Category: Non-fiction

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Best September 2022 to December 2022 Content

Produce Your Audiobook Secret Supers in Space

Best September 2022 to December 2022. Hoo boy is this one packed! And it’s all good.

My opinions, of course.

Best September 2022

Lets start with a creepy, real-life picture:

Don’t want creepy science? How about recent astronomy from the James Webb Telescope?

How about a flying bike?

Let’s finish September with some geoscience:

For more, click here: Best of September’s Internet for You

Best September 2022 to October – Now for a classic Dystopia

Classic Book Reviews
Review of 1984

I couldn’t find my review of 1984, but I found a review I agree with.

I read Nineteen Eighty-Four when I was eleven years old. School had just let out for the summer, and my family spent that first Saturday down on Lake Moovalya on the Colorado River. It was my first time out in the sun, and I seriously overdid it, spending all day in the river and getting severely sunburned. The next day I could barely move. My mom told me I was “sun poisoned.” The weather turned ugly, too–we were hit with a howling dust storm, so strong and thick I couldn’t see across the street. I wasn’t going anywhere, so I looked for something to read. Our next-door neighbors’ son had gone off to college and his parents, knowing I was a bookworm, gave me a box of paperbacks, mostly science fiction. And in that collection was a copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four. I don’t know why I picked that particular volume–I could have selected Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot or Andre Norton’s The Sioux Spaceman–but Orwell was what I went with.

Wow. When I finished the book a few hours later, I had never been so bummed in my life. I think maybe being so sick and miserable must have had something to do with it, but the experience of reading about Winston Smith’s futile, hopeless fight against Big Brother was so overwhelming, for years afterwards–until I read Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese—Nineteen Eighty-Four was my nominee for most depressing book ever written.

But even though I was thoroughly depressed after reading Nineteen Eighty-Four, I still rate it five stars. The total despair the book engendered in me is a testament to Orwell’s skill as a writer. As with all of Orwell’s work, fiction and non-fiction alike, Nineteen Eighty-Four is well-written–Orwell certainly knew his craft. It also captures perfectly life in the Stalinist Soviet Union. The utter bleakness of life, the omnipotent repression by the government, the controlling of the very language to restrict the ability of the populace to think, and the futility of rebellion, all were features of life in the USSR, and all are portrayed truly and vividly in Nineteen Eighty-Four.Hank Hoeft

Now here are my comments.

Think of them as my review, if you want my perspective.

Profile image for Andy Zach. Classic Book Reviews

Andy Zach

3 years ago

It’s so depressing (I read it at about 17) that I rate it 2 stars, despite being still read seventy years after it was published. Normally I would give it 5 stars for that feat.

Andy Zach

3 years ago

The real horror of the book is that Orwell was describing conditions in Soviet Russia at the time and that nothing has changed in human behavior since then. The same conditions exist in North Korea.

Profile image for Hank Hoeft. Classic Book Reviews

Hank Hoeft

3 years ago

I understand where you’re coming from. And in reading your comment, I realize I need to amend, or add to, my review–I should have included why I rated it five stars.

Andy Zach

3 years ago

Hank, I can make a strong argument to rate it five stars. 1) It’s a historically accurate portrayal of Soviet Russia and current North Korea and Cuba; 2) It provides an ominous warning against socialism and communism; 3) It’s still relevant 70 years after it was published; 4) It is extremely well written with gripping characters.

But ultimately my rating is subjective. I read it twice and hated both experiences.

October 2022 – After My First Book, I Got Exponential Growth – How?

I celebrated my sixth year as a published author in October and looked closely at my experience. Huh. I’ve had exponential growth. So why do I ever complain?

Best September 2022

So, why were my sales growing? I thought of these reasons:

  1. The more books I write, the more books I sell. Seems obvious, right? But now I saw how books would sell each other.
  2. The more formats I have, the more I sell. I publish each book in print, ebook, and audiobook. The audiobook promotions with Audible allowed me to give away free books and get paid for them.
  3. The more events I attended, the more I sold. Again, it’s obvious.

From these conclusions, I decided to promote my audiobooks even more, attend even more events, and write even faster.

What happened next? Sorry to spoil the surprise, but 2020 turned out to be even better. I’ll put that in my next blog post. Get all my posts through my newsletter. Click here.

Best of November to December 2022

Cover Reveal for My New Book! The second book I wrote and published in a year! This one also made a trilogy of my Secret Supers series:

Best September 2022 Interesting Links
Secret Supers – click for free audiobook.
Best September 2022 Villain's Vacation cover What is it like?
Villain’s Vacation click to get yours

First, disabled seventh graders get superpowers.

Then they fight crime. Then go on vacation to a coaster park–where their worst enemy awaits, seeking revenge.

What happens next?

Best September 2022 Secret Supers in Space

The Secret Supers are bored out of their minds during summer vacation-until they go to Space Camp. They learn all about the space program, try out moon gravity and zero-g simulations, and practice docking with the International Space Station.

But that’s the easy part. The villains they defeated in the past are back with a diabolical plot that renders the middle schoolers’ superpowers ineffective. Jeremy, Aubrey, Dan, and Kayla face the biggest challenge of their lives. Even if they escape the villains’ clutches, will they survive?

Find out in Secret Supers in Space! Click to get your copy!

Best of September 2022 to December – What Can Top Two New Books?

Free gifts! I gave away twenty-five free literary gifts from December 1 to December 25! Enjoy them below. Don’t forget to get more free stuff from me by clicking here.

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Best May 2022 to August 2022 Content

Best May 2022 to August. A lot happened last year! Enjoy the best of the year from me.

My idiosyncratic opinions, of course.

Best May 2022 – A fun story!

Best May 2022 Your Sixth Literary Gift What is it like
Secret Supers – click to get yours!

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022

Jeremy has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around. He is in a special education class with Dan, who is blind, Kayla, who was mute and used a walker, and Audrey, who lost her legs and uses crutches. One afternoon, when conducting experiments in his laboratory, Jeremy accidentally gives himself superpowers. Specifically, he gains the ability of telekinesis, which he can use to help himself walk, cause his wheelchair to travel at much higher speeds, and even fly. Not wanting to keep this discovery to himself, Jeremy tells his 3 friends about it and gives each of them superpowers as well.

But now that they have superpowers, what should they do? Following the words of Uncle Ben of Spiderman, they decide they must use their powers for good, beginning by trying to solve a case of a stolen car, and keep their identities a secret, modeling their costumes on the Incredibles.

This book was a fun story that placed individuals with disabilities front and center in the story. While the superpowers allow them to do things they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, it is what they choose to do with their powers that makes all the difference. Also, even with their superpowers, their initial disabilities aren’t erased, which I think is important.

I liked to development of the characters and how they interacted and supported each other; I only wish the book had been longer so I could have spent more time with them. I am glad that there’s a sequel already published, and I look forward to reading/listening to it.

Jennifer C.

Your Best May 2022 – a New Book

Here’s the new book, my first non-fiction book:

Best May 2022 Gospel Medley Writer's Block: My Experience
The Gospel Medley cover. Click to get

Are you curious about Jesus Christ? Do you struggle to understand the Bible? The Gospel Medley includes the four Gospels in a single narrative, faithfully pulling the text from the World English Bible. You are now able to read all the gospel as a single, easy-to-read story.

Each Gospel describes Jesus’s life from a different point of view with different details and insights. The Gospel Medley combines every word into a single perspective with all details and events arranged chronologically.

Unlike other harmonies, The Gospel Medley doesn’t put the four gospels in columns or rows. Instead, the text is integrated word by word into a smoothly flowing narrative. Further, each paragraph references the four gospels so you can read the original citations. You also get footnotes of all the quotes from the Old Testament, giving you the context of Jesus’s words.

For a unique perspective of the four gospels, read ‘The Gospel Medley’ today.

Best May Blog Posts

Your Latest Science Fiction–and Science
Your Latest Science Fiction–and Science

One sample from the blog:

Writer’s Block My Experience – This is why I don’t write more
What’s New Science and Reviews in 2022?

Best of June 2022

What my next book is all about

I wrote and published two books in 2022: Here’s my second. Secret Supers in Space covers the Secret Supers trip to Space Camp – and beyond.

Here’s what Space Camp is like:

Space Camp

More details are here: Summertime and the writing is easy – NOT!

But watching videos is easy. Here are two from June:

A hypersonic space plane – does it exist?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXxb5SwGgtM&t=2s&ab_channel=iGadgetPro
The first helicopter on Mars

Your Best of July 2022.

Now don’t you feel better knowing what happens if you get sucked into a black hole? You can get more details here: Science Is Science Fiction Story Fuel

Here’s a science fiction book review:

Best May 2022 SciFi Story Fuel My Undead Mother-in-law
My Undead Mother-in-law cover. Click to get yours.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022

This series is the first I have read of Andy Zach’s and I am not disappointed! This story has tons of action, well written characters, and the zombies are not mindless slow shells. A refreshing take on zombies as a whole. The plot moves at a good pace and the story arc continues to work well over the series.

I look forward to book 3! Audio Version: Phil Blechman and Raven Perez do a great job with their respective characters and the overall narration.

Nemesis

Finally You Arrive at August 2022

Best May 2022
by Dave Freer
Review ofSave the Dragons (Kindle Edition)
Rating4 of 5 stars
Shelvesfantasy, humor, read
FormatKindle Edition edit
StatusAugust 27, 2022 – Finished Reading
ReviewAs usual, Dave Freer’s book is a romp in madness. We start off with an improbable hero, Squigs, six foot ten, and ectomorphic. He’s a university student in alchemy who’s on the run from people who want him dead and who just blew off his hand. So naturally, he jumps into another universe, through a portal predicted by his laptop computer.

The new world is swamp and ocean where he’s saved from death by a huge man and his beautiful daughter, who hates him. She’s destined to marry a hero from a royal family, so she has no time for a clumsy, awkward suitor. They include him on a mission to save the rapidly poached dragons of their world.

Secret societies, demons, and body-selling vampires enter the story, as well as a blood-thirsty dwarf and a spectral parrot.

Hang on for the ride and enjoy the story.

More details here: August Memes and Reviews for You

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Your Eleventh Literary Gift – My Non-fiction Book

Gospel Medley Writer's Block: My Experience
Your Eleventh Literary Gift Gospel Medley Writer's Block: My Experience
The Gospel Medley cover. Click to get

Enjoy Your Eleventh Literary Gift – My Other Book Published this year! I am author Andy Zach and I earlier this year I self-published The Gospel Medley, my first non-fiction book.

You can get an autographed copy directly from me with free shipping. You can also buy it and the ebook on Amazon by clicking here.

What’s it all about?

Are you curious about Jesus Christ? Do you struggle to understand the Bible? The Gospel Medley includes the four Gospels in a single narrative, faithfully pulling the text from the World English Bible. You are now able to read all the gospel as a single, easy-to-read story.

Each Gospel describes Jesus’s life from a different point of view with different details and insights. The Gospel Medley combines every word into a single perspective with all details and events arranged chronologically.

Unlike other harmonies, The Gospel Medley doesn’t put the four gospels in columns or rows. Instead, the text is integrated word by word into a smoothly flowing narrative. Further, each paragraph references the four gospels so you can read the original citations. You also get footnotes of all the quotes from the Old Testament, giving you the context of Jesus’s words.

For a unique perspective of the four gospels, read ‘The Gospel Medley’ today.

From the Gospel Medley

If you want a free ebook to review, click here.

Let me know what you think by clicking here or emailing me at [email protected]. As always, everyone who responds with a comment or email will get a free book from me.

My past gifts to you are here:

If you want to keep track of all my blog posts and get free books you can subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.

I’ll give you Jesus’s nativity from my book, which merges Luke 2 and Matthew 1.

Your Eleventh Literary Gift: Jesus’s Nativity

If you think it will be hard to understand, compare this famous Christmas cartoon quoting from Luke with my book.

The Conception of Jesus

What Chrismas is all about


Luke 1:26–56; John 1:14

26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married
to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”


29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and
considered what kind of salutation this might be. 30 The angel said to
her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31
Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and
will call his name ‘Jesus.’ 32 He will be great, and will be called the
Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His
father, David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
There will be no end to His Kingdom.”

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the
holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. 36
Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old
age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37
For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”


38 Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me
according to your word.”

14 The Word became flesh . . .

After Jesus’s Conception

Your Eleventh Literary Gift

38 The angel departed from her. 39 Mary arose in those days and went
into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40 and entered
into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her
womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called
out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 Why am I so favored, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice
of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”


“My soul magnifies the Lord. 47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my
Savior, 48 for He has looked at the humble state of His servant. For
behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. 49 For
He who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is His
name. 50 His mercy is for generations and generations on those who
fear him. 51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the
proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down princes
from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the
hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has
given help to Israel, His servant, that He might remember
mercy, 55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his
offspring forever.”


56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her
house.

Joseph Finds Out – Your Eleventh Literary Gift

Gospel Medley cover spread

Matthew 1:18–25


18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother,
Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.


20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t
be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She shall give birth to a son.
You shall call his name Jesus, for it is He who shall save His people
from their sins.”


22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to
a son. They shall call his name Immanuel8 which is, being
interpreted, ‘God with us.’”

24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him, and took his wife to himself; 25 and didn’t know her
sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him
Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus – Your Eleventh Literary Gift

Your Eleventh Literary Gift


Luke 2:1–39; Matthew 1:25


1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment made
when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to enroll
themselves, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him
as wife, being pregnant.


6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. 7 She
gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and
laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in
the guest room.

25 He [Joseph] named him Jesus.

A Heavenly Host of Angels

8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and
keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 Behold, an angel of the
Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified.

10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11 For there is
born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of
cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
army praising God, and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, among men of good will.”

15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds
said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the
baby was lying in the feeding trough.

17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was
spoken to them about this child. 18 All who heard it wondered at the
things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept
all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had
heard and seen, just as it was told them.

Here Ends Your Eleventh Literary Gift

What do you think of your eleventh gift? Let me know right here. Don’t forget I’ll give you a free book after I get your email.

If you like Gospel Medley, you can subscribe to my newsletter here to see all my blog posts and get free books every month. Or you can just stay at my blog, checking back every day until Christmas.