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Authors Jacob & H.P. Holo

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Dancing with Destruction is up for pre-order!

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It’s pre-order time again, this time a sci-fi anthology! 😄

Dancing with Destruction comes from Editor Jason Cordova at Baen Books, and has a super fun origin story.

Basically, cover art was commissioned for another of Baen‘s books … but the resulting illustration ended up not fitting the vibe the publisher was looking for.

However, it was still a kick ass piece of art.

So, Jason presented this art to a handful of authors – ourselves included – and said, “Hey, want to write a short story for an anthology based on this cover?” 😀

Jacob saw this art and immediately said “HECK YES! I already have the perfect Sol Blazers story in mind.” But then he looked at his packed writing schedule. 😬 Then he looked to me and said, “What if we make this a Jacob Holo + Edie Skye collaboration?” 😏

Thus we get “The Joy of the Chase,” an adventure in Jacob’s Sol Blazers universe wherein our underpaid heroes take a simple missing persons job on a deserted jungle habitat … and find it not so deserted at all. In fact, it’s a whole lot hotter than expected. 😈

Also, if you weren’t aware of my love for over-the-top 80s action movies, you will be after this short. Yes, I watched Predator for research. Yes, Jacob had to cut plenty of 80s action movie references, and YES, Jason cut more. 🤣

(This is not the version where Nathan + Aiko chase an acid-bleeding monster through simulated vents made of interwoven jungle branches, but I assure you, it’s still cool.)

Dancing with Destruction releases on July 1, 2025, but you can pre-order it in trade paperback now!

Pre-ORder On AMAZON

Pre-ORder On BOOKSHOP

Also, if you have no idea what Sol Blazers is, go check it out! It’s basically adventure space opera for people who are mad that Firefly never got a second season, with catgirls, sassy androids, and maybe a lil’ mild cosmic horror. 🤣

Freelancers of Neptune Book Cover

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Recipes on Top: Perfect Donkey Sauce Grilled Cheese

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Someone at MarsCon said they missed my grilled cheese posts, and I do hate to disappoint my fans. 🤣

This month’s grilled cheese is my go-to recipe, perfected through much Science and Experimentation and LOADS of calories. Enjoy! 🥪🧀

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices Sara Lee Hawaiian bread
  • 2 tbsp Tillamook butter, softened
  • 2 slices mozzarella cheese (I used Publix ’cause it was on sale.)
  • 1 slice provolone cheese (I used Sargento ’cause I don’t like Publix’s provolone, even when it is on sale)
  • as much Donkey Sauce (or garlic aioli) as your heart desires

Instructions:

  • Preheat a frying pan to medium-high heat.
  • Let pan cool to medium-low heat. Plop 1/2 of the butter in to melt.
  • Use the remaining butter to butter both pieces of bread.
  • Plop one piece of bread in the pan butter-side-down. Squirt the desired amount of Donkey Sauce on it, then layer one slice of mozzarella, one slice of provolone, and the other slice of mozzarella atop the bread. Squire more Donkey Sauce on it, if desired. Place the other piece of bread on top, butter-side-up.
  • Let sandwich cook slowly until it reaches desired toastiness and meltiness. (Don’t cook it too fast/hot or the toastiness-to-meltiness ratio will be off.)
  • Plate finished sandwich and drizzle Donkey Sauce over the top for extra fanciness.

Babble: 

I impulse-bought Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Donkey Sauce solely ‘cause it’s called Donkey Sauce, and put it on everything for like a week, including this sandwich. (It’s basically a garlic aioli, which already puts it in HELL YEAH territory.)

The Hawaiian bread wasn’t working out for a lot of my previous experiments (It made everything too rich), but this one? HOOOOOOOOO BOY. The provolone and mozzarella that I used are both subtle enough that Hawaiian bread complemented them well. Add the Donkey Sauce for extra pizzazz, and this one became chef’s kiss.

*I only used a little bit for the photo to make it look vaguely bougie, but then dumped it on afterward.

We chatted Tropes on Book Career Network: Worlds Asunder!

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Merry Christmas Eve, y’all! 🎄 An interview of ours went live today and we figured y’all might enjoy it while you do your holiday driving. 😊

David Shadoin and H.Y. Gregor of Worlds Asunder invited us onto their show to talk tropes, and … we talked a lot, so it’s a two parter. 😆 Part One is now up on A TON of platforms, all collected here.

LISTEN TO WORLDS ASUNDER HERE

The special thing about this podcast is I lifted the “WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THE LAST JEDI IN THIS HOUSE” rule for the first time since 2017, just for Worlds Asunder. 😆

It was super fun, so go give it a listen!

The Weltall File (Gordian Division #4) audiobook is out!

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Hey, y’all! 😄 H.P. here!

You’ve been waiting patiently, and now Gordian Division #4: The Weltall File is finally out on audio from David Weber, Jacob Holo, Baen Books and Recorded Books!

This is hands-down my favorite of the File books – I mean, with a mystery set at the multiverse’s first trans-dimensional gaming tournament, how could it not be? 🎮😁 – and once again, Gabriel Vaughan‘s done a great job narrating Isaac and Susan’s adventures.

We hope you enjoy it! 😄

LISTEN TO THE WELTALL FILE HERE

The Weltall File

Gordian Division #4

***

Written by David Weber and Jacob Holo
Narrated by Gabriel Vaughan
Published by Baen Books and Recorded Books

***

Come for the games. Stay for the murder. 

A mystery in the Gordian Division universe.

The Weltall Tournament’s professional VR games were supposed to be a symbol of cooperation between SysGov and its militaristic neighbor, the Admin. But that was before star Admin player Elly Sako received a death threat, written in blood next to a copy of her own severed head. The Admin’s Department of Temporal Investigation swiftly seizes control of the crime scene, and the tournament transforms into a flashpoint of charged politics and conflicting jurisdictions. 

SysPol Detective Isaac Cho and DTI Special Agent Susan Cantrell—partners in the officer exchange program—are sent in to take charge of the investigation and bring the situation under control. But solving this mystery won’t be easy, and the pair struggles to determine who is telling the truth. A jilted relationship between players soon explodes into signs of a far-reaching conspiracy, and the two detectives find themselves racing against time before the tournament ends. 

Because the killer will be the only one who wins, should they fail.

LISTEN TO THE WELTALL FILE HERE

Dazzle’s SEEKRIT SALE: Black Friday! Use coupon code “SIGNED-BOOKS” to get 25% off all signed books.

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*Note from H.P. – Dazzle is our marketing manager and he doesn’t understand how secrets work.

Meowdy, friends! 😸 I’m Dazzle!

H.P. told me I needed to plan a Black Friday sale, but I don’t understand how days can have colors, so here’s just a LONGGGGG signed book sale.

Enter coupon code “SIGNEd-BOOKS” for 25% OFF ALL SIGNED BOOKS

I like chewing on books and these are the ones that taste best:

Freelancers of Neptune Book Cover
FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE (SIGNED HARDBACK)

H.P. said to say Freelancers of Neptune is a fun space opera adventure but mostly I remember THERE’S 😸 A CAT GIRL 😸 AND A WHOLE SPECIES OF 😸 CAT PEOPLE 😸 AND THERE’S ONE SCENE WITH LOTS OF 🐟 TUNA 🐟 AND I LOVE IT

The Weltall File Book Cover
THE WELTALL FILE (SIGNED HARDBACK)
THE WELTALL FILE (SIGNED MASS MARKET PAPERBACK)

I don’t know what time is, but I do know about video games and alternate universes are and The Weltall File HAS A CROSS-UNIVERSE 🎮 VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT 🎮 and also there’s CRIME and a CRIME-FIGHTING CYBORG and a CRIME-FIGHTING NORMAL GUY (but he’s ok too, I guess).

I POWER UP WITH EVERY MONSTER GIRL I DEFEAT (SIGNED PAPERBACK)

H.P. said to warn you that this one is 🌶️ SPICY 🌶️ but I didn’t think it tasted very hot, so instead I’m going to say that I’M IN THIS ONE AND YOU SHOULD READ IT BECAUSE I RUN* A LIBRARY IN IT 📖

*one room of

H.P. also said Black Friday lasts more than one day (HOW? 😮), so this sale will run through, idk, Monday, December 23rd, I guess.

Enter coupon code “SIGNED-BOOKS” for 25% OFF ALL SIGNED BOOKS

Surprise! 😄 A new mecha short story from Jacob!

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Hey, y’all! 😄 This short story’s been turned in so long that honestly, we forgot about it until Raconteur Press told us the anthology was out. 🤣 That said, if you’ve been jonesing for some giant robot action, check out Giant Stompin’ Robots, edited by our good author pal James Young.

READ GIANT STOMPIN’ ROBOTS HERE

It’s got a bunch of kickass giant robot stories in it, but it especially has a new short set in the Titan Mage universe I wrote as Edie Skye! (Be warned: The short’s not spicy, but the series is.) “Once a Titan Mage” basically boils down to “What if John Wick, but with a giant robot?” with all the epic action that implies.

Also, if you haven’t read it yet, I’ve got a story (as Edie Skye) in the companion volume Giant Freakin’ Robots:

READ GIANT FREAKIN’ ROBOTS HERE

“I’m in Love with a Helicopter” involves transforming helicopter mechs and epic battles with air pirates … but is ultimately inspired by that one Armored Core VI tutorial that kicked my butt so many times I developed Stockholm Syndrome and started to love it. 🤣

Speaking of which, I gotta show off this review from Tangent Online, which loved the entire anthology … but especially loved Rion, Sevas, and Jenny’s adventure.

If you’re into giant robots, we hope you’ll give both a look! 😄

SIGNING TOMORROW! An Afternoon with Authors @ The Tangled Web in Spartanburg, SC

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Hey, y’all! 😄 H.P. here with exciting news for fans of book signings and awesome authors!

We’ve got a group signing with David Weber and Jason Cordova coming up THIS SATURDAY, October 26th at The Tangled Web comics and games shop in Spartanburg, SC (418 W. Blackstock Rd; Spartanburg, SC 29301).

I’ll be moderating a panel/reading between the four of us from 2-3pm, and then we’ll be signing/generally hanging out from 3-5pm! 😁

Also, some special perks!

First, the shop has an ~ AMAZING ~ coffee bar, and I aided in several drinks of delicious testing to help design The Beany, just for fans of Freelancers of Neptune!

Second, if you purchase any of our books from the shop, you’ll get 10% off your entire purchase (*some exclusions apply)!

Also worth knowing: The shop’s event room has seating for about 20. After that, it’s standing room only, so if you want to ensure a seat near the front, be sure to get there early.

We hope to see you this weekend! 😁

Authors Just Talk About … ARCANE: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS – Friday, October 25th @ 8pm EST

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Authors Just Talk About … ARCANE: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

Friday, October 25th @ 8pm EST

Authors Melissa Olthoff, Marisa Wolf, Jesse James Fain, and Kacey Ezell just talk about Arcane: League of Legends! (Moderated by Edie Skye/H.P. Holo.)

For more information about the panelists and their works, visit their websites below:

Melissa Olthoff: https://www.melissaolthoff.net/
Marisa Wolf: https://www.marisawolf.net/
Jesse James Fain: https://amzn.to/4eVtmKo
Kacey Ezell: https://kaceyezell.net/
Edie Skye: https://edieskye.com/
H.P. Holo: https://holowriting.com/

Find Baen books here: https://www.baen.com/

Support the podcast/feed the host’s coffee-fueled word count here: https://buymeacoffee.com/holowriting

WAtch on YouTube
WATCH ON FACEBOOK
WATCH ON TWITTEr/X

Also, read H.P.’s earlier review of Arcane here! https://holowriting.com/2022/03/19/arcane-tv-review/

Recipes on Top: Sauteed Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese

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Ingredients:

  • 2 slices Sara Lee Golden Wheat Bread
  • 2 tbsp Kerrygold butter, softened
  • 2 slices Cheddar Cheese (I used Publix brand ‘cause it was on sale)
  • As many dill pickle chips as your heart desires

Instructions:

  1. Preheat a frying pan to medium-high heat. Saute dill pickles to desired texture.
  2. Let pan cool to medium-low heat. Plop 1/2 of the butter in to melt.
  3. Use the remaining butter to butter both pieces of bread.
  4. Plop one piece of bread in the pan butter-side-down, then layer one slice of cheese, half the pickles, and the other slice of cheese atop the bread. Place the other piece of bread on top, butter-side-up.
  5. Let sandwich cook slowly until it reaches desired toastiness and meltiness. (Don’t cook it too fast/hot or the toastiness-to-meltiness ratio will be off.)
  6. Plate finished sandwich and put remaining pickles on top for extra fanciness.

Babble:

Sometimes I put random stuff on grilled cheeses just to see what happens.

I also post photos of these concoctions on Facebook because I’m a Millennial and you can’t be a Millennial without posting pictures of your food, it’s the rules.

Anyway, I became mildly Facebook famous for my grilled cheese posts, to the point where people text Jacob asking when the next grilled cheese post is going to happen, so I figured I should share them here, too.

This concoction happened because Jacob will eat just about anything with dill pickles on it, and there were just a few pickles left in our latest jar, so I figured I’d see how they went in a grilled cheese.

They go awesomely with cheddar cheese, it turns out, so now this sandwich is a regular on Grilled Cheese Night.

TONIGHT! Q and A with Shami Stovall, author of the FRITH CHRONICLES

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Q and A with Shami Stovall, author of the FRITH CHRONICLES

Wednesday, October 9th @ 8pm EST

H.P. Holo/Edie Skye chats with author Shami Stovall about the Pokemon-meets-Harry Potter fantasy adventure of the FRITH CHRONICLES!

Enter to win a signed copy of KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST here: https://forms.gle/GjvQ28K6BkV9rmNe7

Support the Special Bestiary Edition (Books 3-4) Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authorshamistovall/special-bestiary-edition-of-the-frith-chronicles-books-3-4

Read the FRITH CHRONICLES here: https://amzn.to/4eGKnY8

Visit Shami’s Website Here: https://sastovallauthor.com/

WATCH ON YOUTUBE
WATCH ON FACEBOOK
WATCH ON TWITTER/X

***

SUPPORT THE SPECIAL BESTIARY EDITION (Books 3-4) HERE

What are the Frith Chronicles, you might ask?

I like to tell people they’re “Harry Potter meets Pokémon”—an epic fantasy tale of bonding with mystical creatures. The creature a person bonds with will determine the magics they gain.

Volke Savan, the main character, starts out on his small home island. If he can bond with a mystical creature, he can become an arcanist, and then he can finally leave and explore the world like he always wanted.

Unfortunately, there is a magical plague that warps creatures into monstrous versions of themselves… And Volke finds himself in the thick of it. Adventure ensues!

Fun fact, true fact: Every creature in the Frith Chronicles has unique magics they grant their arcanist upon bonding. The arcanist trains to improve their magic and grow their power.

(Plus every creature can “evolve” into their true form, gaining a new, powerful ability, so the fun of the adventure is just beginning!)

***

OBLIGATORY SELF-PROMO:

Visit Jacob & H.P.’s Website Here: https://holowriting.com/
Visit Edie’s Website Here: https://edieskye.com/
Buy Our Stuff Here so We Can Give Dazzle a Good Life: https://store.holowriting.com/

***

Support the podcast (and/or buy Dazzle treats) at …

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/holowriting
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/holowriting

TONIGHT! Jacob and H.P. Just Talk About … Freelancers of Neptune (Sol Blazers #1)

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Jacob and H.P. Just Talk About … Freelancers of Neptune (Sol Blazers #1)

Saturday, October 5th @ 8pm EST

Hey, y’all! We’re Jacob & H.P. Holo(/Edie Skye), and we write action-packed sci-fi & fantasy with a dash of crazy. (Or in Edie’s case, an entire spice rack of crazy.)

Welcome to our monthly(ish) series, wherein we just talk about stuff – the topic of the day, but also whatever we’re up to in writing and life.

Today we’re talking about Jacob’s latest space opera action adventure with cat girls, space pirates, and sentient coffee trees, FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE (Sol Blazers #1)! Published by Baen Books.

(Also there will probably be Dazzle.)

Read FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE Here: https://amzn.to/3TYRdjB

Claim your FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE Launch Swag Here: https://forms.gle/J8tCWwrbVGXygJbz7

Enter to win a copy of FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE Here: https://forms.gle/DtSHJFuK6odv1eNk7

WATCH ON YOUTUBE
WATCH ON FACEBOOK
WATCH ON TWITTER/X

***

Freelancers of Neptune Book Cover

All he wanted was a simple job to make ends meet. What he got was a mysterious cat girl, a shot at a hoard of treasure, and a whole lot of trouble.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE!

In the far distant future, Saturn’s rings are gone, Mercury is a gas giant, and Earth is remembered only as a unit of measure. Nearly godlike AIs reshaped the Solar System in eons past, but they too are now nothing more than a fading memory.

Captain Nathaniel Kade cares for none of that. He’s but a simple freelancer from the orbital ring of Neptune, struggling to make ends meet and to keep his understaffed spaceship from falling apart. All he wants is a decent, uneventful job to help put his finances back in order.

What he receives instead is Vessani S’Kaari, a mysterious and beautiful cat girl who tried—and failed—to steal a ship belonging to a band of space pirates. Vessani’s in over her head and is clearly more trouble than she’s worth, but she also has a lead on what may be the greatest treasure trove of lost technology the Solar System has ever seen.

Nathan pulls her butt out of the fire, and together they begin to assemble a team to seek out this long-lost bounty. But other interested parties have their eyes on the same prize; the Jovian Everlife has dispatched a fleet of warships with one of their elite, many-bodied agents in command, and he’d like a few words with Nathan and his new crewmember.

***

OBLIGATORY SELF-PROMO:


Find Jacob’s Baen Books Here: https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/4971
Visit Jacob & H.P.’s Website Here: https://holowriting.com/
Visit Edie’s Website Here: https://edieskye.com/
Buy Our Stuff Here so We Can Give Dazzle a Good Life: https://store.holowriting.com/

***

Support the podcast (and/or buy Dazzle treats) at …

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/holowriting
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/holowriting

Freelancers of Neptune (Sol Blazers #1) is Out Today! :D

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Freelancers of Neptune Book Cover

Freelancers of Neptune

Sol Blazers #1

by Jacob Holo

Published by Baen Books

***

All he wanted was a simple job to make ends meet. What he got was a mysterious cat girl, a shot at a hoard of treasure, and a whole lot of trouble.

The Solar System ain’t what it used to be!

In the far distant future, Saturn’s rings are gone, Mercury is a gas giant, and Earth is remembered only as a unit of measure. Nearly godlike AIs reshaped the Solar System in eons past, but they too are now nothing more than a fading memory.

Captain Nathaniel Kade cares for none of that. He’s but a simple freelancer from the orbital ring of Neptune, struggling to make ends meet and to keep his understaffed spaceship from falling apart. All he wants is a decent, uneventful job to help put his finances back in order.

What he receives instead is Vessani S’Kaari, a mysterious and beautiful cat girl who tried—and failed—to steal a ship belonging to a band of space pirates. Vessani’s in over her head and is clearly more trouble than she’s worth, but she also has a lead on what may be the greatest treasure trove of lost technology the Solar System has ever seen.

Nathan pulls her butt out of the fire, and together they begin to assemble a team to seek out this long-lost bounty. But other interested parties have their eyes on the same prize; the Jovian Everlife has dispatched a fleet of warships with one of their elite, many-bodied agents in command, and he’d like a few words with Nathan and his new crewmember.

READ FREELANCERS OF NEPTUNE HERE
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