Weather forecast…past, present, and near future. Steam baths and lots of rain. It’s a great time to stay in the AC and read a book…or under an umbrella on the beach (just not in the thunderstorms). After three recent novel-writing marathons, I’m doing a bit of R&R&R. Some readers don’t realize that writing requires a lot of commitment, but authors are happy to do it to entertain and inform their readers. And we can read other authors’ books too! That’s why that last &R is not a typo—it’s Rest & Relaxation & Reading for me. What about you?

That strange Twitterverse. It’s not just the tweets from you-know-who. A challenge for math nerds was posted recently: what’s 8 / 2(2+2) ? The poser of the puzzle used a division sign instead of a slash. But the division sign is equivalent to a slash, as written here, which means the expression is equivalent to a fractional one, 8 over 2(2+2), which, of course, is 1.

Don’t feel bad if you got it wrong. The NY Times did too! They argued that you do the operation in parentheses first (correct!) and then work from left to right (no, because the division sign is equivalent to a slash). Left-to-right is a cultural bias (shame on you, NY Times!), and math is culturally independent. Many people read from right to left in this world. Admittedly the expression is ambiguous, but not to most mathematicians, where the division sign is rarely used.

More fun was had by seeing all the people on Twitter arguing about this. I didn’t, by the way…maybe because I’m more careful about how I spend my time there. Maybe other people have too much time on their hands? (Including you-know-who?) Twitter is a special culture, of course, and it’s fun to observe its idiosyncrasies.

Official reviewing. Some of you might be familiar with my book reviews on Amazon or my blog (archived in the “Book Reviews” and “Mini-Reviews of Books” categories), but I do my “official reviewing” at bookpleasures.com.

I’ve been associated with them for 10+ years and have reviewed all kinds of books—over a hundred reviews so far, from non-fiction to fiction and even a graphics novel. Unlike Amazon reviews, the ones on bookpleasures aren’t short two- or three-liners and are completely honest—reviewers’ opinions are their own, of course, and they can be acerbic as well as glowing (sometimes in the same review!) as they discuss the merits of each book. Recommended as an alternative to Amazon and Kirkus and other sites that are more associated with New York publishing conglomerates.

Recent and current reads. I read non-fiction as well as fiction. Recently I read Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing, an amazing history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland (my review can be found on Bookpleasures). I’m currently reading Putin’s World: Russia against the West and with the Rest, by Angela Stent. (We have to understand our enemies.)

Kudos to two colleagues. Most of you probably remember that my latest novel The Last Humans was published by Black Opal Books. Two fellow authors associated with this great small press we call BOB are finalists in the Killer Nashville conference’s contests: Saralyn Richard’s Murder in the One Percent takes place in the tri-state’s neighboring Brandywine Valley, and P.D. Halt’s When Death Imitates Art takes place in Germany. You guessed it: they’re mystery/crime stories, and two great reads that are certainly deserving of this recognition. While the books are available on many online retail sites, please support and patronize your local indie bookstore. (If they don’t have these books, please ask them to order them for you).

Son of Thunder. The sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel is coming real soon. This novel required a lot of research compared to the other books in my oeuvre, although they all require some. It features the main characters from the first book, ex-Scotland Yard Inspector Esther Brookstone, now retired, and paramour Interpol Agent Bastiann van Coevorden, but the disciple St. John the Divine and the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli also play important roles. Don’t worry. There’s no time travel, even though the book covers three different eras. And you’ll see how Esther and Bastiann’s romance progresses.

The new look. My website gurus at Monkey C Media have made upgrades and updates on my website—probably transparent to you for the most part when you visit. The URL has changed, though. It’s now https://stevenmmoore.com (that pesky extra m is still essential)…just a wee bit of added security for you if you’re web surfing. (Don’t worry. I’m not going to be selling things and sending you off to PayPal. And I still don’t accept ads from internet vendors.)

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[Note from Steve: I cannot believe this is only issue #170 of my “News and Notices…” after 10+ years of this blog. But here it is.]

Spring and summer reading. Summer seems almost here, and then it’s not. So let’s just agree to say spring and summer reading is here—books to read on vacation, day-trips to the beach, or in those lazy evening of daylight savings time when you’re tired of TV reruns, lack of good movies, or everyone hogging your internet bandwidth. Or just books to read on those bad-weather days.

Given that ode to the changing seasons, let me make a couple of…

Reading recommendations. Here are two books I found entertaining (I wrote reviews for both of them):

Kilts and Catnip. Zoe Tasia, author (Black Opal Books, 2019). This romantic fantasy features an American in Scotland who discovers there’s something to those Celtic myths.

Aegir’s Curse. Leah Devlin, author (Penmore Press, 2015). This mystery/thriller features a Viking ship discovered near Woods Hole, MA. What could go wrong?

Black Opal Books and Penmore Press are small presses. You can find their catalogs online at https://blackopalbooks.com/ and https://www.penmorepress.com/. Please support small presses. They have treasure chests you’ll find full of gems—entertaining books to read!

TBRoR books. Now that I have three books out the door in 2019 (four counting a manuscript—see below), I can get some R&R and return to my TBRoR-list of books. (It’s always growing—so many good books and good authors, and so little time to read. I shuffle the list around sometimes, depending on my moods). Here’s three I want to read ASAP:

The Bottom Dwellers. Leah Devlin, author (Penmore Press, 2015).

The Clock. Leonardus Rougoor, author (Black Opal Books, 2017).

Sins of the Sister. Zari Reede, author (Black Opal Books, 2018).

Although I’ve started all three (I often have two or three going for variety), finishing those three aforementioned books of mine interrupted my serious reading for a while. It will be good to get back to them. They’ve all passed my title, cover, blurb, and “peek inside” tests, and books from 1.5 of the authors’ previous works (that’s an author’s inside joke) I’ve already read. All look interesting. (You’ll note that they’re from the same two small presses.)

Magic vs. science. Science fiction grandmaster Arthur C. Clarke’s quote is a good way to start this segment: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This is more than a glib remark from an old sci-fi writer. It is an important statement about technology.

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Spring rain. Inevitable I guess. Maybe April showers will bring May flowers. At least it’s not snow. (Okay, some have had a few late winter storms, but here in NJ, it’s just a lot of rain.) I’m always going out with a hat now—serves as an umbrella I don’t have to carry. And speaking of hats, see my post last week on them.

Recent reads. I’m an avid reader as well as a full-time writer. I thought I’d mention some books I recently read: Cherubs 2 by Marc Liebman is a military thriller about a helicopter SAR pilot (search and rescue pilot) during the Vietnam War; You Say Goodbye by Keith Steinbaum is a mystery/crime story about a washed up rock musician who struggles to find his girlfriend’s killer, and Kilts and Catnip by Zoe Tasia is a romantic/fantasy with a splash of mystery about the happenings on a mysterious island just off the coast of Scotland. I think I wrote reviews for all these on my blog. Check them out.

Is it fantasy or is it sci-fi? My novel Rogue Planet was inspired by John G. Stockmyer’s Under the Stairs series. It’s a hard sci-fi thriller with Game-of-Thrones-style fantasy elements. A. B. Carolan’s new sci-fi mystery for young adults, titled Mind Games (soon available in ebook and print versions), will mix ESP and android manufacture (see the excerpt immediately below). All these books should appeal to both sci-fi and fantasy lovers.

Excerpt from Mind Games. The main character is Della, a fourteen-year-old with psi powers. Her adopted father was murdered and she is trying to discover who the killer is. So, just to whet your appetite….

The puzzle’s loose pieces were starting to come together. But Androids Incorporated plus SISA plus Psi Corps equaled what? Was there some kind of conspiracy? If so, why had the people involved needed to kill Ferdie? Realized I didn’t know that much about Ferdie although we’d been so close. Had they asked him to participate in something he couldn’t morally do, so he turned them down? If so, had they killed him because they were afraid he’d expose them? Or was I only a paranoid schoolgirl who should leave such weighty issues to adults?

All these thoughts swirled around in my head as I fought off mind-probes sent out by three strange men. They easily detected my firewall just as I’d detected theirs. Why didn’t they attack? I decided to find out.

Picked the agent who seemed to be the weakest fellow. Followed his probe right back to the source and hit his mind hard. Broke through his firewall and, before he collapsed, read everything in his mind. Sweeping aside his confusion about the attack wasn’t easy, but I knew I could make sense of all that chaotic information later. Didn’t feel sorry about it, but he would need a psych’s help. Tough, I thought. I had acquired some information in the process, and he at least would have mind-wiped me.

Smashwords sale. To celebrate A. B. Carolan’s third book (see above), he’s putting the first two on sale at Smashwords. Great summer reading for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart. As usual, only subscribers to my email newsletter have access to these sales. You can subscribe by contacting me at steve@stevenmmoore.com.

Reviews for The Last Humans are coming in. This recent book from Black Opal Books is a post-apocalyptic thriller for our times. Lots of action that will keep you thinking, “Can this really happen?” Did you miss it? Available in ebook and print versions online and at your favorite bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask for it). FYI: The sequel is almost finished!

Also coming soon. In addition to Mind Games (see announcement and excerpt above), Penmore Press will soon publish Son of Thunder. It features the principals from Rembrandt’s Angel, Esther Brookstone and Bastiann van Coevorden, along with Sandro Botticelli, the Renaissance painter, and St. John the Divine, Christ’s most beloved disciple…and there’s no time travel involved. This mystery/thriller will keep you guessing, just like the first book. Look for it.

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

Winter doldrums? My solution is to read, read, read. Of course, I read books in the spring and summer too, but there’s a lot of other things to do then, even if they’re just day-trips. Getting involved in a book makes me forget about all the cold and bad weather. What about you? While March is still roaring like a lion, spring is just around the corner. I’m already thinking about chef time at my BBQ.

Where are all the books? You can find your favorite authors’ ebooks online at Amazon and Smashwords and all the latter’s affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.). Many libraries also offer ebooks (I give them a special discount on Smashwords), and you can also borrow them elsewhere (Overdrive, for example). Small presses often sell their own books on their websites (and offer sales!). Kobo/Walmart offers an alternative to Amazon—Walmart signed a deal with Kobo (subsidiary of Rakuten), so you can find Kobo ebooks at Walmart stores and their online retail site.

Print books are available on Amazon, B&N, and at your favorite local bookstore. The smaller ones don’t have enough room to stock all recent books, but they’ll order them for you. Of course, print books are more prevalent in libraries (I’ve denoted copies of my print books to libraries on the East and West Coast).

Interviews. You probably saw my interview last week of historical fantasy writer Bruce Woods (if you didn’t, take a peek—he writes interesting stories). These interviews are a common feature in my blog because they let readers know about authors. (My book reviews do the same for their books.)

Any author can request an interview. Use steve@stevenmmoore.com to query me. I’ll send you a list of questions that you can selectively answer (you can add your own too).

Readers like to know the authors who write the books—their perspectives, their history, and why they write…so this interview service is for readers too! And who knows? You might find some interesting and entertaining books to read.

Book sales. I now only offer ebook sales to my email newsletter subscribers. Here are the books on sale this month: the entire “Mary Jo Melendez Mysteries” series, Muddlin’ Through, Silicon Slummin’…and Just Gettin’ By, and the just published Goin’ the Extra Mile. You can receive the email newsletter by dropping me an email using steve@stevenmmoore.com.

I only offer special prices for my print books at special events (like last November’s Holly Berry Show).

All my books are reasonably priced.

New revision of “Writing Fiction” available. Mostly for writers, but also for readers who want to understand the hurdles writers have to jump over to bring readers all those wonderful books. The latter represents a lot of work, often for little pay. But for writers of fiction, it’s not about selling books—it’s about entertaining readers with stories that make readers laugh, cry, and think about the meaning in their lives and their world. And, of course, many of us are just addicted to writing!

Anyone can download this course by following the instructions on my “Free Stuff & Contests” web page at this website. You could also just shoot me an email to steve@stevenmmoore.com and ask for the course. It’s a free PDF.

There are other free PDFs available, free fiction and info for book clubs. That same web page has the complete list. Or send me that email and I will provide the list to you.

Why do I offer free fiction? There are three basic reasons.

The first: When I start writing a story, I never know whether it will turn into a short story, novella, or novel, but guess what? It’s just as difficult or more difficult than getting a short fiction story accepted for publication by a ‘zine (online or otherwise) as it is for a novel accepted by a small press. I prefer to spend my energy on my novels.

The second: ‘Zines pay next to nothing in royalties. They’re an endangered species, at least the print versions, and probably deserve to be so, because they often exploit authors more than the Big Five. That’s just my opinion, of course, and many authors only write short fiction for ‘zines. More power to them.

The third: Many authors give away free novels. I don’t do that except to reviewers in exchange for an honest review. I give away free short fiction so readers can try out my writing without obligation or cost.

Check out the free fiction available in the list of free downloads on my “Free Stuff & Contests” web page and in the blog categories “Steve’s Shorts” and “ABC Shorts.” I’ll start a new serialized novella next week in “Steve’s Shorts” in homage to the victims of the Christ Church massacre in New Zealand. Titled “Fascist Tango,” it is mostly set in South America’s Southern Cone, that setting inspired by my knowledge of all the horrible events in Latin American history that have occurred where I cry for a lot more than just Argentina.

Release of The Last Humans. Black Opal Books is set to release this post-apocalyptic thriller on March 30. Right now you can pre-order the ebook versions on Amazon and Smashwords. Visit either retail site to see the spiffy cover—main character Penny Castro looks like she’s ready for trouble…and it will find her!

One of those free PDFs, “Reading Notes for The Last Humans,” also contains the cover image along with a blurb, an excerpt, some articles I’ve written related to the book, and ten questions for book clubs.

More coming attractions in 2019. First up I suspect will be A. B. Carolan’s Mind Games, published by Carrick Publishing. Here’s a blurb:

The hero of this sci-fi mystery for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart is a fifteen year-old-girl who can’t remember her past before age five. She’s lived with her foster father Ferdie since then in the Dark Domes where all the misfits on the planet Sanctuary live. Both her father and she are adepts, persons with psi powers, but Ferdie has made her pledge to keep them hidden. When he is murdered, she vows to revenge his death. To do so, she must sharpen and employ these powers because his murderers also employ them. A. B. Carolan gives readers another thrill ride with many twists and turns as he continues the “ABC Sci-Fi Mystery Series.”

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The roller coaster. I don’t know about where you are, but here in Montclair, NJ, we had three days of subfreezing weather, a few days like spring, and then back to winter—up and down we went, confusing all the flora and fauna and making people sick. Mother Earth seems fickle some times, so be careful, everyone. Extreme weather conditions aren’t to be trifled with.

Hemingway and Orwell. According to an article in today’s NY Times, they had works rejected by agents or publishers. Melville was asked, “Does it have to be a whale?” I’d add Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling to the list of many thousands of authors who have had to face rejection. Readers might be oblivious to this part of the publishing business, but writers just have to shake it off and go on, especially fiction writers (all the authors named were storytellers).

It’s a tough publishing world nowadays. Readers, please support the authors who provide you with good stories. And, when you’re done reading a book, write a review. It doesn’t have to be an MFA thesis. Just say what you liked or didn’t like and why. That helps other readers; it also helps that author.

Ebook sales. From now on, they’re only offered to my email newsletter subscribers, and they’re all on Smashwords. Right now the entire “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series” (7 novels) is on sale for $0.99 each. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up using my contact page. Subscribers can share the sales info with family and friends, of course, but you’ll only have access to the required Smashwords sales codes by subscribing. And, for those who don’t want to subscribe, you can still take advantage of my low ebook prices.

Posts for writers. I’ve been publishing my stories for more than ten years (my first book Full Medical appeared in 2006–there’s now an ebook second edition). It’s natural that I have opinions about writing and publishing, some of them unusual. You’ll find them archived in the blog category “Writing.” There’s also a short course in PDF format you can download for free—see my website’s “Free Stuff & Contests” web page.

ITW. That’s International Thriller Writers. I’ve just received the honor of being accepted into this authors’ group. As you know, I write mysteries, thrillers, and sci-fi, but even the sci-fi stories have thriller elements. What does this mean for you? Probably not much, but I still feel honored.

The Last Humans. I’m in final edits for this post-apocalyptic thriller soon to be published by Black Opal Books. Ex-USN and LA County Sheriff’s diver Penny Castro surfaces from a dive and finds the apocalypse. Can she survive the post-apocalypse? A sequel is already in the works. (By the way, check out the Black Opal catalog. Lots of good reading there.)

Son of Thunder. Penmore Press will publish this sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel. Ex-Scotland Yard Inspector Esther Brookstone and Interpol agent Bastiann van Coevorden meet Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli and Christ’s disciple St. John the Divine—and there’s no time travel! Also, Esther and Bastiann’s romance continues. (The Penmore catalog also has lots of good reading. Check it out.)

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Comments are always welcome.

“ABC Sci-Fi Mysteries.” These are books for young adults and older ones who are young at heart. The Secret Lab and The Secret of the Urns, written by A. B. Carolan, take place in my sci-fi universe. The first follows the adventures of Shashibala Garcia and the Fearsome Four kids as they try to discover the origins of a mutant cat on the International Space Station in the future (the cat “writes” the story!). That leads them into a lot more trouble. The second tale follows the adventures of Asako Kobayashi as she tries to become the first scientist who studies the ETs who live on a satellite of a Jovian-style planet. In the process, she must battle human hatred, bigotry, and greed. Both books are available in ebook and print format on Amazon, and ebook format on Smashwords and all its affiliated retailers. And watch for a third book in this series—coming soon!

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

It’s been a while. Or so it seems. I was very busy finishing three manuscripts—one, Goin’ the Extra Mile, has just been published (see below)— while expecting to receive edits and cover ideas from Black Opal Books for my new novel The Last Humans (again, see below), so that I’ve been focusing on writing blog articles and short fiction pieces rather than collecting news items for this newsletter. My apologies. Hopefully this installment will make up for that! (I’ll try to keep it short.)

Stan Lee. He had a good run, this genius who created the Marvel Universe. I think he started in 1939, but I didn’t start reading Marvel Comics until around ten or so. (I wish I’d kept all those comic books! What would they be worth now?) Of course, now new generations can watch his creations on the silver screen (I’ve reviewed some of those movies—see my blog archive “Movie Reviews” at https://stevenmmoore.com/blog ). He will be missed, and his creations will live on.

Holly Berry Show in Montclair, NJ. To all who stopped by and chatted and perused my books, thank you. This was a festive arts and crafts show, and it always puts people in a good mood for the holidays. I always say writing is both art and craft, so I was honored to participate in the show even though I was the only author there. To the raffle winners, I hope you enjoy my books!

Interviews. One good way to discover new and interesting authors is to read about them in interviews. I’ve contributed to that lately by interviewing some fantastic authors—see the “Interviews” archive at https://stevenmmoore.com/blog . Authors often discuss their motivations and how they write their stories. Most are rather candid in their answers. We’re all on spaceship Earth together, just doing our thing.

Small press catalogs. With those interviews, it became clearer to me that one can complement that discovery path to new books and new authors by perusing small press catalogs. Books get lost on Amazon and Smashwords (the latter retail site just changed their interface to join Amazon in burying “old” books—all mine are still current—and featuring “new” ones) and at other huge retail sites, whether online or at big book barns, so if you find small press authors you like, check out their publishers’ catalogs for other interesting and entertaining books. I’ve recently found a lot of entertaining books to read that way.

Bookstores. Or you can find new books at your favorite bookstore. Their books often offer access to small press books, but not always, and browsing through those stacks can be fun. Small bookstores are better. (In Montclair, NJ, check out https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/ .) If you have a book in mind and your bookstore doesn’t have it, see if they will order it. (That doesn’t work for ebooks, but if you have an ebook in mind, you can just buy the ebook online and download it.)

Libraries. We have a good one in Montclair, NJ. I’ve donated some of my books to it. I’m not sure they are all up to date about ebook borrowing, though. Ask for an ebook from a favorite author and see what they say. In any case, public libraries are great places to discover books to read. Support their programs.

Blog topics. It’s probably good to remind people about what I now feature in my blog. In addition to author interviews, you’ll find articles on reading, writing, and the publishing business. You’ll also find book and movie reviews. And you’ll find free short fiction from my colleague A. B. Carolan and me. All at https://stevenmmoore.com/blog.

Other free fiction. Besides what appears in my blog posts, archived in “Steve’s Shorts” and “ABC Shorts,” you can download any of the free fiction you find listed on the “Free Stuff & Contests” web page. There are also a few other free and downloadable PDFs of interest to readers and writers as well as book club members. If you’ve perused the list earlier, please do so again—new PDFs have been added recently.

Rembrandt’s Angel. Published in May 2017 by Penmore Press, my novel Rembrandt’s Angel was popular at the recent Holly Berry Show in Montclair, NJ, and it is still getting positive reviews.

Here’s one: “Steven Moore’s knowledge of current affairs and history is both obvious and impressive in this highly enjoyable read about the hunt for a rare missing painting stolen by the Nazi’s and now selling on a secretive dark market needing to be infiltrated. The various characters that Moore peppers us with never allow the reader to let their guard down in this winding path of intrigue. It’s part espionage and, just as enjoyably, part travel brochure as he takes us to different parts of the world for both scenic and culturally educational descriptions while simultaneously keeping his eye on the ball towards the goal of keeping us in suspense.”—Keith Steinbaum, in his Goodreads review.

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Summer’s over. Well, not officially yet, but some leaves are starting to change around here. Family vacations are over. Kids are back in school.

The weather was bad, and Mother Nature smacked us around for our pecadillos. As I write this, hurricane Florence is pounding the coast of the Carolinas. Be safe, fellow readers and writers!

Make reading a part of your life and for your friends and family. Reading and literacy are the keys to civilization and intelligent, informed discourse. Reading is also entertainment, as in my books, but I’ll first mention a few other cultural things to do around my neck of woods this autumn that are also entertaining. Because people are still visiting the tri-state area, either for vacations or holiday events, some of these might work for visitors to our area.

Local News…

Two favorite places. If you live in or visit the Montclair, NJ area, you might know them already. The Montclair Public Library is a quiet place where you can browse the stacks (you might see some of my books—I’ve donated a few). The library also has many events of interest to the cultural community (last year I participated in the Indie Authors’ Day, for example)—talks, meetings, and courses.

Another favorite place for reading aficionados is Watchung Booksellers. You can browse their stacks in a quiet, intimate setting, looking for those new releases you’ve heard about.  I haven’t had the privilege of doing a book signing there yet (the queue is long, I suppose), but the bookstore has a lot of them too.

Montclair events. Since I’m on this shtick about places for cultural events, I’ll mention some more.

Don’t forget Montclair State University’s events.  We’ve seen some excellent performances there—the drama and music students are very talented. At this writing, school has just started there too, and the program circulars aren’t available yet. If the programs are anything like last year, though, you won’t be disappointed. And the price is right.

The Papermill Playhouse often has plays that end up on Broadway. You can see them before that. We’ve seen some good ones, and we weren’t surprised when they ended up on the Great White Way.

The Montclair Orchestra is new this year with four programs, I believe. Some MSU students and faculty belong. You’ll see their flyers if you’re out and about in Montclair.  Keep it in mind.

You don’t have to go into NYC for cultural events—the burbs have plenty.  Here’s another one:

Holly Berry Show. Is it too soon to think of the holidays? No. You’re probably lining up visits to family and friends already. The fourth event I’ll mention is one you shouldn’t forget if you’re in northern New Jersey, the Upper Montclair Women’s Club’s annual Holly Berry Show, Nov. 3-4.

This is an arts and crafts show where you can find many homemade items for your holiday gifts and decorations, from decorations and stocking stuffers to larger and more expensive items like jewelry. Writing is a craft, and I’ll be there ready to discuss reading, writing, and the publishing business with all who stop by.

I’ll also be offering five books this year at special show prices. A. B. Carolan’s two sci-fi mysteries, The Secret Lab and The Secret of the Urns, will make fine gifts for your young adult readers (and also for adults who are young at heart). The mystery/thriller, The Midas Bomb, and the sci-fi novel, Rogue Planet, will be good diversions for your snowy nights by the fire.  And the mystery/thriller, Rembrandt’s Angel, will bring fond memories of Dame Agatha’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot to the fore as Scotland Yard Inspector Esther Brookstone and Interpol Agent Bastiann van Coevorden try to recover a Rembrandt stolen by the Nazis in World War Two. Their mission becomes much larger.

See you at the Holly Berry Show November 3 and 4 in Upper Montclair, NJ. Encourage your family and friends to come. Kids are always welcome.

Other activities in northern NJ. One of my great pleasures is wining and dining in Montclair and environs. There are great restaurants with ethnic foods and cooking styles from all over the world. Because Montclair has so many trees (in spite of the summer’s bad thuderstorms), autumn provides a beautiful palette of fall colors just to be out and about, and fall weather, like spring, is usually better, especially after this summer we’ve had! If you’re a bit more adventurous, make a day trip out to the Delaware Water Gap to see the fall colors and visit the Lakota Wolf Preserve (reservations needed).

General news…

How do you find the books you read? A lot of the venues mentioned above—book fairs and events or art shows, libraries, and bookstores—are ideal for browsing. I’ve discovered a new way to do it online without Jeff Bezos lurking over me, thanks to my affiliation with Black Opal Books. What do http://www.tor.com and https://blackopalbooks.com have in common? Those sites feature publishers’ catalogs.

I can’t browse much on Amazon anymore. Their stupid bots think they know what I like to read, but they base everything on my past reading history. I avoid getting into ruts, so that past history doesn’t mean much.

You’re probably like me. We like to browse and find new books to tickle our reading fancies. If you like online shopping, visit a few publishers’ catalogs, especially small presses or indies’ lists (I just bought three ebooks from the Goodreads list I receive), where those golden nuggets can be easily panned in that great wilderness of all the books now available.

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Welcome. If this is your first time here, thank you for joining the conversation. If you’re an old hand, thank you for sticking with me. This newsletter is my way of telling you about what’s going on in my writing world. Thank you for reading…and being a reader. Storytelling is what makes us human.

Summertime. I can’t believe we’re already into August. With all the bad weather (heat waves, thunderstorms, etc.), it’s been a good time to get some reading done. Some of my reading is reported on in the “Book Reviews” and “Mini-Reviews of Books” categories of my blog. My favorite bad-weather pastime is to read a book with light classical music in the background. What about you? Maybe a movie? I do that too. You might want to look at the “Movie Reviews” category too. Of course, this was time for me to get a lot of writing done as well (see below).

Upcoming event. I’m looking forward to the annual Holly Berry Show. I’m also using my indoor summertime to prepare for this holiday arts and crafts event sponsored by the Upper Montclair Woman’s Club. It will take place November 3 and 4. It allows those who come to shop for unusual holiday gifts for family and friends. I’ll be there with five of my books ready to talk about reading, writing, and the publishing business with all who stop by. If you live in the Montclair, NJ area, please visit.

Social media. The internet has its pros and cons, but I’m active elsewhere, not just my website. My Facebook page complements my blog–I often post short book reviews there and announce my weekly blog post. I’m also active on Twitter now @StevenMMoore4. Please follow me on either one…or both. You can find me on Goodreads and LinkedIn too, if you are so inclined. All books are listed on my “Books & Short Stories” web page and my Amazon and Smashwords author’s pages.

Free fiction. On the “Free Stuff & Contests” web page, you will see a list of free short fiction—mystery, thriller, and sci-fi novellas and short story collections. It’s all free. Just follow the instructions to download the free PDFs of your choice. Other free fiction can be found in my blog categories “Steve’s Shorts” and “ABC Shorts” (ABC is for A. B. Carolan, my new Irish collaborator for young adult tales). Please share your PDF downloads with friends and family, but respect my copyright.

Blog comments. I fixed the problems, so my blog is open for comments again. You will find articles on reading, writing, and the publishing business, book and movie reviews, and interviews. I accept comments on all of them, but please follow the rules on my “Join the Conversation” web page.

Trilogy on sale. If you’re into ebooks, you might know about bundles. The Chaos Chronicles Trilogy Collection is three books in one, and it takes you from a dystopian Earth to the far reaches of the Galaxy. On sale now at Smashwords all this August.

The Secret of the Urns. My Irish collaborator A. B. Carolan has just published this sci-fi mystery for young adults and adults who are young-at-heart. On a satellite of a Jupiter-like planet, a young girl wants to study the ETs there. She teaches her fellow humans how to conquer their xenophobia. A. B. based this novel on my short story “Marcello and Me” found in Pasodobles in a Quantum Stringscape. It’s available in ebook and print format. A. B. also rewrote and reedited The Secret Lab to make a second edition of this YA sci-fi mystery; it’s also available in ebook and print format.

Coming attractions. I won’t take as long here as those in your movie theater. Goin’ the Extra Mile is #3 in the thriller series “Mary Jo Melendez Mysteries.” Wouldn’t you like to know what became of those nice MECHs (Mechanically Enhanced Cybernetic Humans) from the first two novels? Look for the answers this fall.

In The Last Humans, an airborne, bio-engineered super-virus is the payload in missiles attacking the West Coast of the U. S. That’s the apocalypse because the virus spreads around the world. This post-apocalyptic thriller is the story of one of the survivors. It will be published by Black Opal Books early in 2019. Please watch for it.

Previews of both books can be found in my blog category “Pre-Release Excerpts.” (The Last Humans excerpt has the working title Oasis Redux.)

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

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In libris libertas!

Summer reading. Whether on the beach, at a mountain campsite or cabin, or at home on the porch, summer is the time to catch up on your reading. With so many good books and good authors to choose from, what are you waiting for?

The Great Spring Thaw Sale is almost over. Summer has started, after all, although sometimes it doesn’t look like it. For your summer reading, check out the ebooks still on sale at my Smashword’s author page. Have a great summer!

Love-hate relationship with the NY Times. Here’s a recent title from one of their articles (you can guess the date): “22.5 Degree Planetary Lean on the Longest Day of the Year Drives a Debate.” The debate: with all the planets recently discovered, whether a tilt is necessary for life to begin (a common sci-fi theme). The nitpick: The Earth tilts all the time, not just “on the longest day”!

Rules for comments. Some readers of this blog might wonder why their comment hasn’t appeared. There’s a simple reason: they didn’t follow the rules. I love to receive comments on my blog posts, but I have rules—see them on my “Join the Conversation” webpage. If you can follow these reasonable rules, you’re welcome to comment on posts. Otherwise, don’t bother.

Freebies. I only give away ebooks in exchange for an honest review—that goes for all my ebooks, because they all need more reviews. I give away print books for promo purposes (that includes copies to a few public libraries). Otherwise, I don’t give away books, and I find authors and publicists’ logic for doing so specious. If you need a “free fix,” offer to write a review.  Or you can read free short stories from A. B. Carolan and me on my blog, and other free short fiction (short story collections and novellas)—see the list on my “Free Stuff & Contests” webpage and follow the download directions.

Big Five attack? Many of us read indie books and traditionally published books from small presses (I’m a mongrel—I publish with both). The Big Five publishing conglomerates now have a new tactic: new books have premium prices, with ebooks almost costing as much as print.  But they also sell old books in ebook format by established authors at low prices to compete with the afore-mentioned segment of the market.

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Spam. In my last newsletter, I explained why comments to this blog disappeared for a while. I fixed that, but I’ve been getting a lot of spam recently, so I’ve been adjusting my spam filter accordingly (sometimes with active participation). Apparently WordPress understands a lot of written languages; I don’t. While I’m a man of the world, I’m not a polyglot and only know a few languages.

It’s fun to receive comments written in lots of different alphabets, but I can’t trust WordPress’s spam filter to screen them properly. Moreover, if responders can read the blog post, they can at least write their comment in English, no matter how bad it is, so other readers (and me!) can understand the content of the comment.

As a consequence, and very reluctantly, I will delete all comments written in a foreign language EVEN IF I do understand that language. That’s only fair to the readers who might want to start a discussion thread.

I apologize for any inconvenience this might cause readers of this blog.

Bookstores. Reports are indicating a comeback. That’s good news for both readers and writers. There was a time when a lot of them were going out of business, most notably Borders. The B&N book barns and smaller many smaller ones have made themselves into a community service—functions, events, and coffee and treats offered new experiences—but they’ve maintained their comfortable side of offering a place to browse while we look for that special book for someone, even ourselves.  They’re all doing a bit better.

USA doesn’t always win (that’s “United States of Amazon,” in this case, because the online retailer seems to offer anything and everything to the buying public). Walmart is trying to get in on the act now.  I still like to browse in the stacks, either in a bookstore or the public library.  My favorite bookstores are the ones that sell used books! There’s a musty je ne sais quoi to them that gets my reader’s juices flowing.

Beaches. I don’t know about you, but I have problems reading my Kindle Fire in bright sunlight, so I do my beachside reading with a print book or use my Kindle inside or in the shade. But vacation reading is coming up. Mother Nature snapped her fingers a while ago and turned winter into summer with several ninety degree days, but we went back to spring for a while. It’s still good to prepare for your vacation by loading up your e-reader with some good ebooks, or purchasing a few books in print you’ve been wanting to read (you can’t pack many of those, though).

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