Steven M. Moore's Blog, page 75
December 6, 2018
Website do’s and don’t’s…
About the time I published my first novel Full Medical (2006—now with a second edition in ebook format), I created this website. It was an expensive process. All of today’s free website options weren’t available back then, so I paid professionals to construct it. Maybe it’s showing its age now, but I still like the look and the content. Moreover, it provides what every author’s website should have.
As a bare minimum, authors should have a welcoming “home page” that says they’re writers in X,...
December 5, 2018
News and Notices from the Writing Trenches #164
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...
December 4, 2018
Word origins…
I was doing the NY Times crossword the other evening. It contained clues for the words mercurial, venial, martial, ETs, jovial, and saturnine. While today these words mean capricious, forgivable, warlike, extraterrestrials, jolly, and gloomy (except for ETs, those were the clues), their common origin can be found among the names of planets, i.e. Latin. Maybe that only appeals to a sci-fi fan like me, but in general I find such word origins fascinating.
English is a mongrel language, of course...
November 30, 2018
Steve’s shorts: You Know I’m Watching…
You Know I’m Watching
A “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco” Homicide Case
Copyright 2018, Steven M. Moore
Preface
While I don’t know if there will be another Chen and Castilblanco novel, they still continue to have homicide cases to solve. This little mystery/crime novella describes one of them. Enjoy.
r/Steve
Chapter One
We stood outside the victim’s apartment, but I peered inside from time to time to see if the CSU was coming up with anything.
“Just a lot of blood so far,” said Chen, after l...
November 29, 2018
Risk…
Every soldier risks his life on the battlefield. Every NFL player risks doing damage to his body and his brain. Not long ago, a group of young men in a bachelor’s party; four of them and a guide lost their lives in a raging river in Costa Rica. We can argue about the logic of taking those risks, one for country and two for sport.
Although it’s not nearly in the same category as those listed above, every fiction author must face risk too. It’s the risk any creative person takes: the risk of r...
November 28, 2018
Interviewing author Lisanne Harrington…
Steve: I’m honored today to interview Lisanne Harrington, author of the “Wolf Creek Mysteries.” Welcome to the blog, Lisanne. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.
Lisanne: Hey, there, Steve. Thanks for hosting me. Well, let’s see. After nearly twenty years as a paralegal, I staged a coup and left the straight-laced corporate world—and hideously ugly pant suits—behind forever. I now pander to my muse, a sarcastic little so-and-so. Only copious amounts of Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper and ha...
November 27, 2018
Prospection v. meditation…
“Relax. Become one with your present. Make your mind empty.” These are some meditation recommendations among many you might find on YouTube (or hear from a certain weekend anchor on ABC’s GMA—like many celebs, he has a book, and it’s about meditation). It’s all malarkey, especially if you want to write fiction.
As a student of theoretical physics, I was attracted to Zen Buddhism, maybe the ultimate meditation protocol. There’s a strong nexus between it and modern astrophysics, for example. I...
November 23, 2018
Movie Reviews #67…
Can You Ever Forgive Me? Marielle Heller, dir. Maybe all frustrated authors should see this movie as a lesson on what NOT to do when they feel unappreciated. It was funny at times but also often sad. Melissa McCarthy has a very different role as Lee Israel, and she delivers her finest performance. Richard Grant, as Lee’s gay friend Jack Hock, is marvelous too.
The movie is also a portrayal of the seamier side of the NYC art scene and the hypocrisy and unethical criminals who prey on people by...
November 22, 2018
The best sci-fi novels…
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Remember the reason for this holiday. And please drive carefully.
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Most sci-fi readers have their own list of novels they remember with fondness. While yours might be different, I want to offer you mine. For younger readers, there are probably some oldies in my list you could enjoy. Maybe you’ve seen some of the writers acknowledged on classic Star Trek episodes. Maybe you’ve heard old geezers like me mention them fondly. In any case, many are...
November 21, 2018
Interviewing author Robert E. Goswitz…
Steve: It’s my honor and pleasure to interview today historical fantasy author Robert E. Goswitz. The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune is his debut novel. Robert, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?
Robert: First, let me say something about my family. I’ve been married to my lovely wife Jody for thirty-nine years. We live on the banks of the beautiful Bark River in Hartland, Wisconsin. We have two adult children. Son Rob is engaged to be married next summer—he is a supervisor at Whole Fo...
