I have been writing lately more than chopping. My most recent project is a collection of short stories, mainly tales published long ago, but some published now for the first time. If you like science fiction, fantasy, and horror, you may find the collection amusing. The cover illustrations are a mix of my lousy photography and public domain images. Stuff I learned on PSC:





I asked Grok to review the text, as you can see, and received a probably over-generous and flattering response. Grok's assessment of individual stories was spot on in many respects, but like I said, probably a bit too kind. I am easily flattered, so I slapped Grok's summary onto the back cover.

I posted the story "Hunger" on this site fifteen or so years ago, and asked users to conjure up illustrations (for fun, not publication). User annajon responded with this:



I liked the image so much I've kept it all these years. Whatever happened to annajon? I enjoyed her entries and posts. She was a good egg.

There you have it. I'd appreciate comments and criticism on the cover. It's an Amazon "print on demand" book, so it's not complicated to make changes.

There is a second book I recently released that I'm pretty sure most of you would not like, but I am hoping some will at least like the cover. It is based on one of my PSC contest entries. Several of the interior illustrations are versions of other contest entries, as well:



Also available on Amazon. Comments on the cover would be appreciated. It's pricey because it's illustrated. Interior color printing jacks the price up considerably.

Amazon makes pricing difficult. They take a huge chunk of the cover price and limit the writer's ability to reduce that price. I think their approach to self-publishing is a scam. Anyone considering it can ask me for details and cautions.

You don't have to buy my books, PSC, but you must accept my thanks for giving me some basic illustration and design skills.




.

Good luck with sales. AS for the second cover, I can't see how Fauci fits in with the title.

The cover illustration can be found inside accompanying this text:

Follow the Science!

The only science the Democrats know
is political science. Isn’t that so?
When they smugly tell us to “follow the science,�
they’re really just demanding compliance.

As I said, most folks here won't like the content.

About The four-by-fours

The idea behind the four-by-four poetry form is simple: four lines with four beats per line, usually with a pair of rhyming couplets. There are several exceptions.

The challenge for me was to do at least one or more of the following in each poem:

Tell a story.
Paint a picture.
Evoke or share a memory.
Express a political opinion.
Convey my view on a particular subject.
Do something else while trying to get a laugh.

The poems are meant to be read aloud in some kind of folksy accent. If you can’t manage that, imagine them being read by Sam Elliott, Robert Duvall, or Strother Martin. Hell, even Dolly Parton should do.

Ah, now it makes sense. Good one! Didn't now about four by four poetry before either (maybe because I never read the stuff - argh).

I always admired people that can look at a screen (or typewriter) and put words together, I do prefer putting images together. I have tried to write a pilot script for a comedy/drama for the past 5 years, a few pages so far, but I don't have the discipline to continue my ADD probably prevents that. And God knows I tried many times, it's one of the things I'll always regret not finishing, but honestly I find writing really boring. I start but unable to continue in a very short time, Oh well!

TAWISKARO:Annajon is good, I chat with her on a regular basis on facebook, I will tell her you're looking for her here

Edit:done

Hello! I'm going to buy the book.
Looking forward to reading it. About the illustration, wow, you holding on to that is super. I have been trying to locate it in my own archive, because I wanted to use it as an illustration of my worries about the situation in the US. The associations with various very bad historical outcomes, sheer horror.
Not sure if I will ever create something good enough to enter a competition, but the memories of being here on the site are great.
In the words of our immortal Splodge, facebook killed chat. Somewhere in the dustbunnies behind the chatroom door there still is a little box of pills.
Have a safe and great Summer, guys. (M/F/*)

Making ends meet on top of a hill
Chasing the money at the tip of your fingers
A fast downhill run is what you get
Forever running, cause the wind never lingers.

My 4 by 4.

Thanks, ledirlo.


.

annajon, you don't have to buy the book. I'll send you a formatted PDF if you PM me an e-mail address or other destination like Google Drive.

As for your illustration, I just PM'd a much larger copy to you.

I'm glad to see that you are alive and kicking!

.

That's very good! If you enjoy writing this sort of thing, you may want to have a look at allpoetry.com. It's rather like PSC, but for poetry.

annajon, I can't seem to PM the message, so here's a link:

https://images2.imgbox.com/d5/eb/eJtJUPcz_o.jpg

If that doesn't work, let me know and I will try something else.


.

It was in my inbox. Thank you. And I bought the book. So it can end up in a suitcase full of books that I will leave my grandchildren one day.

The copy of your book has arrived in good order, yesterday. I will take it with me to while away the time on Monday, between treatments in hospital. No biggy, just a reset of the electric pulses of my heart. What a world we live in.

Shocking... er, I mean good luck with the treatments.