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A "bag of holding" is a magical purse or sack that contains more on the inside than it would appear to from its size. (Yes, SF fans, it's like a TARDIS.) A "Bundle of Holding" then is a collection of books that contains more than it would appear to -- or more, perhaps, than you would expect to find for what you've paid.
1. All the Bundle of Holding authors have a roleplaying game background. Tell us about your gaming work.
I started writing games in 1994 with a few college friends. Together we created our own company, Epitaph Studios, and put out two games: Periphery and Age of Empire. That led to freelancing for other companies--over the years since I've worked for White Wolf, WotC, Grey Ghost, Pinnacle, Decipher, Fantasy Flight, Green Ronin, and a whole host of others. I won an Origins Award in 2003 for my book Gamemastering Secrets, and a Gold ENnie in 2007 for my Warhammer supplement Lure of the Lich Lord. I also started my own game company, Clockworks, in 1996. We put out three games: Asylum, Spookshow, and Chosen. I've been concentrating more on fiction the past few years, but I still keep my hand in--in the last year or two I've worked on the Supernatural RPG, Eclipse Phase, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and a few other projects I can't talk about yet.
2. How, if at all, does your game background influence your approach to fiction? How does it help or hinder narrative writing?
One thing I think I'm definitely stronger on thanks to my game work is worldbuilding. Some writers don't consider that important, and just develop their setting as they go along, but I like to have it at least sketched out beforehand. I find it gives my characters and my stories more grounding.
The other thing about designing and writing games is that you have to look for story possibilities, so you get very good at seeing where and how stories could take place. You learn to read situations and settings and go "ooh, that would make a great story!" There's never a lack of starting points, and you get better at seeing where and how the stories can go, as well, so you can plot them out more smoothly and with more energy.
3. Do you have other books related to your Bundle of Holding book?
My Bundled book, The Birth of the Dread Remora, is the first book in my Dread Remora space-opera series. Right now there's just Birth and a novella, "Crossed Paths," but the second Dread Remora novel, Honor of the Dread Remora, will be out this summer. I'm excited about it, actually—I loved writing the first two Dread Remora tales, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to the adventures of that ship and her crew!
4. Which other writers in the Bundle would you recommend to your readers?
Well, Matt Forbeck and I have been buddies for years, and I've worked with him a bunch of times, so I always heartily recommend his writing, both gaming and fiction. Plus, it's fantasy noir!
I've only known Chuck Wendig a short time but he's got a real way with words and a unique—and entertaining!—take on most things, so I'm really looking forward to reading his book as well.
I'm interested in all the other books in the bundle, though. Everyone here is someone I consider a peer, and all their books sound great!
Right now I'm working on the second ReDeus anthology—this is a series Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg and I created, tales set in our world after all the ancient gods return, and we released the first anthology, Divine Tales, last August. This second book, Beyond Borders, will be out in May, and the third one, Native Lands, this August.
I'm also doing several short stories for various anthologies, which is a lot of fun. I've done mostly novels before now, so I'm having a good time doing short fiction for a change.
After that there's Honor of the Dread Remora, my second novel in the O.C.L.T. occult thriller series I'm writing with David Niall Wilson, and then the third in my silly SF series about the adventures of DuckBob Spinowitz. There may be a few other novels in there, and a few RPG projects, but I can't give away all my secrets!
6. Where can readers learn more?
I'm terrible about updating my own site, gryphonrose.com, but I'm trying to get better! Most of my books can also be found either on Crazy8Press.com or on Crossroadpress.com. And people can follow me on Twitter @gryphonrose.
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