What Have I Been Up To?

It has been brought to my attention that I haven’t made a post here in quite some time. Two years????!!!!

I knew it had been a while; I’ve often poked myself, saying, “Dude, stop neglecting your blog and website.” But frankly I’ve been more focused on YouTube and my Podcast, which takes a bit of time each week, and so I’ve let this place slide quite a bit. I just didn’t realize how long it has been! Mea culpa, as I know there are people who come here (or used to anyway) who don’t do the podcast or YouTube thing.

So here’s what I’ve done since I last updated things here.

After I published Campaign Season, Glimmer Vale Chronicles #6, 2022 contained some short story releases but nothing major. 2023 was quite a bit more eventful.

52 Stories In 2023

In 2023 I endeavored to write at least one story each week, like I did in 2019/2020, but this time my plan was to release those stories in five volumes instead of one. I ran Kickstarter campaigns for each of the volumes, and had pretty good success with them. As a result, I got of writing done that year – 58 stories in all!

The five 52 Stories In 2023 volumes are available in all major bookstores, but I would prefer and recommend you instead use my company’s store if you wish to buy a copy or six.

Volume One: Retailers  My Store

Volume Two: Retailers  My Store

Volume Three: Retailers  My Store

Volume Four: Retailers  My Store

Volume Five: Retailers  My Store

Bardsong (Glimmer Vale Chronicles #7)

After completing the fulfillment for the last of the 52 Stories In 2023 Kickstarter campaigns, I focused my attention on the next installment of the Glimmer Vale Chronicles – Bardsong.

The writing went well, and I ran a Kickstarter campaign for it in May. That campaign was successful, and I intended to release the book in September. But I had a number of financial issues crop up that demanded my attention and focus to avoid catastrophe, so I did not meet that goal. Instead, the book released to the world last week, on 2 December.

Bardsong is available now in all major bookstores. But it’s best to get it, in whatever format you prefer, from my store.

Warfare Qualified (An Icaran Confederation Navy Novel)

I’ve been working on this one, off and on, for several years now. It is what the name and cover art implies: a Space Navy novel, drawn quite a bit from my years of experience in the US Navy. I decided I need to finally finish it, so to light a fire under my behind to git ‘r done, I ran a Kickstarter campaign for it in July.

I’m pretty proud of the video I made to help promote the campaign, and while the campaign’s over, you may enjoy the video nevertheless.

I won’t say it’s just because of the video, but that was the most successful Kickstarter campaign I’ve run to date. And it did light a fire under me!

I owe this book, and a whole lot of stretch goals, to the backers early next year. My target is to get it to them in February, and then release it to the world in March. As with Bardsong, life may dictate it take a bit longer than that, but I’m pushing hard for it. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the release. But between you and me, I’m thinking of doing an experiment. I ran the Kickstarter campaign already. But that was a few months back. I wonder how successful a second campaign would be on Indiegogo, timed for the book’s actual release? I haven’t decided for certain, but it could be fun to try!

Story Time

My podcast, Story Time With Michael Kingswood, continues apace, in audio and on YouTube. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus the last month but I’ll be back in full swing after the New Year. If you haven’t already, do come check it out. Beside reading my stories, I also do music reactions, video game streaming, and muse about matters that interest or amuse me. Case in point, I discovered a truly amusing soft drink that I simply had to investigate in more detail – Leninade!

If you haven’t already subscribed to the show, you really need to. Go do it now!

Substack

In parallel with the podcast, I started up a Substack. My intention is to present the text of the stories that I’m reading each week on the podcast over there, as a means of further spreading my web of fiction out into the world. Feel free to drop on by, and subscribe!

2025 Plans

I have a whole bunch of short stories lying around that I haven’t done anything with. After I finish Warfare Qualified, I’m going to gather them all up into two or three bundles of ten and run another short fiction campaign on Kickstarter. After that, I’m finally going to finish the sequel to my first novel, Masters of the Sun. In fact I’m going to just complete that entire storyline; probably will be a trilogy. Then it’ll be back to Glimmer Vale for book number eight.

So that’s where things stand, and the plan going forward. Wish me luck!

I intend to post here more often going forward. But in the meantime, here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!