Hey Space Cadets, how is everyone doing today? I’m doing well, enjoying the warmer weather. Though now, I’m sweating during my daily walks and wishing for winter again! Ahh, the circle of life. The good news is that I get to listen to books as I take these strolls through nature! I’ve just finished binge reading the entire The Last Hunter Series by Terry Mixon and JN Chaney. Then I rolled through the first four Conscript Series by Scott Bartlett. It was a lot of fun, making my walks more enjoyable. What about you, what are you reading?Circling back to my goal of getting into better shape, I’m still working on improving my overall health and enjoying the results! I’ve reached a plateau, but at least I am not going backwards. I am holding strong at 300 pounds and a 52-inch waist, but I’m trying to do better. This includes increasing the number of steps I get a day and now adding in sit-ups and push-ups. If my August check-up goes well, the doctor is going to release me to hit the weights again for the first time since I was blown up in Iraq. I know nothing about lifting, but I hear the meatheads are nice and willing to teach you. I want to lose another 100 pounds and fit back into my Army uniform, but this is a marathon and not a sprint. I am playing the long game; I have to live long enough to see Elon Musk open the first Motel 6 on Mars! Are you working towards any specific health goal? Tell me about it, and we can cheer for each other!
Now onto my Victory Garden! I’m about to try my sixth year of gardening, so wish me luck! Maybe this year will be the year it doesn’t die. So far, the above ground plot is doing amazing! It might die, but I’ll try anyway. I really love this above ground flower bed, next season I’ll get another one. It was on Amazon, so you can get one too if you want! After planting this without knee pain, I don’t know why I didn’t replace the bucket garden, and I figured I’d go big so I can grow a useful bounty. This year, I planted potatoes, a few spices and a Germanium Citronella plant to keep the mosquitos away. I’ll keep everyone posted as I build the dang thing! What about you? What are your spring fling plans?
Moving onto the writing stuff! I’m scribbling like mad, working to get my daily word counts back up to where I want them. I want to get books out at a more regular interval again. Seriously, writing is my therapy, and I need it… but life got in the way, and I had to make time for the things my sons needed. The good news is that I turned in several short stories to publishers for anthologies coming out in the next few months. I also turned in a novel that I owed, ghost writing to cover some bills. But those are done, and I can focus on me again. When the projects that aren’t covered by those pesky NDAs launch, I’ll send a dedicated newsletter.
I’m also working on a GameLit series with Jena Rey. While we don’t have contracts for it, I am hopeful that this will come out soon. We are still working on the first novel, and we’ve outlined the rest of the series. We’re planning on publishing these when we’re deeper into the series so there will be some lag time. It’s the story of a pair of twins, who were soldiers in Iraq before they got the isekai treatment as the portal took them into a game world. This has been a lot of fun; I’ve enjoyed mixing military vibes with the gaming storytelling. Stay tuned for more updates on this new series!
Moving right along, as most of you know, I have a Buy Me A Coffee account so people can donate to the creative process or my podcast. Unfortunately, those things aren’t free to run. We’re looking for ways to break even if possible. Speaking of the podcast, why don’t you check out our show! The Blasters and Blades Podcast is a fun romp through space-time, where three Army veterans’ nerd out over science fiction and fantasy insanity! You can listen to the audio-only version or watch it on YouTube, BitChute, or Rumble. We’re trying to get onto the new X podcast platform as well, but there is a learning process. If you decide to check it out, shoot me a line and tell me what you think! And if you like it, consider liking and subscribing!
While I’m at work in the book-writing factory and getting heckled by fans of my insanity, I have more books to recommend for you to enjoy! Some of them were written by yours truly, but not all of them. As most of you know, I do this because you can read faster than any author can write. I pick what I share because I either read the books or other books by this author. I won’t recommend books I can’t vouch for, and I’ll tell you which category they are in.
Speaking about books, a group of us have been cataloging our thoughts on various novels for you to enjoy. This site is Upstream Reviews, managed by author Declan Finn and manned by a slew of talented authors in their own rights. They’re all book nerds themselves and read voraciously. I recommend books that I love, and so do they. If we don’t like something, we stop reading and move on. Life’s too short for negativity, so we keep things positive! Seriously, check it out… you won’t be sorry.
Also, for some awesome publishing news! There are several anthologies in the J. R. HANDLEY PRESENTS ANTHOLOGIES that I am organizing for Three Ravens Publishing is now for sale. The entire series is linked here, and you can check them out. The new anthologies are Beast Hunt Volume 1, Fires of Retribution Volume 1 and Cogs and Cutlasses. They’re all amazing collections and I think that you’re going to love them.
–>
Finally, we’ve got the Cogs & Cutlasses Anthology which is steampunk and awesome! I didn’t write in this one, I organized it because I love reading the genre. I read all of these stories and personally adored them and think you will too, so give it a chance! Oh, and more anthologies are in the cue to release soon, so I’ll keep you updated!
–>
First, I would love to recommend the Conscript Series by Scott Bartlett. There are 4 novels out right now, but the 5th one is up for sale as a pre-order. At first, the series was too bleak for me. The setting was a tad too grimdark, however, I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Scott Bartlett, so I kept going. The deeper into the series I got, the more I liked it. The themes of duty, resilience, and survival spoke to my life of service and the physical consequences that I endure because of it. Like I said, I love Scott’s books, so I know that this series is worth the price of entry! So, hop too… you won’t be sorry.
–>
Next, I’d love to recommend one from an author whose work I really enjoy. Army veteran Rick Partlow has a new series out, called Archangel: Fallen. I’ve interviewed him a few times on my podcast and he’s always a fun interview. He’s also an amazing author, and while I haven’t read this one yet, but I want to. The story has a redemption arc vibe that I love, I’m a sucker for second chances. The themes of loyalty and betrayal also speak to me. And it’s Rick, so it’s sure to be packed with intense military action and complex characters. So, if this sounds like it’s up your alley, click the link and buy it already!
–>
Finally, I’d like to recommend a book that came highly recommended to me. Everyone suggested Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree so I bought it and gave it a go. I was captivated from the beginning, and I think you’ll dig it too. It was a low-stakes fantasy novel, the kind of slice of life that was a breath of fresh air. The main character, Viv, was a lot of fun. She was an irreverent retired warrior who wanted to become more than what she’d started as. She wanted the life of a restauranter instead of stacking bodies for fun and fortune. Curse you, book recommenders! But seriously, you’ll have a blast diving into this novel. Add in the beautiful cover, and we’ve got the recipe for a winner! If this sounds like it’s up your alley, then click the link already!
I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you to leave a review on Amazon, Good Reads, or BookBub if you like the books!Before I go – I promised every space cadet another story about my time in the Big Green Weenie, otherwise known as the US Army! More specifically, I’ve been thinking about the time I had an interaction with a major in the US Army Corps of Engineers. We’ve been having a lot of highway construction in my local area, causing way too many potholes. That got me thinking about Iraq and my time in the US Army.
So, no shit, there we were….Ok, jokes aside… one of the big problems that went with being a FOB jumper were the poor road conditions. Because I drove gun trucks (Convoy Escort Platforms or CEPs), we drove all over the country. That included way too many bombed out roads. Seriously, my back still hurts from those jarring rides. The more highly traveled the roads (MSR/ASR), the more it was subjected to explosions from roadside bombs (IEDs). Thus, we experienced our share of war crafted potholes.
We expected those jarring holes on the highways and die-ways of Iraq. Alas, we foolishly thought we’d get better when we were on the bases controlled by Coalition Forces. During one of my first missions without another unit holding our hands, we found a particularly horrific hole in the roads we used as part of the soldiers bringing in their resupply.
On this particular mission, one of the FOBs (forward operating base) had some particularly horrible roads on their outer perimeter. Those were the parts of the base for the undesirables like my gun truck crews. I’d had enough of it, so I brought it up to the local Corps of Engineers. After all, they ran base operations. It did not go like I expected it too.
I remember it very distinctly. The grumpy Army major patted me on the shoulder and said, “Sergeant Handley, don’t think of them as potholes… think of them as inverted speed bumps.” With that, he walked away as I stood there with my jaw on the ground. Ever since that day, every time I see a pothole I think about that one crusty officer who changed my perspective. Now you too can see inverted speed bumps whenever the Department of Transportation doesn’t do their job!
Until next time, stay frosty, and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!J.R.
Hey Space Cadets, how is everyone doing today? I’m doing well, enjoying the warmer weather. Though now, I’m sweating during my daily walks and wishing for winter again! Ahh, the circle of life. The good news is that I get to listen to books as I take these strolls through nature! I’ve just finished binge reading the entire 
Now onto my Victory Garden! I’m about to try my sixth year of gardening, so wish me luck! Maybe this year will be the year it doesn’t die. So far, the above ground plot is doing amazing! It might die, but I’ll try anyway. I really love this above ground flower bed, next season I’ll get another one. It was on Amazon, so you can get one too if you want! After planting this without knee pain, I don’t know why I didn’t replace the bucket garden, and I figured I’d go big so I can grow a useful bounty. This year, I planted potatoes, a few spices and a Germanium Citronella plant to keep the mosquitos away. I’ll keep everyone posted as I build the dang thing! What about you? What are your spring fling plans?
Moving onto the writing stuff! I’m scribbling like mad, working to get my daily word counts back up to where I want them. I want to get books out at a more regular interval again. Seriously, writing is my therapy, and I need it… but life got in the way, and I had to make time for the things my sons needed. The good news is that I turned in several short stories to publishers for anthologies coming out in the next few months. I also turned in a novel that I owed, ghost writing to cover some bills. But those are done, and I can focus on me again. When the projects that aren’t covered by those pesky NDAs launch, I’ll send a dedicated newsletter.
I’m also working on a GameLit series with Jena Rey. While we don’t have contracts for it, I am hopeful that this will come out soon. We are still working on the first novel, and we’ve outlined the rest of the series. We’re planning on publishing these when we’re deeper into the series so there will be some lag time. It’s the story of a pair of twins, who were soldiers in Iraq before they got the isekai treatment as the portal took them into a game world. This has been a lot of fun; I’ve enjoyed mixing military vibes with the gaming storytelling. Stay tuned for more updates on this new series!
Moving right along, as most of you know, I have a 
J.R. Handley's Blog 