What happened after the Blizzard?
I'm back with an update on the Blizzard of 2026 and the World Book, a rant about contests, and spoilers, of course! Read on for who shoveled and who did not.
Hey, I hope you didn’t get as much snow as we did.
I’m Ran, your narrator today, and I’m the son in the Curse Breaker Series. If you’ve read any of the Curse Breaker books, then you know I spend part of every book trying to get my papa, who is the actual main character, to tell me what’s going on. He likes to think about things before talking about them, but that’s not always possible when monsters show up, so I have to get creative and pull words from him.
Not so last week! :) Melinda did not enjoy this next bit, but I did. What happened?
My scribe’s part of New York got buried last week and I heard the storm rolled up I-95 and buried Boston too. That’s as it should be since they are our favorite rival sports teams. So they should get to complain about snow too.
How much snow did we get?
It was hard to measure the snowfall since we had winds gusting up 75 miles an hour, so it blew the snow around a lot. On one side of a car in the parking lot where my scribe parks her car, there was only a few inches since the wind blew it onto someone else’s car.
Estimates vary but they are all between 22 to 24 inches of snow for my scribe’s area. Some parts of Long Island and Brooklyn received around 30+ inches of snow. As you would expect, everything was closed on Monday since the snow didn’t stop until around 2 pm. The governor cancelled the travel ban sometime in that afternoon or evening.
We don’t know when exactly since our scribe was shoveling at the time and grumbling about how much snow piled up on her car. She had to shovel the snow off her car since there was way too much to brush off.
Schools outside of NYC remained closed on Tuesday while towns in the metro area got on with the business of plowing all their roads. Shops reopened later on Tuesday as they cleared their parking lots.
Schools outside of NYC delayed opening on Wed due to more snow that came down overnight (just another 2-3 inches) and everything that melted a bit on Monday froze overnight when temps dipped below freezing. That wasn’t helpful but the storm brought a shot of cold air behind it that thankfully cleared out on Thursday and temperatures rose above freezing.
Did I shovel any snow?
Of course not. The plow pushed the snow into my scribe’s car and created a snow bank that was almost as tall as me.
Did my dad, Sarn, shovel any snow?
Nope. His magic hates water and snow is frozen water. So his magic generated a magical wall preventing him from leaving Melinda’s apartment. We had to stay inside where it was warm and dry, so we did that. It was hard work soaking up the warmth and looking at the snow-covered buildings and trees.
Although the wind died down some as the storm headed for Boston, it still gusted hard enough to knock snow off trees and cause the world to white out at times.
Melinda did not enjoy shoveling all that snow. It took three days to shovel out since every time she took the snow away from her car, the plow put it back! It also snowed again Tuesday into Wednesday and that did not help her to dig out.
So she went out on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to shovel. She didn’t like that at all, and I agree. That was unfair. I need her focused on the important stuff: writing more Curse Breaker books.
So how is Curse Breaker Jousts coming along?
Book News
Before we talk about Curse Breaker Jousts, we need to talk about another book. Melinda entered Gateway to Hell (book 1 of the Rogue Gods Trilogy) into an indie fantasy book contest, and it got cut. She saw the post on Friday.
One of the judges stopped at 20% and had some thoughts on the action scenes.
Now, as the guy actually in some action scenes in Gateway to Hell, I take offense. I dodge, weave, and wish demons away quite effectively, thank you very much!
But Melinda is a bit shaken by it. Writing action is the hardest part of her job, and she’s currently neck-deep in the most action-heavy part of Curse Breaker Jousts.
Someone has to actually joust so we can justify the book title, and then it gets interrupted by monsters. So that’s a lot of action.
If she spends all her time worrying about getting every word right, then I don’t get to watch my dad do cool magical stuff. So, if you’ve read Gateway to Hell and enjoyed the ride, send some happy thoughts our way?
Or, if you’re feeling extra kind, leave a review to let others know you liked the action or ask your local library to get a copy for their collection. It helps drown out the noise and reminds my scribe why she writes these stories in the first place—for you, not for a judge who didn’t finish the book.
Okay, rant over. I return you to our regularly scheduled newsletter.
The Joust Continues
After the monsters show up, a rider of the apocalypse shows up for important plot reasons. (She might have planned it that way.)
Despite the snow and the setbacks, the writing hasn’t stopped. Melinda wrote Chapters 37-40 of Curse Breaker Jousts this week.
Melinda might have written them after shoveling snow and working at her day job, so we may have gotten away with more magical mayhem than we usually would. Sometimes, she limits us to keep the plot moving.
But she was tired and not up to fighting us this week, so we got away with a lot and changed the plot in ways she hasn’t noticed it. You could find out what we did. All 40 chapters of Curse Breaker Jousts are live on Patreon and Substack so you could read them right now.
World Guide Updates
Thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions for the World Book! My scribe is starting to compile them, though it’s going to be a massive undertaking, especially the map requests.
Parts of the underground city were demolished in books 4-6 (Curse Breaker Falls, Curse Breaker Sundered, and Curse Breaker Hidden), so that makes the maps complicated. Ther we have the new stuff built for the joust on the meadow outside Mount Eredren. Will those structures remain?
One building is currently roofless since a certain mage, maybe my dad, ripped its roof off for important plot reasons. I can’t confirm it was my dad who did it. You’ll have to read Curse Breaker Jousts to find out.
I’ve already sent a message to Jerlo. I told him he needs to clarify the roles and ranks of the Rangers once and for all. I have a sneaking suspicion he just makes them up based on his mood, but I’m hoping he has a secret list hidden somewhere. If he does, I’ll find it since I love lists.
Stay warm and keep reading!
— Ran (The son who definitely knows how to handle demon invaders, regardless of what the critics say)
New Books, Special Editions, & More!
Riders of the Apocalypse: Complete Epic Fantasy Book Series
An angel, an ex-god, & a dragon take on the riders of the apocalypse in 4 humorous epic fantasy adventure books. Follow the campaign to find out when it launches:
We Met in Yggdrasil: A Portal Fantasy Adventure
Trapped in a game where every wound stings and every choice could be her last, Isca must wield the fire she fears or be erased forever. Follow the campaign to find out when it launches:
Wicked Fae Series Omnibus: Deluxe Fantasy Hardcover Volume 1
A 2-book omnibus of an enemies-to-lovers closed-door romantasy series, where all the men are morally gray and work to win their women. Follow the campaign to find out when it launches:
