Category: Blog 2019

Ninja Love Story

In which RVA compares ninja couples…

A fan sent me a message the other day, asking if there was a connection between my third book, Ghee, and my current on-going series, Chip Masters, Ninja.  I told her that the short and is ‘no’, they are totally unrelated.  The long answer is…well, then I started thinking about it.

Narratively, the two stories are unrelated.  They take place in different worlds/universes/whatever the designation du jour is.  Ghee and Hatsumi were not part of Kageryu’s network.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Narratively, they are unrelated.

Stylistically?  That’s a bit trickier. Continue reading “Ninja Love Story”

Five-Year Plan

In which RVA shares some goals…

So now that it’s officially 2020, I feel like it’s time to discuss goals.  Goals I’ve set, and goals I am setting.  Goals are dreams and ambitions for which you have an actual plan to reach, so let’s talk goals.

When it comes to goals, I prefer to make them specific.  At conventions, I’ve often made a connection between fitness and video games.  In truth, fitness informs a lot of my thinking.  And when it comes to exercise and training, knowing what you want to accomplish and achieve is paramount for figuring out how to get there.  It’s part of why I don’t care for terms like ‘healthy’ and ‘fit’ because of how vague they are.  I’d much rather talk about how to lift a certain amount of weight, how to maintain a level of energy, or how to lower bodyfat a little bit. Continue reading “Five-Year Plan”

Post-MAGFest Lift

In which RVA discusses the best convention ever…

MAGFest has come and gone.  MAGFest 2020 was not, despite some beliefs online, the twentieth MAGFest, though it seems like it.  MAGFest began in 2003 (…I think?), so this was like the seventeenth or something.  Plus it was originally in September, then it moved to January.  Plus there have been other MAG-events, so the actual number is…well, it involves some algebra.

What has not changed is how amazing and wonderful of a time it was, and is.  If you haven’t been to MAGFest, start making plans to attend the next one.  The whole four-day experience is like nothing else I have ever known, and I think I’ve attended just about every type of convention there is (except a furry con). Continue reading “Post-MAGFest Lift”