I’m so excited to announce the release of THE KING’S DAUGHTER! Chris Kennedy and I collaborated on this adventure story of birthrights lost and families found, complete with swashbuckling space pirates and high interstellar politics! If you like epic space opera, I suspect you’ll LOVE this second installment in the Ashes of Entecea series…and I really hope you do! đ
New Release
The Queen’s Fixer is LIVE!
Welcome to the Ashes of Entecea
The first book in my brand new series, Ashes of Entecea is LIVE! I hope you love it, and if you do, please consider leaving an Amazon or Goodreads review!
I poured my heart and soul into this universe, and I’ve been waiting a long time to bring it to you. So go forth and enjoy, my friends!
Much love,
kc
2020 – Mid Year Update
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that 2020 has been the veritable definition of “interesting times” so far. đ But that really isn’t a good excuse for neglecting my website, so I’ll beg your pardon, dear friends, and offer up this gallery of breathtaking cover art as recompense!
I’ve been so proud to have participated in each of these projects that released this year. I hope you’ll take a look and maybe find something new or fun or inspiring as we continue to push forward in this strange new world post-pandemic.
Also, if you haven’t already signed up for my mailing list, please consider doing so. I do a better job of keeping up with communications over there, and that’s where I’ll make announcements and stuff, including the occasional call for early readers!
Stay safe, and take care of yourselves and those around you, my friends. No storm lasts forever.
Much love,
kc
Gunpowder And Embers!
Hey Friends! I’m a little late in announcing this (but what’s ten-ish days between friends, right?) but Gunpowder and Embers is available now at booksellers everywhere!
And, since I AM late in announcing this, I’m able to also announce that it’s a National Bestseller! That’s right, as of the time of posting this, it’s the #6 hardcover in the nation, according to Bookscan, as well as being #19 in Science Fiction!
To those of you who’ve already picked it up, THANK YOU! I hope you love it. We really had a good time writing this post-apocalyptic western adventure story with giant ants and dragons. I can’t wait to bring you book two!
The World Asunder
My friends, I cannot tell you how excited I am. This Friday, 7 Jun 2019, THE WORLD ASUNDER, Book 2 of The Psyche of War goes LIVE!
This is the story of Adalina Sucherin, a German psychic living in post WWII Berlin. Surrounded by destruction and strife, she’ll have to trust an enemy in order to figure out how to put the pieces of her sundered world back together again.
I hope you consider checking it out, and if you like it, I hope you’ll leave a review. Initial feedback from the launch team has been positive, so here’s hoping the general public feels the same way!
PLUS! THE WORLD ASUNDER is eligible for The 2019 Dragon Awards in the category of Best Alternate History. If you read my book and like it, I’d love it if you’d consider nominating it in that category. And if you’re looking for other suggestions for fantastic books to read, my amazing publisher Chris has a list here:
It’s the return of Operation Tiamat! The nomination form is live..and you need to vote! Who is CKP nominating from our releases this year? These:
Best Science Fiction Novel â Salvage Title, Kevin Steverson
Best Fantasy Novel â A Tangled Fate, Jon R. Osborne
Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel â Black and White, Mark Wandrey
Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel â A Pale Dawn, Kennedy and Wandrey
Best Alternate History Novel â The World Asunder, Kacey Ezell
Best Media Tie-In Novel â The Replicant War, Chris Kennedy
Best Horror Novel â Darker Nights, Eric S. Brown
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game â Turbolance, Ryan Kennedy and Noah BowdenÂ
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game â The Four Horsemen: Omega War, Clarion Games
Whoever you vote for, please vote! You can do so here: Dragon Award Nomination Form
Please nominate! Fan awards are nothing if the fans don’t vote!
HUNTER release!
What happens when the galaxy’s deadliest mercenary organization tries to impose its will on the galaxy’s deadliest assassins?
Hey friends! I’m so excited to announce the release of HUNTER, my latest novel with the amazing and fabulous Marisa Wolf! We’ve returned to the bestselling Four Horsemen Universe to bring you the next chapter in the Depik saga.
Marisa and I are super proud of this book. We worked very closely together and I am pleased to say that it shows up in the writing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. And if you did, then please for the love of little kittens, leave a review! đ
As always, thanks to Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy for letting us play in the Four Horsemen Universe. It’s been a wild ride… and it’s not over yet!
-kc
Release Weekend!
Happy Release Weekend! I’m super excited to announce that THOSE IN PERIL, edited by Chris Kennedy and James Young, is LIVE and available in eBook and trade paperback! AND, as of the time I’m posting this, it’s the #1 Hot New Release on Amazon in two categories!
THOSE IN PERIL is the brainchild of editor James Young, and it’s a brilliant collection of naval-themed alternate history stories. This anthology aims to make you wonder “what if?” and explores several possible answers to that question.
My story, “Naked” is set in my Psyche of War universe (same universe as MINDS OF MEN and its upcoming sequel THE WORLD ASUNDER) and it tells my version of the story behind my favorite photograph from World War II.
(side note: click on that link to see the photograph, and then enjoy the next few hours clicking through some really amazing historical documentation!)
In other news, I’ve been enjoying playing a silly little game called Slime Rancher on Xbox recently. I first encountered the game when my husband’s buddy Thranxes recommended it as a fun game for our youngest daughter to play. Sure enough, he was right, and I got sucked into it as well. đ
Thranxes has a YouTube channel with gameplay videos of a LOT of fun games. I know quite a few of my fans are also gamers, so I figured some of you might be interested in checking it out. Clicking on the banner will take you there, as will clicking here!
That’s about it for now, my friends. I’ll have another update for you soon. As a hint as to the topic, please enjoy this picture of me and my fabulous coauthor, Marisa Wolf ! This was taken at LibertyCon last year.
Until next time, be well and take care of each other. Much love!
-kc
Release Day: Kingdoms of Iron & Stone
Hey Friends! I’m super excited to announce that I have a story in KINGDOMS OF IRON & STONE, a magnificent epic fantasy anthology brought to you by the geniuses (geniuii?) behind Keystroke Medium!
My story is called “King Edrick and the Dragon”, and it was a lot of fun to write, mostly because I played with one of my favorite epic fantasy tropes: that of the brave knight slaying the evil, maiden-stealing dragon. đ
The ebook is available now, and the paperback will go live in a few days. Members of The Cool Kids’ Table (my mailing list), look for a heads up email when the hard copy is available.
I hope you check it out. There are some really terrific stories here, and I’d love to see this anthology do really well. The Keystroke Medium team are some fantastically talented writers, editors, and podcasters, and I’d love it if we could show them some serious support!
And don’t forget to leave a review!
Luck Is Not A Factor is Out!
My Friends, I’ve been remiss. The latest anthology in the bestselling Four Horsemen Universe came out on Friday and I haven’t said a word! I hang my head in shame…Â
Luck Is Not A Factor is the fifth installment in a series of really cracking good collections set in the milSF FHU. My story “A Token of Affection” answers some questions left over from A Fiery Sunset.
Additionally, the anthology includes eighteen other stories, by my fellow 4HU veterans and newcomers alike. I highly recommend going and checking it out. I guarantee you’ll find something to love.Â
And once you have, please don’t forget to leave a review! đ Thanks!Â
Weaver is out!
True confessions: Weaver by me and Mark Wandrey has been out for almost a week. I didn’t post about it because I was busy drowning in the whirlwind of Liberty Con! But trust me, if you can manage to launch a book at Liberty Con, I HIGHLY recommend it. đ We really had a blast at the party.
In any case, I wanted to let you all know that the book is out, and readers seem to really be enjoying it, which is great news. I hope you’ll consider checking it out, and if you do, I really hope that you’ll write a review and let me know what you think!
LibertyCon 2018 AAR
Tuesday:
Yep, you read that right. I started my Liberty Con journey on Tuesday. As some of you may know, Iâm working on a new trilogy with John Ringo and Christopher L. Smith. Since John lives in the vicinity of Chattanooga, I decided to head down a few days early to work with him on the project. So Coriel and I hopped in the car and made the 12 hour drive. Aside from a speeding ticket (damn speed trap on 81 got me) and some raging thunderstorms (RAAAAAGGGEEEE) we arrived safely and checked in just in time to get some food and sleep.
Wednesday:
Woke up with Coriel and used the gym at the Chattanooga Marriott. We had a good little workout and got to spend a little time together. Then we got cleaned up, met up with Nico who traveled in, and got in touch with John. I abandoned Coriel and Nico to go to work with John, and I think the two of them took a stroll in downtown Chattanooga together.
Meanwhile, John and I went to Rembrandtâs, which is a really cool coffee shop in the Art District of Chattanooga. We ate and talked while he sprinkled magic fairy dust over what Chris and I had written so far. After the heat and the sun started to get to us, we changed venues to Chattanooga Billiard Company.
Yep. The secretâs out. John Ringo writes books in a pool hall. đ
In seriousness, itâs a very cool pool hall, and the patrons and staff I spoke to were really great people. Â We had a productive session and made a lot of progress.
Afterward, we met back up with Nico and Coriel and John took us on a walking tour of downtown Chattanooga. Itâs really a very cool town, and one Iâd like to check out aside from a Con.
Thursday:
Nico, Coriel, John and I met back up and went to City CafĂ© for breakfast. The one near the hotel was closed, so we headed out to another location across town. There I got my much anticipated waffles with ice cream. We also got trapped by a series of storms, so I jokingly directed John to pull out his laptop and get to work. To my surprise, he did, and I unknowingly started one of the jokes of the weekend. Apparently, Iâm quite the taskmistress when I want something done. Who knew? đ
In any case, I ran Nico and Coriel back to the hotel and just missed seeing Speaker by about 5 minutes. Then I headed back to City Café and picked John up. We then repaired to his bunker/office for more work. I got to say hello to the lovely lady Miriam, which was amazing. John and I got more work done and decided to head back to the hotel at around 5pm.
And we walked in to DragonCon.
Okay, not really. But bear with me for a bit. For several years at DragonCon, Thursday was known as âthe new Fridayâ. Meaning that the wise and/or lucky con goers would arrive on Thursday to hang out and pregame with their friends before programming began on Friday. Last year at Dragon, programming began on Thursday, and EZ and I joined the legions of smart and/or lucky congoers arriving on Wednesday⊠which has officially been dubbed âthe new Fridayâ at DragonCon.
But DragonCon has 70K attendees over 5 hotels in Atlanta! Liberty is limited to one percent of that in one hotel in Chattanooga! And yetâŠ
Thursday was definitely the new Friday this year at Liberty Con. Because despite the flooding storms that still poured down over Chattanooga and played havoc with peopleâs travel plans, nearly EVERYONE arrived on Thursday. Old friends, new friends, friends we hadnât yet met⊠it was overwhelming and insane and really, really cool.
I met up with Coriel, Nico, and Marisa Wolf. We had our âPush Up Badassâ dinner with Cathe Smith and her fiancĂ© Mike, Toni Weisskopf, and Christopher Ruocchio. We got to see Toniâs amazing sword room, which was 100% worth every breath of hype.
Afterwards, we headed back and socialized with so many people. I saw Speaker, finally. And EP and Doc and Jeremy (aka Stitch) and his new bride Emily (aka Lilo⊠seriously guys, theyâre perfect together!), Joseph Capdepon and his lovely Bonnie, Jamie and Michelle Ibson, and Chris and Madi Smith arrived. We spent a few minutes hanging out with Griffin Barber and Chuck Gannon in the hotel bar, as well as Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey with Keven Ikenberry and Jon Osborne and Chris Woods⊠and so many others I cannot possibly list them all. Please donât be offended if Iâve left your name out.  There was much mingling and saying hello and roaming around to see different people. I think I went to bed around 1am, but I honestly donât remember.
Friday
I remember waking up at 0730 and wondering why on earth I was awake so early! But I got up and got some breakfast with Marisa and Nico, I believe. My first panel was at 1pm, and it was a blast. We talked about the future of the Black Tide Rising series, and John and his co-editor Kelly Lockhart hammed it up as usual, and John first started telling people about me keeping him chained in the basement while he worked on our project.  đ   The panel was followed by an autograph session, which was a ball as well.
After that, I assume I ate lunch, but I canât really remember. I do know that the next event was the Homo Stellaris panel, where Les Johnson and Speaker talked about their upcoming anthology that addresses the question: who do we have to become in order to colonize the stars. I have a small story with Doc in that anthology, and it was fun to sit together and talk about our contribution. Unfortunately, that meant I missed my friend Nicoâs reading, since it was scheduled opposite.
Following that, I got tagged to sign a bunch of 4HU books for sale, and so was tied up for a while until it was time for first dinner. Marisa and I had a late 4HU dinner planned, but we knew we were going to need something before 2115 that night, so we grabbed a bite in the hotel bar with John F. Holmes and his lovely partner Karen, along with Doc. It was great to see them, and we made a new friend as well. Paul Sparks found himself at our table and joined in the conversation, so that was cool.
Thatâs part of what makes Liberty the great con that it is. Random strangers become good friends. It happens ever year. I hope it never stops.
That night, Jamie Ibson hosted the BADASS party (Books and Drinking, Authors Signing Stuff) along with Nathan Balyeatâs Completely Random Cocktail Hour. Marisa and I put in appearances at both parties before we had to head off to the Galactic Governors dinner for the supporters of the 4HU Challenge Coin Kickstarter Campaign. That was really great as well, and fun to meet and spend time with a few fans of the runaway series.
After that, more circulating and hanging out. I may have sung âPossum Kingdomâ a capella into a microphone and done makeshift karaoke to NINâs âCloserâ. No big deal. Griffin and Karen Barber, Marisa, Mike and Lorna Massa, and Jim Minz wonât tell on me. I thinkâŠÂ đ
At some point, I went to bed again.
Saturday
Saturdayâs panels started off with the Four Horsemen Roundtable, which was a blast! We got to award red shirt coins to the people we killed off in our stories and answer questions about what weâve written and whatâs going on in the future. Following that, I sat in on the panel called âAll The Shades of Noirâ with Larry Correia, Cedar Sanderson, and Ed McKeown. I had a particular interest in this panel, since I am co-editing a Noir anthology with Larry for Baen books. I ended up running a microphone for the large crowdâs questions.
After that, I had to go try to give blood. I had a 1315 appointment, but they were so backed up with their processing that I didnât get a chance to donate before I had to head off to my next panel.  Maybe next year.
My next panel was the Baen Roadshow, which is a centerpiece of the con in many ways. After LibertyCon last year, Monalisa Foster approached me about cosplaying a member of Tom Kratmanâs Amazon Legion, and between us we hatched a plot to ambush him and present him with a Balboan flag at this yearâs Roadshow. Thanks to our inside woman, Toni Weisskopf, and to my fellow Amazonas: Monalisa, Emily, Tara Urbanek, Melanie Boyd, and my daughter Coriel. We were able to pull off what Tom himself described as âWell thatâs just fucking coolâ. đ Thereâs video floating around, so if someone wants to post it in the comments, that would be amazing. (Thanks to Gerry and Jamie and all the videographers!)
But it turned out that Toni had more than one surprise up her sleeve. As soon as the Amazonas marched back to our staging area behind the air wall, Toni called me back out again and revealed the preliminary sketches for the cover art for NOIR FATALE! I confess, I squealed and jumped up and down like a little girl. Not exactly the military image the Amazonas are known for, I confess. đ But still, it was an amazing moment, and having cover art revealed at LibertyCon was a bit of a dream come true for me. đ Achievement Unlocked!
After the roadshow, we had the ShaâDaa:TOYS roundtable. I was able to read a part of my story with Marisa Wolf called âUnderneathâ. Unfortunately, I had to bail early, because I had to change and get ready for the next commitment: the Baen dinner.
Every year, Baen generously puts on a dinner for its writers/artists and editors. This year, I had the opportunity to meet artist Guest of Honor Jon Picacio. Unfortunately, I didnât get to hang out with him as much as I would have liked, but I hope weâll meet again.
I did meet up with my self-proclaimed BFF Bridget Correia. We hung out together until I had to run down to do a reading for Tom Kratmanâs Carreraverse anthology. The reading was well attended and, I think, produced some enthusiasm for the project as a whole, which is excellent.
Next up:
My book launch party!
Did I mention that I launched a book this weekend? WEAVER, cowritten by me and Mark Wandrey, released on Friday. Itâs the story of a pair of unwanted beings who found love and purpose in one another. Itâs a deep dive into the life of a Tortantula/Flatar pair, and another look at the Mercenary Life that underpins the structure of the Galactic Union in the 4HU. Initial reviews are favorable, so if you havenât read it yet, please consider picking it up. I hope you love it!
So, yes, I went to the book launch party. It was packed and a lot of fun. Mark and I gave a signed copy of WEAVER to David Weber. I hope he enjoys both the story and the signatures, which were meant in the spirit of fun. đ
I hung out with Griffin some more, as well as Massa, John Ringo and Kelly Lockhart, and the one and only Jack Clemons. Oh, and the lovely Jenny Ringo! Who I was so excited to see.
I think I went to bed around three. Â Again, I donât really know.
Sunday
Once again, I woke up early. I have no idea why. I was scheduled for the Kaffeklatch, but Rich Groller told me that I should feel welcome to skip it if I needed to, since I had a particularly heavy programming schedule. So I did, and got breakfast with Marisa and Nico in the hotel buffet.
Then Risa and I headed off to the Chris Kennedy Publishing Year Ahead panel, where we talked about our various projects with the members of our CKP family, witnessed Jason Cordova finishing a book, and Risa talked up the Dragon Awards.
Then I had two hours of Authorâs Alley scheduled. During which time I tried not to hit Dan Hoyt with my rack (đ), was photographed (along with Marisa Wolf and superfan Brian âBubbaâ Gnad) by the supremely talented Oleg Volk, and sold and autographed a ton of books. That was a lot of fun, and apparently everyone but me sold out of copies of ASSASSIN. Good weekend! đ
By 3, the con was over. I missed the closing ceremonies because I had to clean up my Authorâs Alley. Once that was done, I damn near collapsed in Speakerâs suite surrounded by my chosen family. I rallied to go to the traditional âmeat faucetâ with Coriel and everyone, but not before I stole 5 min to talk magic and magic systems with Dave Butler.
Afterwards, I really did collapse in Speakerâs suite. I was exhausted on every level, but I felt so full of love for the endless parade of friends and family. Iâm sure I was not fit company on Sunday, as I couldnât really form coherent words very well, but I appreciate my cabal for taking care of me. We laughed and played games and shot nerf guns in Speakerâs suite until about midnight, when I finally gave up and went to bed.
Monday
Drove home. 11 Hours. No ticket this time, though.  So thatâs a bonus. đ
Final Thoughts.
- I now know what my upper limit for programming for a single weekend is. đ I had such a fun doing all those panels and round tables and whatnot, but damn⊠I was spent.
- LibertyCon 32 sold out in less than 6 hours. 6 HOURS, yâall! Iâve said it before and Iâll say it again. LibertyCon is The. Best. Networking. Con. Around.
- My kid is awesome.
- My friends are awesome.
- My coauthors are awesome.
- My publishers are awesome.
- I love you all. See you next year!
New Nonfiction Article and General Update!
Hey Friends!
I know it’s been awhile, but I have some exciting news! I’m honored to announce that my nonfiction article “Character of the Female Warrior: An FAQ” has been published on Baen.com! This one was a lot of fun to write, in part because I teamed up with a phenomenal officer and leader, Lt Col Jen Whetstone. In the article, we discuss what makes a female warrior character realistic or unrealistic, and why we’re drawn to such characters. I hope you’ll check it out. Let me know what you think!
Other than that, it’s been crazy busy around here, but in a good way. Along with work and family stuff, I’ve been doing a ton of writing. I recently finished the first draft of a super secret project with my friend Griffin Barber. Additionally, fans of the 4HU will be pleased to know that Mark Wandrey and I finished Weaver and turned it in last week. I’m really excited to bring this one to you guys, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I’ve also finished cowriting a short story for an anthology edited by Les Johnson and Rob Hampson, as well as a story for Michael Z. Williamson’s second Freehold anthology (which, incidentally, was cowritten by Rob Hampson! We just really like working together, apparently!)
On the convention front, I’m planning for both LibertyCon and DragonCon this year. I really can’t wait to see everyone and catch up. Let me know if the comments if you’re planning to attend either or both of those cons, or what fun plans you have for the summer!