This is really cool for me, since I lived in Burlington as a kid, and it’s where my love of reading and stories got started. Probably when my parents relented and took us to Star Wars at the old drive-in theater. 🙂
I’m honored by Christopher for offering me the opportunity to sign in Burlington, and I’m looking forward to see you. If you’re in the area and want to catch up, get a signed copy of something, or hang out and get some new books, please do.
Clearly, this is a big event for me. Going back to my starting point is a huge move, and it’s connecting with another big change to my writing career: I’m setting up a publishing company! More on that once I’ve got some details nailed down.
Thanks for all of your support that’s helped me get this far!
Ho ho… oh hell!Is that sleigh bells ringing in your ears or a few rounds from an M60?
You wanted the jolly fat man to bring Yuletide joy, but the season has gifted you with a heart breaker and a life taker — Badass Santa.
Grab your eggnog and camouflage candy canes, strap on your bulletproof holiday stockings, and prepare for thrills and kills.
From blood-stained rebellion at the north pole to a black ops raid on a distant planet, these eighteen action-packed tales will show you Saint Nick as you’ve never seen him before.
This anthology includes my Phoebe the Tank story “Operation Sleigh Ride” where Pheobe, Santa Claus and a hacker take on human traffickers during a Christmas Eve truce.
So, I’ve been working to get my books into indie book stores around Iowa. If you want to pick up signed copies of my books, they’re available at these great places!
I lived in Burlington, Iowa as a kid, so I’m very pleased that the Burlington By The Book was willing to host my books. It’s definitely cool to have my books available in a place I lived, and where I first saw Star Wars (I watched A New Hope at the drive thru theater).
This was my first stop on my birthday book store run back in October. The folks at 2 Sisters are amazing, and were happy to work with an indie author. They also work with other local authors and have a whole store beyond just books. If you’re looking for a great book and other gifts, they’ve got what you’re looking for!
Beaverdale Books is a great book shop in the Beaverdale area of Des Moines. Along with a wide variety of books in every category, they support a lot of indie authors. So if you’re in the Des Moines area, swing through and check them out!
I stopped in here on my daughter’s recommendation and it was worth the time. The Captain is a great guy and full of both fun stories and knowledge. With a collection of indie authors and collectable books, you’ll find something at Captain’s, whether it’s the book you’ve long sought or a fun story!
If you can get to Indianola, please take a bit of time. It’s a neat town near Des Moines. Pageturner is a great book store. They have a wide variety of books in both fiction and non-fiction, with a healthy science fiction section and they support a lot of us in the indie author community. So, if you get a chance, check them out!
Pella Books is a great place I found shortly after we moved to Pella. They’re a used book store, and they’ve been very supportive of indie authors! Since they’re an indie book store, it’s been a great relationship! Check it out, and wander about a little, since the building was originally a church and has a historic marker. After you buy some books, wander over to a local bakery and get some Dutch Letters or other baked goods, and maybe stop for a meal at one of the down town restaurants!
If you can’t make it to these fine establishments and are still looking for my books, slip over to my bookshelf page where you can link to the stories directly, or email me at Keith@keithhedger.com if you want a signed copy directly from me!
People assume chaos is loud — all noise and motion. For me, it’s quieter. It slips in when I’m not paying attention. Thoughts wander even when my body sits still. ADHD, the inattentive kind, isn’t about bouncing off walls. It’s more like autumn leaves drifting — beautiful, scattered, and hard to catch.
That’s why I need discipline. My lifeline. I need a to-do list for everything I have to accomplish. But when it comes to fiction, I can only handle the barest outlines. Anything more and the story stops moving.
Structure doesn’t control creativity — it allows it to exist. Routines, notes, reminders, lists… they hold ideas long enough for me to catch them. Without them, stories would stay half-formed sparks. And trust me, I have folders full of those sparks — abandoned beginnings, floating ideas, paragraphs that may never see the light of day. The stories that do get out into the world? They’re the ones where I’ve found a discipline that works for me.
And my characters? They live in the same tension. Some are loud and reckless. Some are quiet and careful. All of them balance acting in the moment with preparing for what comes next.
I’m drawn to rogues, mercenaries, and antiheroes not because they’re reckless, but because they push against systems that don’t fit them. They break rules, but with purpose. They stumble, adapt, improvise — not out of chaos, but because they notice angles most people miss.
Quiet sparks that start rebellions have always been more compelling to me than loud, immediate defiance.
My protagonists don’t roar; they smolder. They slip past obstacles, question authority, and do the right thing even when it means stepping outside the lines. Maybe that resonates because my mind works the same way — wandering, curious, always searching for the meaningful threads beneath the surface distractions.
And then there’s Bad Karma. She dares and wins because she trains, reviews, and prepares to act in the moment — whatever the moment requires.
Discipline helps me catch those threads. Chaos helps me tug on them.
Writing, for me, is a balance: routines that ground me, paired with characters who remind me that coloring outside the lines is where truth hides. Structure and rebellion. That’s exactly where stories come alive.
If you’re drawn to characters who don’t fit neatly into boxes, who quietly bend the rules for the right reasons, who fight their battles in ways that aren’t always obvious… then you’re right at home here.
So, Nerd Nexus was a couple of weeks ago, and we had a great time! Along with numerous other authors, artists and various vendors, we met a lot of great people, made contacts with a bunch of other creatives, and got to hang out with Marines for a while.
Marines!
Recon Marines?
I even had swag to go with Tales of the E4 Mafia, thanks to Henchman Press!
We even did a panel on all the things we wished we’d known when we started. Four authors, each with different experiences and views on a great many things. The attendees seemed to get a lot out of it and had fun as well!
So, along with finding readers who enjoyed my stories, I met these great people:
There was a great bunch of people attending, some very cool cosplays, and con was well run and very supportive of the vendors and fans. They’re already planning for next year, and I fully plan to attend again!
Alright, I’ll admit that I’ve got a lot going on all at once. Maybe even too many things.
I’m editing one of my stories, Date Night, for submission to Bayonet Book’s Fields of Honor, an anthology about dueling as a theme. Yes, it is a romance story. Yes, it has duels. I know what I’m doing. At least I think I do.
I’m also editing stories for Tales of the E4 Mafia 2 and Butter Bars! Large and (not so) in Charge! anthologies for Henchman Press.
There’s also a short story I’m working on titled Ensign, about a recent graduate of a military academy who’s internship with a free marine battalion turned into a real life leadership course. Military fantasy for the win!
Last, I’m getting everything together for Nerd Nexus convention next week. I’ve got one more shipment of products coming and it’s just a trip to Nebraska and getting to know the Nebraska con scene! This should be a fun first time experience for me. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, finding some new fans and having fun at a cool new con!
On the positive side, I have plenty of coffee and my ADHD seems to be in a good place, because I’m getting things done.
Let me know what you’re interested in, and if you can make it to Nerd Nexus in Kearney, Nebraska next week end!
I’m waiting for edits on Date Night (a cyberpunk romance thriller) so I can submit it to an anthology.
I’m editing for Tales of the E4 Mafia 2 and Butter Bars! Large and (Not So) In Charge! anthologies.
So, of course, I’m writing a military fantasy story. It’s about an Ensign interning with a platoon of mercenary marine infantry dealing with what should be a raiding party in a small port village on the coast. Instead, he’s got heavily armed and armored hyena faced warriors who are far more capable. than a pirate or raider band would normally be.
And a they’ve killed the platoon’s lieutenant, so our unlucky ensign is the officer of the day whether he’s ready or not.
Here’s a snippet:
Marine Sergeant Othgrel Skullsplitter was less than pleased by her current assignment. It wasn’t trying to defend a coastal village against raiders. No, that was a normal tasking the 2nd Free Marine Battalion was hired for once or twice a month. her issue was coddling the ensign who was seconded to Lieutenant Hailt, the platoon leader. She wondered if Grem cared at all for her constant effort to grow stronger and prove her ability in war, to have let her get saddled with the just graduated cadet from Swentland’s Officer Training Academy.
“Ensign, please bring yourself over to me,” the gnome said, hearing the sounds of fighting somewhere to their left.
“Yes, sergeant,” the young man nodded and rushed toward her, his kit rattling as he approached.
“Need to lash that trash down, Ensign,” she gave him a sideways glance before leaning to the edge of the hut they were sheltering behind.
“Yes, Sergeant. Shouldn’t we be helping?” the ensign asked.
“No, sir. My job is keeping you alive through this,” Othgrel explained, “Let you get a look at the job before you get into the real.”
“I see. I should stay with you and observe while the platoon handles things. But I can’t see much from here.”
Oh, joy. He caught on, the sergeant thought, “Not to worry, Ensign. We’ll move in a moment to get you some sights.”
“You sound like you’ll enjoy that, Sergeant.”
“I will. Not sure you’ll enjoy it, Ensign.”
“That’s what I’m here to see,” the ensign shrugged, shifting his shield and sword.
“Well, let’s find out,” Othgrel grinned, leaned around the building and moved forward, sprinting to the edge of the hut. That gave her a view of the town’s square, where the platoon was battling some kind of troops.
These were supposed to be coastal raiders. What Othgrel saw were coherent troops moving against a solid squad of free marine infantry. Checking the field, Lieutenant Hailt stood behind the squad, his bow up, but otherwise doing his duty of directing the sergeants and marines. An arrow flew, he gave an order, and then released another arrow. One of the attackers fell out of the shield wall marching on her Marines.
Scanning the attackers for any kind of identifying marks, Othgrel felt the Ensign move up behind her, leaning over her. Ignoring the kid, she spotted another of the attackers across the square, stepping from behind a building and raising a crossbow. She stepped forward, raising her own bow, but she was a step too slow. They released their bolt, and stepped back. Glancing to the left, she saw the quarrel protruding from Hailt’s throat. The officer dropped his bow as blood spurted from the wound, and then he collapsed to one knee. The marines on the line held their place while another, Corporal Guidoft from the look, raced over.
Hopefully, I can get this story finished and out to the reading public soon!
I’m doing something new! I’ll have a vendor table at Nerd Nexus Con in Kearney, Nebraska on the 6th and 7th of September! Nerd Nexus is a new con, and I’m happy to be able to participate and learn my way around selling my books to new people.
Along with a bunch of other cool vendors and authors, there will be cosplay, panels and creative workshops, an artist alley, and special guests. You can check the con’s Facebook page for updates on guests and events!
So, if you’re in the area and want to pick up signed copies of Moving Target, Easy Jobs, the anthology Clash of Steel or Slay Bells Ring, come by and check out the event. It’s always great to meet and talk with friends who’ve read my books, or new readers looking for fun stories!
I’m looking forward to meeting you at Nerd Nexus! It will be a blast!
If you’ve followed me on social media or know me personally, it’s pretty clear that I’m big on fitness, working out, and eating (reasonably) healthy choices. We’ll discuss whiskey and beers later 🙂
First, let’s talk about something basic. If it separates you from the ground, that’s a good place to spend money. You want to wear good shoes, sit on good chairs, and sleep on good mattresses. Doing the best you can with these items will save you tons of pain with back and feet problems through your live.
Second, drink water. Drink water throughout the day. You need about 80 ounces of water (a little less than 2.5 liters). This will help keep your body operating well, and flush out waste products your body creates. Additionally, you’ll be able to avoid a lot of other people’s drama simply because you’re in the rest room 🙂
Third, you can get a lot of exercise simply by going for a 5 minute walk every hour. Whether you’re writing through the day or working a day job, just going for a short walk every hour will get you 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in a normal 8 hour work day.
Fourth, you can do body weight exercises anywhere and at any time. I suggest, if you don’t have a fitness program, that you do planks first thing in the morning and right before bed, and squats at least once an hour when you stand up from a chair or the couch.
Fifth, stretch. You can stretch whenever you want to. If you’re an author or use a computer heavily, stop and rotate your wrists every couple of hours to loosen up your wrists.
Sixth, sleep. Set an alarm to go to bed on time, and get up on time. You need about 8 hours of sleep daily to be rested, healthy, and largely functional. So make sleep a real priority.
Seventh, prioritize eating healthy foods. Plan your meals so you have good options for breakfast, healthy meals for lunch at your work, and you can be prepared for good dinners. Don’t keep lots of unhealthy snacks in your house, and do keep healthy snack options, like fruit and nuts, so you don’t go for a drive to keep unhealthy snacks.
While this isn’t a total list for every possible health and fitness option, it should provide a good start. If you need more help, or want to develop a more detailed plan, email me at keith@keithhedger.com
So, in true ADHD fashion, I’ve managed to have far too many projects stack up at the same time. Also, yes, I am solidly ADHD, which means I either have to be insanely well organized, or I find myself in this situation.
First thing, I completed my last direct edits on Date Night, which I intend to submit to an anthology. Right now it’s out to a technical expert and my editor (not the same people) for a read through and then Date Night, my first and only (so far) romance oriented story will be sent out into the world.
Next, I’m going to focus on editing the stories I’ve selected for Tales of the E4 Mafia 2, and I’ll be writing a story for Butter Bars! This story is military fantasy, so that’s a very different style than my Burn and Bad Karma stories.
Once I get all that done, I’m back to novels. Look forward to more long format Burn and Bad Karma stories coming as soon as I can get them done!
And, since I wrapped a major edit, check out this song as a victor song for my cyberpunk stories!
Keith Hedger's Home for Fiction 