I’ve been spending my Sunday afternoons at a nearby Publix with an upstairs food court, writing before going to get the week’s groceries. There I was, driving through the rain, about to make the turn in, when I see him: a man in a mail hauberk, helmet with a veil made of chain, fur cloak, and a hand axe. Keep in mind that, even though we’re in fall, it’s still quite warm. And, since it’s raining, quite humid.

Now that I’m upstairs at the food court, who should show up? The Viking himself! I wish I could get a picture of him, but my phone isn’t a smart phone. It can take pictures, but it’d take too long to do it. That, and he seems like he wants to be left to his own devices for the moment.

He’s wearing it to get used to it. A friend of mine mentioned doing similar things to get used to her armor, back when she started in the SCA. This is interesting to witness first hand, because this is exactly what I’m writing in my current work-in-progress, where a young princess is suddenly thrust into the position of rulership and has to be seen commanding her army. Part of that? Putting on armor.

Now, I don’t buy into the trope that a knight’s armor (whether plate armor, partial plate, or mail) is heavy to the point of being too cumbersome. Properly fitted armor meant for the battlefield is a balance between mobility, protection, and endurance. Soldiers and knights could operate in it for hours on end, if need be. But, those same soldiers and knights also had years of training and conditioning to get to that point.

For a young princess (or even a prince, to pull gender out of the equation) who’s never worn it before, suddenly now having to and on the eve of their first battle? That’s… going to be a challenge. Possibly one not worth pursuing, as evidenced when shepherd boy David politely rejected the armor and sword King Saul offered him before he went to face Goliath. The equipment was undoubtedly good quality, but he wasn’t conditioned to use it. It would have slowed David down, at a time when he needed to be mobile.

So it may end up being for my protagonist. We shall see! Her first battle is going to be an interesting one.

Okay, enough about me and my rainy day exploits. What do we have going on this week? I’m glad you asked!

New Release Weekend – Depth of Injustice – 10/02/26

A deadly poison. A secret faction. A race against time.

For three years, Violetta Addelia has led K’lais’ covert operations, but her skills are tested when a lieutenant is murdered at the 32nd District’s dueling arena. 

With her husband, Malik, by her side, they uncover a plot involving a deadly poison from kyitis flowers—plants lethal to those of mixed heritage. As the investigation deepens, a faction emerges, willing to kill to keep their ties with Earth’s military hidden.

When Malik is left on the brink of death, Violetta’s determination intensifies, straining her alliance with a rule-bending admiral. Racing to locate the poison’s source, she faces hidden agendas that could shatter their world.

Can they expose the IMD’s plans and prevent war—or will chaos reign?

Upcoming Pre-Order – Murder Wrapped in Mink – 10/09/26 

When an African American man discovers a stolen mink coat discarded in the trash, he thinks he’s stumbled onto an unexpected windfall. But when he tries to pawn it, he’s arrested and charged with the murder of a fur shop’s night watchman.

Convinced his client has been framed, private investigator James Wolf takes the case. His search for the truth quickly leads him into the heart of an elaborate nationwide fencing operation dealing in stolen furs, orchestrated by a ruthless West Coast mob boss.

As Wolf digs deeper, witnesses begin turning up dead and the list of suspects grows more dangerous by the day. With every new clue, the line between ally and enemy blurs.

Most troubling of all is a captivating lounge chanteuse—the former girlfriend of Wolf’s prime suspect. She may hold the key to the case… or she may be leading him straight into a deadly trap.

In a world where greed, deception, and murder are woven together, James Wolf must unravel the truth before he becomes the next victim.

It Came From the Trailer Park Volume 6 – Releases 10/31/26!

GALACTIC EXILE SERVICES

Got criminals? Monsters? Political dissidents? Unstoppable killing machines?

Drop them on Earth.
Located far beyond the major trade routes, this remote backwater world offers everything an interstellar government could want: no advanced technology, no space travel, no way off the planet, and a native population that is soft, squishy, harmless, and surprisingly tasty.

Best of all, once they’re here, your problems become somebody else’s.
Packed with creature-feature horror, cryptid chaos, alien mayhem, and redneck heroes armed with chainsaws, duct tape, and questionable judgment, It Came From the Trailer Park Volume 6 proves that exile to Earth was never the punishment.

The trailer park was.