Course work and Nocturne’s ending
Physically and mentally knackered. That’s pretty much what I’m going with if anyone asks me how I’m feeling right now.
I went on a training course last week. It’s probably the toughest thing, professionally speaking, that I’ve ever had to do. We’re talking sixteen hour days, unrelenting pressure and a constantly changing brief.
Consider then that after said course of doom (which, in retrospect was awesome and I honestly think has changed me as a human fricking being – and I’m usually very cynical about this kind of stuff) I managed to put the finishing touches to Nocturne and I’ve had a pretty good week.
I’m still spellchecking the manuscript on my new netbook (had to fork out for this when bastard, f*!king trojan virus put the kibosh on my old one – I’d love to string that particular little scumbag hacker up by the balls but hey-ho, I’m over it) but it’s pretty much there. I wish I had an extra week to go over it some more but I’ve been reading and honing as I went along and now I just want to hand this mutha in to my editor. Christian will be pleased/relieved I think.
With the completion of Nocturne it brings the Tome of Fire to a triumphant but slightly sad end. These books have been part of my life for well over three years and Salamander (the first book in the series) launched my Black Library career in a way I could never have expected or dreamed (7th printing and counting…). During that time, I’ve seen relationships end (some longer than others) and weathered an emotional storm that threatened to derail the whole thing. I’ve had doubts, the odd crisis of purpose and confidence but I’ve come through and this is the culmination. It may only be a tie-in fiction line but it has meaning for me, this story. It’s the saga that I always wanted to tell and I’ve grown as a writer during the telling of it.
Don’t worry if you’re a fan as I’ll be returning to the Salamanders again. From the Chapter that nobody wanted, they’ve suddenly become the one that everyone wants to read about and that’s extremely gratifying. I want to go back to the Horus Heresy with them next and write a novel to follow up on Promethean Sun. It feels like a natural step and a good fit to do that. I have a plot in mind and signs are positive that I’ll get to write it. More on that at another juncture, though.
For now, I’d like to focus on Nocturne and a collective body of work (including short stories and the like) that spans well over 350,000 words. Pretty good going, I think. When I’ve written a million words on the Salamanders, I might stop then but who knows. Another trilogy is to come for sure, and I have a mind to write a Space Marine Battles novel that ties-in and maybe even a prequel novel if I can convince Christian to let me write it.
I want to say thank you. I want to pass on my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has discussed the novels and the Chapter with me over the years, that has passed on their encouragement and kind wishes, their comments and enthusiasm, their knowledge. You are all part of the reason I finished this trilogy and without wanting to go into Oscar-mode, I just want to say: ”preciate it’.
Nocturne is released at Games Day this year a couple of months before it’s official release in November. I’ll be doing a bunch of signings for it but dates and locations are still tbc.
So, a tiring but productive week.
Easy now.
Nick Kyme is an editor and author who originally hails from Grimsby, a small town on the east coast of England.
June 19th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Congratulations on completing your magnum opus! Spoil yourself – take a week off writing.
June 20th, 2011 at 6:49 am
Congratulations. I am very glad to hear this and I can’t express how eager I am to get my fingers on this… I might even go to Games Day, just to buy it, if I can in any way arrange it jobwise.
Slightly sad end? Considering that Salamanders ended on an incredibly bleak note, I take that to be a hopeful sign…
Again, congratulations and have a party.
Greetings
Lil
June 20th, 2011 at 7:15 am
Awesome news man! I knew you’d get there in the end and I can’t wait to learn what happens to Tsu’gan. Now you’ve got some time on your hands to play the likes of Shadows of the Damned! Imagine if Tarantino had done Dante’s Inferno (the game, not the book). Get some rest dude – you know you’ve earned it.
June 20th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Grats from down under mate! can’t wait to finish reading the journey I started on my honeymoon back in January 2011! I was on one of the very volcanic islands of Hawaii, a very fitting location reading about thefireborn
now the trick is to convince someone to hunt a copy down early at games day over there in the UK. Keep writing em and I’ll keep readin em!
June 20th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
While im glad to hear your finally defeated the beast that is Nocturne, so i can get my hands on it. Im a little bit sad as it brings an end to the Salamander novels for the time being. But i cant thank you enough Nick for bringing some light to my chapter and showing the world how awesome the fireborn are! Now i can only hope that you’ll turn back to the warhammer and write another great dwarf novel, maybe even the War Of Vengence!!! cause i do hate elfs. Thx again Nick for the Tome of fire novels/shorts/audio and Promethean sun! And i’ll be sure to see u at games day to get Nocturne signed. GLORY TO VULKAN!!!!
June 21st, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Nick, awesome job. Huzzah for sticking it out and learning more about yourself in the bargain. In the flames of battle are we refined, made pure.
Obviously we, the fans, are ecstatic at the conclusion of this collected work but we too feel remorse at the story’s ending. It’s been one hell of a ride.
Here’s to shaking your hand at Chicago Games Day, and humbly requesting your signature.
Maybe I’ll bring my Salamanders army and show you Chaplain N’Kym, the main HQ choice for my army. He rockets into battle alongside Vargo and Naveem, wielding Crozius and plasma pistol with righteous fury!
Well done, sir. Well done.
June 22nd, 2011 at 2:01 pm
hey Nick, I need to speak to you, I have been a big admirer of your work and finally decided to write a book of my own. it is based around Tu’shan but I might need your permission to use a couple of names and such.
I know it is a long shot but if I can contact you easier I can keep you up to date on my progress and maybe run a couple of ideas by you, I know you are busy finishing nocturne but any help you could give would give me a leg up on trying to complete my first book.
sorry this has nothing to do with this post but couldn’t find another way to contact you.
Rob.
June 24th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Just picked up the new hammer and bolter issue! There is an advertisement for a
The audio drama Vulcans Shield coming at the end of July! Keep em coming mate!
June 25th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Just like to say I loved Promethean Sun. Loved it.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:43 am
Glad you finally made it, congrats. Am happy that in the end you became the guy writing about the Salamanders and I am looking forward to the conclusion of Tome of Fire. It´s been a nail biter till now and I am sure the ending will be awesome.
Maybe you´ll do a “battles” novel in the future with the Salamanders, maybe armagheddon will be the setting, who knows, just glad we have authors of your caliber out there.
June 30th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
i am glad it will be prereleased on games days, coz i have ticket, i still have hope to see you at GD germany!
if you do show up there could you try to convince the black library guys to bring some copies of your necromunda novel, coz they are pretty hard to get here in germany! :/
btw i would really like to see a SMB about the salamanders… so please try to convince your editor.
July 4th, 2011 at 8:12 am
Hoping to make it to GD this year
Will definitely be picking up Nocturne and PS if I can get it!
Salamanders rock! Grats on finishing the trilogy. You mentioned you already had some ideas for more Salamanders stories so I wanted to ask:
Have you thought about writing something with Vulkan He’Stan and his quest to find Vulkan’s scattered relics? Perhaps it could be an SMB novel too!
/cheers
July 8th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
And I’ve just seen the ad for your audio drama Vulkan’s Shield. Has any BL author written more audio dramas than you?
July 8th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
A quick thumbnail survey suggests that Vulkan’s Shield puts Nick on level pegging with previous front runner James Swallow, both having now had three published. In joint second place are Steve Lyons and Gav Thorpe with two each, followed by Nathan Long, George Mann, Sandy Mitchell and Aaron Dembski-Bowden who’ve each written just one. I’ve excluded Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill’s split The Dark King and The Lightning Tower audio drama since it was originally published elsewhere rather than being purpose-written for audio.
July 11th, 2011 at 10:35 am
Vulkan’s Shield is up for pre-order on the Black Library website! Now I wait for the 22/7, looking forward to it Nick
July 13th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
hi nick, just seen pic of the games day anthology and i spotted your name on it under Emperor’s Deliverance. So congrates and i hope to get a copy
July 17th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Congratulations Nick. I am really looking forward to seeing more Salamanders novels.Been following your work ever since Salamander was realeased. Was wondering when you do the HH novel. If we’ll get another snippet of the Salamanders on Isstavan4?
July 21st, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Nick, cheers for highlighting the actions of the Sallies so vividly and entertainingly, for the last few years. You’re wrong though, when you say they were the chapter no one wanted. Salamanders have always been popular with players of 40K, people like me that fell in love with the whole Promethean, volcanic thing they do so well! The last Marines codex made them even more popular with the addition of Vulkan He’stan, and his special rules for “releasing their flavour” even more by taking Melta/flamer weaponry and hammers. You’ve continued the upward trend by writing stonking, stirring stuff, and long may it continue.
Rob.
PS, When I first heard the title of Promethean Sun, I thought you’d included my poem…….(Promethean Son)!!!!
July 28th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
I just wanted to say that I’m eagerly looking forward to Nocturne. Something tells me I’m going to shed a few tears at the end of the book. I absolutely love your Salamander books and I’m happy to hear there will be more of them. I’m going to miss Dak’ir, Ba’ken, Tsu’Gan, Pyriel, Elysius and all the others.
October 22nd, 2011 at 1:47 am
Just picked up Nocturne and am looking forward to reading it! Have to finish the Dreadfleet novel first as I already started it though.
Thanks for the good reads!