I just turned in the manuscript for RING OF FIRE IV, the next 1632 series anthology. It’s coming out in May. I’m cutting it a wee bit close on the deadline for this one, although nothing compared to a few thrill rides of the past. The hang-up was finishing my story for it, which is a short novel titled “Scarface.” I’m pleased with the story, although it was tricky to write. It’s basically a romance pretending to be an action story.
The action story disguise is admittedly a bit skimpy, seeing as how no humans and only one cranky critter were killed in the course of the story. And now, back to work on THE GODS OF SAGITTARIUS.
I got my publication schedule from Baen for the next year or so (fourteen months, to be precise). Here it is:
January, 2016: 1636: A Parcel of Rogues (new title, hardcover)
February, 2016: Castaway Planet (reissue, mass market paperback)
March: nothing
April, 2016: Grantville Gazette VII (reissue, mass market paperback)
May, 2016: Ring of Fire IV (new title, hardcover). I have a short novel in this
Anthology titled “Scarfaceâ€
June, 2016: Black Tide Rising (new title, hardcover). This is an anthology set in
John Ringo’s zombie apocalypse universe. I have a novella in it
titled “Up on the Roof.â€
July: nothing
August: 1636: The Chronicles of Doctor Gribbleflotz (new title, hardcover). I didn’t write
this, Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright did. But I’m including it since it’s
part of the 1632 series.
September, 1636: The Span of Empire (new title, hardcover). This is the sequel to
The Course of Empire and The Crucible of Empire.
October 1636: Castaway Odyssey (new title, hardcover). This is the sequel to
Castaway Planet.
November, 2016: nothing
December, 2016: 1636: A Parcel of Rogues (reissue, mass market paperback)
January, 2017: 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught
Umm Eric. I think you’ve got a few too many 1636’s there.
I’m sure no one would complain…
That’s kinda funny, actually. I hadn’t noticed. Someday, the 1632 series will graduate to 1637, I promise. One novel is already finished, in fact (1637: The Volga Rules, which is the sequel to 1636: The Kremlin Games.)
Eric, I think Simon meant
September, 1636: The Span of Empire
and
October 1636: Castaway Odyssey
with his comment.
Yes, I was puzzled too, lol. I love the crucible/course of empire (actual name starts with a j I think…) series and I’ve been dying for the sequel to castaway planet since I read it! I just didn’t expect them to be crossover-ed with the 1632 series…a typo makes much more sense. Though I do suspect such a crossover (in either case) would be awesome beyond words. :)
I think you’re talking about the Jao Empire series. But on the date prefixes . . . just ignore them and go with it. History can get messy that way. 😀
When will “1637: The Volga Rules” be published?
Hi Eric,
Any idea when the latest Assiti Shard novel, “The Alexander Inheritance,” will be coming out? And, if it wouldn’t be too much of a spoiler, would you mind telling us just where the modern cruise liner pops up in “the Mediterranean just after the death of Alexander the Great?”
It won’t be for a while yet because we haven’t turned in the manuscript. I still need to do the final draft, although that shouldn’t be more than a couple of weeks’ work. Not before sometime in 2017.
As for where they arrive, it’s off the south end of Formentera Island, about seventy miles from the coast of Spain.
Okay. Thanks.
Oh, and any idea when the third Arkansas book might be coming out?
No. I hope to write it by the end of next year.
From your keyboard to God’s eyes…
Fingers crossed :)
That is very great news I just read 1824 again and was thinking it would be sad indead if the series was not continuied
The ottoman onslaught: The Turkish invasion and siege of Vienna cannot begin until the spring of 1637, because it has to wait until there is enough forage to feed the armies draft animals. It has already be suggested that the army will start from Belgrade, about 250 miles from Vienna. If the city is not taken by the beginning of winter, the army will have to withdraw since it cannot be supplied.
Beside the Austrians, it will be interesting to see what other powers are involved. The Danubian Prinicipalities may weigh in on either side. depending on how rebellious they are at the moment. Poland would side with Austria, assuming they are willing to make peace with Gustav. In fact, they have just finished a war with the Turks. Bohemia will probably stay neutral, not favoring the Turks but not wanting to support Austria either. If Bavaria decides to get involved, it will likely support the Turks, although against their religion. (Borja may have something to do with that). Venice will undoubtedly support the Austrians but isn’t much of a land power. The Iranians may well take this as the occasion to invade Anatolia. They are already strong in the Caucasus and may well have modernized their army with western help as they did twenty or thirty years previously.
Since the last book in the series (1636: The Saxon Uprising), only brought us to February(?) 1636, there is still plenty of time for a April-May invasion of Austia by the Ottomans.
As for the disposition of forces, Poland, despite having been at war with the Ottomans, have more pressing concerns with the Swedes/USE and may try to leverage things by turning Gustav’s interests South…but we shall see. Bohemia (provided Wallenstein/Pappenheim are still in control) I agree will probably stay neutral (a weaker Austria is to their benefit), but may supply some ‘support’ to the USE, as they did during the Saxon Uprising. I disagree on Barvaria, the ending of 1636: The Saxon Uprising indicated that Mike Stearns was taking his troops (and probably the National Guard units from Thuringia) down to hammer the Barvarians, so they will be ‘pre-occupied’ with that. As for the Persians, The Saxon Uprising indicated that the Ottomans have pounded on them in 1635 and signed a treaty, so they will probably be sitting on the sidelines, unless the Ottomans totally collapse.
And we know from other books in the series that Russia, France, and England have internal problems of their own that will keep them from interfering.
So it may make for ‘interesting times’ (even more interesting if we could get a hint what Pope Urban is doing…)
Re timing: The Ottoman have to move their armies from wherever to Belgrade, which will require the weather to be warm enough for forage to be available. I think the earliest they can start to Vienna would be late June, or July. That leaves them four months to take the city.
Re Bavaria: Max probably thinks the USE won’t invade. He likely backs Borja’s ‘papacy’ And he certainly resents Austria for the marriage fiasco. I think he’ll invade upper Austria and only then find out the USE will invade. Which hopefully leads to the end of Bavaria and of the Wittlesbachs, at least as princes.
Re Persia: Despite their 1635 defeat, it’s still a major power in the area and as strong or almost as strong as the Ottomans.
The temptation to seek revenge has to be strong. In this period the Persians have a sot for Shah, but a very strong Grand Vizier.