An exciting and exhausting week - May 8 2020

[Kevin]

Whew, it has been a busy and exciting, but exhausting week.

- I approved rules clarifications for Creature Feature, a Beyond the Supernatural Sourcebook and I’m assigning the new art for it later tonight or tomorrow.

- I finished writing In the Face of Death, a Dead Reign®, Zombie Apocalypse sourcebook with a lot of fun and different ideas I think people will be jazzed about. I thought I was done with it last week, but went back into it to rewrite and improve a 20 page section. Glad I did, because it was good before, but really rocks now.

- I have been writing up a storm. Mostly on Rifts® Coalition Manhunters, but notes and odds and ends on other projects as well. And when I’m hot writing and the ideas a flowing it is always exciting for me. I envision how you are likely to respond and that keeps me revved up and pounding away at the keyboard.

- I approved a pitch document for one of our I.P.s and hope this third party effort goes someplace for a change.

- A sample of something I cannot yet reveal came in today and it looks great. I was so pleased. In the not too distant future, you will be too.

- I made the decision to keep the two current sales going, one on the Palladium website and the Monsters & Aliens Sale on DriveThruRPG.com – both of which are fun and seem to have struck a chord with people. Nice.

- I wrote the new Weekly Update, a couple of Murmurs and some correspondences.

- There have been a ton of mail orders. Which means I have signed a lot of books, and packed a lot of packages this week. Which is freakin’ wonderful. Thank you for your generous support. I’m happy to sign books for you during this crazy time, and thrilled to see many orders coming in. Thank you and keep them coming.

Not only that, but I’ve been getting a lot of nice feedback from people about how much they are enjoying the signed books, loving the games and sourcebooks, and running new campaigns at home or via Skype or Zoom and other methods over the internet. Folks are also still going crazy over Garden of the Gods (fantasy) and Rifts® Bestiary Vol. One, too, which is awesome! I smile every time one of them gets packed up and leaves the building. All of it is positive and inspires my writing and helps keep me going spiritually and physically.

- Ideas have been flowing like crazy, though I have to admit, I’ve been dragging a bit yesterday and today. For some reason I’ve had trouble sleeping the last couple of days, which is unusual for me. I usually sleep like a rock. A friend said it was because of the full moon, but I don’t really ascribe to that line of thinking. I do have a lot on my mind and I have been pushing myself pretty hard. I mean, after all, I need to keep books shipping and new product moving forward.

I come to the office most days, because it is here I’m most comfortable writing. It’s okay as I’m the owner and allowed to maintain minimal operations. Besides, I’m super-isolated here in this big ol’ building. I slap on some mood music (listening to the Hunger Games music scores by James Newton Howard at the moment, but is was Spider-Man by Michael Giacchino before that).

I know a lot of you in other states are seeing restrictions lifted and I wish you the very best. I hope that works out great for everyone and that the number of Covid-19 cases (and deaths) do not spike like crazy. Like everyone else, I would love to see things get back to normal – or even half-way back to normal. Michigan is still under a Stay-At-Home Order till the end of May. I don’t mind wearing a face mask and gloves and using social distancing if it helps to keep other people safe, as well as myself and loved ones, but the economic fallout is as uncertain and scary as the damn bug.

As a small business owner, my heart goes out to all the companies that are suffering mightily, especially hobby stores, comic book shops, distributors, restaurants, hair salons, movie theaters, and the whole flippin’ entertainment industry, among many others. It must be terrifying to be completely closed down. I still worry about the fate of Palladium Books, but so far we are hanging tough and doing okay thanks to all of you. Crazy times. I hope the vast majority of you are also hanging tough and doing as well as possible under the circumstances. Try to see the big picture, be patient and understanding, and do what’s best for everyone.

I would like to thank the many gamers who have reached out to me in one way, shape, or form, to thank me for these Murmurs, the Weekly Updates, our games and sourcebooks, my signing books, and general positivity. Hey, I am glad to do it all and wish there was more I could do to make all of this easier for everyone. Heck, I wish I could magically make it all go away.

I’m trying to respond to some of you personally, but there are so many and the hours just seem to zoom by every day. So I want to state here, again, how much I appreciate your support and kind words. Many make my heart swell with pride and happiness, a few have been so sweet or touching that I have teared up. I am pleased and humbled that my work and my words are helping, if even in a small way, to bring friends and family together, and bring a little fun and laughter and adventure into your homes. That, my friends, is the beauty and magic of role-playing games.

Stay safe, hang tough, enjoy your weekend, and game on!

With Appreciation and Gratitude,
Kevin Siembieda
That Publisher Guy

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