Other Cool people & Orgs

Wolfgang Baur - A fellow member of the Alliterates (see below), Wolf and I have known each other from our days at WotC. He now runs Kobold Press.

Monte Cook - I also worked with Monte at WotC and wrote for him a couple times later on. Another Alliterates member (see below), Monte currently runs Monte Cook Games.

Bruce R Cordell - Another WotC alum who has worked on D&D 5E and Numenara among other RPGs, Bruce and I only really got to know each other after I joined the Alliterates (see below).

Lynn Flewelling - A popular fantasy novelist and a great traveling companion, Lynn is probably best known for her excellent Bone Doll's Twin in the Tamir Triad.

Matt Forbeck - This prolific New York Times best-selling author helped me get my foot in the door at Black Library years ago. He's a midwest Alliterate and an all-around good egg.

Dave Gross - The former editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine and author of the Radovan Pathfinder novels is a founding member of the Alliterates.

Jeff Grubb - I had the pleasure of working with Jeff at both WotC and ArenaNet. A consummate story teller, he wrote the Urza Saga novels as well as several tomes-worth of D&D lore. Jeff is a walking encyclopedia of TSR history.

Cory Herndon - Perhaps the funniest man alive and a fellow Magic: The Gathering author. Cory has also worked on some stellar video games over the past ten years.

Scott Hungerford - Scott was one of the earliest "story guys" on Magic: The Gathering. He left WotC before I arrived, but we became friends years later through the Alliterates (see below).

Walter Hunt - A captivating military SF novelist who has one of the best "breaking into the business" stories ever.

Al Katerinsky - Al (along with Herb Kauderer, below) saved me when I was floundering at my first SF convention and took me under their wings. Al writes prose and poetry and knows more about cybersecurity than I ever will.

Herb Kauderer - Herb is an acclaimed SF poet who became one of my two best friends in Buffalo (aong with Al, above) and a great mentor about the ins and outs of the convention circuit.

J. Robert King - Excellent author of many Magic: The Gathering novels as well as a wonderful Arthurian series. Also the best editor I've ever had.

Jess Lebow - Another fellow Magic: The Gathering author, Jess gave me my first big break when he assigned me Judgment. He's been all over the world as a writer.

Danielle Ackley-McPhail- A fantasy novelist I met on the East Coast convention circuit. Amazingly giving of her time to new writers. She is the owner and publisher of eSpec Books.

Scott McGough - Scott was my boss at WotC and a fellow narrative writer at ArenaNet. He wrote numerous Magic: the Gathering novels and had an epic beard before the 2020 Lockdown.

Tee Morris - Tee was the most manic panelist I ever met on the East Coast SF convention circuit and author of some really fun novels.

David Noonan - Dave and I worked together at WotC and En Masse Entertainment. He has written many popular D&D manuals and helped create a ton of video games. Dave is co-owner of Sasquatch Game Studio and the nicest guy in the universe.

Steven Savile - I met Steve through IAMTW (see below). He's one of the coolest authors I know, and can spin a gripping yarn, too. We've tried to work together once or twice, but life always conspired to prevent it.

Robert J. Sawyer - Hugo Award winning SF novelist and the biggest Star Trek fan I know. I met Rob on the convention circuit and, even though our careers were at drastically different levels, he treated me as an equal. Great guy and an amazing author.

Stan! - I got to work with Stan! a couple times at Wizards of the Coast. We even co-wrote a couple Pokemon guides. Stan! is an great writer, a damn fine comic artist, and a fellow Alliterate (se below).

Tim Waggoner - A Bram Stoker award-winning horror novelist, Tim also writes tie-in fiction (including some great Supernatural novels). Tim is a good friend who has taught me a lot about writing and networking.

Steve Winter - Steve and I missed each other at WotC, where he has worked on just about everything D&D related over the years. We became friends through the Alliterates (see below), and I admire how easily he cuts through crap.

I've been fortunate to be a member of two wonderful writing groups:

The Alliterates - This prestigious writing group started in Wisconsin with a core of RPG greats such as Lester Smith, J. Robert King, and Jeff Grubb. When many Alliterates headed west to work at Wizards of the Coast in the late 1990s, a West Coast Alliterates was born. I was lucky enough to be invited into this venerable group several years ago.

Thundering Word - After I met Herb Kauderer and Al Katerinsky (founding members of Thundering Word) at the first SF convention I went to as a professional writer (Astronomicon in Rochester, New York), they invited me into Thundering Word and we went to conventions together for years.

I am a member of two professional socities that provide wonderful support and guidance to authors.

SFWA - The Science Fiction Writers of America are probably the most prestigious association of writers in my favorite genre, and I am proud to have been a member for close to twenty years. SFWA hands out the Nebula awards every year to the very best in the genre. They also host Writers Beware, a list of schemes, scams, and pitfalls that threaten writers.

IAMTW - The International Association of Media Tie-in Writers is a professional organization for authors of some of the most well-known series on book shelves (novelizations of movies, original novels featuring your favorite TV characters, and even tales based on gaming worlds). IAMTW hands out the Scribe Awards each year to honor the best authors in this popular, but often disregarded, genre.

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