By Kevin Siembieda

It has been sort of a strange week. Half the staff (Wayne, Chuck, Kathy) are either out sick or here working at half their usual capacity. As a result, everyone has been keeping to themselves, locked away in their rooms, coughing and feeling worn out. So far, I have somehow managed to escape the plague outbreak. Fingers crossed that things stay that way.

There are a lot products in the pipeline and all are moving forward, so I’m not sure why I am feeling frustrated and a little down this week. Probably because I’ve been steeped in paperwork and bookkeeping matters most of the week when I want (and need) to be writing. It may also be that I’ve worked too many weekends without a break and the fact that we’ve been flying high and working at top speed since Gen Con. You just can’t keep up that pace indefinitely. I wish you could.

It didn’t help that our air conditioning went on Wednesday morning. A 90+ degree day no less, and the frozen air conditioning line sent a steady stream into the ceiling tiles of my office. One tile got so soaked it came crashing down, and drenched part of my couch and the paperwork laying on it. The most frustrating part of this being we had this same issue only 5-6 weeks ago and had it supposedly been repaired. I was out of the office much of Wednesday, so I was not present to recognize the water issue. Wahhh. Yesterday was another hot and humid day, making work at the office miserable despite an array of fans going. I actually have one of the repair people here as I write this. I hope it is an easy, inexpensive repair.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Poker Decks are hot, hot, hot

Both of the Rifts® Poker Decks are gorgeous and fun, and continue to sell like crazy. Nice. And remember Rifts® Savage Worlds Kickstarter supporters, the two Rifts® Poker Decks are now available as add-ons for Rifts® Savage World Kickstarter backers.

The two Rifts® Poker Decks have been selling like lightning, with a restock order arriving the morning right after we sold out the initial run of 150 decks! Whew. Talk about perfect timing. We’ll keep a close eye on stock and keep placing orders as necessary so we do not run out of stock.

By Kevin Siembieda

This week has been a hectic blur as we work toward moving a number of projects forward. It has been full of meetings, telephone calls, and hammering away at the keyboard. Energy remains high at the office and among our fans. People are excited about the Rifts® poker decks and Carmen Bellaire’s Rifts® Board Game (2017), as well as upcoming releases. Others are anxious to see more movement and material items for Wave 2 of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ – as are we. We also share with you more Gen Con 2016 moments in photos and present you some of what’s popping at Palladium Books.

NEWS! Rifts^® Poker Decks available as add-ons for Rifts^® Savage World Kickstarter backers

For a few weeks now, Rifts® Savage Worlds Kickstarter backers have been asking Palladium Books and Pinnacle Entertainment to make the Rifts® Poker Decks available as rewards in the Rifts® Savage Worlds Kickstarter. So when Pinnacle approached us to do just that, we quickly agreed.

The two Rifts® Poker Decks have been selling like hot cakes to Rifts® gamers as well as Action Decks to Rifts® Savage Worlds players. Our trial run of 150 decks are nearly sold out in just two weeks since Gen Con, and an order for more has already been submitted so we do not run out of stock.

Both sets of Rifts® playing cards are proving to be extremely popular as they each present iconic images from fan fave covers and illustrations in the Rifts® game series, and can be used as an Action Deck for Rifts® Savage Worlds!

If you want something that visually summarizes Rifts® with powerful images of iconic characters, mecha and monsters, then these playing cards are a must for you. Or maybe you are looking for an attractive deck or two for playing cards, or simply to complete your Rifts® collection. The two Rifts® Poker Decks are handsome, fun, and useful items to own. They are an excellent addition to any Palladium collection and make nice gifts. Both are available from Palladium Books in an attractive, full color box – right now.

• Rifts® Poker Deck Number One (color) – $11.99 – Cat. No. 2575 – available now.
• Rifts® Poker Deck Number Two (line art) – $11.99 – Cat. No. 2576 – available now.