All, this is your last chance to get The Way of Kings ebook for free from the iBookstore (with a US-linked iTunes account). This deal only goes through December 31st 2014, so you should hurry up and get it here! (If you don’t see The Way of Kings on that list and you are in the US, use this link instead. In other countries you’ll see different books, such as Robin Hobb’s excellent Assassin’s Apprentice if you’re in the UK.)

A new Writing Excuses episode is up, a Capstone to Season 9, where we talk a bit about what we’ve each learned this year and how we have changed as writers in 2014. Hopefully this discussion will bring some insight to how your own writing has developed, and how you might take steps to develop it in the future.

• Howard explained the surprising changes that came with a change in his work space
• Mary told us how she reached a new understanding of pacing
• Brandon talked about how recent time pressures have informed his writing process
• Dan learned why he is writing

The time is fast approaching for the release of Firefight next week. We’ve been told the tour will be announced tomorrow, so watch this space.

I have included some photos below of a present that my family had commissioned for me as a birthday/Christmas gift. This handcrafted chest was made by my uncle and now holds all my favorite Magic: The Gathering cards.

Finally, my assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for December.