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Is this not awesome? Larry Dixon talks about the artwork here. BLESS YOUR MECHANICAL HEART will be released in mid-April and will be available at Norwescon 37.
Available at: AMAZON | THE BATTLESHOP | DRIVETHRURPG |BARNES & NOBLE
Brozek creates well-developed and complex characters whose failures and successes, strengths and weaknesses pull you in, making you care about them and their fate. I would definitely recommend this book for older YA Lit, New Adult, and Adult readers.”
– Janine K. Spendlove, War of the Seasons trilogy, USMC pilot
“Jennifer Brozek’s superb storytelling makes me want to play Battletech again.”
– M. Todd Gallowglas, Tears of Rage and Halloween Jack series
Here are some great Nellus Academy Incident blurbs! I’m really excited about this first one because the author is also active duty USMC. When I write military fiction, I want military members to enjoy it and not groan at the mistakes. The Nellus Academy Incident release date is 27 Jan 2014. Next Monday!
“This is the first Battletech novel I’ve ever read, and given that I knew nothing about the “Battletech universe” prior to this as well, I had no idea what to expect going into it.
What did I find? A well written story where I immediately identified with each of main protagonists: eight, hand selected, teenage military cadets. This is a story where it would be so easy to write a “Mary Sue” or “Gary Stu” type character, but Brozek doesn’t do that. She not only manages to carefully balance and develop each character, but she does it naturally and through the flow of the narrative, so the story never feels bogged down with extraneous details – instead, it pulls the reader along, making it very difficult to put down.
As an active duty member of the military myself (USMC), I am grateful for the fact that she didn’t shy away from broaching difficult/realistic subjects such as courage and fear in the face of battle, loss and sacrifice, and of course the effects of the trauma that the cadets go through. Additionally, like real combat, just because you’re a “well developed character,” that doesn’t protect you from dying – meaning, there are no “red-shirts” here. No one is safe in this story, no one. And I appreciated the stark reality of that brutality. It hurt my heart to read it, and that’s how war should feel: painful.
Brozek creates well-developed and complex characters whose failures and successes, strengths and weaknesses pull you in, making you care about them and their fate. I would definitely recommend this book for older YA Lit, New Adult, and Adult readers.”
– Janine K. Spendlove, War of the Seasons trilogy, USMC pilot
“Jennifer is a pro. Her dedication to the Battletech series is worth your time.”
– Ivan Van Norman, Outbreak: Undead and King of the Nerds
“A fun read. Jennifer Brozek’s Battletech novel, The Nellus Academy Incident, takes us on a wild journey as we follow Cadet Allegra Greene from the classroom to the battlefield. Battletech fans, this one’s a winner.”
– Bobby Nash, Evil Ways and Earthstrike Agenda
“In a solid reworking of the classic rites of passage story, Jennifer Brozek uses solid characterization and great action scenes to make The Nellus Academy Incident a real winner.”
– Michael A. Black, author of Chimes at Midnight and Sleeping Dragons in the Mack Bolan Executioner series
“Brozek’s made the world of Battletech accessible to those new to the game with The Nellus Academy Incident, all while putting new names and faces into a world beloved by longtime Battletech fans. If you’re looking for action-packed, smartly paced sci-fi, then get your hands on a copy of this book.”
– Lillian Cohen-Moore, Convention Book: Void Engineers
You know, life was a lot easier when I didn’t know about awards like the Hugos or the Nebulas. It was an abstract thing. “Oh, there are awards and people win them. Cool.” Then, I started knowing the people who were nominated. “Oh, there are awards and my friends are up for them. Cool!” Then, I started being eligible and nominated for awards. Suddenly, it’s becoming, “There are these awards. How the hell am I good enough for them?”
I think I was lucky. The first two awards I was up for, I wasn’t at the awards ceremonies where I won. This vexed me. The third one, I made sure I was at and wanted to throw up the entire time. I won. I had a speech to read because a friend forced me to write one even though I was sure I wasn’t going to win. When I sat down, I realized I was starving. So, that’s what awards are like for me. Am I good enough? I’m going to throw up. Then, win or lose, I’m starving.
That being said, I still want to be nominated for awards and, yes, I want to win them. Winning is awesome. It really is. But, award season is stressful. People get cranky if you post about awards. People get cranky if you don’t post about awards. It’s really a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.
And since I’m going to be condemned either way, here’s what’s eligible of mine for the Hugo this year:
• “Iron Achilles Heel” – The New Hero II anthology – Stone Skin Press, February 2013
• “An Infestation of Adverts” – Blue Shift Magazine, Issue #1 anthology – White Cat Publications, June 2013
• “Dust Angels” – Beyond the Sun anthology – Fairwood Press, July 2013
• “Lock and Key” – Shadowrun Returns kickstarter anthology – Catalyst Game Labs, July 2013
• “The Price of Family” – Elementary (All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters) anthology – DAW, December 2013
• “A Nightmare for Anna” – By Faerie Light anthology – Zombie Sky Press, December 2013
• Children of Anu: Book Two of the Karen Wilson Chronicles, novel – Apocalypse Ink Productions, June 2013
• Coins of Chaos anthology – EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Editor, October 2013 [Short form editor]
A couple years back, Jason Schmetzer, the fiction editor for battlecorps.com, asked me if I wrote stories about “big stompy ’Mechs.” My answer was an unhesitating “No.” Jason, not to be denied, asked me if I could crash a big stompy ’Mech and then write him a story. I thought about it and said that I thought I could… if I could think of the right story.
It took two years and some back and forth between me and Jason to hammer out the idea for The Nellus Academy Incident – a YA Battletech webserial about 8 cadets and a General in a PR event gone horribly, horribly wrong. I figured it would be about 25 episodes of about 2000 words each and was designed to go up on a weekly basis. That’s not exactly what happened but, in the end, the webserial was 25 episodes and almost 60,000 words.
I was surprised and delighted beyond words when Jason told me that The Nellus Academy Incident was going to be packaged up as a novel for general sale. This wasn’t my intent when I wrote the serial but, wow, it looked like I had written a YA novel without planning on it.
Yesterday, I got the cover. The book will come out towards the end of January. Isn’t it pretty?
As a side note, I do know what I’d write for a sequel if Jason asked for another serial for battlecorps.com.
Review: This review really liked the Shadowrun Kickstarter anthology with my story “Locks and Keys” in it.
Publication: Blue Shift Magazine #1 is out. It includes my satrical SF story “Infestation of Adverts.”
Contest: Apocalypse Ink Productions is doing a GoodReads giveaway of Children of Anu, Book 2 of the Karen Wilson Chronicles.
Event: I’m about to run off to SpoCon and then GenCon. My SpoCon schedule is:
FRIDAY
5:00pm – Spokane Falls, Ballroom C
Creating a Background Story for Your RPG Character / Villain
Come join our panel of experts to up your game on a believable and dynamic background story for you RPG characters/villains.
SATURDAY
11:00am – Parkside II
World-Building: Developing a Realistic Cityscape
No, you don’t have to be an architect or engineer. And while it certainly couldn’t hurt to have some knowledge, what you need can be gained from any city. Just be observant; look and watch the actions of the world around you. Take account of how things are set up in the city…. Buildings, streets, sidewalks, bridges, and yes, even skywalks, too. Consider anything that you would find useful in your city, and then build upon it – futuristic, fantasy or even ancient ruins. The more real it is for you, the better you can share it with others. Talking it over with others can help. So come and hear what the Pro’s do to create their cities.
12:30pm – Reading Room
Reading by Jennifer Brozek – probably from “Infestation of Adverts.”
6:30pm – Parkside I
How to Get Your Gaming Works Published
Come engage with the pros on how to get your fantastic ideas from the gaming dungeon to the halls of published gaming works.
The Genre Underground is sponsoring a “Tell a Story” roundtable. This is my second time at bat. It’s a fabulously kooky story. Start at the beginning here.
—
As soon as Dr. Glockenspiel’s hands stopped waving, the bright glow faded, leaving both the doctor and Burbleglax blinking away the tears. It was Burbleglax who saw Princess Zyx’s new face… and new form. “Princess…?”
The small lady elf with chubby cheeks, big blue eyes, and a generous smile, nodded. “How do I look?’
Burbleglax shook his head. “Not like you.”
Sitting up in alarm, the Princess touched her face and looked at her tiny, delicate hands. “I’m not ugly, am I?”
Dr. Glockenspiel smiled as he presented her with a mirror. “My spell was to make you the perfect match for your true love—in image only. You, my dear princess, are already perfect.”
Princess Zyx took the mirror and looked at herself for a long time. She turned her face this way and that. She practiced smiling. She practiced puppy dog eyes. She practiced a stern, regal look… that didn’t quite work with her new face. Then, she just stared… a single tear coursing down her apple cheek.
“Princess?” Burbleglax turned from her and glared at the doctor. “Oh, you’ve done it, Mister. You upset my princess. I’ll have your license, your practice, your wives, even your yappy little dogs before I’m done with you. I don’t forgive and I’m her highness’ best chief practitioner of minutiamancy.” The little imp was beginning to froth.
All the while, having the doctor never seen an imp in a full on rage before, backed away slowly, his hands raised in supplication. “But… but… the spell.”
“When I’m done with you, you would be able to clean toilets, much less—”
“Burbleglax. I need you.” Princess Zyx’s voice was higher pitched but still the same imperious tone.
The imp gave the doctor one last glare and hurried to Princess Zyx’s side. “Yes, your highness?” He bowed low.
Still looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled. “It’s perfect! It’s absolutely perfect! That cranky old Claus can’t deny me my love for Tinselton… or his love for me. We’re going to the North Pole to rescue Tinselton from Claus—even if it’s the last thing you do. And we’ve got to do it before the android gets free.”
—
I’m participating in Genre Underground‘s Tell a Story Day story. This is my first dip into the ongoing storyline.
—
The android tilted his head, its auditory sensors cranked up to detect the disturbance that certainly followed the elf to Assembly. As the sounds of roars, terrified metallic squees, and metal smashing against metal reached it, the android nodded. “I believe I have the trajectory of our quarry.”
“One moment.” The lawyer shuffled through his case again. “I need to make sure I have the correct contracts on hand. I’m biological but I’ve negotiated the right to traverse Assembly as needed in the pursuit of a case.”
“Logically, we are in pursuit of an elf with a troll who might have information on our case.”
“Yes. It all counts. Remember, I’m a master at the fine print.” The lawyer tapped his chin. “Which begs the question of how the elf was able to open a portal at all. I did remove his free will.”
As the disturbance in the distance gained volume, the android shrugged. “A thought experiment for another time. Our lead is getting away.” It turned from the lawyer and set off in the direction of the troll versus droid melee.
The lawyer jogged to keep up with the android’s long strides. “Troll first, then elf. Based on his actions, I deem the elf part of the case. Bounty hunter or not, he knows more than he’s saying. He knew the troll. He broke our contract. He came here. He may be part of the crime.” The lawyer stopped talking to save his breath for jogging as he searched his memory for how long he could be on Assembly without taking damage from the planet’s industrial tainted air. Not long if he remembered correctly.
As they came upon the scene of destruction, mauled bunny droid parts scattered hither, thither, and yon, their original quarry was locked in combat with one of the largest security droids either the android or lawyer had ever seen.
“Halt this combat immediately.” The lawyer pulled out his contract with Assembly and read. “By Section 37, Clause 3, Paragraph 15, of the Assembly Contract 597, this troll is to be bound and released into our custody.”
“Negative.” The security drone did not release the troll who continued to scream and pound against its metal frame. “In times of crisis, Security Protocol 19 supersedes Assembly Contract 597, Section 37, Clause 3, Paragraph 15.”
The android nodded. “This is a crisis.”
—
A day late and not a bit sorry. I’ve had family here for New Year’s and it was fabulous. We went to Pike’s Place Market, the Space Needle for brunch, the Chihuly exhibit, drove out to Ocean Shores (and got to see sun, clouds, rain, and snow along the way) where the ocean almost ate our car at high tide. Introduced them to the BBC series Sherlock, and generally had a mighty fine time. But now, it’s time to get back to my writerholic routine.
I’m very much of the opinion that if you don’t know where you’ve been, you don’t know where you’re going. I also believe that if you don’t have a plan, you won’t get to where you want to go. As I am an author, I think of these things in terms of writing. Especially since I’m my own boss. I need something to hold up to myself and say… I did good!
Looking back at 2012
Looking at 2013 (turned in or contracted)
Goals for 2013
Not bad for 2012 or for projected 2013. Of course, I’m not all writing, editing, game design, and publishing. No. I’ve got some travel in the mix. Projected conventions: 7. I don’t know for sure if I will make them all but this is what I have planned.
Sunday is my birthday. I’m getting older than I’d like to admit. As much as I like gifts, I decided that for this birthday, I was going to give out a gift of fiction. In 2009, I created a chapbook called Mastication. It’s a series of six stories about things that eat people. We had 200 copies made and that’s it. I know there are physical copies of this once free chapbook out there for sale. Now you can get it at the Apocalypse Ink Productions store for free.
And because people have asked…
My ThinkGeek wishlist is here.
If you are going to donor money in my name, please donate it to a charity caring for animals. In truth, I really love this.
Thanks for sticking around. I appreciate it.
Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of Never Let Me Sleep and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her YA tie-in novels, BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident and Shadowrun: Auditions, have both won Scribe Awards. Her editing work has earned her nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and multiple Hugo Awards. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology, co-edited with Amanda Pillar. Jennifer’s short form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, Well World, and Predator.
Jennifer has been a full-time freelance author and editor for over seventeen years, and she has never been happier. She keeps a tight schedule on her writing and editing projects and somehow manages to find time to teach writing classes and volunteer for several professional writing organizations such as SFWA, HWA, and IAMTW. She shares her husband, Jeff, with several cats and often uses him as a sounding board for her story ideas. Visit Jennifer’s worlds at jenniferbrozek.com or her social media accounts on LinkTree.
