My next novel – Dangerous Games: How to Cheat – releases today, Tuesday, July 2. This is the second book in Dangerous Games, the third of the 12 for ’12 trilogies I wrote last year, and it’s set at my favorite place on Earth: Gen Con, the largest tabletop gaming convention in America.
People who read the first book in the trilogy – Dangerous Games: How to Play – often commented on how many real-life gaming personalities showed up in the book. (I posted a long list of them earlier.) To some, it may seem like I’m dropping names, and to an extent that’s true. I had a ball putting all those people into the book, but that’s because they’re all my friends.
I’ve been going to Gen Con since I was 13 years old, and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the tabletop gaming industry. For a long time, I made my living as a full-time freelance tabletop game designer, something I still keep my hand in. I’ve worked with literally dozens of companies and hundreds of different folks.
Once I started putting friends into the book, I found it hard to stop. There were just so many personalities that were perfect for one line or another. The main problem is that, even with three books to play in, I couldn’t possibly manage to work in everyone I wanted – or put them into the spotlight for as long as I would have liked.
Still, I did find space for a lot of them. Consider the following a checklist for the fine people who made their way into How to Cheat.
- Aaron Acevedo
- Adrian Swartout
- Allen Varney
- Angus Abranson
- Ann Forbeck
- Anthony Gallela
- Ben Dobyns
- Ben McFarland
- Bill Bodden
- Bob Watts
- Brian James
- Bruce Cordell
- Calye Lacefield
- Carinn Seabolt
- Chance Lacefield
- Charlton Coleman
- Christian Moore
- Cindi Rice
- Cliff “CJ” Jones
- Clinton Boomer
- Colin McComb
- D. J. Trindle
- Dan Tibbles
- Dave Williams
- Dawne Weisman
- Derek Guder
- Don Perrin
- Doug Niles
- Ed Bolme
- Ed Greenwood
- Greg Stolze
- Helen Forbeck
- James Wallis
- James Wyatt
- Jamie Chambers
- Jared Sorensen
- Jason Blair
- Jeannette LeGault
- Jeannine Acevedo
- Jen Page
- Jennifer Brozek
- Jennifer Steen
- Jim Koplow
- Jim Pinto
- John Frank Rosenblum
- John Kovalic
- John Wick
- John Zinser
- Jon Leitheusser
- Jonathan Tweet
- Jordan Weisman
- Julie Zinser
- Karen Conlin
- Ken Forbeck
- Kenneth Hite
- Ken St. Andre
- Larry Roznai
- Lessa Trindle
- Lester Smith
- Leticia Hayler
- Luke Crane
- Marcelo Figueroa
- Margaret Weis
- Marty Forbeck
- Matt Forbeck
- Matt James
- Matt McElroy
- Matt Vancil
- Matthew Grau
- Michelle Hensley
- Mike Elliott
- Mike Mearls
- Mike Stackpole
- Miranda Horner
- Monica Valentinelli
- Monte Cook
- Nick Forbeck
- Owen Seyler
- Pat Forbeck
- Paul Czege
- Pete Fenlon
- Peter Adkison
- Phil Lacefield Jr.
- Phil Norton
- R. A. Salvatore
- Randy Porter
- Ray Vallese
- Ray Wehrs
- Rich Rogers
- Rick Loomis
- Rob Daviau
- Rob Heinsoo
- Rob Schwalb
- Rodney Thompson
- Ryan Macklin
- Ryan Miller
- Schar Niebling
- Scott Elliott
- Sean Patrick Fannon
- Seth Johnson
- Shane Hensley
- Steve Horvath
- Steve Sullivan
- Steve Wieck
- Tom Vasel
- Tracy Hickman
- Troy Denning
- Will Niebling
Just like last time around, some of the people here are just referred to and don’t have any lines at all. Others – like Ken Hite, Phil Lacefield Jr., Anthony Gallela, and Sean Patrick Fannon (who has a Kickstarter of his own running at the moment) – play a major role in the tale. Thanks to all of them for being good sports about it!
