Alex Markman's Blog
December 31, 2023
Part-Time Job Offer
Job Opportunity: Literary Submission Help
Job Description:
Do you like literature and are eager to help authors get their work published? We have an exciting opportunity for you! We are seeking Literary Submission Help to assist in submitting manuscripts to literary agents.
Responsibilities:
As a Literary Submission Help, your primary responsibilities will include:
Researching and identifying literary agencies that accept submissions for particular literary works.Evaluating the preferences and submission guidelines of literary agents.Tailoring query letters to meet the specific requirements of each literary agent.Send query letters, synopses, and manuscript samples to literary agents and keep the author in the loop.Ensuring all correspondence is approved by the author.Qualifications:
To excel in this role, you should have:
A passion for literature and an understanding of the publishing industry.Strong research skills to identify suitable literary agencies and agents.Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.The ability to adapt and modify query letters based on agent preferences.Attention to detail to ensure all submissions are complete and accurate.Compensation:
We offer competitive compensation for this job, structured as follows:
$10 for each query letter successfully and adequately submitted.A potential total of around 300 submissions, or until the agent accepts the manuscript for publication, whichever comes first.A generous bonus of $3,000 if an agent signs an agreement with the author.You will receive the following resources:
A spreadsheet containing web addresses of literary agencies. If you discover additional suitable candidates for submission, you can incorporate them. We request approaching only well-established and reputable agencies that do not impose any costs on the author.
· A prepared query letter to agents, which you can adjust as needed to meet the specific requirements of individual literary agents.
· Two versions of the synopsis: a concise version of approximately 500 words and a comprehensive one with around 1500 words. This allows flexibility, as some agents prefer a brief synopsis while others prefer a more detailed one.
· The manuscript is available in both Word and PDF formats.
Termination of Agreement:
Both parties have the right to terminate employment without explanation, provided a notice of termination is given.
If you are passionate about literature and excited to help authors on their journey to publication, we would love to hear from you. Join our team and be crucial in bringing captivating stories to the world.
To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter detailing your interest and qualifications for the role. We look forward to welcoming you to our team of literary enthusiasts!
If interested, please respond: editor.asteroid@gmail.com
June 3, 2023
History on the Making
Free Russian Legion entered Belgorod Oblast from Ukraine and engaged in combat with local military forces. Currently, it needs to be stronger to stay there long and establish its administration. However, it is evident that someone has a grand design for them, and what is happening now is just the beginning. What could it be? Here are some considerations.
Testing the response of the Russian Federation: If a group such as the Russian Legion were to engage in combat with local military forces in Belgorod and the Russian government did not respond effectively, it could suggest weakness or lack of preparedness in the response system. This could potentially embolden the Legion to take further action and establish its own administration if it perceives a power vacuum.Testing local population receptiveness to independence: if the Russian Legion were to operate in Belgorod and gauge the local population’s response to the issue of independence from the Russian Federation, it could help them understand whether there is support for such a cause. The information could influence their future actions and strategies.Shifting Russian troops from the Ukrainian front: if the Russian government perceives the situation in Belgorod as more critical than the Ukrainian front, it is possible that they could divert troops from Ukraine to deal with the situation in Belgorod. However, the decision to do so would depend on the Russian government’s strategic priorities and perceived threats.The intrusion of the Legion into Belgorod oblast opened a Pandora’s Box of the local social ills and degradation of morality. According to reputable journalists and broadcasters (you can find plenty on YouTube and International Press), soldiers of the local Russian army, whose duty was to defend the population, instead rushed to rob houses, particularly those abandoned by owners who left in search of safe refuge. There were cases of rapes, beatings, and even murders. Strangely enough, the racial majority in these units were Buryats and Tuvins, who hated Russians for the atrocities, mistreatment, and arrogance that took place in the not-so-distant past in their territory. As a result, Belgorod’s civil life is in ruins. Local administration could not help people in their effort to leave the area of military engagement. Russian units, reluctant to risk their lives in direct combat, used artillery to remotely hit the Legion combatants, indiscriminately destroying the town’s houses and civilian infrastructure. All of these pave the ground for acceptance of the Russian Legion administration as a better alternative to the existing ones.
It would be fascinating to watch how this, presently tiny military unit, would grow into powerful military and political force, whose with totally unpredictable consequences for all.
April 14, 2023
Anna’s Paintings at a Super Yacht Solandge.
Anna Razumovskaya is a talented artist whose paintings have captured the attention of art lovers all around the world. Her work is currently on display at the Solange yacht, one of the most luxurious and prestigious superyachts for charter.
Razumovskaya’s paintings are known for their stunning beauty and emotional depth. She has a unique style that blends classical and contemporary elements, creating a timeless quality that is both elegant and modern. Her use of bold colors and sweeping brushstrokes creates a sense of movement and energy that is truly captivating.
One of the most striking aspects of Razumovskaya’s paintings is the way she captures the human form. Her figures are graceful and expressive, conveying a range of emotions and moods. Whether it is a solitary dancer lost in thought or a couple locked in a passionate embrace, each painting tells a story and invites the viewer to become a part of it.
Razumovskaya’s art has been featured in galleries and exhibitions around the world, and it is no surprise that her work has found a home on the Solange yacht. Her paintings are the perfect complement to the yacht’s opulent surroundings and luxurious atmosphere.
While owning an original Anna Razumovskaya painting may be out of reach for many art lovers, there are other ways to enjoy her work. The richly illustrated book, “Anna Razumovskaya: The Artist of Bliss,” is an excellent resource for those who want to learn more about her life and art.
The book features stunning images of her paintings, as well as insights into her creative process and personal journey as an artist. It offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most talented painters of our time and is a must-have for any art lover.
And the best part is, the book is available on Amazon at an affordable price, making it accessible to a wide range of people. Whether you’re a seasoned art collector or simply appreciate the beauty of fine art, “Anna Razumovskaya: The Artist of Bliss” is sure to captivate and inspire.
Anna’s Paintings at a Super Yacht Solange.
Anna Razumovskaya is a talented artist whose paintings have captured the attention of art lovers all around the world. Her work is currently on display at the Solange yacht, one of the most luxurious and prestigious superyachts for charter.
Razumovskaya’s paintings are known for their stunning beauty and emotional depth. She has a unique style that blends classical and contemporary elements, creating a timeless quality that is both elegant and modern. Her use of bold colors and sweeping brushstrokes creates a sense of movement and energy that is truly captivating.
One of the most striking aspects of Razumovskaya’s paintings is the way she captures the human form. Her figures are graceful and expressive, conveying a range of emotions and moods. Whether it is a solitary dancer lost in thought or a couple locked in a passionate embrace, each painting tells a story and invites the viewer to become a part of it.
Razumovskaya’s art has been featured in galleries and exhibitions around the world, and it is no surprise that her work has found a home on the Solange yacht. Her paintings are the perfect complement to the yacht’s opulent surroundings and luxurious atmosphere.
While owning an original Anna Razumovskaya painting may be out of reach for many art lovers, there are other ways to enjoy her work. The richly illustrated book, “Anna Razumovskaya: The Artist of Bliss,” is an excellent resource for those who want to learn more about her life and art.
The book features stunning images of her paintings, as well as insights into her creative process and personal journey as an artist. It offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most talented painters of our time and is a must-have for any art lover.
And the best part is, the book is available on Amazon at an affordable price, making it accessible to a wide range of people. Whether you’re a seasoned art collector or simply appreciate the beauty of fine art, “Anna Razumovskaya: The Artist of Bliss” is sure to captivate and inspire.
February 7, 2023
Ukraine. War. Human trafficking and slave prostitution.
War. Misery. Calamities. Times to live and times to die.There is no shortage of discussions among politicians, analysts of all kinds, and human rights activists about the war in Ukraine and its impact on European life. But now, as many times before, just a few of them, if any, noticed an elephant in a small room: human trafficking, slavery, and forced prostitution. How big is the problem? According to various sources – you can easily find them on the Internet – even in peaceful times, about 12 million people per year pass through organized crime networks. The profit of the contemporary slave trade rivals those of the narcotics and arms illegal business. But at the time of large-scale social disasters, the profit of human traffickers jumps manifolds and, along with it, the tragedy and suffering of its victims.The war in Ukraine triggered a tide of refugees from Ukraine; however, its statistics do not contain information on slave prostitution which, as its shadow, goes hand in glove with it. So why we don’t hear about it? Perhaps there is no demand for it?Alas, this is not the case. On the contrary, the silence about this issue is evidence of the opposite: the demand far exceeds the supply, and this situation is agreeable with all parties involved. The basic laws of economic balance – supply and demand – are applicable to any economic activity, legal or not. In this case, the core of the problem is the wealthiest – and most humane – countries in the world, including Western Europe and America. They have an insatiate appetite for young and beautiful girls, the supply of which grows with disasters. In the not-so-far distance past – particularly in the 1990s – there was a colossal wave of forced prostitution from Eastern Europe: the leading suppliers were Russia and Ukraine. The hub through which the forced labor and prostitution distribution took place was Yugoslavia or, to be more precise, the newly formed countries that emerged from the fragments of the former Yugoslavia.The brutality of international gangs became public knowledge. The criminals quickly adapted to new circumstances, resorting to the less brutal forms of exploitation, but did not diminish their scale of operations. What looks weird at first glance is that there were virtually no criminal offenses against traffickers. A few hundred criminal cases against millions of victims sound like a joke. Inevitably, the question arises: Is there not enough evidence? Not enough witnesses? Not enough will and desire of the authorities to persecute the crime?None of the above. The actual reason is that the victims almost unanimously cooperate with criminals. They accept their sufferings as part of the deal, the benefit of which is some money they need to survive and help their relatives left behind to go through horrendous times of poverty, hunger, and anarchy. I’m sure the same is happening now, with Ukrainian emigrants flooding Europe. We will know more about it when the dust of violence settles down, and the summing up of history takes its proper place. In the meantime, if you are interested in what is going on behind the curtain of the horrible reality of war, read the exciting thriller Payback for Revenge. Short description.The novel Payback for Revenge tells the story of one man determined to avenge his daughter killed by members of an international prostitution crime syndicate. Dynamic and intriguing, it brings the reader to the war-torn Yugoslavia, where an American journalist reports on war, crime, and anarchy, risking her life. Based on factual material, this is a saga about the value of love, the value of life, as well as value of revenge. Links: eBook and hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Payback-Revenge-Alex-Markman/dp/0981163769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39XLUI8LAK5AV&keywords=payback+for+revenge+alex+markman&qid=1675792866&s=books&sprefix=payback+for+revenge+alex+markman%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C97&sr=1-1 Audiobook: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Alex_Markman_Payback_for_Revenge?id=AQAAAED8SwUL6M&hl=en&gl=US
February 3, 2023
The Winter of Our Troubles
There are a few events that I’d like to mention in my blog. The first one is a mention of my novel, “Justice of Brenda, The Wolverine,” in the Publishers Weekly Review. Here is their email: “This is a notification from PW’s GalleyTracker system to let you know that the review for Justice of Brenda the Wolverine has been published.” http://www.publishersweekly.com/9781926720548
That kind of luck does not happen often, but for many – it never does.
Here is the review: Toronto police detective Melissa Bonar lands an unusual homicide case in this enthralling mystery from Markman (Contra-Odessa). Edward Green was found in his apartment, half-naked, with his wrists slit, an apparent suicide. But there are several odd elements, including evidence that Green was sodomized before his death. He was found by his girlfriend before expiring from blood loss, but the only word he uttered that she understood was Wolverine. That clue leads Bonar to Brenda Rorke, an ex-con who was given the nickname of Wolverine in prison, for her fearlessness in confronting bigger female inmates bent on beating her up. After learning that Green once went by another name, the detective theorizes that he was assaulted in revenge for an unpunished crime that Rorke, who’s currently shacked up in a trailer park with a biker gang, may have been involved in. Markman toggles between past and present, leaving readers guessing on how everything will play out, and succeeds in making Rorke a character, readers will sympathize with. Those interested in a nuanced look at what could lead someone to lash out violently will be satisfied.
The book is available on:
Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Justice-Brenda-Wolverine-Alex-Markman/dp/1926720547/
Barns and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-of-brenda-the-wolverine-alex-markman/1136050656?ean=9781926720548
It is also worth mentioning that the war in Ukraine stirred the ever-present problem of our époque – human trafficking, slavery, and prostitution. In my novel “Payback for Revenge,” this issue was presented in its horrible details, as it happened during the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. The problem now is as acute as then; just everyone looks the other way… In Payback for Revenge, you’ll find out why the misery of humanity spreads its metastases the fastest during the “Winter of Our Troubles.”
Barns & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/payback-for-revenge-alex-markman/1102395602?ean=2940011517785
January 12, 2022
Can Black Swan Be a Rare Instance of Pleasant Surprise?
With the onslaught of the pandemic, many fortune tellers (guru analysts) predicted a deep recession, if not even depression. The logic was on their side: lockdowns reduce workforce and movement of goods and people; reduced workforce reduces consumption; reduced demand would paralyze some industries such as travel, entertainment, restaurants, and those associated with them. Is it what happened in 2021?
Instead, we see growing demands and shortages associated with them. There are poultry shortages, high fertilizers prices, congested ports, shortage of containers, increased energy consumption and price; shortage of truck drivers; labor shortages in manufacturing and service sectors; shortages of numerous medications and their components; the whole list would take pages to mention.
By the way, many medications and their components are produced in China. It is odd to trust China with medical supplies; the country is the source of many epidemics and exotic diseases and is notorious for its disregard for the environmental and health condition of its population. Even more troublesome is China’s food, which appears in our supermarkets with the label “Organic”. China grows organic fish and vegetables? Gimme a break.
Still, we do not know the long-term consequences of lockdowns and other disruptions of the international economy, but we shall expect many surprises in the economy and politics and changes in geopolitical reality.
The main precursor of the coming troubles is energy prices. They affect all aspects of the international economy and, combined with labor shortages, pandemic restrictions, and transportation disruptions may result in social disturbances around the globe.
Curious enough, any present forecast is doom and gloom. I have not come across any prediction which suggests a pleasant surprise. Can Black Swan be a rare instance of something exceedingly good and pleasant or be only an unpredictable disastrous event?
Is there a happy “Black Swan?”
With the onslaught of the pandemic, many fortune tellers (guru analysts) predicted a deep recession, if not even depression. The logic was on their side: lockdowns reduce workforce and movement of goods and people; reduced workforce reduces consumption; reduced demand would paralyze some industries such as travel, entertainment, restaurants, and those associated with them. Is it what happened in 2021?
Instead, we see growing demands and shortages associated with them. There are poultry shortages, high fertilizers prices, congested ports, shortage of containers, increased energy consumption and price; shortage of truck drivers; labor shortages in manufacturing and service sectors; shortages of numerous medications and their components; the whole list would take pages to mention.
By the way, many medications and their components are produced in China. It is odd to trust China with medical supplies; the country is the source of many epidemics and exotic diseases and is notorious for its disregard for the environmental and health condition of its population. Even more troublesome is China’s food, which appears in our supermarkets with the label “Organic”. China grows organic fish and vegetables? Gimme a break.
Still, we do not know the long-term consequences of lockdowns and other disruptions of the international economy, but we shall expect many surprises in the economy and politics and changes in geopolitical reality.
The main precursor of the coming troubles is energy prices. They affect all aspects of the international economy and, combined with labor shortages, pandemic restrictions, and transportation disruptions may result in social disturbances around the globe.
Curious enough, any present forecast is doom and gloom. I have not come across any prediction which suggests a pleasant surprise. Can Black Swan be a rare instance of something exceedingly good and pleasant or be only an unpredictable disastrous event?
January 3, 2022
Reading: All About Willpower
What I read.
The “Willpower Instinct” by Kelly McGonigal, Ph. D, is a non-fiction book. Based on solid scientific data and experiments, it reveals in simple language the intricate workings of human psychology, human brain chemistry, its inner communication and interaction, and all of these manifesting in our decision making and behavior. For many who are interested in self-improvement and strive to accomplish something important in their lives, it might read like a thriller.
The main subject of this work is human willpower; why we have it; why sometimes we cannot employ it when we most need it; why it fails and why it succeeds. Located in our brain, it has all characteristics of a muscle: it can be trained and increased in strength like muscles do; we can lose it if we don’t use it; it gets tired when overused, and even can be damaged, as muscles sometimes would. The book also explains what chemical processes in the brain prompt or accompany our behavior in various situations.
The reader will find numerous examples of how people, using information presented by the author in her lectures at universities, coped with addictions to caffeine, alcohol, illicit drugs, unhealthy food, gambling, computer games, social media, and many others.
Our brains work the best at rationalizing bad decisions and satisfy our immediate urge for some sort of gratification. Sometimes the cause is a social, not purely biological reason that triggers impulsive decisions.
As the author states, “But all too often, we use our fancy brains not to make us the most strategic decision, but to give ourselves permission to act more irrationally. It can also rationalize bad decisions and promise we’ll be better tomorrow.”
A lot of attention in the book is devoted to how we discount the future and its effect on our behaviors. We all believe that somehow the future will be better than the present. We think that in the future we will have more time, have stronger willpower, and better circumstances for achieving our goals. But immediate gratification has much better value for us, than the future reward. “The longer you have to wait for a reward, the less it is worth to you,” the author claims.
To that effect, the author mentioned an interesting test, conducted in the 1960s. The four-year-old kids offered marshmallows with some condition: either to take one immediately, or wait 15 minutes and take two marshmallows.
‘How long a four-year-old waited in the marshmallow test predicted that child’s academic and social success ten years later. The kinds who waited the longest were more popular, had higher GPA’s, and were better able to handle stress.” “Being able to wait fifteen minutes for two marshmallows was the perfect measure of something more important: how well could a child handle temporary discomfort to accomplish a long-term goal?”
A wealth of information, interesting, simple to understand, entertaining, and useful.
October 30, 2020
Farrakhan and His Praise of Hitler
While surfing the Internet, I had come across the quote of Louise Farrakhan, the leader of “The Nation of Islam”, hailing Hitler as “a very great man.”
At first, a thought crossed my mind that Farrakhan had never said that, or was quoted out of the context of what he had said and meant. I began digging in and found out what exactly he had said and how this statement, in his view, must be interpreted. Here is the full text:
“Here, the Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they called him Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. He was a very great man. He wasn’t great for me as a Black man, but he was a great German and rose Germany up from the ashes of her defeat by the united force of all of Europe and America after the First World War.”
No doubt that Hitler possessed tremendous destructive power, but on the other hand, he was at the helm when Germany rose from ruins of depression to one of the strongest industrial and military machines of the century. Winston Churchill mentioned in his memoir that Hitler had a devilish genius. But that does not make Hitler a “very great man” for anyone, be it a German, a Black, or a Jew. In my opinion, a great man is the one who does good for people, not the one who inflicts death and suffering for the whole of humanity. Hitler was a devil, a very efficient one, but not a great man.
I’m sure that Farrakhan knows but preferred to disregard the origin of Nazi ideology. The racial theory was popular among distinguished thinkers and philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries, including such a tower of philosophy as Schopenhauer. However, its practical application began in the African German colonies in the 19th century and continued until the 20th century. The treatment of the indigenous black population was appalling. It was a true genocide, with the mass extermination of the country’s population. There were first concentration camps, later called “death camps”, set up by Nazis during the Third Reich time. By all intents and purposes, blacks – if we disregard semantics – were not considered as humans.
Under Hitler’s leadership, the racial theory was elevated to absurdity, based on which the Nazi party developed plans for extermination of Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, and other “inferior” races and nations. So far as I know, Hitler had no particular plans regarding Blacks. One reason for that was that there were almost no blacks in Europe. But in Africa, there is no doubt that the policy of genocide and forced labour was not to be changed from what it was in the 19th century.
Here, I’d like – for the fun of it – to fantasize that Farrakhan was living at the time of Hitler and wanted to be introduced to this “great man.” No matter how Farrakhan would have praised Hitler, Hitler would have never had agreed to meet him, more so to offer his hand for a handshake. No chance. The reason is simple: in the Nazi ideology, the black race was at the bottom of racial hierarchy and hardly considered a human race. So much for a “great man.”
Here is another quote from Farrakhan: “Now I’m not proud of Hitler’s evil toward Jewish people, but that’s a matter of record.” Is it so?
Farrakhan claims that he is not an anti-Semite: he is not against Jews, but only against “bad” Jews, in his terminology “Satanic Jews.” So, there are “bad” Jews and “good” Jews. But who would have the right to decide who is a “bad” Jew, and who is not? What if someone from the white race, the likes of Farrakhan, would come up with the statement that there are “bad” blacks and there are “good” ones. I could imagine the outcry of indignation from all walks of life, Farrakhan being the first one to condemn it.
I’m sure that all would agree that there are good and bad people in any race or nation. But it does not mean that the race could be labeled as a good or a bad one if someone there is a good or a bad one. Implications are far-reaching. This is not because it is politically incorrect: it is against all scientific findings, against the most advanced societies’ constitutions, and, I dare say, against common sense.
Farrakhan also mentions the “innate black superiority over whites.” The problem I see in this statement is that it is racist. Let’s assume – for the sake of argument – that all races adopt this stand: whites would declare themselves as a superior race, Asian people would consider their superiority (many of them do), and so on. We will end up with a deeply divided, aggressive society, which would be plunged into bloodbath and anarchy. Much more attractive to me is the latest scientific conclusion that all races and nations, save for minor biological differences, are equal and belong to the same human race.
By the way, if Farrakhan were not black, I wouldn’t care to write this blog, no matter how popular or influential he or any other anti-Semite was. After all, one anti-Semite more, one less, does not make any difference in millenniums of Jewish history and even in contemporary race relations matters. Not much, at least, other than some of my regrets that these ideas serve someone’s goals. What surprises me is that Farrakhan disregards the fact that Jewish people in America invariably sided with black people, understood their suffering, and were supportive of their plight for equality. There are known facts when Jewish families adopted black kids when racism in America was in full bloom. For instance, Louise Armstrong, the famous black American entertainer, was adopted by a Jewish family and wore David’s star till the end of his life. Regretfully, not all blacks reciprocate and, under the influence of such people as Farrakhan, adopt similar views.
