Lots of different topics on my mind this week so I’m going to jump right into it.

First, I finished the 5^th story in my tie in series. This particular gem is entitled ‘Hunger’ and it turned out to be pretty much erotica. I really hate to say it but it also was some of my best work in a while! The final word count was about 11,300 words and I have to say it was very difficult not turning it into soft-core or hard-core porn.

But it’s finished and I have started work on the 6^th story, this one a little more light-hearted called ‘First Day’. If things keep going the way they have, I should be finished by this time next week.

Lots of different topics on my mind this week so I’m going to jump right into it.

First, I finished the 5^th story in my tie in series. This particular gem is entitled ‘Hunger’ and it turned out to be pretty much erotica. I really hate to say it but it also was some of my best work in a while! The final word count was about 11,300 words and I have to say it was very difficult not turning it into soft-core or hard-core porn.

But it’s finished and I have started work on the 6^th story, this one a little more light-hearted called ‘First Day’. If things keep going the way they have, I should be finished by this time next week.

And I have managed to come up with another story, this one will be tentatively entitled ‘Experiment’. It was inspired by ‘Hunger’ and NO it’s not that kind of experiment, you dirty minded type people!

As for my other writing, I was very pleased to see that my alternate radiation issue was finally released. Wisdom from the Wastelands issue 41: Alternate Forms of Radiation is finally available for sale. I came up with the original concept December 2012 and it was in development hell for nearly a year and a half.

No, let’s be honest. It was me being lazy. Although it was delayed several times over the past few months due to misunderstandings on my part as well.

The really cool thing is that one of my readers, Eric Fabiaschi, who I have mentioned a couple of times in previous blogs wrote up a really nice review for Issue 40: New Races 2, and of course Issue 41. I have linked the review for both. Please feel free to check out his reviews.

Also I finally started to post my older issues of Wisdom from the Wasteland on Bookforge. I posted Wisdom from the Wasteland Issue 8: Diseases and Medical Options yesterday and over the week I’ll be posting more.

Then I can begin to post new material as well. Kind of exciting!

I will see if I can find the time to finish writing another issue this week as well, this one is the Alternate Character Advancement rules that I started a few months back and after getting some good feedback from one of my longtime readers I will finish it and send it off to my editor. Quite a few cool issues coming up! Another combat issue, one covering underwater rules, one on Androids (which I totally forgot that I sent!) and one covering artifact quality.

I still want to write up one covering harvesting natural toxins and the like, as well as one on alternate types of currency and I have enough material for another nanite issue, and enough notes for at least two more alternate character advancement issues.

As I tend to whine quite often about not having enough time, I will try to find the time to work on these. I have discovered that trying to keep up with a deadline to write stories and novels really eats into the time I need to write RPG material.

Do any of you remember a pretty cool game put out by Fantasy Flight Games called Dragonstar?  It was one of the reasons I got into the 3^rd edition game so many years ago. It covered SF but had the whole Fantasy aspect to it as well. Something that really meshed with me.

I would to play in such a game, believe me.

But of course I was thinking, why not make my own? Well the reasons have been stated so many times in my previous blogs. Lack of time.

Some people might also state that I would be walking a fine line if I did such a game. I have to ask this… why? There are numerous fantasy games out there, sure some use different rules but many use the OGL.

Besides I have a great imagination, so I could make my own version and it would not be a clone.

Still, it comes down to the fact that I simply don’t have the time at the moment. Maybe once I retire or semi-retire I can put some serious thought into writing this up, or maybe even get together with some of the talent that we have working for Skirmisher.

Ah, just another flight of fancy (yes, pun intended).

Oh, before I forget, there are a couple of things that I want to write up for a future issue of WftW. I would really like to devote a single issue to some unsung heroes of various RPGS. For example, Chainsaws! Who doesn’t like chainsaws when it comes to fighting the walking dead? How about compound bows?  In the Pathfinder game I’m currently playing in my character is essentially an archer and using one of those bows I can deal some pretty hideous damage.

And it just so happens I like the series Arrow. So I think I should write up an issue devoted to those types of weapons.

Time for my usual observations. A couple this week.

First, just something that has bugged me for years. Something pretty simple when it comes down to it but the image it produces often makes me cringe. It’s a simple phrase but I feel it’s always wrong.

Naked Photos.

Yes, that is the phrase. To me, it should be ‘pictures of someone naked’. Every time I hear naked photos I always think of a naked piece of paper. I know, silly, but it’s just one of those minor irritants that everyone has.

Now another thing that makes me roll my eyes on a regular basis are the so-called ‘quotes and facts’ that I see posted on Facebook ALL THE TIME! These are various quotes about how certain senators want to get Obama impeached, or how some did this thing or did that thing, or how Obama is doing this great thing or this terrible thing.

Yes I totally get the whole freedom of speech thing but to be perfectly blunt, I don’t really give a flying ‘Ahem’ about politics. To me political opinions are like assholes… everyone has one. And quite often these opinions make people into said assholes.

Oh and to make things perfectly clear here, like I stated about opinions above, that is mine and it does not reflect the views of the editors and other authors who write for Skirmisher. This is my view and mine alone.

Frankly, I have to put up with these views, quotes and facts. I have no right to ask people to take them down. I can block them if I wish, I can even defriend them if they bug me. But I have not done so and I probably never will.

Although I really wish people would stop making up fake quotes and attributing them to famous people. Still some of these quotes are quite entertaining for various reasons.

If you happen to be in the mood for some entertainment I have two movies to recommend this week. First is a little gem from the Emerald Isle called ‘Grabbers’. It was really very entertaining and made me laugh out loud on quite a few occasions. It’s a monster movie, and it had better acting and special effects than most movies produced by the SciFi channel.

The second movie is called ‘Colony’. Stars Laurence Fishburn and Bill Paxton. Wasn’t exactly what one would call a big budget movie, but it was very bleak and I found it to be quite enthralling. Another one worth watching.

Anyhow, I think that should cover everything this week. You know the drill, please like my Authors Page on Facebook and maybe start following me on Twitter.

Until next week, peace!

Chris Van Deelen is the author of the Skirmisher Publishing LLC sourcebook Creatures of the Tropical Wastes sourcebook, co-author of its Wisdom from the Wastelands game supplement and contributor to the 'Sword of Kos: Hekaton' Anthology.