New Rifts Novel Released! The Duty's Edge Thread

[Hotrod]

Kevin has released a new Rifts novel on DriveThruRPG, and physical copies will be ready for order in 2 weeks (you can pre-order a paperback now).

I am the author and cover artist, and I hope you all get a chance to enjoy this story. Whatever you think of it, I'm happy to take questions, comments, criticisms, or any other thoughts you care to share here.

Before I do though, I'd like to say thanks. The original inspiration for this story came from a discussion on this forum back in the summer of 2012, and this has long been a great place to share my creative exercises. Thanks to the folks on this forum, especially the ones who encouraged me as I wrote and posted the original version of this story ("Meyer's Mission") back in 2012: Veritas476, IceFalcon, Dr. Megaverse, masslegion, G, keir451, MikelAmroni, ZINO, slade the sniper, and Kovoston. Thanks as well as to J_cobbers, Zyanitevp, my wife, and my mom, all of whom provided very helpful feedback in the story's early revisions.

Special thanks especially to Rex Barkdoll, who worked with me through a vigorous 4-month editing process; the final manuscript was far superior for your efforts. Finally, thanks to Kevin for giving me a chance and making this whole thing possible.

[Warshield73]

Congratulations. I picked up the digital copy a little while ago and I will probably pick up the physical copy in a few months when I get the Hammer of the Forge volumes.

One thing on this I wish they would release fiction as e-pub instead of PDF. PDF is nice for gaming books but it is so much easier to read fiction on tablets and phones in e-pub.

[Hotrod]

Congratulations. I picked up the digital copy a little while ago and I will probably pick up the physical copy in a few months when I get the Hammer of the Forge volumes.

One thing on this I wish they would release fiction as e-pub instead of PDF. PDF is nice for gaming books but it is so much easier to read fiction on tablets and phones in e-pub.

Thanks! I hope you like it.

You make a good point about ebooks being more convenient. Palladium’s digital distributor is DrivethruRPG, which sells most of its products in PDF. DrivethruRPG also distributes some products in an ebook format. I’m not sure if they do multiple formats for the same product. As the author, I don’t control distribution, but I’m happy to pass on your request. There would likely be some formatting work to do to make that happen, and I think DrivethruRPG’s rules are different for downloading PDFs vs ebooks.

[Mack]

So, I gotta ask... you didn't accidentally do a 'find-and-replace' of "shadow" and "Cyber-Knight" did you?

(Best of luck on the new book! )

[Hotrod]

So, I gotta ask... you didn't accidentally do a 'find-and-replace' of "shadow" and "Cyber-Knight" did you?

(Best of luck on the new book! )

Thank you! As for the find-and-replace tool, good lord, no. I winced almost every time I used the find-and-replace tool for anything. I can't say that the manuscript I submitted was perfectly written, but I had a lawyer, a teacher, and English literature PhD proofread the thing, and Rex Barkdoll was very thorough with the editing process.

[Warshield73]

Congratulations. I picked up the digital copy a little while ago and I will probably pick up the physical copy in a few months when I get the Hammer of the Forge volumes.

One thing on this I wish they would release fiction as e-pub instead of PDF. PDF is nice for gaming books but it is so much easier to read fiction on tablets and phones in e-pub.

Thanks! I hope you like it.

You make a good point about ebooks being more convenient. Palladium’s digital distributor is DrivethruRPG, which sells most of its products in PDF. DrivethruRPG also distributes some products in an ebook format. I’m not sure if they do multiple formats for the same product. As the author, I don’t control distribution, but I’m happy to pass on your request. There would likely be some formatting work to do to make that happen, and I think DrivethruRPG’s rules are different for downloading PDFs vs ebooks.

Drivethru does distribute ebook formats. I have several books that I purchased that I got as both ebook and PDF, you can even set it up to purchase separate or together. I truthfully would love all PBs gaming books in ebook format but for fiction it is a lot more important.

[Nuristas]

Kevin has released a new Rifts novel on DriveThruRPG, and physical copies will be ready for order in 2 weeks (you can pre-order a paperback now).

I am the author and cover artist, and I hope you all get a chance to enjoy this story. Whatever you think of it, I'm happy to take questions, comments, criticisms, or any other thoughts you care to share here.

Before I do though, I'd like to say thanks. The original inspiration for this story came from a discussion on this forum back in the summer of 2012, and this has long been a great place to share my creative exercises. Thanks to the folks on this forum, especially the ones who encouraged me as I wrote and posted the original version of this story ("Meyer's Mission") back in 2012: Veritas476, IceFalcon, Dr. Megaverse, masslegion, G, keir451, MikelAmroni, ZINO, slade the sniper, and Kovoston. Thanks as well as to J_cobbers, Zyanitevp, my wife, and my mom, all of whom provided very helpful feedback in the story's early revisions.

Special thanks especially to Rex Barkdoll, who worked with me through a vigorous 4-month editing process; the final manuscript was far superior for your efforts. Finally, thanks to Kevin for giving me a chance and making this whole thing possible.

Without Spoiling too much. I like to read novels because they give me an insight of how other people view the setting (with creative liberties taken of course).
So what parts of the setting have you looked into the most. From the preview I'm guessing this will give us a view of Africa and the Phoenix Empire or is it much broader than that?

I'll probably pick it up in my next order from Palladium in a couple of weeks but I'm curious so figured I might as well ask the question

[Borast]

Interesting...
I'm tempted, but not (quite) enough info on the website.
How many pages is it?

$9 (US) for 150 pages is WAY too expensive. For 500 pages, high, but doable. I still have some birthday money!

[Prysus]

Interesting...
I'm tempted, but not (quite) enough info on the website.
How many pages is it?

$9 (US) for 150 pages is WAY too expensive. For 500 pages, high, but doable. I still have some birthday money!

Greetings and Salutations. DriveThruRPG has it listed as 238 pages. This is listed as $7.99 ($8 US, not $9). The Palladium store has it listed as 236 pages, and sells at $12.99 (US).

That's only 2 page difference between the two, so relatively consistent (at least close enough that 2 pages shouldn't make much difference in this context). Keep in mind font size can affect the amount of content as well.

With all that said, I do recommend reading the book description on the Palladium Store (for the hard copy). The summary on DriveThruRPG is more a summary of Rifts (for someone unfamiliar with the setting). Meanwhile, the hard copy summary feels a better descriptor for the book itself (and describes it to those already familiar with Rifts). Just me (and my wife's) thoughts on the matter.

As a personal note, I've already purchased the book. I want to support Hotrod (who is an amazing guy) as well as (and more importantly) encourage Palladium to print more stories and novels by speaking with my wallet. Farewell and safe journeys.

[Hotrod]

Interesting...
I'm tempted, but not (quite) enough info on the website.
How many pages is it?

$9 (US) for 150 pages is WAY too expensive. For 500 pages, high, but doable. I still have some birthday money!

I completely respect that you have to weigh how you spend your hobby/fun money. As Prysus said, the DriveThruRPG PDF price is $7.99. I suppose it comes down to how you assess the value of a book.

Given differences in typesetting, font size, and page size, I prefer to measure length in word count. The final draft I submitted to Kevin after Rex and I finished our edit was 102,366 words. That includes some formatting and typesetting notes/instructions that shouldn't appear in the final version, so it's probably right around 102,000 words. There's also a reference section in the back that includes a glossary of terms, list of characters, timeline, and a few notes on geography and real-life information on a material that features prominently in the story. This reference section is 3,800 words, so the story itself comes in at about 98,000 words.

For comparison purposes, here are some famous novels with similar word counts:
+Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 106,821 words
+The Hobbit: 95,022 words
+Ann of Green Gables: 97,364 words
+The Hunger Games: 99,750 words
+To Kill a Mockingbird: 100,388 words
(please note that I am in no way saying my book is as good as these, only that it's length is similar)

I also submitted my manuscript with 6 maps (not counting the cover), some of which might be useful as references if Duty's Edge counts as canon.

Whether Duty's Edge is worth $7.99 for a PDF or $12.99 for a paperback is up to you; every book you buy is a chance you take. I hope you'll find this novel worth that chance, but I totally respect your caution and your thrift.

[Hotrod]

Without Spoiling too much. I like to read novels because they give me an insight of how other people view the setting (with creative liberties taken of course).
So what parts of the setting have you looked into the most. From the preview I'm guessing this will give us a view of Africa and the Phoenix Empire or is it much broader than that?

I'll probably pick it up in my next order from Palladium in a couple of weeks but I'm curious so figured I might as well ask the question

Thanks for the questions! I'll avoid spoiler discussions (perhaps we can start a separate spoiler discussion thread once you read it) This novel presents a vision of the Middle East in Rifts. Since very little had been done with that region prior to this book, I had plenty of latitude to create new content, and the story centers around that new content. That said, the story and that new content all happens in the context of the broader setting, and I put a lot of work into trying to keep Duty's Edge as consistent with other published material as possible.

The Phoenix Empire is certainly an influential part of that region and this story, but it's not a main player in this story. Other relevant canon references include Mind Bleeders (there are a few clans mentioned as being in that region in other sources) and some petty pirate kingdoms around the Arabian Peninsula's coast mentioned in Africa. I included some stuff from Atlantis, since they have a partnership with the Phoenix Empire, and some NGR/Triax references appropriate to having a protagonist from there. I also mention sandwyrms, a subspecies of dragon from PFRPG's Baalgor Wastelands, though they don't play a direct role in this story and aren't currently a part of Rifts canon.

[Nuristas]

Without Spoiling too much. I like to read novels because they give me an insight of how other people view the setting (with creative liberties taken of course).
So what parts of the setting have you looked into the most. From the preview I'm guessing this will give us a view of Africa and the Phoenix Empire or is it much broader than that?

I'll probably pick it up in my next order from Palladium in a couple of weeks but I'm curious so figured I might as well ask the question

Thanks for the questions! I'll avoid spoiler discussions (perhaps we can start a separate spoiler discussion thread once you read it) This novel presents a vision of the Middle East in Rifts. Since very little had been done with that region prior to this book, I had plenty of latitude to create new content, and the story centers around that new content. That said, the story and that new content all happens in the context of the broader setting, and I put a lot of work into trying to keep Duty's Edge as consistent with other published material as possible.

The Phoenix Empire is certainly an influential part of that region and this story, but it's not a main player in this story. Other relevant canon references include Mind Bleeders (there are a few clans mentioned as being in that region in other sources) and some petty pirate kingdoms around the Arabian Peninsula's coast mentioned in Africa. I included some stuff from Atlantis, since they have a partnership with the Phoenix Empire, and some NGR/Triax references appropriate to having a protagonist from there. I also mention sandwyrms, a subspecies of dragon from PFRPG's Baalgor Wastelands, though they don't play a direct role in this story and aren't currently a part of Rifts canon.

Sounds good. I'm sold. I'll order it on my next Palladium order
Always up for good fiction and from what I read it sounds like you really thought this through.

Hopefully, we'll see more of your work in the future.

[Hotrod]

Sounds good. I'm sold. I'll order it on my next Palladium order
Always up for good fiction and from what I read it sounds like you really thought this through.

Hopefully, we'll see more of your work in the future.

I have some ideas on that. If fans really like this story, I might try a sequel, or take on an entirely different part of the setting. Mostly, though, I'm hoping to see some of the other great Rifts fan fiction writers get published. There have been some phenomenal pieces I've read on these boards and fan communities.

[Borast]

Interesting...
I'm tempted, but not (quite) enough info on the website.
How many pages is it?

Given differences in typesetting, font size, and page size, >Snip< so the story itself comes in at about 98,000 words.

For comparison purposes, here are some famous novels with similar word counts:
+Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 106,821 words [Meh, if a Potter film comes on and I have nothing else to do...]
+The Hobbit: 95,022 words [Kewl! Now *that* is a good read! ]
+Ann of Green Gables: 97,364 words [Never read it, although I wouldn`t toss it away if I was given a copy.]
+The Hunger Games: 99,750 words [The say who, what now? (No interest in this series *at all*.)]
+To Kill a Mockingbird: 100,388 words [Good movie (from the portions I`ve seen), might check-out the "sequel" (that novel - set 20 years after - came out in 2015) if I have a chance.]
(please note that I am in no way saying my book is as good as these, only that it's length is similar)

I also submitted my manuscript with 6 maps >Snip<
I hope you'll find this novel worth that chance, but I totally respect your caution and your thrift.

Thanks! I can't really afford any more physical books in my library.
That being said, most of my .epub books are under C$7. I`ll spend more of someone else`s money, but not - generally - mine!