Category: Newsletter

Posted on by

Science Is Science Fiction Story Fuel

Science is Science Fiction Story Fuel, so I read all the latest scientific discoveries all the time. Let me tell you how I might fictionalize these discoveries. Then you can tell me how you’d do it. The best answers get free books from me.

Cheat code: Click here to get free books immediately.

Let’s begin.

Science Fiction Story Fuel – Getting Sucked into a Black Hole

Falling into black holes has been done before in books and movies, but it’s always been wrong. Now we have a better idea than ever, with a sun being recorded while falling into a black hole.

How would I write about this? I’d show a civilization on a planet around that star and show them trying to stop or escape the disaster. Some would escape and some would not. I’d describe both perspectives.

How about you? What would you like to write or what would you like to read in a scifi story about a black hole? Let me know by clicking here and I’ll give a book to the best answer.

Which book could you win? We can start with this old favorite:

Going Viral Fiction Story Fuel
Click Zombie Turkeys to get your copy.

I’ve got seven more books you can choose from. Read on for more chances to win.

New Telescope, New Pictures from Outer Space – more Fiction Story Fuel

How would I handle these new astronomical pictures in a science fiction story? I’d have them discover an alien civilization, perhaps a Dyson Sphere or a Dyson Ring. Then I’d cover humanity’s reaction to it and what happens next. Larry Niven did a great job with the latter in his books in the Ringworld series.

Fiction Story Fuel
Ringworld, Book 1

What would you do, my readers and friends? Tell me and win a book.

Speaking of advanced science, did you know I have sophisticated genetic engineering in this book?

Andy Zach Newsletter Zombie Detective Audiobook
Audiobook cover – click to listen.

This is another book you can win!

Here’s Your Third Chance to Win a Book

Coming up, you can learn more about the new James Webb telescope:

That’s right. The James Webb telescope will ‘see’ (via infrared) to within one hundred million year s of the Big Bang.

What kind of story would you like me to write from that factoid? Note you can email me at [email protected]

What would I write as a science fiction story? Perhaps a message sent from a very early advanced civilization to the present.

Posted on by

Writer’s Block My Experience – This is why I don’t write more

What Do Readers Think

Writer’s Block My Experience: I’ve written eight books in seven years. It doesn’t sound like I have writer’s block–but I do.

I’ve been struggling to finish Secret Supers in Space for seven months. That’s the first draft—just 50,000 to 60,000 words. Usually, I get that much done in two to four months.

What’s my big problem?

Writer’s Block My Experience – What Is Writer’s Block?

It means you can’t or have difficulty writing. Duh!

A more official definition is:

Writer’s block—wanting to write and not writing—is a persistent problem that every writer (yes, every writer, even Stephen King) deals with, and one that has ended far too many writing careers.

The first thing I saw in my search

The last book I wrote in this series was Villain’s Vacation:

Writer's Block My Experience
Chapter icon from Villain’s Vacation

I got off to a flying start in November, writing for NaNoWriMo, the official National Novel Writing Month organization.

Here’s a chart of my monthly writing, so you can see what my writer’s block looks like:

MonthWords Written
November3,973
December0
January423
February0
March1517
April211
May (so far)0
Chart of my writing ‘progress’

Total? 6129 words in 42 hours of writing for 142 words per hour.

Pretty pathetic for a professional author, but I have an excuse: I was finishing two other books: 1) Zombie Detective audiobook (now published)

Andy Zach Newsletter Zombie Detective Audiobook Writer's Block My Experience
Audiobook cover – click to listen.

and 2) my first non-fiction book, The Gospel Medley. Believe it or not, this is at least the 20th round of edits for this book, over the 35 years I’ve worked on it.

The Gospel Medley Writer's Block My Experience
The Gospel Medley cover. Click to get

So that takes care of December through March. I can’t multi-task. What’s my problem in April and May?

Writer’s Block – the problem of self-publishing

I get easily distracted while writing. First of all, there is research. I’ll write and then need some fact, like “Where are there underground nuclear silos in Kansas?” This question arose for My Undead Mother-in-law.

Writer's Block My Experience
My Undead Mother-in-law, front and back cover spread. Click to get.

The same thing happens for Secret Supers in Space. What does the ISS look like? What is the capacity of the Dragon capsule for SpaceX? Where does SpaceX launch from? What is the curriculum for Space Camp? What is the daily agenda?

But that’s not all.

More Distractions

Every publisher and author needs to market your book. That doesn’t mean selling, although that’s what you want to happen. Rather it means telling people who might like your book that your book exists and is worth reading and WHY it’s worth reading.

This is a very important thing to do. You, as an author or publisher should do it every week, if not every day. If people don’t know about your book, they can’t buy it. If people don’t know how much they will enjoy and laugh at my books, why should they buy them?

So I joined Story Origin this year to market my books. That’s absorbed my time, every week, as I promoted my newsletter, books, and other newsletters and books.

I also have maintained Amazon ads, although I’ve cut my expense from $300/month to $50. I found a better way to advertise: through Free Kindle and Discount Books.

The Bottom Line – What Should I Do?

Give me your best and worst suggestions. Everyone who does so will get a free ebook of mine to read and review. Reach out to me any time at my email: [email protected] Or subscribe to my newsletter for all my blog posts and news, as well as free books.

Posted on by

The Best April Book Reviews for You

Best January 2022

The Best April Book Reviews for You, curated by me, Andy Zach. I’ve written eight books (one’s being published) and I’m writing another one. I know something about books, having read maybe 4-5,000 over my life. Let’s start with the latest one I’ve read:

Cloud-Castles
by Dave Freer (Goodreads Author)

Best April Book Reviews Cloud Castles
Cloud Castles

Andy Zach‘s review

Apr 21, 2022 

really liked it

bookshelves: humor, science-fiction

The first thing you notice about Dave Freer’s novel Cloud-Castles is the setting: a gas giant with a habitable zone in the atmosphere. Alien technology genetically engineering plant life that floats in the atmosphere and a whole ecosystem of flying creatures. There is an anti-gravity city, which has degenerated into a slum, and floating castles, owned by two warring alien species who use humans as slaves.

That setting is enough to make me read the book. But I also love the premise: a rich, but innocent scion, Augustus Thistlewood III, of humanity’s wealthiest family, is there to practice philanthropy toward the poor, downtrodden masses, using his recently acquired sociology degree.

Needless to say, his suitcase is quickly stolen by a ‘helpful’ street urchin Briz. Looking through his stuff, she realizes he has nothing to pawn and is a complete innocent, but very wealthy. Briz returns the suitcase and offers to escort him around the dangerous port town.

Then, adventures happen.

Highly recommended.

Andy Zach

Your Second Best April Book Review

Andy Zach Newsletter Zombie Detective Audiobook
Audiobook cover – click to listen.

Ace zombie reporter Sam Melvin has been fired – by his wife, Lisa. Their paper, The Midley Beacon, is barely surviving. How will they make ends meet?

Sam decides to give being a detective a try. He advertises his business – but his zombie experience comes with it. All across the country, people bring their zombie problems to Sam. Squirrels? Bulls? Sam’s on the case. But can his experience with zombie turkeys transfer?

Sam finds out in a series of deadly adventures – and so will you when you listen to this audiobook. See if you can keep from dying from laughter.

Brandi McGraw

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Fun Zombie Times!

Get your free audiobook here!

This was so much fun to listen to!!

Brandi McGraw

Keep Reading for Another Best April Book Review

Pilgrim 2 (Pilgrim, #2)
by 

Harmon Cooper (Goodreads Author)

Best April Book Reviews
Pilgrim 2 cover

Book 2 amps up the action, the risks, and the rewards

really liked it

bookshelves: fantasy, action-adventure

Author Harmon Cooper continues his fantasy series about Pilgrim, the retired assassin turned rural good guy and advocate for magical creatures.

Too bad his former life keeps intruding as assassins seek to kill him and complete the contract on him. He decides to rid himself of the problem once and for all by killing his former teacher, who took out the contract on him. And other assassin teachers who are trying to complete the contract.

It turns out assassins are the least of his worries. He’s got a half-brother who is a full-blooded demon and out to kill him.

Good luck, Pilgrim.

Andy Zach‘s review

Now, for something completely different.

Best April Book Reviews
Cover of The Stray

The Stray
by Dick King-Smith

Apr 02, 2022 

it was amazing

bookshelves: children-s, family, fiction

Once more, author Dick King-Smith has an unlikely protagonist: a 75-year-old woman named Henny who has run away from a nursing home. She uses her last 50 pounds to take a train to the beach, in first-class luxury.

She writes about her loneliness in the sand. Since her boyfriend died in World War II she never married,

Then she runs into some cute, red-haired, children. That’s when the adventure begins.

Andy Zach‘s review

So what do you think of my books, my reviews? Let me know by clicking here.