René said:
It would still be interesting to heat something official to the WHY...
There is no mystery to it.
The project got off to an extremely late start due to some serious miscommunications between Mongoose and myself, and a lack of info I needed to start. It was announced too early (before I'd even submitted a full outline), and major questions I needed to begin went unanswered for a month after the initial announcement.
I was late with the manuscript due to a run of health issues I wouldn't wish on an enemy. I had missed a couple of earlier, tenative deadlines (a deadline was not part of the original contract), but Richard Neale, the line editor, was understanding. I let them know what was up, healthwise, and they gave me some space.
Unfortunately, life also intervened with my day job taking an inordinate amount of extra time, and involving four work-related business trips and one personal trip in the space of five months. A laptop died with some of the manuscript on it, I managed to slice my right index finger to the bone in a small mishap, and other maladies cursed the project.
In the end, to get to press as a boxed set for release this year, it had a drop-dead due date.
When I edged past that, I inquired if Mongoose would be interested in printing it in an alternate format than the boxed set, they said no.
I told them I was going to finish it anyway, but was told that Mongoose has no interest in publishing it in any form.
Conan line developer Richard is no longer at Mongoose, and this was his pet project.
I had been working as a proofreader for Mongoose on other products (including
Conan), and was told that my services there were not required any more with that task, either.
I appreciate the support and continued interest from folks here, but as far as I know, the project is dead as far as Mongoose is concerned.
I am nearing completion on it (with the cancellation, I took time off to complete some more lucrative work - the box set was a labor of love and was being done at a lower rate than I usually get), but I am certain Mongoose will not publish it in any form.
I wish the best for the
Conan line, and am sorry that
The Shadow of the Sorcerer won't see press as a part of it, but they've indicated that the door is closed, and I see no reason to disbelieve them.
And to answer the inevitable question, no I can't e-mail anyone the finished campaign. I'd love to, but it's something like 225,000 words of work, and my wife would kill me if I gave it away.
I'm exploring other options for seeing it published, and will let folks here know what becomes of it.