Now HERE is a first...

    RT Book Reviews has already mentioned Phoenix Rising -- not only before it's published, but before the publisher's even officially announced the publication date!

It's only a short one-paragraph mention (how could they do much more, after all) but that's by far the earliest mention I've had for any book.

Interview and review of _Prince of Bryanae_...

is here. The author is Jeff Getzin and the interview is by Ana Mardoll.

Why, you ask, is this significant?

Because way back in the early 1990s, I was running a D&D campaign in which Jeff Getzin was a primary player; his main character was the over-the-top swashbuckler of swashbucklers, D'Arbignal. During the course of that game, D'Arbignal encountered many young ladies to whom he expressed undying affection. (Note, this was never a lie, it's just that he couldn't be EXCLUSIVE with his undying affections). This included the Queen of the remote country of Bryanae, a nearly emotionless assassin/warrior named Willow, one of his adventuring partners Elidon, and others. I remember that game very fondly.

As Jeff enjoyed playing D'Arbignal immensely and was also interested in writing, and since I'd basically invented the country of Bryanae whole-cloth for his character's background, I gifted him with all the creations that were specific to his adventures and said he was welcome to use them.

And now, finally, he has. I've only started the book but it looks good so far.

But there's one other connection of deep significance to me.

You see, Jeff Getzin is also a GM, and he ran a Ravenloft campaign. In this campaign I decided to try to make a sort of Paladin, with a Batmanesque theme -- i.e., working for Justice and Vengeance and with a symbolic name and armor motif

And thus was the country of Evanwyl, the order of the Saints (now Justiciars) of Myrionar, and the Phoenix Saint, Kyrie Ross (now Kyri Vantage), born. So if it were not for Jeff Getzin, I wouldn't be publishing Phoenix Rising.

So go look at this interview, and if you've got a Kindle, why not try out Prince of Bryanae right away? At $2.99, it's practically a steal!