The Writing Retreat That Was...

 I survived the week. I didn't write everyday--today, we put in half our sprinkling system, though I could do a little writing tonight. I did not write 50k words, like Husberg (the guy's a machine...), or even 28k like Ritchey (another machine...), or the many many pages produced by the grand marshal Butler himself.

Mine was more modest output.

I was in the 5-6k rang.

When it comes to word count, maybe size doesn't always matter.

I had several first with this writing retreat. I--for the most part--finished a story that I have tried to finish at least two times in the past, at two previous writing retreats. The story contained three storylines told by three main characters. I've never done that before. And I wrote a battle scene involving werepigs (sort of like werewolves, but with pigs...).

I've got to clean it up, tie up some loose ends.

I've had a good couple of months, writing-wise. And I had a good writing retreat week, writing-wise.

Christopher Husberg "Duskfall"...A Book Review

Christopher Husberg released Duskfall, the first in the Chaos Queen Quintet, last year. I shouldn't have waited so long to read it.

It's good, real good!

I met Chris last year at a writing retreat. It was before Duskfall was released, but when you find out someone has a five-book deal through a major publisher, it's impressive. And Chris is an impressive guy. Especially when it comes to crafting an engaging story.

Duskfall opens with a man being saved at sea, a man with powers. The story doesn't dwell on his rescue but continues with the man named Knot marrying Winter, the daughter of the fisherman who save him. Knot cannot remember anything that happened before the rescue. He has no idea who he is or anything about his past.

At the wedding between Knot and Winter, Knot's past catches up to him, or at least, a part of his past. Killers are sent to find Knot. They show up, call him by a name he doesn't know, and begin killing everyone at the wedding. Only Knot's expert fighting skills--skills he was unaware he had--keep himself and Winter alive. In an attempt to save his new bride, Knot decides to leave, to draw the danger away from those he loves. Winter, once she's well enough to travel, takes off after him. Their quests, separate at first but together as the story continues, makes up the series's first installment.

Husberg creates a world full of issues we deal with in our own, drug addition, failing religions, overbearing governments convinced they're doing what is correct and right. He ties these and other issues into the narrative, where we see ourselves in the character's eyes.

This is a wonderful introduction to a universe full of potential, a world I look forwarding to visiting again and again. Luckily for me, there's four more books coming in the series and what I know about Chris, he's definitely up to the challenge. Great job, bud!

Book Launch For Christopher Husberg's "Duskfall"...Pretty Cool!

Tonight I attended an event that was larger than the sum of its parts. It was a culmination of hard work, determination, maybe a smidgen of luck, but mostly seeing a goal realized, a dream fulfilled. I went to Chris Husberg's book launch of Duskfall, his new fantasy novel.

I remember the first time I attended a book launch. It was for Robison Well's Variant. I admit I didn't know what to expect, and after the event I left with a ton of questions. I knew he had written a book and it was picked up by a publisher, but I didn't understand all the little parts of the process, the journey that both the author and the manuscript took to get there.

That was years ago. I've been to a couple of book launches since and each time I've learned more and more about the publishing process and what it takes for a person to be able to stand in front of a group of friends and family and read from a newly minted book, a book of their own creation.

I've not known Chris long, only a few months. And I've not read his book, but I did buy it and hopefully get a chance to read it soon. Tonight I saw a young author, a new father introduce his book. He read the prologue and then fielded questions. He did what all unpublished authors dream about, he got to experience a reward for all the hard work.

In the years since that first book launch, I've learned more about what it takes to get to where Chris was tonight. When an author thanks those around him/her for the support of friends and family, I understand that better. When they talk about the journey the story makes until it finally becomes a novel, I really understand that. Tonight was a celebration for all involved and I congratulate an author for the accomplishment. Well done, Christopher. Well done!