One last reminder that I will be in Michigan at Epic ConFusion this coming weekend! Check out this line-up of authors: Peter V. Brett, Pat Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Myke Cole, Robin Hobb, Saladin Ahmed, Jim C. Hines, Elizabeth Bear and more who I hope don’t feel slighted that I didn’t mention them. My bad memory, not your lack of cool! There will be pistols. There will be D&D. There will be egos. There will be alcohol. If not all of us come out of it, well… I’m still convinced this is going to be the most fun I’ve had at a convention since I met George R.R. Martin.

Oh! And speaking of George R.R. Martin (see that nifty segue, folks? That’s how a pro does it! A pro, I tell ya.), io9 just put together a top-10 list: 10 Great Fantasy Series to Read While You’re Waiting for George R.R. Martin’s Next Book.  It’s a humorous list, and there are some great books on there. Definitely worth checking out. (Although a series finale spoiler for my book? Really? Totally necessary? Ah well, I appreciate the exposure, and the surprisingly low level of snark! h/t)

Elsewhere on the interwebs, I did an interview with the print magazine Fantastique Unfettered. (Print, mama, print. That means I’m a real boy!) You can order the magazine HERE or HERE.

Updates: I’ve just handed in the manuscript of The Blinding Knife, which means we are on schedule for an early September publication date in all major English markets. (The exact date will be determined by my publisher, but everything looks good.) And I have started the third (and I’m really hoping final) book of Lightbringer, tentatively titled The Blood Mirror. I’ve been fighting all the way to try to keep this a trilogy, from my very first outline. And I think I have it wrestled down to three books — yet strangely, each of these books is really, really long!

I’m also working on my appearance schedule, both in the US and elsewhere. I can’t announce anything yet, but I think I’m going to be doing a fair amount of travel this year.

Oh! And before I forget again, I also wrote this opinion piece for SciFi Now (also a print magazine!), on fan expectations and author obligations. The internet version of that article is HERE. Watch how deftly I tempt the wrath of the rabid fans, while actually being completely measured and inoffensive. When one walks among giants, such as Neil and George, one should take care that he not get stepped on! See, it all comes back to George.

And that, folks, is how a pro does it.