Lore Forge News, May 2026

Health Issues

If you've been following along, you'll know that I've had my gallbladder removed and had a bunch of complications from that. Well, that's mostly resolved.

What isn't resolved is the node they discovered at the bottom of one of my lungs back in February.

So, a brief bit of good news on this front. Now that I'm all healed up, I got a consult with a thoracic surgeon for the node that's at the tip of one of my lungs. It was discovered in February of this year and then deemed malignant in April when another CT scan was run. Well, apparently, the surgeon did a little digging and discovered the nodule in a CT scan I had done back in 2024. So, it's been around a while. It's grown since then, but no one is sure if the growth is sudden or over the course of a year and a half. I'm now jumping through hoops to have a biopsy done (this one will be robotic and move through the passages of my lungs), along with the PET scan to see if it is cancer.

Well, the PET scan came back, and the biopsy was done. While we won't know for another week until the pathology report is complete, the prevailing opinion is that it's cancer. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...well, you get the idea.

The upside is that, according to the PET scan, the lymph nodes are good. The tumor is small, and it appears to be isolated. The mass does not seem to impact my breathing at all (I had to take a breathing function test before surgery), and I don't have the typical symptoms one would have when you get cancer. It makes me a strong candidate for a surgery-only approach. No chemo. No radiation. That's a good thing.

Honestly - I won't lie here - I'm a little scared. I mean, you can distract yourself for a short period of time and forget about the implications, but it doesn't last forever. As the days, weeks, and months drag on, the mind obsesses over the worst-case scenario. Many of you may not know this, but this is not my first bout with cancer. I had a rare, but treatable, form of cancer in my 20s. It was diagnosed not long after my wife and I were engaged. The thing is about cancer, even when you manage to beat it, it never really leaves you - I'm talking psychologically here. You're always wondering when the next shoe will drop. I've lived decades with revulsion and fear of its return. I'd like to say I'm ready for this, but you never really are.

Yes, this is getting depressing. I'll move on. But that's where things stand.

The Next Book

I'm done with my edits and revisions of the next book. I've sent it off to beta readers and have given them a timeline of the end of June. After that, I expect maybe a couple of weeks to do revisions, and then it's off to the editor. Somewhere in this process, I have to contact a cover artist for a cover design.

Since I already let the name slip in a recent YouTube livestream, I guess I'll let you in on the title of the next Odo book: A Font of Evil Things. The title itself is a bit of a play on words. The word "font" is derived from its classical usage, meaning a "well" or a "reservoir", such as an inkwell or a tank of water. It actually has a dual meaning as it relates to the story. Plus, I think it sounds cool. I'm making up for the fact that I had to change the original title of the first Odo book to The Wizard's Stone. The original title was "The Wizard Odo," hinting at an event in the book. Beta readers found this too confusing, so I changed it.

But now, like an author midlife crisis that I'll never have, I'm doing what I want to do, dangnabbit!

In the meantime, while I do production on A Font of Evil Things, I started the first chapter of a new book that I hope to release in 2027. The first word of the first paragraph was: Halsedric.

Yes, a new Revenant book.

I envision this book to be a direct descendant of The Revenant and the Tomb. The one criticism that I've heard leveled at The Revenant and the Tomb is that it felt unfinished - that the bad guy escaped. Here's a spoiler for you: he had to escape. He shows up in another book later in the timeline of my fantasy world. So, as a concession to those of you who wanted to know more, I intend to further explore the backstory of the antagonist of my first book, and this looks to be the vehicle for it to happen.

Like any project I start, these plans are subject to change. I've started several projects and abandoned them in the last few years. It seems that when I make promises about what's coming next, life and circumstances seem to force me in a different direction.

But, just so you know, I'm working on another Halsedric book. And it may include Tulvgir.

Or not.

(Sorry. Channeling my inner George R. R. Martin again.)

Live Events

I have to say that my appearance at the Sip, Shop, Read Adult Book Fair went pretty well. I sold more books than I expected. It was good to meet some of you at the events (and thank you for purchasing my books!).

As for upcoming events: since I had to cancel Liberty Con, there's nothing on the horizon. I want to try to attend some more of these one-day events, especially now that Mrs. Herman Hunter is off from school (summer break for the kids). I'll keep you updated on my schedule. Given what I learned from the biopsy procedure, I'd say that attending events - even one-day events - is off the table for most of July.

If you were hoping to purchase a paperback from me at an event, and couldn't do so, you can always purchase it from my online store. While you may not receive special event pricing, you can use code BIONICHEDGE2026 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on your entire purchase. Every paperback you purchase comes signed and with a bookmark. I also send along a pen with each purchase (I really like the pens - I use them myself).

Substack Articles

Unfortunately, I've not posted much on Substack lately. I was more engaged with running ads for my 99¢ deal for The Revenant and the Tomb. Ironically, this seems to be driving a bunch of audiobook sales and a bunch of residual sales. Despite losing money running ads, this is a good thing.

Likewise, I now have a job that requires me to get up pretty early in the morning, leaving me little time to write articles and posts. So, my output is being inhibited. It's just something I have to work around.

Conclusion

I apologize for the tardiness of this update. Needless to say, a lot has been going on. I've been pressing on with the writing, and my sales, while not stellar, are pretty good. I'm always on the lookout for events that I can squeeze into a day or two, especially locally (I live in the Detroit Metro area). As always, if you see a local event that fits this range (or even 2.5 hr drive), contact me at author@hphunterwriter.com. I think I should be up and running by the end of July. That is, unless something else comes up. Le Sigh.

That's all for now.