Author: jspeet

If you’re interested in actually meeting an author (hint – me), our little town of Enumclaw is hosting a Street Fair today (Saturday, 27 July) from 10 AM to 7 PM. I’ll be there sometime in front of the Arts Alive store signing books. Unfortunately, I’ve only got a lone copy of Surveyor left (the store has a couple, so it won’t be a complete loss), but plenty of copies of Trekker and Explorer.

In November, I’ll be in Las Vegas attending the 20BooksVegas conference (a conference for indie authors) and there will be a rather large book signing on the last day, Friday, 12 November. I’ll be there with plenty of books and swag, as will hundred of other authors. Be sure to swing by and say hello.

If you’re interested in autographed copies of Surveyor or Trekker, you can now order them here. For a small fee of just $25.00 US (plus $5.00 US for shipping and handling) you can get a personalized, sign copy of one book. Double the price, double the books! Amazing!

If you think you might want an autographed copy of either of the book covers, let me know.

If there are any Mystery readers amongst my fans, you should check out Harry Bryant’s books – the first in his Butch Bliss series is free on Amazon. Full disclosure – the author is a friend of mine and has provided me with valuable information on writing and publishing (along with some fine Irish whiskey).

So, the other day, I was surfing Amazon looking for some good books to read (which I do, occasionally) and came across a new Alt-History book, The Eyes of Courage by James A. Fisher. This is how a good book catches your attention – a great cover followed by a good blurb. I decided to give it a chance and enjoyed it.

The plot opens with what I consider a standard trope – guy from our timeline steps through a portal to another timeline. From there, it becomes really interesting. Like Surveyor, it starts a bit slow, but it’s also hard to put down (too many nights I wound up reading until midnight). I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the second installment.

As most of you who follow me (I’m looking at all three of you!) know, I generally read science fiction (or, as my wife calls it, Space Trash). I’m mostly into alternative history/multiverse stuff (duh!) and military sci-fi/space opera, along with historical fiction (usually related to WW2), along with contemporary cultural stuff (such as the Robert E. Lee and Me book I mentioned in an earlier post, or American Nations which is mentioned in Explorer, and just about anything by Peter Zeihan). Occasionally, I’ll delve into police procedural/fiction, or mystery, such as Apprehension by Mark Bergin or just about anything by Joseph Wambaugh.

So, what the heck does the title mean, New Author/Old Friend? Well, today, I found a new author who just so happens to be an old friend. Back in the ’80s, when I attended the University of Miami, my RA was an aspiring writer (more a screenwriter, I thought, but…). The other day we connected through LinkedIn, and it turns out he’s no longer an aspiring writer, rather he’s a writer – a mystery writer, to be specific. It turns out he has a series of books out, which I’ve just bought the first of (not sure when I’ll have time to read it). Anyhow, if you’re into mysteries, check out H.B. Berlow‘s books on Amazon. The first in the series is Ark City Confidential.

So, as I plan future releases, I’m also considering making an audiobook for the Corps of Discovery Series. Curious as to what voice you think I should find?

My initial thought is a young American male (early 20s) with a standard accent (Midwest/West Coast type). Thoughts? Comment below.

Today I found out that the 5.7x28mm (you remember, the cartridge used in the PDW-1) how now been designated as the 5.7x28mm NATO. This means it will become a standard issue caliber for NATO forces in their FN FiveseveN pistols and FN P-90. Unfortunately, the PDW-1 is still fiction, so it won’t be used any time soon.

So, what does it mean when a caliber is designated NATO? From FN Herstal (the manufacturer) – As a NATO standardized caliber, the 5.7x28mm caliber provides armies with the guarantee of interchangeability between ammunition from different manufacturers and operational efficiency in weapons of this caliber.

So, like the venerable 7.62 x 51mm NATO, the 5.56x45mm NATO, the 9x19mm NATO, and the 12x99mm NATO (aka .50 caliber), the 5.7x28mm gets the same NATO designation. Apparently it’s offered in five different bullets: ball (usually called full metal jacket), tracer, subsonic, frangible, and blank.

Do I now need to change the name of the caliber from 5.7x28mm to 5.7x28mm NATO? Naw, I’ll keep it as is.

The other day I happened to be in the Brick and Mortar Books store in Redmond, WA and saw a book that attracted my attention, Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule. What really caught my attention was the subtitle, A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause. Naturally, after having just released Explorer, I thought this would be worth reading. It is!

The book is basically Seidule’s journey from a youth and adulthood of adoration of that supposed Southern Gentleman Robert E. Lee to recognizing exactly what type of person Lee really was, and why the veneration of Lee is misplaced by those in the South (and in the military).

If you are one of those that believes in the Lost Cause and felt that the War Between the States (which I now refer to as the War of Rebellion, based on a further understanding from Seidule’s research) was about State’s rights, please read this book with an open and inquiring mind. It didn’t change my mind (I already agreed with the author), but it did educate me more on the matter.

Hmm. Maybe I’m missing out on a marketing trend, but here goes. If you want a signed copy of any of my books, let me know. I’m charging $25 (plus shipping, which is about $3). We can arrange payments through PayPal. Just shoot me a message. I currently have 1 copy of Surveyor, 9 copies of Trekker, and 19 copies of Explorer (actually on the way – should be here next week).

I also have a couple of copies of my little cookbook Camino Eats for the Solo Vegan available for $10 (plus shipping). It’s for anyone walking the Camino de Santiago (see my posts from Summer of 2019). Not just for vegans, but that’s mostly what I am (although I do eat cold-water variety fish and some cheeses) – health reasons, not for some vague idealistic reason, so don’t expect me to push my diet on you 🙂 (even my cookbook doesn’t).

Every now and then I read a good novel, and WASP Sting by Lee Sweetapple is one of those. The story basically centers on a young lady in WW2 who is a ferry pilot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (some interesting history there). Of course, it wouldn’t be as exciting if it was just about ferrying airplanes, so Sweetapple throws in some espionage and drama to go with it. My only complaint about the book is that it’s a standalone (it really should be turned into a series).

You can find Wasp Sting on Amazon Kindle for only $2.99 (but I bought the paperback – maybe one day I’ll get Lee to sign it).