2025 is going to be one of those transitional years in my life. Several long running projects will end and several new projects will begin. So, what do I have planned? (Note: everything listed in this post is subject to change without warning—such is the Way of the Freelancer.)

Professionally: It is all project-based. And most of it will be in editing. A lot of it will be for CGL, but I do have a couple of other freelance clients I’m working with. I will do some writing as well. Maybe some more voice acting/narration.

For Catalyst, in specific…

• Augment magazine, issues 1-4, will be released.
• I’ve also got the Shadowrun novella line to take care of.
• And, on the schedule, at least one more Shadowrun anthology. 
• Also, there’s a couple of BattleTech things on my plate to edit and write.
• Not to mention finishing Shadowrun: Imre Grey and, at least starting Shadowrun: Elf in White.

For me, personally: I plan to self-release several projects in 2025.

• First, we will finish up “Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980.” Then I will have to decide if I want to write the next of those. I won’t do it in actual physical letters, but if “Dear Penpal, Pennsylvania 1984” happens, it will still be an epistolary work vaguely based on my life as a teenager.
• Second, I will release a small fiction collection of my original Tales of the Hucked Tankard (from Campaign Magazine), including the unreleased story and a second original “twenty years later” story.
• Third, I’ve got plans to update Industry Talk to Industry Talk Revised: 15 Years Later. A lot has happened in the last 15 years. Some of my advice has changed. Some has not. But I think I have a lot more to say than I did last time.

Convention Travel… I plan to limit my travel a lot. Gen Con, my main industry convention, and Worldcon Seattle 2025. That’s it. That’s all I currently have on the docket for work travel.

On the Homefront, I only have three specific desires this year: Decluttering, less time online, and finishing unfinished books.

• Decluttering: “I need to declutter.” I’ve been saying this for 3 years now. This year, with the help of the Husband, we’ve decided to gamify the project and tackle it together. I broke the house out into 36 projects, wrote them down, and put them into a wooden chest. Each week, we will pull one out and do it. I think this will work. I hope it will. I can feel the weight of things on my shoulders.
• Unfinished Books: In 2024 (and 2023, 2022…), I started reading various novels, novellas, collections, and graphic stories. For whatever reason (work, distraction, exhaustion, travel, etc…), these books have not been finished. I spend too much time online. I want to remedy that. I declare 2025 to be the Year of the Unfinished Book. I will keep track of every book I read by category (Unfinished, New, Work), and publish it at the end of the year. Hopefully, this will convince me to renew my reading habit.
• One day off the internet per week: I think I’m going to see if I can take one day a week off the internet. The world will survive one day without me looking at email. I just need to figure out which day of the week it will be. (Probably Sunday—the day I have no scheduled meetings nor other online commitments–except for the “Dear Penpal” zoom calls.)

Overall, the thing I want to do most in 2025 is to be gentle with myself. To stop yelling at myself for “failing” whatever arbitrary goal I had set. I don’t have high hopes for the next 4 years as it is. Thus, I will be doing what I can to care for myself, my friends and family, and my local community.

But, as always, I will keep track of my metrics. (If you would like a copy of my blank 2025 Freelancer Summary document, contact me. I will send it to you.)

One last thought. I don’t make “resolutions” (noun: a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner). The term isn’t for me. I plan. Complete with specific steps to accomplish that plan. Either I execute the plan or I don’t. I know it’s all semantics, but “resolutions” feels a bit wishy-washy to me.

That’s it. Doable goals with specific plans for 2025.

If I have done this correctly, this blog post will go live on Monday, December 9th. It’s my birthday and the Husband has whisked me away for a day trip to Leavenworth!

Event: It’s my birthday! I like to celebrate all week. Buy yourself or a friend one of my books and leave me a review. If you’ve got all of them and would rather get me something else, I have a ko-fi account, an amazon wishlist, and a kindle wishlist.

Event: I will be reading at A Midwinter Haunting! 8pm at the Kirkland Arts Center. Readings from HWA Seattle Chapter members. Free event. I will be reading a spooky holiday story. On a mid-winter’s night, everyone is hungry.

Interview: With Epic Realms. I enjoyed the heck out of this interview. YouTube link.

Release: My 25th edited anthology is live! Shadowrun: Through the Decades celebrates 35 years of Shadowrun through 7 novelettes and novellas from new authors and old favorites!

Release: Valdemar short story, co-written with the fabulous Marie Bilodeau in the Feuds: All-New Tales of Valdemar anthology. “Dueling Minstrels” – a story of two small town minstrels and their battle of wits exploding beyond verbal showmanship…

Writing Contest: Worldcon Seattle Writing Contest 2025 – Submissions open Jan 5-20 (do not send anything in before this time).

Support: As always… if you appreciate my work and would like to support me, I love coffee. I am made of caffeine. This is the quickest way to brighten my day.

I am running like mad in the background: writing on a new novel, finished edits on one anthology, starting edits on another anthology, editing/managing a new Shadowrun magazine, prepping for travel, and so much email. Here’s a Bubble & Squeek to keep you up-to-date

Awards: Wow! Shadowrun: Auditions: A Mosaic Run Collection won the Scribe award for best YA/MG tie-in novel 2024. I’m thrilled! Some articles on it in here: File770 and downthetubes.net.

Bookfair Spotlight: I’ve been announced as one of the spotlight authors for the new Written in the Northwest Bookfair along with Seanan McGuire and Krampus!

GoFundMe: One Booth to Record Them All. Pretty Please. Trendane is on tap to record the Shadowrun: Elfin Black audiobook. Help him get to it faster!

Interview: Tea Time with Miss Liz (YT link). Cat Rambo and I were interviewed by this fun podcast. It was a blast. This was a casual conversation that followed Miss Liz’s T-E-A format.

Interview: Tech for Founder podcast. Cat Rambo and I were interviewed by Panida Wayrojpitak about The Reinvented Detective anthology. This was a very fun interview with some excellent questions.

Open Call: Do you love Shadowrun? Would you like to write for it? We have an open call for original fiction for our official in-world Shadowrun magazine! “Augment your life with Augment Magazine!” Submission guidelines here.

Support: As always… if you appreciate my work and would like to support me, I love coffee. I am made of caffeine. This is the quickest way to brighten my day.

Gen Con is always an exciting time. This year was no exception. Between the panels, workshops, and business meetings, there is no way I could summarize everything that happened. However, my “To Follow-up On” list is about a mile long. So many good memories. Among them may be the following…

1. Declined an offer from Marie Bilodeau to steal a chair for me.
2. Had a lovely 10 second interaction with the DnD Shorts guy in the Dispel Dice mosh pit of a line.
3. Discovered that Phil Lee IS the power behind the throne of Cat Labs.
4. Already have business meetings scheduled for Gen Con 2025.
5. Plotted shenanigans for WorldCon 2025 in Seattle.
6. Signed an editor-publisher anthology contract for something new and exciting.
7. Caused one of my planes home to need to be rebooted to fix something (darn QA effect aura).
8. Announced an open call to a new magazine I am editing.
9. Made Mike Stackpole blush and shocked Brandon O’Brien.
10. Upheld the pact and bought dice.

The kitties took last night to be mad and today they are loving, needy, and shedding all over me. There is nothing like travel to make you appreciate what you have at home.

My next convention is Can-Con where I will be an Editor Guest of Honor. This will be my first time in Ottawa, Canada.

I will be spending most of my time in the Gen Con Writers Symposium area in the Downtown Marriott. You can catch me between panels or workshops. Friday and Saturday, I will be signing books in the Dealers Room at Cat Labs booth (1611).

Also, The Husband and I came home from Origins Game Fair with Covid. I am over it, though, my brain is still not working as fast as normal. The Husband is over it, but Covid aggravated his asthma something fierce. He’s still coughing because of it. That said, we both will be masking all Gen Con except in specific circumstances. I’m also limiting myself to fist-bumps and elbow-bumps in greeting. Still, come say hello!

• Thursday, 1-2pm, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 4, Getting into Writing BattleTech and Shadowrun Fiction
• Thursday, 4-5pm, Marriott: Atlanta, Industry Survival Guide: Layoffs, Dry Spells, and Flops
• Thursday, 6-9pm, ICC: Wabash Ballroom 1, Meet the Authors (I will be selling books here as well as signing them!)

• Friday, 11am-12pm, Exhibit Hall, Catalyst Labs Booth 1611, Signing with Cat Lab Authors
• Friday, 1-2pm, Marriott Ballroom 3, New Books! New Games! New Love! (Session F)
• Friday, 2-3pm, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 1, Project Management for Creatives (Workshop)
• Friday, 5-7pm, Marriott: Marriott: Boston, The Art of the Pitch (Workshop)

• Saturday, 1-2pm, Marriott: Marriott: Boston, Seven Steps to Better Self-Editing (Workshop)
• Saturday, 3-4pm, Marriott: Marriott Boston, How to Write for the Ear (Moderating)
• Saturday, 4-5pm, Exhibit Hall, Catalyst Labs Booth 1611, Signing with Cat Lab Authors

• Sunday, 10-11am, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 3, Reading and Writing in a Neurodiverse Universe

I, like many, got to experience the total solar eclipse on Monday, the 8th. The Husband and I traveled to Indianapolis for this event as a make up trip for my aborted aurora trip for my 50th birthday. As a bonus, I got to meet up with Cat and her girlfriend, Sheri. That made for a fun visit to go along with the eclipse experience.

There are so many small things that made me smile, brought a sense of wonder and awe to my world, and made me appreciate the moment.

• Perfect ambient weather for the eclipse. Comfortable in the shade. Sunny and warm in the sun.
• The Husband running around the neighborhood with our extra eclipse glasses to make sure everyone got the experience.
• Watching tulips close their petals in real time as the light of the sun dimmed.
• Feeling the change in the weather, the temperature dipping, and the birds trying to figure out if it was time for bed or not.
• Seeing the sun slowly disappear until it was gone and, suddenly, I could see the “ring of fire” without any eye protection.
• Realizing that I could see sun flares with my naked eyes.
• Bathing my eclipse coin in the light of the eclipse and the totality. A memory in tangible form.
• Counting the moments of totality and sensing the passing of time.
• Keeping the image of totality in my mind and seeing it with the orange flare at the bottom of the ring every single time I think of the experience.

I am so glad I got to experience the eclipse. It was a magical feeling. I understand the science behind it, but the way the air felt and what we could see. It was pure magic.

Also, while we were in Indy, we found an awesome coffee shop. It’s called Black House Café (FB link) and it is horror themed. Not only did they have a great vibe, the coffee was damn good. I tell you, if I was local, that would be my new home away from home. I enjoyed the heck out of it. 

It was a very nice mini-vacation that I will appreciate for the rest of my life. But now, back to work. In the meantime, looking for something unusual for you or a loved one? How about a cozy ghost story told by #snailmail? It’s the gift of escape tunnels, ghosts, and adventure told over 24 letters that will ship world-wide. #ProjectWeLove #DearPenpal https://bit.ly/dear_penpal

I will not bury the lede—I’m fine, the Husband is fine, the car is not. But that is at the end of the story. (Also, per the In-law Courtesies Act of 2008, I have already spoken to the Husband’s parents…)

This past weekend was Norwescon. This is my home convention, and I dearly love it. I’ve been paneling and/or vending at this convention for well over a decade. I had some really good panels. I think my favorite ones were “Horror as Comfort Food” and “Horror of the 1980s.” Both were high energy and a lot of fun.  Also, I picked up a baby dragon friend for my copper dragon. I guess I need to find names for them now.

This is the last year I will be vending at Norwescon. I have decided to wind down the focused vending part of conventions because I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. This doesn’t mean I won’t ever vend again. Far from it. It just won’t be a focus. I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, my spoons and spell slots have become more and more limited. I need to pick and choose my focus or pay for it for a week after the convention.

When you do a lot of conventions, they tend to blend together in one big memory of sound, light, and conversation. There were a couple of standout moments this Norwescon: Meeting Lezli Robyn and Shahid Mahmud from Arc Manor. Both are lovely, lovely people. Dinner with a friendly fan, Brian, and his wife, Melissa, Beth, and Amanda. He is at the beginning of his career and I’m really looking forward to seeing him grow into his stride as an author. Such a fun conversation.

But the most favorite moment came when a woman at my table couldn’t remember if she had one of the books in front of her or not. She called her son and asked, “Have we moved the Brozek books yet? If not they should be on the dresser.” Not only was I an adjective (one of my favorite milestones), this woman knew who I was, which books I wrote, specifically collected MY books, and is a completist. I have never felt more seen as an author before. It was just the loveliest feeling in the world and one I wish for all authors out there.

This Norwescon was specifically stressful because I also have a kickstarter going on right now. “Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980” is currently 65% funded and I’m so pleased. So there was that.

However, as this is my home convention, the Husband likes to drive home to take care of the kitties at night. Wednesday evening of the convention (set up day), I received this text: “First, I am ok. Second, I wrecked the car.” There was a lot more to that conversation, but it didn’t get any worse than that. However, that was enough. The Husband is shaken and bruised (contusions and not a hematoma) and the bruises are extensive. Yes, he has gone to the hospital. He sent me “proof of life” of his face before he sent me pictures of the car. One of them is below.

I am grateful I have friends I can vent at. I have learned I can be mad and furious at the same person at the same time. I am glad that we have good insurance. We’ve been paying into the car insurance for decades and it now comes in handy. I am grateful we are in a position to deal with this. But, good gravy, I do not like it when the Husband reminds me of how mortal he is.

So, that was the weekend. Fairly high stress with some great moments. Life feels like one big plot twist right now. Between con, the kickstarter, the crash, and the upcoming Eclipse trip…I feel like I’m either on the beginning of my protagonist storyline or I’m about to show the audience how the monster works.

First up, I have a convention next week. Norwescon…where I will be in the Dealer’s Room and on panels. I hope to see you there. Remember, there’s a no shyness zone around me. Say hello and get a book signed!

Norwescon Schedule (If I’m not in panels, I’m in the Dealer’s Room.)

Thursday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 10, That’s What She Said

Friday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Cascade 10, A Dash of Dread
Friday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Cascade 7 & 8, A Story is Forever
Friday, 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Cascade 9, Horror as Comfort Food
Friday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 10, How to Write for Audio Formats

Saturday, 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Evergreen 3 & 4, Horror of the 1980s
Saturday, 4:30pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 3, Reading: Jennifer Brozek

Sunday, All day, Dealer’s Room

***

Next up, “Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980” goes live on March 26th at 9am, Pacific. I’m a bundle of nerves and super excited. I’ve posted the KS video out and about on social media and I’m really happy with it. Won’t you be my penpal?

***

It’s been less than two weeks since I turned in the latest Shadowrun novel—the sequel to Shadowrun: Auditions. The fact checker has been as diligent as ever and he’s already turned it around with a couple of things I need to fix. Nothing major, thank goodness. But I don’t have the bandwidth to look at the manuscript until early April.

In the meantime, I’m still flailing about. Yes, I’m working on those contracted short stories, but one is paused to make sure it needs to be written. (Multiverse of Mystery kickstarter, please make me write my Sherlock and Watson story as MUSHers who discover a crime in progress through their game…) The other story has a co-author who needs to weigh in on her part of it now before I can continue the rest of the story. Thus, flapping because I have a convention and a kickstarter next week and thus cannot get into something deep.

Everything will be fine. Just fine. Breathe. So, how are things with you?

November is a busy month. I will be at OryCon in Portland, OR from Nov 10-12 as the Editor Guest of Honor. I’m happy to say hello and to sign books. My schedule is below.

I will also be reading at the University Bookstore on November 21 with David D. Levine and the launch of his book, The Kuiper Belt Job. I will be there representing the Reinvented Anthology series, The Reinvented Heart and The Reinvented Detective (pre-orders are love), as the series co-editor. Several authors from the series will be in the audience.

===ORYCON SCHEDULE===

Friday
4pm – Pendleton
Workshop: Blue Pencil Edit & Critique

6pm – Mt. Saint Helens
Opening Ceremonies

7pm – Mt. Saint Helens
Guests of Honor Mixer & Dinner

=================================================

Saturday
11am – West Ballroom
GOH: Jennifer Brozek Autographs

2pm – Pendelton
The Caring and Feeding of Author Newsletters

3pm – Pendelton
Resurrect Your Writing

4pm – White Stag
GOH Q&A: Meet our Guests of Honor!

6pm – White Stag
GOH Workshop: Description and Body Language as Genre

Hope to see you there!

Gen Con 2023 has come and gone in a wave of many, many people (reported between 70K-80K) and hot, muggy weather. I enjoyed myself despite the aforementioned crowds and weather.

 
Grace P. Fong and Jennifer Brozek at “Meet the Pros” for the Gen Con Writers Symposium.

Snapshots:

• My mornings were odd since I didn’t have to get up super early and prep to run a booth in Authors Avenue. On one hand, I miss it. On the other, I do not. I prefer just participating in the Writers Symposium.
• My workshops were well-attended and got great feedback. I enjoy teaching eager students. I had some great questions. I loved every panel I was on and can’t wait to come back.
• My last panel of the convention included Ed Greenwood. It was cool circling back. I attended my first Gen Con in 2006 to sign a book we co-wrote. I was such a novice back then. Now I’m holding my own and having a good time. It was nice to have that moment with Ed.
• Tactical error. I was able to get into the dealers hall early with the judicious use of a borrowed exhibitors badge. I hadn’t been able to see any of the dealers hall before then. I specifically didn’t want to be involved in the morning “Running of the Nerds.” Thus, I headed back to the dealer booth but I did so too late. I got caught between rows 200 and 300 right at the front of the dealers hall when they opened the doors. I swear to goodness, it was like watching the zombie hoard race towards me as attendees poured into the dealer hall and sprinted towards the booths they needed to get to buy the limited, exclusive Gen Con merch. I realized too late that I should have recorded the moment.
• While the Husband and I attended the convention masked for the whole time, I did eat in restaurants and have a couple of private business meetings without my mask. I’m aware of at least four panelists from the Writers Symposium are down with covid and a couple more with con crud. As of now, both the Husband and I feel fine. Negative tests for covid and no con crud. So, that’s nice. However, we will continue to isolate and test until Friday.
• Seeing old friends and catching up was worth it. Dinner with Ivan was so nice. Doing PokemonGO trades with Grace was the best. Talking Shin Kamen Rider with Brandon was wonderfully weird.
• It is always nice to get a face-to-face with my editors. There are some very cool things writing/editing-wise coming out of this convention. I can’t wait to be able to talk about them.
• There was one scary moment outside the convention. Monday morning, the Husband and I went to Café Patachou for breakfast. As we were leaving, a very, very angry young man crashed into me as he barreled his way into the restaurant, shouting incoherently. I have no idea what he was saying or why he was so angry. As we left the scene, the man came out of the restaurant with a half-cup of coffee (it’s self-serve at Patachou) and slammed it to the ground, still shouting. He ended up walking in the same direction we were but then stopped to hail a cab. I have no idea what it was all about and have decided, “Not my monkeys, not my circus.”
• Oh, here’s a TMI but interesting bit for the science-y people out there: When you sneeze into a mask (and it’s not one of those gross sneezes that makes you replace the mask immediately) you get the opportunity to understand what the inside of your lungs smell like. I can’t describe the smell. It’s not bad but it’s not pleasant because of the biological nature of it. Still, it’s an interesting experience from a writer’s POV. I just wish I could figure out how to describe it.
• Also, laud me, for I have already logged all my Gen Con freelancer expenses!

 
Jennifer Brozek and John Helfers having one last meeting at the Indy airport.

There’s more than this. But it’s all I can remember at the moment. It was a very busy convention and I am still recovering. I have my kitties, my bed, and my coffee. I am a happy author/editor. Until next Gen Con!