Siembieda Update -- August 26, 2010

[Kevin]

I am here. Sorry for the long silence

I’ve been so deeply involved in writing Heroes of the Megaverse® and dealing with other pressing matters such as coordinating other books, the lawsuit, my Dad, assigning art, etc. So much so, that I didn’t even realize I hadn’t been Murmuring. I was roused from my mental stupor by a few phone calls and emails from friends inquiring if I was okay since I hadn’t posted a Murmur in a long while.

I was actually surprised to see my last Murmur was August 6th. Wow, sorry about that. 20 days between Murmurs, no wonder people started to wonder.

Yes, I’m fine. A little worn out. A little frustrated, but okay.

Heroes of the Megaverse® would have been done and at the printer already, except I couldn’t let it go the way it was. The book went long. To release it as a 96 page book, there would only 2-3 NPC characters in it. I had decided to do that to get the book out, but it didn’t sit right with me. It needed the NPC heroes. So after much personal debate with myself, I decided to increase the page count and put in about a dozen Heroes of the Megaverse. I was a little under the weather over the weekend and suffered a mini-writer’s block for a few days, but I’ve been writing up a storm for the past two. I’m almost done with the NPCs, Wayne has started layout and Heroes of the Megaverse® will go to the printer tomorrow, Friday, August 27.

Why do it? Why delay this book for a few more days when other delayed books are waiting in the wings and sales remain poor? I don’t know, maybe I am crazy. It’s just, this book is special. Special to me at any rate. It’s sort of a public thank you and love letter to you, the fans, and to the Palladium staff (my heroes), and I just couldn’t bring myself to shortchange it. I’d like to think this book is different and unique, as well as bold and fun. Reaction here has been overwhelmingly positive. I hope you enjoy it just as much, because more than any other book, I made it for you.

Dad’s surgery is next week and I’m starting to get nervous for him. Sales remain down and we’re heading into our traditional slow month of September, creating more worries. I’m way behind on my correspondences (sorry folks), and haven’t even been Murmuring. To top it off, the media is talking about a double-dip recession and other worrisome predictions for the economy in the USA. All I know is the first half of the year was good for us and the second half not so good, but mainly because we didn’t get new product released.

Despite the negative, we remain optimistic and excited about the many upcoming titles in the pipeline. I hope you are too.

Gotta finish up Heroes of the Megaverse®. Talk to you more over the weekend.
Keep those imaginations burning bright and spirits high.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Game Designer and Friend
Palladium Books, 29 years of publishing role-playing games

© Copyright August 26, 2010 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural, Dead Reign, Warpath, Shemarrian Nation, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.