• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Holo Writing

Authors Jacob & H.P. Holo

  • Home
  • Books
    • Gordian Division
    • Monster Punk Horizon
    • Seraphim Revival
    • Monster Girl Tamer
    • Freelancers of Neptune
  • Audiobooks
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Appearances
  • Free Book

The Valkyrie Protocol

Amazon’s running a sweet sale on Gordian Division hardbacks!

August 4, 2024 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, y’all! 😃 I was bumbling around Amazon, as I do, and discovered that the Big River Site’s running a pretty sweet sale on Gordian Division hardbacks right now. 😮

Seriously, The Janus File is as low as 42% OFF. 😲😲😲

That said, if discounts on hardbacks are your thing, hop on over to Amazon and grab’ em while they’re hot. šŸ˜„ (Especially since we have no idea how long this sale’s going to last.)

The Gordian Protocol Book Cover

GRAB 35% OFF THE GORDIAN PROTOCOL

GRAB 11% OFF THE VALKYRIE PROTOCOL

GRAB 42% OFF THE JANUS FILE

The Weltall File Book Cover

GRAB 40% OFF THE WELTALL FILE

GRAB 22% OFF THE DYSON FILE (PAPERBACK ONLY)

GRAB 21% OFF THE THERMOPYLAE PROTOCOL

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: David Weber, gordian division, Jacob Holo, Science Fiction, The Dyson File, The Gordian Protocol, The Janus File, The Thermopylae Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol, The Weltall File

Adventures in Co-Authoring with a Sci-Fi Legend: Origins – Act III: Collaborations

February 6, 2022 by holojacob Leave a Comment

The Gordian Protocol Book Cover
The Gordian Protocol, my first collaboration with David.

Catch up on Act II here!

Act III: Collaborations

Naturally, being an author (a nobody indie author, but an author nonetheless), the concept of writing a novel with David Weber had crossed my mind. David is, after all, not only a prolific author, but a prolific collaborator as well.

I had given David some of my books at that first lunch, more out of courtesy than anything else, fully expecting them not to ever be read.

But he did read them.

Between those reads and our general discussions about writing, sci-fi, and science in general, David must have been impressed by something—because one day he asked me if I’d like to write a short story in an upcoming anthology set in one of his universes.

Ultimately, that anthology never came to fruition, but I still wrote the story, and in the process worked closely with David on both the details of the setting and how to improve my own writing. It was a very short piece, but David is an author who gets into granular detail both in the content and the execution, and the lessons about craft that I learned from this short piece and short interaction alone were priceless.

But, in retrospect, the experience also showed David what I was like to work with on a writing project, which ended up being more relevant than I ever expected.

As mentioned before, the first thing you learn about David when you meet him is that he’s intensely personable—he loves to talk and interact with people, whether they’re fans or not, and he likes to pay his tremendous success forward when he can. One way he does this is to find promising new authors to take under his wing—to teach them the intricacies of the writing craft that one can only get from someone who’s been writing for over thirty years. Part of the reason for this is practical—it brings new blood into sci-fi publishing and gives those authors a valuable chance to refine their skills—but most of the reason is that David enjoys doing it. Moreover, he enjoys playing to his co-authors’ strengths, too; he chooses co-authors who bring something to the project that he can’t (or at the very least, is less qualified than the co-author to do).

I occasionally see it said that David’s just slapping his name on new authors’ work to help it sell, and while that’s definitely true for some authors, it couldn’t be further from the truth for David. For new authors, writing with David is akin to an apprenticeship, and David’s fingerprints are all over those books whether it’s obvious or not.

All this to say, when David worked with me on that one short story, whether either of us were conscious of it at the time or not, certain mental seeds had been planted.

These seeds would not come to fruition until 2016. Around that time, I’d submitted a manuscript to Baen Books (the same one I’d been working on back when H.P. was recovering from cancer). It had been well-received, but was rejected with a list of fixes that would make it more appealing upon re-submission.

One night, all four of us went out for H.P.’s birthday, and I asked David if he’d mind reading my manuscript and providing more detailed feedback than what I’d received from the publisher.

David considered the idea … but then his eyes gleamed with what I could only think of at the time as gleeful mischief.

That’s when he hit me with it: ā€œWhy don’t we write a book together?ā€

I skipped dessert that night, in part because I was so excited I thought I might throw up.

David also had a specific story in mind for our collaboration. You see, fairly early in his writing career, David had submitted ten series proposals to Baen Books. Among these was Honor Harrington—the one Jim Baen selected—but down the list was an alternate history time travel story with a heavy amount of moral complexity. As time went on, other books and series took precedent, but that concept still lurked in the back of his mind, waiting for just the right circumstances.

Never mind that I once promised myself I’d never—ever—write a time travel novel. Good time travel is hard to write, and there’s endless potential for messiness and inadvertent plot holes.

But when David Weber asked me to design multiple 30th century societies along with their time travel tech, I decided to … reevaluate my earlier ā€œpromiseā€ to myself.

The concept that eventually became The Gordian Protocol appealed to David as a collaboration because he’d wanted the novel to be not only alternate history, but for the worldbuilding to have a distinct feel from his other series. David could—and did—handle the historical elements effortlessly. The engineering challenges of the setting, he left almost entirely in my court.

And speaking of history, the rest is history. The Gordian Protocol came out in 2019, and its sequel, The Valkyrie Protocol, followed in 2020. And we have an exciting future planned for the series, including another four books under contract (three collaborations and one solo novel from yours truly).

The Janus File (coming later this year from Baen Books) takes the Gordian multiverse in a less … universe-exploding direction. (David decided that I’d blown up too many universes over the first two books and recommended we tone it down a bit.) Instead, we start off with a good, old fashioned murder mystery.

It was supposed to be a routine trip for the Gordian Division. Fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back.

But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper ā€œlaw enforcementā€ involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely.

Despite his objections, he’s stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need.

But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved.

Not even time itself.

Tweet

The exact release date is still TBA, but until then, you can enjoy the cover art, which has already been produced by the amazing Kurt Miller.

The Janus File Cover Art by Kurt Miller
The Janus File cover art by Kurt Miller.

All this to say, I never expected a chance encounter at a small convention book signing to have such wild and exciting results—and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.

I’m also enormously grateful to David himself for taking a chance on a little no-name indie author. And I’d also be remiss if I didn’t say: I’m truly thankful to my lovely wife, for brightening my life in so many ways.

Even if I still don’t understand the whole cabin fever thing.

Filed Under: Adventures Tagged With: baen books, David Weber, Jacob Holo, Kurt Miller, Science Fiction, The Gordian Protocol, The Janus File, The Valkyrie Protocol, time travel

The Valkyrie Protocol is now available in audio!

June 6, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

It’s turning out to be a good summer for audiobooks – especially for our Gordian Division fans. šŸ˜€

This one came as a surprise to even us! 😮 But after a long wait, the audiobook version ofĀ The Valkyrie ProtocolĀ (Gordian Division #2)Ā (once again published by Baen Books and narrated by the excellentĀ Gabriel Vaughan) is finally out and ready to entertain your eager ears.Ā šŸ˜„

We’re excited to finally tell you about it, and hope you find it worth the wait! 😊

You can currently find it on:

AUDIBLE
AMAZON AUDIO

Also, if you haven’t yet started yourĀ adventures through time and alternate history,Ā The Gordian ProtocolĀ (Gordian Division #1)Ā is out and ready for the listening on:

AUDIBLE
AMAZON AUDIO

Enjoy! šŸ˜„

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Alternate History, Alternative History, Amazon Audio, Audible, audible exclusive, audiobook, audiobooks, baen books, David Weber, Hard Sci Fi, Hard Science Fiction, Jacob Holo, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, The Gordian Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol, time travel, time travelers

Vote for The Valkyrie Protocol in The Dragon Awards!

June 3, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, readers! If you’re a fan of things and like to wield your fan power in fun ways, then let me introduce you to The Dragon Awards.

Hosted by Dragon Con, The Dragon Awards are annual awards given to the year’s best in science fiction and fantasy entertainment – that’s books, movies, television, comics, the whole shebang.

What makes them stand out from other awards of their ilk? They’re entirely decided by you, the fans. šŸ˜€Ā You don’t even have to have a Dragon Con membership to vote!

That said, The Dragon Awards nomination period is open now and will run through July 19th, 2021, but the earlier you get your nominations in, the better.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Jacob and David’s The Valkyrie Protocol is eligible this year for Best Alternate History Novel. šŸ˜‰ *wink wink*

To submit your choices, visit this page on the Dragon Con website before July 19th.

Remember, nominations need to have been released between July 1st, 2020 and June 30th, 2021, and you can only nominate a title in one category. (If you nominate it in multiple categories, then all are rejected. 😧)

The Valkyrie Protocol aside šŸ˜‰, what are you voting for this year?

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Alternate History, Alternative History, awards, baen books, book award nominations, book awards, David Weber, dragon awards, dragon awards nominations, Dragon Con, Jacob Holo, nominations, the dragon awards, The Valkyrie Protocol, time travel, time travelers, valkyrie protocol

David Weber and Jacob on the Baen Free Radio Hour!

October 28, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

It’s time for another Valkyrie Protocol interview! šŸ˜€

This time, David and Jacob chat with Baen Books editor Tony Daniel over on the Baen Free Radio Hour. The YouTube link is embedded below, but if you’d like to listen to the podcast version, you can find it here (or wherever you download your favorite podcasts)! šŸ˜„

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: baen books, Baen Free Radio Hour, David Weber, Jacob Holo, Podcasts, Sci-fi Podcast, The Valkyrie Protocol, Tony Daniel

David and Jacob chat the Gordian Division series at ROFCon!

October 11, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

If you were at the first virtual ROFCon this weekend, you were treated to a whole bunch of sci-fi and fantasy authors doing what they do best (well, other than writing that is šŸ˜‰) – including David and Jacob chatting about the Gordian Division series.

If not, it’s archived below for your viewing pleasure! šŸ˜„

And there’s plenty more where that came from! If you need to scratch that con itch, go check out the Ring of Fire Press channel on YouTube for a collection of panel videos from the con! šŸ˜€

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Con Panels, David Weber, eric flint, gordian division, Gordian Division series, Jacob Holo, Panels, ring of fire, ring of fire con, rofcon, The Gordian Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol

David Weber and Jacob are coming up on Publishers Weekly’s Books on Tap Live!

September 26, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Publisher's Weekly presents Books on Tap Live: An Author Event Series

Rejoice, Gordian Division fans, for there’s another live stream in your future! šŸ˜€

On Wednesday, October 7th @ 4pm EST, David and Jacob will chat The Valkyrie Protocol on Publishers Weekly‘s author event series Books on Tap Live! If you’re up for a chill evening hanging out with authors through the magic of the Internet, check it out on Facebook, YouTube, or the official Books on Tap Live page.

You can also enter to win a signed copy of The Valkyrie Protocol – and, while you’re at it, submit questions for Publishers Weekly to ask David and Jacob!

If that’s your style, click here or on the image below for more information. We hope to hear from you! 😊

***

UPDATE: Here’s the archived video! šŸ˜€

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Author Interview, baen books, books on tap, books on tap live, David Weber, Gordian Division series, Jacob Holo, Publisher's Weekly, The Gordian Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol, time machine, time machines, time travel, time travel rules, time travelers

David Weber and Jacob talk The Valkyrie Protocol on the Weberverse!

September 22, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Here’s even more from The Weberverse! This time, David and Jacob chat The Valkyrie Protocol together, from how the whole adventure started to the details of the writing process.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Baen, baen books, Collaboration, David Weber, Jacob Holo, military sci fi, multiverse, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, The Gordian Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol, time machine, time machines, time travel, time travelers

David Weber talks The Valkyrie Protocol!

July 17, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Valkyrie Facebook Cover Photo
Here’s more from The Weberverse! This time David talks the process of collaborating with Jacob, creating time travel rules, creating (and destroying) entire parallel universes, and other such fun whatnot in The Valkyrie Protocol. šŸ˜„ Check it out below or watch it on YouTube!

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Antioch, baen books, Belisarius, Byzantine, Byzantium, child universe, Collaboration, Constantinople, David Weber, Jacob Holo, Library of Alexandria, Parallel Universes, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, The Valkyrie Protocol, time machine, time machines, time travel, time travel rules

David Weber reads from The Valkyrie Protocol!

July 13, 2020 by hpholo 2 Comments

Valkyrie Facebook Cover Photo
Hey, Gordian Division fans! If you’re on YouTube and would like a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel to The Gordian Protocol, head on over to The Weberverse for David’s reading of The Valkyrie Protocol, Chapter 1! šŸ˜„
…Or you could just watch it below. 😜 (And don’t forget, it’s coming October 6th, 2020 from Baen Books!)

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Alternate History, Alternative History, Baen, baen books, David Weber, reading, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, The Valkyrie Protocol, time machine, time machines, time travel, time travelers, Weberverse, YouTube

The Valkyrie Protocol eARC is out!

July 6, 2020 by hpholo

Valkyrie Facebook Cover Photo
Hey, readers! Last month, we turned in our final copyedits for Jacob and David Weber‘s next book, and as of today, we’re exactly three months away from the release of The Valkyrie Protocol. šŸ˜€
However, if you just can’t wait to experience the second book in the Gordian Division series, you’ll be delighted to know that the eARC is now available on Baen Books’ website!
eARCs are pre-release copies of books that haven’t undergone their final edit – They’re the copies we just finished copyediting – so they lack the refined polish of a finished book. They have the heart of it, though! 😊
First time hearing of this sequel? Well, read on to find out more!

UNTANGLE THE PAST TO SAVE THE FUTURE. A NEW NOVEL IN THE WORLD OF THE BEST-SELLING THE GORDIAN PROTOCOL
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
Agent Raibert Kaminski and the crew of the Transtemporal VehicleĀ KleioĀ have made a shocking discovery out in the unknown reaches of the multiverse. They’ve stumbled across a temporal implosion that has claimed two whole universes, and neither Raibert nor his crew can figure out what caused this calamity other than it had something to do with reckless time travel.
TheĀ KleioĀ speeds back to their home universe of SysGov with this dire report, but an audacious plan is put into effect before they arrive. Old colleagues of Raibert’s from the Antiquities Rescue Trust, together with a version of Samuel Pepys transplanted from the 17thĀ century into the 30th, have proposed an expedition into the past. Their goal? To branch the timeline by preventing the Plague of Justinian, one of the worst pandemics in human history.
Meanwhile, SysGov’s multiverse neighbor, the xenophobic Admin, is stirring. While their ambassadors put on a friendly show, the Admin isĀ amassing a fleet of advanced, heavily armed time machines with SysGov firmly inĀ the crosshairs.
Time is running out for Raibert and his team. But the crew of theĀ Kleio won’t go down without a fight, no matter where—or when—the threat to their home comes from.

The hardcover is already up for preorder at multiple retailers, and if you need to catch up, The Gordian Protocol (Gordian Division #1) is out in eBook, hardcover, audio, and mass market paperback.
Otherwise, don’t forget to mark your calendars for October 6th, 2020! šŸ˜€

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Alternate History, Alternative History, Baen, baen books, Book 2, Byzantine, Byzantium, David Weber, Emperor Justinian, epidemic, Gordian Division series, Jacob Holo, Justinian, multiverse, pandemic, plague, Plague of Justinian, Samuel Pepys, Sequel, series, The Valkyrie Protocol, time machines, time travel

The Valkyrie Protocol has a Release Date!

April 9, 2020 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Valkyrie Facebook Cover Photo
Hey, readers! The sequel to The Gordian Protocol now has a release date, and as you can see above, it’s coming October 6, 2020 from Baen Books! šŸ˜€ Check out this awesome cover:
thevalkyrieprotocolcover
The stakes for our heroes were pretty high in Gordian, and now, in The Valkyrie Protocol, they haven’t gotten any smaller:

UNTANGLE THE PAST TO SAVE THE FUTURE.
Agent Raibert Kaminski and the crew of the Transtemporal VehicleĀ KleioĀ have made a shocking discovery out in the unknown reaches of the multiverse. They’ve stumbled across a temporal implosion that has claimed two whole universes, and neither Raibert nor his crew can figure out what caused this calamity other than it had something to do with reckless time travel.
TheĀ KleioĀ speeds back to their home universe of SysGov with this dire report, but an audacious plan is put into effect before they arrive. Old colleagues of Raibert’s from the Antiquities Rescue Trust, together with a version of Samuel Pepys transplanted from the 17thĀ century into the 30th, have proposed an expedition into the past. Their goal? To branch the timeline by preventing the Plague of Justinian, one of the worst pandemics in human history.
Meanwhile, SysGov’s multiverse neighbor, the xenophobic Admin, is stirring. While their ambassadors put on a friendly show, the Admin isĀ amassing a fleet of advanced, heavily armed time machines with SysGov firmly inĀ the crosshairs.
Time is running out for Raibert and his team. But the crew of theĀ Kleio won’t go down without a fight, no matter where—or when—the threat to their home comes from.

If you haven’t started the Gordian series yet, now’s the perfect time to catch up. šŸ˜€
For a limited time, The Gordian Protocol is available in a discounted pack in Baen Books’ May 2020 Book Bundle, where you can snag 7 books for $18 (Scroll to the bottom of the link to find the May bundle, but go fast, because it expires the first week of May).
It’s also coming April 28th in Mass Market Paperback, and of course, is already available in eBook, Hardback, and Audiobook form.
Finally, while you wait for Valkyrie‘s book birthday, enjoy this clean art of this cover, once again illustrated by the talented Dave Seeley! 😲
valkyrie
Jacob and David had a blast writing this novel together, and we look forward to you reading it, too! 😁

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Alternate History, Alternative History, Baen, baen books, coming soon, David Weber, Fall 2020 Books, Jacob Holo, Parallel Universes, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, The Gordian Protocol, The Valkyrie Protocol, time travel, Upcoming Books

Footer

Grab Some Free Books!

Thanks for swinging by our humble corner of the Internet. If this is your first time visiting our site – here, sign up and have some free reads on us!

Sign Up Now!

Copyright © 2025 Ā· Powered by ModFarm Ā· Log in

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Accept