Victor D. López's Blog: Victor D. Lopez, page 10

New eBook with two of my newest short stories

Most of the short stories in my 13-story collection Echoes of the Mind’s Eye are available as stand-alone short stories. The only two that were not available individually are now available as a $.99 ebook, Two Contemporary Fiction Short Stories: Modern Art and the Critics and Redemption. You can get a free preview of both of the above at the provided links. You can also hear me read a preview of each of the two short stories at the links below.

A teaser poem for my free book of poems . . .

Although I have published millions of words,
Twelve texts on law, fourteen peer-reviewed articles and more,
My favorite book of all is tiny,
Only seven thousand and eighty words.

A quarter million words about the law,
Between hard covers feed a hungry mind,
But seven thousand words and a few more,
Fed my young soul and stitched my broken heart.

I’m grateful my non-fiction is widely read,
But wish it were my poetry instead.

You can download my Of Pain and Ecstasy: Collected Poems free throu...

Of Pain and Ecstasy — Free through 3/27/22

I have been an academic for most of my life. It has been my privilege to serve in several administrative positions and as a twice-tenured full professor in public and private universities. (My first experience as a dean shortly after graduating from law school forms the basis of my recently published first novel, Hire Lernin’.) Over the years I’ve published a dozen law-related books (most are textbooks through traditional publishers), two books on computer software (also through a traditional pu...

I am an Only Child (with Billions of Siblings)

Although I am an only child,
I have billions of siblings,
Men and women,
Young and old,
Jewish, Muslim, Christian,
And of all other religions and none.

I am but a leaf,
Of a very old tree,
Planted by one God,
Known by many names,
And worshipped in many ways,
Perhaps to His amusement.

Regardless of what any religion teaches,
Including my own,
I know we are all His children,
And He loves each of us,
Who strive to do good,
More than doing well.

All human beings,
In their infinite precious variety,
Are my s...

True Love Revisited (a teaser poem for Amor Vincit Omnia)

Romantic love can fade and does with time,
Like hunger of those starving in a feast,
Or a child let loose in a candy store,
Who quickly tires of endless sugar highs.

No fire can burn forever, not on earth,
The hottest flame to cinders is reduced,
And cinders’ glow can warm but not consume,
And so we search for other fires in time.

Great is the need for a consuming love,
Once felt, it haunts us to our dying day,
And we engage in a most foolish quest,
Looking for that most rare eternal flame.

And ...

Another free download until 3/20/22

The English and Spanish versions of my short story Amor Vincit Omnia are available for free download until 3/20/22 only at the links below:

Original English version: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/948158

Spanish translation: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/946600

I hope you will enjoy it. It one of two short stories in my current Echoes of the Mind’s Eye collection that uses humor to discuss some serious matters (love in this case, and my feelings about modern art in Modern...

Free download of the two shortest stories in my Echoes of the Mind’s Eye collection through 2/15/22

You can download the two shortest tories in my Echoes of the Mind’s Eye collection free until March 15, but only at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/429453.

In the first short story, “Justice”, a man is being tried for the last remaining capital offense in a kinder, gentler, truly unified world in the not too distant future. In the second, “Riddle of the Sphinx: Solved” the secrets of the Sphinx are finally revealed to a curious world in prime time by the world’s most famous Egyptologis...

50 percent off ebook sale

This week, I am participating in a Smashwords’ Read an Ebook Week sale. My novel and latest poetry and short story collections are on sale at 50% off the regular retail price. The sale is only available at Smashwords and not at any other site on which my books are sold. You can access my Author’s Page at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/VictorDLopez and scroll down to see the books on sale.

As always, I am grateful for your support.

A Word to the Wise

I do not care what others think,
I care somewhat what others say,
I care the most for what they do.

Thoughts in themselves won’t hurt or kill,
Words do not heal or peace achieve,
Actions alone can change the world.

Fear not the man who likes you not,
Raise not a hand to answer words,
Fear those who smile with knives in hand.

Don’t waste your time on pleasant dreams,
Don’t write to those whose eyes are closed,
Actions, not thoughts or words, bear fruit.

It is Time to Call Out Evil in Ukraine, Here at Home, and Wherever We Find It.

I am beyond weary of reading news reports and hearing commentators on television repeatedly questioning Putin’s sanity. Putin is not insane. He is calculating, cold-blooded and evil. The same is true of Hitler, Stalin and other megalomaniacal leaders past and present.

In our misguided attempts to justify/explain/excuse the unjustifiable in order to fit the current societal progressive paradigm that holds that there are no bad actors–that antisocial acts perpetrated on society by individuals ...