After purging Rep. Liz Cheney from its House leadership, the Good Ole Piranhas have overwhelmingly declared their fealty to their evil lord and master Donald J. Trump aka Il Duce. Not their voters, mind you; just GOP House members like Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, etc., GOP Senate leaders like McConnell, etc., and other toadies who’ve drunk Trump’s Kool-Aid; in other words, the so-called conservative Republicans have shed their skins to reveal that they’re really fascist snakes who now might as well publicly proclaim “Sieg Heil!” as they salute their fuehrer. This is a sad time for democracy in America!

Why sad? After all, the destruction of Eisenhower and Reagan’s party—Lincoln’s party, for that matter—is good for progressives, right? Yes and no. Sure, it will allow progressives to move the country forward. Eisenhower can turn over in his grave, but the progressives won’t have to put any brakes on in their rush to change America’s ways.

But no, progressives can run amok just like fascists. I might be a progressive, but I’ll dare to speak heresy by stating that we need true conservatives (emphasis on “true”), conservatives like Romney, Cheney, and Kinzinger. They’re a dying species in government, but they’re common among voters, even in the Democratic party and independents. Trump and his followers aren’t true conservatives. Sure, they might use some conservative talking points to hoodwink the true conservatives, practicing the ancient art of snake-oil salesmen (although there are many women as well), but they’re fascists. Fascism is a catch-all term to describe these demented folks, summing up their characteristics as haters, bigots, racists, religious extremists, and other greedy, power-hungry narcissists and sociopaths. I saw this many times in the faces at work; I see it on my TV screen every day now, leering, sneering, holier-than-thou, and insane faces. They don’t have to say much—their body language is enough for this observer of human nature.

The politicians among them are all Putin wannabes who envy that old KGB leader who holds Russia in his death grip. Why not? Putin owns a whole damn country after all, having reached a pinnacle of power that only the great loser Trump the and his toadies can dream about…and I have nightmares about!

On the other hand, you have Bernie, the Squad, and others like them, perhaps good-intentioned progressives (although evidence is accumulating that they’re hungry for power too). These folks might have some good ideas, but they all too often lack the common sense to see the consequences of their proposed policies. Defund the police and replace them with social workers; offer free health care, child care, and education for all, paid for by the state; slash DoD funding and use the savings for social programs; etc., etc. True conservatives are needed to rein in that exuberance, adding some common-sense brakes to the progressives’ runaway train before it derails. Maybe consider things a bit more sedately to ponder what the government should or should not do a bit more.

I’ve often written about the Goldilocks Principle in these pages. It’s all about balance. True conservatives balance rabid progressivism. The scales might tip one way or the other over our lifetimes, but they should never be just one or the other.

Yes, true conservatives are necessary. Lamentably, Liz Cheney and others are being hunted, and they might become extinct before their mascot-animals, the elephants, do. Already marked for extinction by Newt Gingrich and his Tea-Party wingnuts, fascist Trump and his equally fascist and maniacal followers are out to make them extinct. The purge of Ms. Cheney spells doom for the traditional GOP. All the fascists in the Good Ole Piranhas will accomplish by their autocratic tactics is to give her a public platform that will hasten the well-deserved death of the party.

Hopefully the true conservatives can create an alternate party that offers a home to anti-Trump forces (there’s a movement among the old guard, which includes Cheney, to do exactly that—150+ signed on to call the current congressional leaders to task for promoting the Big Lie and denying the insurrection).  Those few anti-Trump Republicans correctly believe a fascist America is an evil America akin to Nazi Germany. I imagine that new home would certainly feel more comfortable for them than the center of the Democratic party as well as the Good Ole Piranhas.

In any case, we are all witnesses to the death throes of the traditional GOP as a home for true conservatives. America needs to solve this problem. Otherwise, what will also die is American democracy, where the whole spectrum of political idealism, from progressivism to conservatism, can debate in the public forum.

***

Comments are always welcome.

Palettes, Patriots, and Prats: Esther Brookstone Art Detective, Book Four. Esther Brookstone, ex-Scotland Yard inspector in the Art and Antiques Division and ex-MI6 spy during the Cold War, and new husband, Bastiann van Coevorden, have just returned from their honeymoon cruise down the Danube, refreshed and reinvigorated despite Bastiann’s having to handle a murder investigation as his last assignment as an Interpol agent. Esther is content running her gallery, and Bastiann works as a consultant for MI5. They hope to enjoy their active golden years together, but more adventures as sleuths await them, colliding with their idyllic existence, as they aid an American artist, try to thwart a Russian assassin, and go after the illegal art trade and human traffickers. Mystery, suspense, thrills, and intrigue once more await readers. Available at Draft2Digital’s affiliated retailers (Apple, B&N, Kobo, etc., but not Amazon or Smashwords) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Baker and Taylor, etc.)

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

The Montclair Film Festival, before Covid and before it became dominated by Colbert and his wife, featured some excellent documentaries. One was Tricks (a 3generations.org production), which had an impact on me by realistically portraying human trafficking, mostly in service to the sex trade—sex trafficking, to use the common phrase, where evil people exploit young women and girls, turning them into prostitutes and sex slaves. This is a theme I consider so important that it appears in two novels and some short fiction.

I often mention that observations leading to what-ifs and themes can be woven into plots (see my little course “Writing Fiction”—a new revision is available as a free PDF download on my “Free Stuff & Contests” web page). Watching a documentary is using observations made by the creator or director of the documentary, but secondhand observations are fair game too.

My first novel to use this theme was The Collector, #5 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco” series—you can read the book summary on my “Books & Short Stories” web page. This novel was inspired in part by Tricks and my worry that buyers of stolen art can go beyond rich people desiring to own something no one else could see. This second theme brings in Esther Brookstone for a cameo appearance, a prelude to the “Esther Brookstone Art Detective” series, which leads to the second novel with the first theme: Palettes, Patriots, and Prats, #4 in the series (see below). (Human trafficking is also a theme in the earlier Angels Need Not Apply, #2 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco” series, but it’s not a major one. It’s often associated with the drug trade and immigration abuses.)

Human trafficking is an important theme. We no longer have overt and legal slavery, but it still exists illegally, and the traffickers feed its deadly maws with new victims all the time. If I were forty years younger and knew what I know now from Tricks and other sources, my life’s work might be trying to stamp it out. There are those who work toward exactly that, thankfully, and I applaud their efforts.

Palettes, Patriots, and Prats has more themes because it’s a longer novel. There’s the art trafficking theme and the themes of people falsely accused of or getting trapped in crime. There’s the theme of Putin and his cronies and the Russian assassinations. And there’s the theme of aging, especially for Esther.

Unlike some authors, I believe themes are as important as plot. I find novels without themes far less interesting than those that have them. A story is just fluff without them.

***

Comments are always welcome.

Palettes, Patriots, and Prats: Esther Brookstone Art Detective, Book Four. Esther Brookstone, ex-Scotland Yard inspector in the Art and Antiques Division and ex-MI6 spy during the Cold War, and new husband, Bastiann van Coevorden, have just returned from their honeymoon cruise down the Danube, refreshed and reinvigorated despite Bastiann’s having to handle a murder investigation as his last assignment as an Interpol agent. Esther is content running her gallery, and Bastiann works as a consultant for MI5. They hope to enjoy their active golden years together, but more adventures as sleuths await them, colliding with their idyllic existence, as they aid an American artist, try to thwart a Russian assassin, and go after the illegal art trade and human traffickers. Mystery, suspense, thrills, and intrigue once more await readers. Available at Draft2Digital’s affiliated retailers (Apple, B&N, Kobo, etc., but not Amazon or Smashwords) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Baker and Taylor, etc.)

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

After purging Rep. Liz Cheney from its House leadership, the Good Ole Piranhas have overwhelmingly declared their fealty to their lord and master Donald J. Trump aka Il Duce. Not their voters, mind you; just GOP House members like Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, and other toadies who’ve drunk Trump’s Kool-Aid; in other words, the so-called conservative Republicans have shed their skins to reveal that they’re really fascist snakes who now publicly proclaim “Sieg Heil!” as they salute their fuehrer. This is a sad time for democracy in America!

Why sad? After all, the destruction of Eisehower and Reagan’s party—Lincoln’s party, for that matter—is good for progressives, right? Yes and no. Sure, it will allow progressives to move the country forward. Eisenhower can turn over in his grave, but the progressives won’t have to put any brakes on in their rush to change America’s ways.

But no, progressives can run amok just like fascists. I might be a progressive, but I’ll dare to speak heresy by stating that we need true conservatives (emphasis on “true”), conservatives like Romney, Cheney, and Kinzinger. They’re a dying species in government, but they’re common among voters, even in the Democratic party and independents. Trump and his followers aren’t true conservatives. Sure, they might use some conservative talking points to hoodwink the true conservatives, practicing the ancient art of snake-oil salesmen (although there are many women as well), but they’re fascists. Fascism is a catch-all term to describe these demented folks, summing up their characteristics as haters, bigots, racists, religious extremists, and other greedy, power-hungry narcissists and sociopaths. I saw this many times in the faces at work; I see it on my TV screen every day now, leering, sneering, holier-than-thou, and insane faces. They don’t have to say much—their body language is enough for this observer of human nature.

The politicians among them are all Putin wannabes who envy that old KGB leader who holds Russia in his death grip. Why not? Putin owns a whole damn country after all, having reached a pinnacle of power that only Trump the Loser and his toadies can dream about…and I have nightmares about!

On the other hand, you have Bernie, the Squad, and others like them, perhaps good-intentioned progressives (although evidence is accumulating that they’re hungry for power too). These folks might have some good ideas, but they all too often lack the common sense to see the consequences of their proposed policies. Defund the police and replace them with social workers; offer free health care, child care, and education for all, paid for by the state; slash DoD funding and use the savings for social programs; etc., etc. True conservatives are needed to rein in that exuberance, adding some common-sense brakes to the progressives’ runaway train before it derails. Maybe consider things a bit more sedately to ponder what the government should or should not do a bit more.

I’ve often written about the Goldilocks Principle in these pages. It’s all about balance. True conservatives balance rabid progressivism. The scales might tip one way or the other over our lifetimes, but they should never be just one or the other.

Yes, true conservatives are necessary. Lamentably, Liz Cheney and others are being hunted, and they might become extinct before their mascot-animals are. Already marked for extinction by Newt Gingrich and his Tea-Party wingnuts, fascist Trump and his maniacal followers are out to make them extinct. The purge of Ms. Cheney spells doom for the traditional GOP. All the fascists in the Good Ole Piranhas will accomplish by their autocratic tactics is to give her a public platform that will hasten the death of the party. Hopefully the true conservatives can create an alternate party that offers a home to the anti-Trump forces (there’s a movement among the old guard, which includes Cheney, to do exactly that—150+ signed on to call the current congressional leaders to task for promoting the Big Lie and denying the insurrection), those who believe a fascist America is an evil America akin to Nazi Germany. I imagine that new home would certainly feel more comfortable for them than the center of the Democratic party as well as the Good Ole Piranhas.

In any case, we are all witnesses to the death of the traditional GOP as a home to true conservatives. America needs to solve this problem. Otherwise, what will also die is American democracy where the whole spectrum of political idealism, from progressivism to conservatism, can debate in the public forum.

***

Comments are always welcome.

Palettes, Patriots, and Prats: Esther Brookstone Art Detective, Book Four. Esther Brookstone, ex-Scotland Yard inspector in the Art and Antiques Division and ex-MI6 spy during the Cold War, and new husband, Bastiann van Coevorden, have just returned from their honeymoon cruise down the Danube, refreshed and reinvigorated despite Bastiann’s having to handle a murder investigation as his last assignment as an Interpol agent. Esther is content running her gallery, and Bastiann works as a consultant for MI5. They hope to enjoy their active golden years together, but more adventures as sleuths await them, colliding with their idyllic existence, as they aid an American artist, try to thwart a Russian assassin, and go after the illegal art trade and human traffickers. Mystery, suspense, thrills, and intrigue once more await readers. Available at Draft2Digital’s affiliated retailers (Apple, B&N, Kobo, etc., but not Amazon or Smashwords) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Baker and Taylor, etc.)

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

In my extended series (“Detectives Chen & Castilblanco” is the longest at seven books), I often avoid focusing on one genre. My stand-alone books can be in any genre, or multiple genres, too. Other authors and marketing gurus have told me that’s a mistake, that I’d sell more books if I would only pick one genre and stuck to it. Maybe they’re right? (If you’re an author, express your thoughts in the comments.)

First, let me emphatically state that I don’t write my stories to become rich. I write them to entertain readers. If each book entertains at least one reader, I  consider it a success. My bar’s not high because, even when I started to publish my stories, competition was ferocious, and it’s only become worse. I never expected to publish any bestsellers. My goal was simply to have some fun storytelling and to entertain a few readers in the process.

Second, I could never be happy sticking to one genre. I only assign genres and other keywords when I publish a book. Up to that point, I just tell the story, a process which is unfettered by constraints on themes and plots, settings and dialogue, and other novelistic elements. Each story carries the Moore brand, of course—my mix of story elements that’s probably as unique to me as fingerprints or DNA—and yet I’ll experiment. The result is hard to describe with a few keywords, and that’s all genres are.

Third, being somewhat an old curmudgeon with a leprechaun’s twinkle in my eye—the blarney in me, if you will—I’m just as likely to wander through that vast forest of genres and subgenres that critics have created as I mimic a wise old owl flitting to various perches to hoot at the folly of those who try to pin me down…and enjoying it all immensely.

The only people who really need genres (and only out of habit, mind you) are librarians and bookstore clerks who have to figure out where to shelve and display a book, and reviewers and critics who feel the need to pigeonhole the book in some way. And all that is especially irrelevant for ebooks—most of my books have no print version! (I only use those for book events, which have become non-existent during Covid. They’re expensive to produce, so I won’t produce any more either. My apologies to those of you still living in mid-twentieth century.)

When I start a story, I have no idea whether it will become a short story, novella, or novel. And I don’t really care how readers and pundits categorize it when it’s finished. I focus on the story. Traditional constraints are largely irrelevant now in this new world of publishing. Genre is one of those.

When I finish a story, though, genres might appear among the keywords. I often doubt that “post-apocalyptic thriller” helps readers when eyeing novels in “The Last Humans” series, or “mystery/thriller” helps readers deciding to purchase books in the “Detectives Chen & Castilblanco” or “Esther Brookstone Art Detective” series, simply because I focus more on the book blurbs when selecting my own reading material. But, just in case genres are of some use to book-buyers and others, I include them in keywords (I can’t help how online retailers’ search engines work).

And maybe genres are more of a warning to readers? I certainly use “romance,” “erotica,” “horror,” “psychological thriller,” and a few others in that way to avoid choosing some books I know I probably won’t like. I try to keep an open mind, though. It’s always possible the author, publicist, or retailer has incorrectly categorized a book. (A local Barnes & Noble shelved my Rembrandt’s Angel in their arts section!). A sharp reader allows for human error and focuses on the blurb and a “peek inside.”

Selecting one’s reading material isn’t easy. By focusing on blurbs and the “peek inside” options (equivalent to browsing at a bookstore), one can protect oneself from purchasing a book they’ll maybe start but never finish. (Maybe I should write some lessons akin to my free download “Writing Fiction” about how to buy books? Of course, most avid readers are already experts at that!)

***

Comments are always welcome.

A. B. Carolan’s Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One. Kayla Jones has dreams she can’t understand. Her future seems determined as the brilliant STEM student who looks forward to a research career, but her past gets in the way. As if the chaos afflicting the world and leading to her adopted father’s death wasn’t enough, killers begin to pursue her. With some friends who come to her aid, she’s on her way to discover a conspiracy that can be traced to prehistoric battles waged by hominids bent on conquest of a primitive Earth. An ebook for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart, only available on Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Gardners, etc.)

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

The NY Times, for some insane reason, recently decided to use “guest essay” in place of “op-ed.” Let’s ignore the fact that most writers posting articles to the Times two opinion pages aren’t “guests”—they’re paid contributors who regularly post their opinions there. Instead, I’ll analyze why this new policy is insane.

I was expecting more blowback about their stupid decision. There was a bit, but it certainly missed the points I will put forth in this article. The Times‘s decision is an arrogant attempt to change tradition for no reason at all (the “editors” try to give some, but they’re so lame, I won’t even mention them). The Times is trying to change standard American English usage on a whim, as if only they know what’s best, an editorial decision it has absolutely no right to impose on the rest of us. In other words, it’s but another example of thrashing around by a dying and anachronistic print medium.

“Op-ed:” is a shortened form of “editorial opinion”: or “opinions of the editor” that the Times has already morphed into an Irish stew of many ingredients if one considers the writers who post articles on their opinion pages, generally covering a wide, multi-dimensional spectrum of opinion. “Opinion Pages” or simply “Opinion” would be better choices to use, not only as a title for those two pages (in the Times‘s defense, they still use the latter), but “op-eds” is the well-established term employed everywhere, except by the Times.

In that sense, it’s not anyone’s right to change its meaning to “guest essay,” and especially not the Times‘s right to do so. For example, this article is an op-ed because it’s my opinion and I’m editor of this blog, and (most of the time) its only contributor. I might use the term “post” (short for “blog post”) or “article” (they’re journalistic articles—journalism covers the internet as well), but never “essay.” That smacks of eruditeness and elitism. Newspapers feature articles; they don’t publish essays. Not only is the Times‘s decision an incorrect one, it’s inappropriate to use “essay.”

So the use of “guest” and “essay” are both wrong. More than that, the Times‘s decision goes against the traditional purpose of opinion pages: The rest of a newspaper’s articles report facts (or they should!); the opinion pages contain points of view, hopefully opinions supported by a purview of the facts (and not by outrageous conspiracy theories). The articles on opinion pages express the opinions of their writers and aren’t necessarily those of the paper.

The Times has done many stupid things. I’ve written several op-eds about how they’ve turned their “Book Review” Sunday insert into a mouthpiece for the Big Five publishers, for example. (Most of their reviews are just disguised ads designed to promote a Big Five book.) Changing “op-ed: to “guest essay” is yet another stupid decision. Anything but “op-ed” is fickle self-indulgence.

This newspaper is becoming more and more annoying and irrelevant to this author of novels and blog posts aka op-eds. Like most newspapers, I’ll probably not miss the Times if it goes under. Most papers certainly aren’t worth the price to subscribe anymore. But maybe they would be if they’d just stick with what works.

***

Comments are always welcome.

A. B. Carolan’s Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One. Kayla Jones has dreams she can’t understand. Her future seems determined as the brilliant STEM student who looks forward to a research career, but her past gets in the way. As if the chaos afflicting the world and leading to her adopted father’s death wasn’t enough, killers begin to pursue her. With some friends who come to her aid, she’s on her way to discover a conspiracy that can be traced to prehistoric battles waged by hominids bent on conquest of a primitive Earth. An ebook for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart, only available on Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Gardners, etc.)

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

Frequent readers of this blog are probably aware that I’ve not done movie reviews for more than a year. The reason is obvious: Covid-19. We don’t have streaming video and don’t want it because we the need the full-screen, surround-sound, reclining seats, and popcorn—the full experience that can only be obtained in a big, traditional theater setting. I hope to return to that experience and writing movie reviews soon.

Any opinions I have about this year’s Academy Award nominees were formed by movie trailers and chats with friends, online or otherwise. These opinions about films, actors, and other film workers, if any, are basically worthless, but I will make some comments. Anthony Hopkins was a surprise; I’d have voted for Chadwick Boseman. That’s more a personal choice than a valid observation because I didn’t see their performances. I’m happy that Soul won two awards, but that’s because I love music—I have yet to see this film that seems like another advance in animation art with its portrayal of NYC’s vibrant life and citizens.

While Covid has been an unwelcome force of change, there’s no doubt that Hollywood needed to change. The descriptor “tinsel town,” intended to capture in general how irrelevant movies and how detached and out-of-touch actors, directors, and producers were in the past, is less appropriate now: Change is occurring in Hollywood. Whether it’s good or bad, Hollywood will never be the same. And maybe that’s good in itself.

Evolution isn’t only a force of nature; it’s a force for change in the world’s institutions and social norms. Whether they like it or not, conservatives have to learn to live with a changing world. Chana didn’t watch the Oscars; they boycotted them, even though a Chinese-American professor from NYU won an award. That’s disconnecting from the world. China does that at its own peril. Trumpers, and the great loser and con man himself, hate Hollywood; they’ll achieve the irrelevance they fear so much and so richly deserve.

Yes, evolution is social change too, like it or not. Dylan’s song is as true now, if not more so, than it was in the nineteen-sixties: The times are a-changin’—and that’s a good thing, in Hollywood and elsewhere. Let’s hope it speeds up so we can save the planet and arrive at the point where we all recognize that we’re all on the great spaceship Earth together and must make the best of it.

***

Comments are always welcome!

Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One, by A. B. Carolan. Kayla Jones has dreams she can’t understand. Her future seems determined as the brilliant STEM student who looks forward to a research career, but her past gets in the way. As if the chaos afflicting the world and leading to her adopted father’s death wasn’t enough, killers begin to pursue her. With some friends who come to her aid, she’s on her way to discover a conspiracy that can be traced to prehistoric battles waged by hominins bent on conquest of a primitive Earth. Available at Smashwords and all its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Gardners, etc.).

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

In my post “Changes to My Website” (4/23) and a few previous posts, as well as my website’s pages, I’ve explained why no new books of mine will appear on Amazon in the future. For this reason, A, B. Carolan’s new novel Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One is now available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Overdrive, Scribd, Gardners, etc.), and not on Amazon.

Also in previous posts, you’ve seen a preview and some background material for this new sci-fi mystery/thriller for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart. It’s A.B.’s fourth book, and Origins is just as exciting as the previous three. It answers physicist Fermi’s famous question about ETs, “Where are they?”, by “They’re right here among us!” (Of course, you’ll have to read the novel to find out how that came to pass!)

Not being available on Amazon doe not mean you can’t download it to read on your Kindle or Kindle app. Those .mobi files that Amazon likes to pretend as proprietary and exclusive for Kindle use are the only ebook files you can download from Amazon, but Smashwords offers you the option to download any ebook format, including .mobi, when you purchase an ebook from them. Its affiliated retailers only offer their own formats, of course, (.epub is the most common not .mobi) but Smashwords offers them all.

To buy and download your .mobi ebooks from Smashwords, please do the following: (1) Open a Smashwords account if you don’t already have one, and choose .mobi as your download option. The account is free, and it will allow you to explore a brand new world of ebooks that are there for your entertainment, including Origins. (2) Get your Kindles’s email address from Amazon (you probably created it when you bought your Kindle) and put it on file at Smashwords. (3) Also on Amazon, list edelivery@smashwords.com as a trusted content provider for your Kindle. This process is less complicated than it seems. Amazon likes to hide these details and make them seem complicated, of course, because they want you to buy ebooks exclusively on Amazon. Please don’t play their game!

I bought and downloaded a .mobi-formatted copy of Origins from Smashwords exactly the way described, although I had already done steps 1-3 long ago to purchase other ebooks (many not on Amazon, by the way!). It always feels good to put one over on Amazon, of course. And, as an author, it also feels good to “go wide” and offer A.B.’s and my ebooks at multiple e-retail sites (as well as Walmart—have you seen the Kobo kiosk there?). This follows the marketing advice: The more retail sites where a product is available, the greater the sales figures for that product!

By the way, keep your Amazon account active if you feel the need. Smashwords and its affiliated retailers only sell ebooks! Amazon started out that way, but we all know what a greedy monster it has become. We use Amazon only for some other things now, not books. In any case, we prefer local merchants and suppliers to Amazon—no waiting and no shipping fees! Some will say, “But I have Prime!” Don’t kid yourself. Your Prime membership fee has prepaid your shipping fees. Amazon makes tons of money off that big swindle! (Of course, you might be a reseller with a garage full of products bought from Amazon—a Prime account might work for you in that case! Some activity like that was going on during the pandemic where people made a killing by reselling PPE and even toilet paper.)

Our local merchants include local booksellers, which we use primarily for non-fiction doorstoppers—again, who wants to wait and pay those onerous shipping costs? And that way we stay involved in our local community by supporting local vendors. We’re coming out of the Covid pandemic now, so we’re increasingly doing that!

Many tech giants have become monopolistic—Amazon, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, and so forth. But they don’t need to be broken up. They just need some serious competition. That’s what it takes to make free enterprise work.

Do your part to break Amazon’s ebook monopoly if you’re not already doing so. A.B. and I are doing ours. Please download your .mobi copy (or any other format) of Origins now. A.B. and I will appreciate it…and happily welcome you to our book boycott of Amazon.

***

Comments are always welcome!

Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One, by A. B. Carolan. Kayla Jones has dreams she can’t understand. Her future seems determined as the brilliant STEM student who looks forward to a research career, but her past gets in the way. As if the chaos afflicting the world and leading to her adopted father’s death wasn’t enough, killers begin to pursue her. With some friends who come to her aid, she’s on her way to discover a conspiracy that can be traced to prehistoric battles waged by hominins bent on conquest of a primitive Earth. Available at Smashwords and all its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Gardners, etc.).

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

There’s no doubt that the jury’s decision in the Derek Chauvin trial is historic. But let’s revisit how long it has taken: the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and was followed by cops beating up marchers in 1965 at Selma, with little or no legal action taken against the cops; and Rodney King was beaten by LA cops in 1991, with getting off free. Finally, after about sixty years of police violence against Black men and boys, a cop is convicted. Is this the start of significant change, a change leading to police realizing that there’s a bias against non-white Americans, specifically blacks? I hope so.

All my life this has been going on. At first I was distracted by another war in Vietnam, but violent police tactics motivated by racist, antiquated policing protocols and academy training has been plaguing the US for years. Ever since Vietnam, I’ve been afraid of police and sheriff’s deputies dressed in riot gear, but I could always imagine the fear a Black man must face. It always seemed to me that baby steps were taken to improve the situation, often followed by big steps back.

To paraphrase Will Smith, there’s always been racism and racist violence in America. The difference now is that sometimes a video record will show us how trivial offenses can often escalate to murder, more so for Blacks and other minorities than for whites. That has been going on since before the Civil War and continues even with that Civil Rights Act. It’s as if we’re still fighting the Civil War. Frankly, it’s tearing the US apart at the seams and has helped divide this country into the new North and South, i.e. blue states vs. red states. Of course, that current division is more about fascist mentalities (the Good Ole Piranhas) versus reasonable people (we liberals and progressives who are the GOP’s enemy).

But fascists in America, as all fascists do, look for scapegoats to blame all their failures on. They’ve added Blacks and minorities to their hate list. “It’s us versus them,” they say, and tell the big lies blaming them and anyone defending them. This is what Hitler and his Nazi party did in 1930s Germany, and it’s no different here.

It’s sad that Mr. Floyd was murdered in the north, because fascist racists aren’t as prevalent there, as elections have shown. Never doubt it: Derek Chauvin was the fascist racist in this case! I don’t know why it didn’t come out in the trial, but Floyd and Chauvin were nightclub bouncers. Perhaps he had a personal hatred for Floyd, but his arrogant expression of fascist power easily seen in the video record tells most of the story: for whatever reason, Chauvin became a fascist racist and a murderer. Most people in Minnesota aren’t like that. That happens more in the south.

But it can happen anywhere twisted minds can wield power. They said the trial wasn’t about who Chauvin was but what he did. Okay, but it was certainly about who he was in the sense that it was about who he became, a fascist racist willing to do violence from a position of authority. He ended up as a non-human monster.

As long as such monsters become police, I’m afraid there will be no significant change. Police training and protocols must be modified so that fascist monsters cannot hide in the ranks of officers who want to be part of the community and help the citizens they serve.

***

Comments are always welcome.

Origins: The Denisovan Trilogy, Book One, by A. B. Carolan. Kayla Jones has dreams she can’t understand. Her future seems determined as the brilliant STEM student who looks forward to a research career, but her past gets in the way. As if the chaos afflicting the world and leading to her adopted father’s death wasn’t enough, killers begin to pursue her. With some friends who come to her aid, she’s on her way to discover a conspiracy that can be traced to prehistoric battles waged by hominins bent on conquest of a primitive Earth. Available at Smashwords and all its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Gardners, etc.).

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

Did you watch Prince Philip’s funeral procession and ceremony last Saturday? I didn’t. I was never into a lot of pomp and circumstance for any reason. First, in my first three years of high school, I had to play trombone in Elgar’s march of that name far too many times, sometimes in 100 degree heat. (At my own graduation, I wore Bermudas and sandals under that damn toga!) Second, I’d seen too many little girls want to be princesses (that song in Frozen was super-annoying, but not quite as much as the Titanic song, both of them repeated over and over again ad nauseum!). Third, how that old British empire ruled by their royals exploited their colonies, turning their citizens into second-class subjects, was unconscionable and unforgivable (the American and Irish colonies are a bit close to home, of course), and many current problems around the planet can be traced to that. I hasten to write that’s all more British government, a so-called democratic monarchy.

Fact is, I love the British people. Binge-reading British-style mysteries in la grande dame Agatha Christie’s tradition has made the Covid-19 pandemic more tolerable for me too. Some PBS shows from Britain also offer great entertainment for me—I’m a fan of “Shakespeare and Hathaway” (but not of “Downton Abbey”). I read all of the James Bond books from Ian Fleming long before that movie franchise began. (The earlier movies were better because they followed the books more closely. It’s gone off track.) British actors are among my favorites. I just don’t understand the Brits’ obsession and infatuation with their royals…and even less Americans’. And the royals’ “work” is to move around the kingdom to add sparkle to public events? C’mon!

While the British royals might seem closer to Americans (Lord knows why, because we booted mad King George’s army out in the American Revolution), my problem is with royals in general, and for much the same reasons—they represent an anachronistic age that’s entirely irrelevant if not detrimental in the 21^st century, a lot of pomp and circumstance signifying nothing…or worse. I suppose Philip was a decent guy most of the time, and I mourn his passing in that sense, but only in that sense. He wasn’t a Bernie Madoff, after all, nor an Idi Amin. He looked like a guy I could sit down with at a pub and enjoy a pint. Of course, he never would invite me, out of propriety. I’m too low class and half-Irish besides.

As a result of my anti-royal bias, I don’t have many in my books! Prince Harry has a cameo in The Golden Years of Virginia Morgan and several royals (not Brits) appear in Aristocrats and Assassins (#4 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco” series). A prince is a main character in Rogue Planet, a story that takes place in the far future. #4 in the “Esther Brookstone Art Detective” series, Palettes, Patriots, and Prats, will have a duke in a supporting role. That’s about it. And most of these stories portray royals as good persons trapped in a bad lifestyle they’d rather not have to live.

You see, I also feel sorry for royals. They can’t be scientists, engineers, bankers, politicians, and so forth now even if they wanted to live normal lives. They are mere ornaments on the Christmas tree of nostalgia. Some of them might achieve greatness doing other things, but they’re basically stuck in their royal lives with all the pomp and circumstance. They’ll never feel hungry or be without safe lodging. In general, they’ll only theoretically know the struggles of ordinary folks at best. Many can never know true love either, although Harry might be an exception, and old Elizabeth seemed rather fond of her old consort.

But I feel even sorrier for those people who would like to live the life of a royal. They’re much better off being what they are because of the reasons already enumerated.

***

Comments are always welcome!

The “Esther Brookstone Art Detective” series. In a way, these three novels (soon to be four) are a nostalgic bow to my years as a young reader. The novels also pay homage to la grande dame of mystery, Agatha Christie, and her two famous sleuths, Miss Marple (Esther’s role) and Hercule Poirot (Esther’s paramour Bastiann van Coevorden’s role). I often wondered those many years ago why Christie never allowed her two sleuths to solve a crime together. Of course, Esther and Bastiann are very much twenty-first century characters, so I have added a lot of thrills and suspense to the mystery. Available wherever quality ebooks are sold. Print versions can be ordered for you by your favorite bookstore, or they can be found on Amazon.

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

[Note from Steve: This series overlaps a bit the timeline of the “Detectives Chen & Castilblanco” series, a branch on a tree if you will. It was motivated by my desire to pay homage to la grande dame Agatha Christie and her two famous sleuths, Miss Marple (Esther’s role) and Hercule Poirot (Esther’s paramour Bastiann van Coevorden’s) now together. Of course, Esther and Bastiann are very much twenty-first century sleuths, so there are thrills and suspense as well as mystery. By the way, some of the following reviews never appeared on Amazon! And, fair warning: Some reviews contain spoilers (why do reviewers do that?).]

Rembrandt’s Angel (Esther Brookstone #1)

“Rembrandt’s Angel is a complex thriller with several plots intertwined throughout the story. It is recommended for serious mystery fans who are looking for not only a challenging read, but also one that allows readers to become an armchair adventurist and detective, along with Brookstone and van Coevorden, spanning many different parts of the globe.”—Lynette Latzko, Feathered Quill Book Reviews

“A deftly crafted and consistently riveting read from beginning to end, Rembrandt’s Angel showcases author Steven Moore’s genuine flair for originality and his impressive mastery of the Mystery/Suspense genre. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that Rembrandt’s Angel is also available in digital book format.”–Midwest Book Review

“If you lean toward mysteries that entertain as well as intrigue, this title is for you. In what I think is author Steven Moore’s first major move away from sci fi [not true], he successfully couples history’s fascination with the still-missing masterful artworks that disappeared under the Third Reich with a pair of intercontinental sleuths who are more than a match for the cast of neo-Nazis they choose to tangle with. I say choose because sixty-something Esther Brookstone of Scotland Yard and her somewhat younger partner and paramour Bastiann van Coevorden (Interpol) are clearly in command as they pursue a missing Rembrandt canvas across borders, from London to Stuttgart and Oslo to Peru.
As the story unfolds, the pair maintain a delightful banter centered as much around their sex life as their pursuit of artworks and the crooks who would trade them for enough cash to finance a new and even more nefarious Nazi regime. Read it to find out which side triumphs and how they do it. Then join me in hoping there are more stories ahead starring this clever pair.”—Amazon Customer

“There are so many elements that set this book apart from the typical Dan Brownesque mystery/thriller. First of all, it is set in the near future, 2020s. At first I thought it was a typo and then realized it was deliberate. There are vague references to certain political and economic reforms in Europe, but the overall ambiance is not post-apocalyptic. The most unique feature about this novel is the female protagonist, Esther.

If you are tired of female leads who look like sexy French art students or Playboy bunnies, Esther Brookstone is delightfully refreshing, as she defies cliches. A sixty-something going on thirty-five; a three-time widow (rather suspicious), and still open to new romantic adventures; and childless, feminine yet able to hold her ground in a male-dominated profession, she is like a female version of James Bond. I am so grateful that Esther does not have a chip on her shoulder and doesn’t engage in long tirades about how hard it is to be an older female. Thank you, author, for sparing me the feminist rant.

Esther has a Peter-Pannish quality to her. Now, what makes this novel challenging is the location- hopping. Just wanted to throw it out there. The author does his readers a service by listing all the characters in the introduction. But if you are reading a Kindle version, it will be hard to keep going back and checking who is who. So I recommend reading this book when you are able to focus on it, not when you have three other novels in progress.”—Kindle Customer

“Rembrandt’s Angel follows the adventures of two investigators as they try to recover a painting stolen by Hitler. The trail leads to encounters with neo-Nazis, South American drug dealers, and ISIS. These exploits may not be realistic, but the trip is enjoyable, spiced with humorous dialogue and entanglements.
I recommend this book, it was one of the best efforts from the author.”—Debra Miller, in her Amazon review

Son of Thunder (Esther Brookstone #2)

“Son of Thunder is the second novel in the ‘Esther Brookstone Art Detective’ series by Steven M. Moore. Esther has now officially left Scotland Yard, and she is ready to pursue things that she always wanted to do but never had the time. Now that she has time, she is going to search for St. John the Divine’s tomb by using the directions Sandro Botticelli left centuries ago. There is nothing that will stop her from finding it, not even an imminent danger that her Interpol Agent boyfriend is trying to protect her from. Even though Bastiann has his own troubles to focus on, keeping Esther safe is his first priority. What are these two going to do? Can Esther find the tomb in time? Can Bastiann keep her safe while she is miles away?

This is an exceptionally well-crafted and well-researched novel. Even though I haven’t read the previous novel in the series, I had no trouble becoming invested in the story and getting involved in the protagonists’ lives. I enjoyed the connection between Esther and Bastiann and how they seemed to balance each other out. While Esther is a firecracker, Bastiann is the calm soul that brings her back to earth while helping her fly. I also enjoyed how Esther seemed to bring a lot to the story. From her quirky personality to her great sense of humor, she made things work while having a grand time. The development of the story was great, the plot was incredibly rich, and the characters were super-entertaining. It is a great story and I cannot wait for more.” —Rabia Tanveer, in her Readers’ Favorite review

“Practiced mystery author Steven M. Moore creates three tales in one, from different historical plateaus, blending elements of a modern thriller with myth and fact from two earlier centuries in his newest offering, Son of Thunder.

The stories open as painter Sandro Botticelli presents to his patron Lorenzo de Medici his latest creation – untitled – depicting the New Testament’s Zebedee and his two sons, James and John, the latter definitely resembling the artist. When Lorenzo spurns the unusual painting, Bishop Leo steps in and makes Botticelli an offer he can’t refuse. Once he has possession of Botticelli’s creation, Leo hides it away in an armoire along with some cryptic notes regarding the true burial site of John, whom Jesus named a “son of thunder.”

Next we find John, in the first century; he’s fleeing the violence of the Romans against Christians by traveling furtively through Europe, calling on Mary the mother of Jesus, who is on her death bed, and Mary, known as the Magdalene, who, like John, is boldly attempting to preserve relics of their Master’s life and teaching.

Skipping to the twenty-first century we meet Esther Brookstone, a retired operative from Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiques Division, and her male companion, Bastiann van Coevorden, an Interpol agent. The two have just spent some quality time together in her newly renovated castle and both are, secretly, considering the possibility of marriage. Through her contacts in the art world, Esther authenticates the Botticelli painting once hidden away by Bishop Leo, and discovers his arcane notes concerning the grave of St. John. These will lead her, Bastiann, and a varied cast of characters – with a wide, sometimes nefarious mix of motives and methods – on an international chase to a faraway place where [the] sacred bones are buried.

Moore has written about Esther and Bastiann previously; the interest about and between the two is deepened in this latest exploration of their vibrant partnership. Though Esther seems at times the more assertive of the two and quite capable of taking care of herself, she needs someone like Bastiann — a plodder, an observer, and a good man to have on one’s side when the chips are down. Moore offers an abundance of stirring intrigue related to the current political climate, against a background of historical speculation. Terrorism and its foes play a role, and a weirdly motivated descendant of one of the ancients joins in the fray. Moore has included an afterword he calls “Notes, Disclaimers and Acknowledgements” that sheds light on the lure for him of this multilayered, twisting tale.

Quill says: Moore’s deft interweaving of history, religion, fable and fact makes for a fascinating read, highly recommended for readers who favor a thriller that makes them think beyond the page.”—Barbara Bamberger Scott, in her Feathered Quill review

“Great book…the first few pages kept me reading. This is an awesome book with a well developed storyline and great characters. Action packed and so compelling. I highly recommend this book.”—Dr. Patricia Eroh, in her Amazon review.

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