First off, I finished the first draft of Monster Academy: I Will Not Burn Destroy the Kingdom. That’s the third book in that long-delayed trilogy, and with any luck at all, I’ll have it shipped off to my Kickstarter backers this spring. That’s a huge load off my shoulders, and I cannot wait for my backers and then the rest of the world to be able to read it.

On that note, clever readers might notice I haven’t released the second book in that trilogy to the public yet. Once I have book three out to my backers, I’ll launch Monster Academy: I Will Not Burn Down the School too, and then I Will Not Destroy the Kingdom soon after that. School ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I didn’t want readers to have to wait too long for Kingdom. Now they won’t.

Next up, I’ve just started working on a novel for Exalted, a tabletop roleplaying game from my pals at the Onyx Path (and White Wolf before that). I wrote a prequel short story for it that appeared in Exalted: Tales From the Age of Sorrows, which debuted about a year back, and I have an approved outline, so hopefully this one will go fast.

After that, I’m getting back to Loot Drop, a modern-day thriller I sold to Tor/Forge ages ago and have been dying to write. The political landscape has changed a bit since I first came up with the idea for the book, and I think that’s going to be reflected in the final manuscript.

Meanwhile, I’m also working on a number of projects which haven’t been announced yet. I’ll post more details on those when I’m able. They include new tie-in novels, a new video game, and some other fun things.

On top of that, I have the rights back to Amortals, Vegas Knights, and Carpathia. I’m looking into ways to re-release those later this year, with new covers. That might involve a Kickstarter to get hardcover copies into your hands, but I’ve vowed not to run any more of those until I get the last of the Monster Academy books in my backers’ hands.

Still, that might be soon.

If you’re looking to catch up with me in person, you can find me at a number of events this year. I post them on my Appearances page as they come up, but in short, bullet-list form:

• Mystery to Me Author Slam (Madison, WI. February 25)
• Gary Con (Lake Geneva, WI. March 24)
• UW-Writers’ Institute (Madison, WI. March 25)
• Gen Con (Indianapolis, IN. August 17—20)

Anyhow, back to it!

Monster Academy: I Will Not Eat People

(That sale price ends tonight, by the way, so snag the book fast, if you haven’t already. You can grab it here or find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and DriveThruFiction.com) 

A promotion from my pals at GeekDad.com also helped. They put the entire first chapter of the book up there for anyone to read for free, and they’re giving away 10 copies of the ebook too. That contest ends on Friday at midnight EST, so you still have time to join in.

A number of fantastic reviews rolled in too. Here are some excerpts from my favorites:

It is a book for anyone who wants a little escapism for the weekend, regardless of age. But, for parents of young adults who want to stretch their kids’ thinking, this is a must-read. The main character, Ruddy, is inquisitive and asks tough questions about life, death, and the nature of hate and  virtue. He is a frightening fire-breathing dragon with a heart too big for his magical human form and, at a time when most of our heroes are very flawed, it is lovely to have a hero who is innocent, true, and courageous.

– Alex at Mighty Distractible

I highly recommend this book. If the fact that Ruddy CAN TURN INTO A DRAGON isn’t enough for you, then get it for the witty dialogue, quick pace, engaging characters, and exciting mystery.

– Ellie Ann

This is a novel that works on almost every level for me… Matt Forbeck has another win on his hand. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it, exactly, but I can say that it was a hell of a lot of fun. This is a great young adult book, of the sort that I’d have loved to read as a kid. 9/10!

– Abhinav Jain

This was a wonderful, enjoyable read. It is an entertaining way of exploring ideas celebrating diversity. I look forward to reading the next in this trilogy, as Matt Forbeck has created some wonderful characters, and I want to see what they do next.

– Ellen Forsyth

Matt Forbeck does an amazing job of integrating character qualities while keeping the story flowing with quick-witted dialogue, interesting plot points, and even some darker, mysterious tones. If you enjoy fast-paced books interwoven with fantasy and strange creatures, you’ll simply love Monster Academy!

– Mariah Beem

Thanks to every one of them, plus all my Kickstarter backers, and everyone else who helped spread the word yesterday, and for your ongoing support. I get to make a living at this because of your help, and I’ll continue to work hard to create stories worthy of that.

]]> 5363 https://www.forbeck.com/2014/02/04/love-monster-academy/ Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:00:43 +0000 http://www.forbeck.com/?p=5350 Back when I ran the Kickstarter to fund the Monster Academy trilogy, Jennifer Brozek asked me to write a guest post for her site, letting people know what I love about the series. I had a lot of passion for the series already, but putting it down for that essay refined it for me and helped me focus my thoughts on the books. Now that the first book’s out and on sale, I thought you might like to see it again:

So let me tell you about this tale of mine.

Monster Academy is set in a fantasy world in which the good guys win. They defeat the Great Evil and drive it from the land. Then they have to set to the less exciting work of governing the land and mopping up all the little evils left behind. This inevitably involves some young monsters that haven’t technically done anything wrong – yet.

The king, of course, thinks the monsters will turn bad given enough time. It’s their fate, decreed by their blood, right? So why give them the chance? Better to just kill them all.

Or so he thinks, until a vampire turns his granddaughter into a bloodsucking force of evil too. That’s when he decides that maybe there could be some good in such creatures after all – if they can prove themselves, that is – and he founds the Royal Academy for Creature Habilitation. Here, at what most people call Monster Academy, the students have the chance to become useful and productive members of society or face banishment or execution.

So, why do I love the concept? Honestly, I identify with those little monsters.

I wasn’t always the best student. I got great grades, but many times I didn’t behave the way my teachers would have preferred. I spent a lot of time writing lines and cooling my heels in the principal’s office.

Once you get that kind of reputation early on, it’s hard to shake it. I often found that some of my new teachers every year treated me as a rotten kid long before I actually did anything wrong. That’s the kind of prophecy that leads to it fulfilling itself.

Despite all that, I had a couple teachers who saw me for who I was, ignored the whispers from the other teachers, and gave me the chances I needed to shine and excel. One of them – Sister Cabrini Cahill – even encouraged me to try my hand at fiction and inspired me to make a career out of it. I can’t thank her enough for that.

So the idea of a school in which everyone expects you to fail, to do the wrong thing, and to be punished for it spoke to me. More important than that, though, I wanted to have students who seemed doomed to fail show how they could pull themselves together and – with the help of even a single teacher who believed in them – become the kinds of heroes that no one ever thought they could be.

That’s what Monster Academy‘s all about. It’s not a story of a chosen child who fulfills his destiny. It’s the tale of a bunch of kids who were supposed to grow up to be the bad guys teaming up to do the right thing in the end, despite all the odds arrayed against them.

That why I love it, and why I hope you will too.

Ahem. You can purchase the ebook direct from me, or if you prefer, you can also buy it through:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Smashwords
• DriveThruFiction.com

I’ll add other venues as they come online. I’ll have print-on-demand copies available through DriveThruFiction.com later this month, in both hardcover and paperback.

To celebrate the launch, I’ve set the introductory price at a dirt-low $2.99 for the first day or so. After that, it’ll go up to its regular price of $4.99. Be sure to grab it fast, and tell your friends and neighbors too! 

It did all right, but Allen worked hard and set up several more bundles. Some of these featured novels again, but others included packs of indie roleplaying games that sold even better than the fiction. Each time he launched a bundle, he studied the results to see what went well and what went wrong, and he devised ways to improve it all, dressing up the site better, polishing the backend, and turning it all into a well-oiled machine.

Now, less than a year later, Allen has a fantastic site that’s built a wonderful reputation for delivering excellent entertainment at phenomenal prices. And to celebrate that, he’s now offering a revamped version of the original Bundle of Holding once more. If you missed out on it last time around, here’s your chance to get stories by:

• Chuck Wendig (Hunter: The Vigil)
• Jenna Moran (Nobilis, Exalted)
• Stephen D. Sullivan (D&D/AD&D, Chill)
• Rafael Chandler (Scorn, Spite)
• Derek Pearcy (In Nomine)
• Aaron Rosenberg (Asylum, Spookshow)
• Sarah Newton (Mindjammer, Legends of Anglerre)
• And me (lots of stuff)

Go stop by the site and snap up that bargain. You get some of the books for the low price of $4.95, and you snag the rest of them if you beat the average price. The prices tend to go up as the drive goes on, so get in as early as you can. The deal ends on January 2, 2014.

My book in the bundle is Hard Times in Dragon City, the first in my Shotguns & Sorcery series. Coincidentally, I have that book (as well as Brave New World: Revolution and Dangerous Games: How to Play) on sale for only 99¢. 

Because of that, I understand if you already have a copy of Hard Times in Dragon City. Still, I want you to be able to grab this bundle and feel like you got your money’s worth. Since all the books in any Bundle of Holding are DRM-free, you have my blessing to give that extra copy away to a friend in the spirit of the holiday season.

To sweeten the pot, if you do that, let me know about it. Just drop me an email at matt@forbeck.com, and I’ll send you a code to download a copy of the second Shotguns & Sorcery novel–Bad Times in Dragon City–for free. If you want to tag me on Facebook or Twitter and tell me who you gave the book to, that would be even better, but don’t put yourself out if you don’t feel comfortable with it. Either way, the offer stands until the end of January 2, 2014, so don’t wait too long. 

I’ll warn you now though. Bad Times ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. You read that, and you’re going to want to grab End Times in Dragon City soon after. But that’s a fine problem to have, and I hope it helps you have a Happy New Year!

To get that price, you can buy them direct from me here, at DriveThruFiction.com, or at Amazon (click on the covers below). Each of these books stands alone and make for a satisfying read on its own, although if you like them, be sure to check out the others in the series too. Thanks!

Happy holidays to you all! And here’s to a fantastic 2014!

After that, I’ll release the book for the rest of the world to read. I’m planning on that happening in February, and you should be able to get it through all your favorite ebook retailers, with print copies available through DriveThruFiction.com soon after too. To whet your appetite, here’s the wraparound cover.

While I’m at it, I’d like to show off the covers for the next two books in the series. Book two is called I Will Not Burn Down the School. 

And book three is titled I Will Not Destroy the Kingdom. 

These should be out within a few months after I Will Not Eat People. I’ll be working on them between other gigs, which includes a world for the Lords of Gossamer and Shadow RPG, a novel for the Exalted RPG, Loot Drop (the novel I sold to Tor last summer), and a bit more work on a couple iOS games for Ubisoft Shanghai, plus a handful of short stories I owe people.

I do plan to run some new Kickstarters in 2014, but I want to make sure I get these well underway before I start in on any new projects. I owe my backers for both their faith and their patience, and I intend to make good on that debt. The best part, of course, is that I then get to share those books with the rest of the world.

Soon.

Right after I was through doing my happy dance, I said yes.

Since then, the film has been released to backers and has racked up the rave reviews. The Zombie Orpheus folks have also started to release the extended edition for free on YouTube, one bit at a time. Today, they released the episode in which Leo Lamb walks out of the film and into Dangerous Games: How to Play.

Better yet, Scott C. Brown, the actor who plays Leo, reads aloud the piece in which Leo appears in the book–and makes a horrifying discovery.

How cool is that? Better yet, you can watch the whole film online for only $10. And! You can still grab Dangerous Games: How to Play for only 99¢ for the Kindle. For now.

Many thanks to Scott Brown, Ben Dobyns, Matt Vancil, and the rest of the crew at Zombie Orpheus for making this happen.

Go, watch, listen, read, enjoy.

It’s great. Trust me.

I wrote the playset up in early August and then played it at Gen Con, the largest tabletop games convention in this hemisphere. As always, I had a great time at Gen Con, talking to people about games, although it was a little eerie spotting out all the places where horrible things happen in the Dangerous Games novels, especially when wandering past them in the middle of the night. (All three of the books are out and available for the public now, so be sure to tell your pals.) While I was there, I had a chance to playtest the Dangerous Games playset for Fiasco with an all-star crew.

Keith Baker (creator of Eberron and Gloom) and his wife Jenn hosted the game session in their suite. Jason Morningstar – the designer of Fiasco himself – joined us and bore with me as I confessed that while I loved the game I’d not actually played it until that day. He taught me everything with a smile and coached us all along with fantastic class. Wil Wheaton and Peter Adkison had been slated to join us, but they had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. The fantastic Kristin Firth stepped in to fill their shoes.

We had as amazing a time as you can pack into a game in two short hours. I incorporated their suggestions into the text, gave it a quick polish with the feedback from the other playtesters, and finished it up. Jason posted the results over at the Bully Pulpit Games site earlier this week. You can go grab it now for free. 

I hope you enjoy it and have just as much fun as we did playing ordinary gamers with powerful ambitions and poor impulse control. To celebrate the playset’s release, I’m keeping Dangerous Games: How to Play on sale for just 99¢ until Monday. Be sure to get it fast.

Thanks for all your support!

Dangerous Games: How to Win –

How to Win is a wild ride of a novel that ramps up hard from the first two books. How to Play (#1) is a basic murder mystery, although it’s a why-done-it rather than a who-done-it. How to Cheat (#2) bumps up from there to a crime novel, complete with professional assassins hunting down targets.

I often describe How to Win as “Die Hard meets Gen Con.” Ken Hite tells me it’s his favorite of the three books – the one he most wished was longer – and he cited Die Hard too, as well as The Taking of Pelham 123. The action hockey-sticks here, and the body count rockets right alongside it.

To celebrate the release of How to Win – and the fact that I’ll be at Gen Con starting tomorrow – I put How to Play on sale this week for only 99¢. It’s a great chance to get in on the ground floor and then hop on the roller coaster ride from there.

Melanie Meadors posted about the series today and calls How to Play “just plain FUN!”

Abhinav Jain (a.k.a. Shadowhawk over at the Founding Fields) gave the first book a great review and raved yesterday about How to Cheat too. He says, “It continues to amaze, despite the constant exposure, that Matt can write in so many different genres so well and that his books are always a blast to read.” And he gives the book a rare 10 out of 10.

James Floyd Kelly, who’s reviewed each of the books over at GeekDad.com, covered How to Win today and says, “It’s violent… horrifying… vengeful. And totally entertaining as you keep reminding yourself that it’s only a story… it’s only a story… GenCon is safe… GenCon is fun.” 

Things like that just make me smile. I hope the books will do the same for you. Grab them, read them, and spread the word.

Thanks for your support!