wrote in (usually Persian), so I can’t truly enjoy all his poetic glory, but even so, we can see he was a master wordsmith.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi
Rob’s Works in Progress
Shattered Spear (6,743)Upcoming EventsI have a number of things in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.Tracked ItemsMy Weight Today: 356.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
September 23, 2025
Rob’s Update: At the P-Con Bar
Greetings all!
I had a great time at P-Con! Thanks to Crystal and the crew for all their hard work.
I went with a variety of plans. First, I needed to recharge a bit with my crew. I saw a bunch of great people, including a huge contingent of Raconteur Press folks. More on them in a bit.
I was on 4 panels. One was a discussion of what fans are increasingly asking for, and that’s more action and adventure. Then, I moderated a panel about putting the science in science fiction. This was especially fun because I got to chat with Taylor Anderson, whose Destroyermen series is excellent. After that was a panel advising new writers on how best to submit to publishers. Finally, I was on a fun panel about sidekicks. All in all, a great list of panels.
But really, I went to socialize, as I said. I spent a ton of time doing just that in the P-Con bar. I had great conversations with a bunch of awesome folks, including Taylor Anderson, who I’d not me before, David Weber, Robb Hampson, as many Raconteur folks as I could find, and a bunch more.
In particular, I also went with the hope to do more with Raconteur. They’re doing a bunch of cool stuff these days and I wanted to join their ship. I succeeded, with four or five different things going on I’ll be talking about as time goes by.
All in all, a great success.
I spent a goodly amount of time today working on one of the new projects. I’ll talk about it more in the coming weeks, but it’s something I’m really proud to be working on.
Speaking of projects, I had more Okkorim work this week, as we ramp up for the next G20 issue. Good stuff happening there.
Finally, this is the week we’re hosting Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater! In addition, there are food and drink specials at a number of places downtown, so get your Dragon Burger at Petunia’s, Your Dragon Pizza at Kristy’s Kafe, and your Dragon Concoction at the Idle Hour (which is also hosting Oktoberfest Saturday). It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Hope to see some of you there!
What I’m Listening ToMiss Marple, which is of course another great BBC cozy mystery show. This one was the Body in the Library.
Quote of the WeekIn Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pleasure dome decree
Happy birthday to Kublai Khan, born on this day in 1215, and who gives me an excuse to quote Coleridge.
Upcoming EventsI have a number of things in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.Tracked ItemsMy Weight Today: 358.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
September 16, 2025
Rob’s Update: P-Con Week!
Greetings all!
Two weeks in a row! Getting back into the rhythm.
The big thing this week is P-Con in Dallas! I hope to see a goodly number of you there. It’s a great crew down there, and I haven’t seen any of them since LibertyCon.
I’ll be running an Okkorim game there, so if you’re interested in seeing the universe, please join us.
I made progress on a number of projects this week. The most enjoyable was finishing the cleaning and reorganization of my office. It’s been 6 months, but we’re there now. I wish I could put in more bookcases, but until I turn it into a Tardis, I have it about as full of books as I can.
I’ve been reasonably productive on the writing side. I made progress on a short story, which I’ll have done in after I get back from P-Con.
I’ve also been editing a bunch this week, both in Okkorim and in some stuff I’m writing that I’ll talk about when the time comes.
I’ve also been talking up our movie night! We’re hosting Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater on September 27th. We’ll have specials here in the store, plus special dragon stuff from Petunia’s, Kristy’s Kafe, and the Idle Hour.
I’d talk more, but I’ve got packing to do. Have a great week everyone!
What I’m Listening ToLewis, the sequel to Morse. This whole series is really good.
Quote of the WeekHappy birthday to Henry of Monmouth, who reigned as Henry V. If you think I’m going to miss a chance to quote the St. Crispin’s Day speech, well, let me disabuse you of that notion.
“From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
– Henry V
p-con.us/Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 358.2lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
September 9, 2025
Rob’s Update: Hither to Thither
Greetings all!
It’s been a while, and again I apologize.
Much of my distraction is because I’m trying to figure out where to take my career next. I’m continuing with the Firehall Sagas, of course, and have been working on various things in that. I’m also doing more and more in Okkorim, so that’s all good.
But I still need to get to a new place. Hither to thither, if you’ll let me use archaic English that I really want to bring back into usage.
However, I really need to figure out more what my strategy will be with social media and this mailing list. More and more, I’m looking at switching to Substack for this list. Part of that is because I want to do more interviews, podcasts, and so on. I can do more multimedia in Substack than I can here, at least, it feels more seamless.
Also, I’m trying to figure out what I’ll write in the channel where I was writing the Foresters. I have a number of ideas, including the Mil SF I’ve talked about, an alternate history I’ve wanted to do for a while, a historical drama set in Anglo-Saxon England, and a western/noir/PI mashup set in 1860s Wichita. And more!
Ideas are never the problem, but once I commit to one of these, I’ll need to hammer at it for a while before I release because of this new market.
So, I’ve been thinking and researching, plus organizing my office and doing a bunch of the behind the scenes stuff that needs to be done periodically. Also, I started the process of cleaning out the basement. Yes, the basement. I’m starting to figure out the elevator. Go me!
In the meantime, I’m hammering at a couple of short stories. Raconteur Press has lots of opportunities.
Plus, I was at ICT Comicon over Labor Day. This went very well. It’s nice to finally start getting plugged into the Wichita writing scene.
We’ve got a bunch coming up too. First, I’ll be at P-Con in Dallas next week. If you’re there, come say Hi!
Then, the week after that, we’re sponsoring Eragon at the Historic Anthony Theater, along with having some cool stuff with local restaurants.
Then, after that, I’m going to my first quilt show! That will be a different AAR.
Oh, and we got two new trees planted today. American Lindenwood for those scoring at home. They’re in the grassy area running along Washington Street to the south of us. I’m excited to have them.
So, even if I haven’t been doing this properly, I’ve been doing stuff. With that, I’ll see you all soon!
What I’m Listening ToWe started Joan and Darby, another BBCish (actually Australian) mystery. We can give up BBC style mysteries any time.
Quote of the WeekHappy birthday to Col. Sanders! I like KFC, a fact that will of course shock you all.
One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.
– Colonel Sanders
p-con.us/Tracked Items
My Weight Today: 357.8lbs
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
August 13, 2025
Pennsic AAR (With Trailer)
Greetings all
I’m home mostly successfully from Pennsic.
Overall, this was probably my best Pennsic in a while. Sales were down (I’ll get to that), but I went out most nights and had a great time at bardic circles.
My bardic circle was less attended than usual because of the threat of rain. The rain’s threat was worse than its bite and just added to the mood. It also meant we had a smaller circle so more participation.
I’m counting this as the 15th one, which is close though I have no clue the first time I did it. After last year, I was unsure how many more years I’d do this, but I had such a great time this year and I changed my process, I don’t foresee it stopping soon.
I probably should have led with my change in process. This year, I paid for two stout lads to assist me during the week. This was expensive, but worth it. They helped set up, and more importantly, handled all the clean up after the bardic circle. Over the last few years with me living away from Calontir in the merchant area, this clean up process was exhausting, so much so I didn’t want to do it ever again.
Anyway, after my bardic circle, I participating in bardic circles at the Rookery, Northshield, Aethelmearc, Chalkman (more of a ceilidh), and Cirion’s (not sure the camp name). We also had two great circles in Calontir, plus the circle at Morgana’s memorial. Overall, I stayed in my tent only 1 night after my bardic circle and that was the Tuesday immediately afterward.
This is in stark contrast to the previous years, and I’m really pleased. I set an alarm to make sure I’d get moving and it worked. Between that and the help I actually enjoyed Pennsic in a way I haven’t in a long while.
I did so much bardic, I’m actually contemplating doing something I haven’t done in long time: Practice. And write new stuff. I was pretty good this year, but I can get better.
As to the store, sales were down. This was caused by a few factors outside my control.
First, the first 4 days of weather were wretched. Too hot for 3 of them and rainy for the last one. This reduced early sales by quite a bit. For me, that reduced my final sales a goodly amount because I think it meant a couple serious readthrough sales. Weather is always a question, so there we go.
Second, Gwen A’Brooke’s health issues preventing her from making her normal amount of pottery, especially the special Pennsic stuff. This was by far the biggest chunk taken out of total sales. Fortunately, this won’t happen next year and I expect a rebound.
Third, Pennsic overall was down more than 10%. I expect this to rebound as well in future years.
These 3 factors account for nearly all of the difference and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I still made money, at least I thought I had, though not as much as in the past.
Then came the trip home. Up until the last 165 miles, it went very smoothly. Then I pulled into the Casey’s at Lebo, mile marker 149 on I-35, and my trailer lost a wheel.
I was incredibly fortunate. I was literally pulling into a convenience store, so I could sit in a gas bay waiting on the tow truck. I even like Casey’s pizza. It didn’t fall off at 75mph. I wasn’t by the side of the road. Nothing besides the trailer was hurt.
More fortune: Lebo has a tow truck and the shop was literally within site of the Casey’s. That’s where my trailer is now.
I came home Sunday night after all. We emptied the van, then went back along with Matthias and his small trailer to empty the trailer. Right now, the maximum I can lose is the trailer which sucks but isn’t the end of the world. I was contemplating a slightly bigger trailer anyway.
Again, I’m safe, my stuff is safe, all that I lost was an old, cheap trailer.
So, there you go. I had a great time at Pennsic. I’m looking forward to next year to do even more bardic, and do it even better. The only bad thing is that I’m suddenly in the market for a trailer.
See you next year!
