*First an announcement: A year or so ago, a fan asked if I’d let him set up my blog with AI reading and put it on youtube. The idea being that this way people could listen to it while cleaning or driving or whatever. Since cleaning (or unpacking and setup) only happen around here when listening to audio books, many of whom yes, I’ve heard before, I couldn’t tell him there wasn’t a market. Also he has some financial need he hopes this will help with if he gets enough subscribers.
I’m not wholly disinterested in this, financially. He wanted to take 10% and leave the rest to me, but that was grossly unfair, since he’s done all the work, it’s not me reading it, etc. HOWEVER I almost had to torture him to get him to agree to an even split. So if a lot of people subscribe I get 50%. Which — the fundraising days cometh — would help, since I suck at fundraising. BUT it’s his thing he did. It’s not my voice reading it. And… well, if you decide to subscribe it’s because of his work and effort. I’ve linked before and there were some problems with the reading. He says he’s fixed most of them and the rest might be unfixable. (Also sound really minor.) So if you’re interested, this is the AI reading of the blog posts. (Yes, at some point I’m going to start posting readings, but I’m trying to figure out how to make it semi-interactive, so it’s like attending a reading with me at a con. Abide in patience another couple of months please. And you’ll know when it’s me reading it by my call sign: Moose and Squirrel! 😉 ) -SAH*
Book Promo
If you wish to send us books for next week’s promo, please email to bookpimping at outlook dot com. If you feel a need to re-promo the same book do so no more than once every six months (unless you’re me or my relative. Deal.) One book per author per week. Amazon links only. Oh, yeah, by clicking through and buying (anything, actually) through one of the links below, you will at no cost to you be giving a portion of your purchase to support ATH through our associates number. A COMMISSION IS EARNED FROM EACH PURCHASE.*Note that I haven’t read most of these books (my reading is eclectic and “craving led”,) and apply the usual cautions to buying. I reserve the right not to run any submission, if cover, blurb or anything else made me decide not to, at my sole discretion.– SAH
FROM JERRY BOYD: Gone Fishing (Bob and Nikki Book 47)
Bob and the family thought it was about time to kick back for a few days on Charlie’s Planet. Of course, that brought all of Bob’s friends out of the woodwork, needing help with their old business. Can’t an Admiral get a break?
FROM RICHARD F. WEYAND: Conflict (Talbot Book 4)
Humans and bird-people are friends, right?
Fortuna colony continues to grow with the effort of humans and bird-people both. Arnie, the artificial intelligence who pilots Earth’s space effort, continues to look for new planets to colonize.
But there are some surprising new colonists and some surprising new discoveries.
Not all of them are going to work out.
Can Fortuna Governor Susan Talbot keep the colony moving forward?
Or will the whole project sink into conflict and war?
FROM JAMES TOTTEN: South Korean Blues: Breaching Ain’t Easy (Breaching Ain’t Easy Book 9)
North Korea gets real quiet when the Chinese Communist Party Kingpins die in an orbital strike from the US Space Force. South Korea gets presented with a once in a generation oppertunity to reunite Korea with Seoul in charge. Will crossing the DMZ going noth present that much of a problem? What can be done to prevent the NKPA from rushing reinforcements to the DMZ? The NKPA has special forces that can enter the South through invasion tunnels. What about the North Korean leadership and the nucelar weapons? Will the US get directly involved or sit on the sidelines? What in the heck is “Rapid Weseal?” Find the answers to all of these questions and more in this fast paced novel of World War Three becoming a global conflict.
FROM HOLLY CHISM: Same Liver, Different Vulture (Modern Gods)
When you know you can regenerate any organ, fast…why not donate your kidneys?
Prometheus has been a teacher all of his life, nearly. Sometimes, like with teaching Man to harness fire, it got him in trouble. Sometimes, he’s able to make an even bigger difference for his students. Especially when they need a kidney as much as they need knowledge.
FROM ANNA FERREIRA: A Capital Whip: A Pride and Prejudice Sequel
An invalid for much of her life, Miss Anne de Bourgh has precisely one accomplishment: carriage driving. She is proud of her skill with reins and whip, and justifiably so.
But when another young lady moves into the neighborhood, and challenges Anne’s place as the most accomplished driver in Hunsford, Anne must prove to herself, to her beloved horses, and to her family that she is worthy of the name de Bourgh, and she does not shrink away from a challenge.
FROM MARY CATELLI: Sorcery and Kings
Tales of wonder and magic.
A fire master must find a magical starter of fires.
A mysterious queen holds a ball in a city filled with magic.
Magic of roses and gold are needed to fight a dreadful war.
An oath keeps a ghost captive.
FROM JULIE FROST: Cry Havoc
Nate Cassin, the alpha werewolf of Missoula, Montana, finds his little city has a big wolf problem when shredded bodies start showing up all over town. Faced with a hostile press and even more hostile hunters, he tries to protect his innocent pack of eight at the same time they try to track down two elusive killers in an area of 35 square miles with a plethora of hiding places.
He’s seen this before. And the hunters always, always go overboard and decide the only good werewolf is a dead one, no matter who’s actually responsible. His pack will be collateral damage unless he can find the enemy wolves—and stop their broken alpha—before they turn his hometown into a human buffet.
FROM LEIGH KIMMEL: Grandmaster’s Gambit
The disastrous war of 1913 is over, and young journalist Isaak Babel has used his fame as a war correspondent to win a peacetime job covering an international chess tournament in New York City. However, trouble is aboard the airship Grossdeuschland, in the form of the notorious Bolshevik terrorist Koba and his henchmen. Men with a dark plan, and New York City will not welcome their visit
AND NOW A VERY SPECIAL PROMO. COLONEL KRATMAN POSTED THIS ON FACEBOOK:
And this is the link to Bob Hall’s Author Page, yes, with my code appended, if you’d be so kind.
This is his most recent book: Quotes for the Conservative Heart: Ideas as Weapons of Defense
Quotes for the Conservative Heart is a collection of over 1,900 quotes, thoughts, and adages that will make you think (which may be an uncomfortable experience), which will help you defend yourself against ad hominin attacks, and which will help your writing and speaking. They will inspire you to fight a bit harder and a bit longer. As necessary to your security as an extra magazine, this book will help you identify threats to you, your family, and your culture. Open carry (of this book) is encouraged. We hope it will be a constant companion and a treasured possession.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam Veteran who holds a BA in Government and a Master’ in History. He served five terms in the Massachusetts Senate, managed associations for 31 years, and has 12 other books in print.
Vignettes by Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike.
So what’s a vignette? You might know them as flash fiction, or even just sketches. We will provide a prompt each Sunday that you can use directly (including it in your work) or just as an inspiration. You, in turn, will write about 50 words (yes, we are going for short shorts! Not even a Drabble 100 words, just half that!). Then post it! For an additional challenge, you can aim to make it exactly 50 words, if you like.
We recommend that if you have an original vignette, you post that as a new reply. If you are commenting on someone’s vignette, then post that as a reply to the vignette. Comments — this is writing practice, so comments should be aimed at helping someone be a better writer, not at crushing them. And since these are likely to be drafts, don’t jump up and down too hard on typos and grammar.
If you have questions, feel free to ask.
Your writing prompt this week is: GAINFUL
According To Hoyt 
“You want me to get you gainful employment? Just what does “gainful” mean in this situation?”
“You know what I mean!”
“Really? After all I’m not a mortal being and all the stories about deals with beings like me should tell you to be very careful about you ask of beings like me.”
“Ah, let me think about this.”
“That’s the smartest thing you have said in this conversation. Take all the time you need and I’ll be back when you have an answer.”
Well, I had been wanting to shift to this part of this cast for a bit so here goes!
“Good. Looks like just the standard post-battle tune-up,” the woman said, looking over the massive blue mech in front of her. “Seigneur Sadalmelik will be ready for your next mission by dawn, Monsieur Faucher.”
“Good. Thank you.” was all the pilot said, though he gave her a friendly smile before departing.
She reached for her toolbox when she was interrupted by a shout. “Oh Neeeeezyyy!”
“Dieux,” she thought, scowling as she turned to face the source of the noise, a petite Yamatai girl with a bright neon blue streak in her jet black hair. “Can’t you see I’m busy Mademoiselle Kato?”
“Exactly! You’re working too hard, Neezy!” Aoi replied with a grin, seemingly oblivious to her fellow engineer’s glare. “Alfie’s a good pilot so you don’t have to worry so much!”
“Yet if he were to fall to Dame Azahara because of one mistake on my part His Majesty would never forgive me,” the woman retorted. “And I could never forgive myself.”
“You heard the lady, Aoi,” a male voice added. Brad Carter shook his head as he continued. “Anaïs said she’s busy so leave her to it.”
“Merci, Brad.” she said, giving the red-haired engineer a small smile.
“Ooh, what’s this? Brad the Perv wanting to spend time with a real woman and not a pinuo?” Aoi gasped, her eyes going wide as she covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Better watch yourself, Neezy!”
“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Ash,” Brad grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Speaking of, she and Vince took a beating so I’d better not waste any more time. Good luck, Anaïs.”
“Merci.” she repeated, giving the Jade Tempest’s chief mechanic a small smile as she left.
“How can you put up with him, Neezy?!” Aoi grumbled, throwing up her hands in an exasperated sigh.
“Because for all his quirks Brad knows he’s got a good thing going, Aoi,” Anaïs Perrault replied sharply. “He’s gainfully employed for a significant amount of money and is able to keep an eye on Seigneur Vincent. He has never been anything less than a gentleman to me.”
“Even with all those swimsuit magazines he has around?!” Aoi retorted, wrinkling her nose.
“Dieux. Quelle horreur, that busy men in demanding fields like looking at beautiful women,” the Loire engineer replied, her tone as dry as the deserts of Odrysia and Pasargadae. “I’m surprise you lasted this long around soldiers if you don’t know that. And regardless? He is right and I am busy. Find someone else to go drinking with.”
“Oh, fine, whatever, Neezy!” the Yamatai girl huffed, muttering in her native tongue as she stalked away.
A mechanical laugh echoed after Aoi Kato’s departure. Sadalmelik’s eyes blinked with amusement as he said “That was polar level cold, Anaïs! I’m glad you care about me that much!”
“It is as much because I have no patience for Mademoiselle Kato’s foolishness when she is sober as anything” the engineer sighed, finally opening up her toolbox. “I do not want to know what she is like after drinking.”
Felix’s voice rose ahead of them, saying that whatever the ghosts thought, it was clearly of use for anyone seeking gainful labor to put down ghosts. No wonder they didn’t like it.
Perrin said something about learning about the heart enchantment on Karlos. Both of them froze, and then rushed.
“Silly dog, foaming at the mouth again!”
“Hydrophobia?”
“No, he’s been into the laundry detergent; he’s GAINfull.”
ICBC Launch in three, two, one flips up guard with paw, mashes Big Red Button Carp Away!
But look how shiny-white his teeth are now!
Very clever!
GROAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ordered the Robert Hall book.
“This isn’t gainful employment,” Gilgamesh muttered as they looked out on the Costco floor.
“We needed something that would be a good cover, let us justify standing around and encourage us to talk to people,” Paul shrugged. “And having you deal with the public is good training.”
“I can buy the entire Costco company out of petty cash via the Gates of Babylon,” Gilgamesh half-sighed, half-growled. “Easier way to handle things.”
“But too obvious,” Paul chuckled. “Besides, there’s at least five or six MILFs and one FILF bearing down on you for third samples because you’re just so handsome. Play your cards right, you’ll be busy the entire week after work.”
Phileas Fogg eyed the disheveled boy with surprise. “What is this, Passepartout?”
“Ah, it was my idea, Mr. Fogg.” Fixx stepped forward. “This young chap has been living on the waterfront for some time, and he’s been quite a help to us in your current case. Very intelligent boy, he is. He could do with some gainful employment, but we haven’t been able to find anyone to take him. There aren’t many jobs available right now.”
“And you felt perhaps I could, ah, be of assistance?” Fogg sighed. “Passepartout, what do you think?”
“Monsieur, with our current responsibilities, I do not have quite as much time as formerly to see to the house. I would be willing to train him myself, to your specifications, and I have explained to Tom – that is, Thomas,” he corrected himself in response to Fogg’s frown, “that if he applies himself he would be able to find a job in a good household.”
“I see. Thomas, Mr. Passepartout will be in charge of your training, and I will meet with him and with you on a weekly basis. Your pay will be six shillings per week to start with, and if you do well I will increase it. What do you say?”
The boy’s face lit up and he stammered his thanks.
“Now that you’ve finished your studies,” said Father, pointing at a map, “you will represent Howland Technologies, um, here!”
Tidewater? thought Nigel Slim-Howland, though he knew he had absolutely no choice. “What exactly are your expectations of me there?” he asked.
“Gainful employment!” replied Father. “At least I hope so.”
“Ah, Jenkins!” Nigel Slim-Howland was pleased to see his cyborg butler at his new home in, where was it again? Oh yes, Newport News. “It’s amazing what you’ve done with the place.”
“Much obliged, sir,” replied Jenkins, “but my gainful activities were arranging workmen, setting up utilities, and such like.”
“So how long ya been butlerin’?” said the neighbor lady, tapping her cigarette on the lawn.
“I’ve started with young Mr. Slim-Howland only recently,” Jenkins replied, “but I was gainfully employed by his father for at least thirty years.”
“Wow! It’s almost like you’ve been built for butlerin’!”
“Indeed, madam.”
Prayers up.
One of the biggest adjustments for the Expulsees was just how busy everyone up here was. Even children had work to do, if it was as simple as handing someone tools, then putting those tools away afterward. Tweens were minding the cleaning robots, and teens were maintaining them. Under adult supervision, of course — but that tended to be pretty light once the young people in question had proven themselves.
It was a mixture of two major factors. There really was a lot to do, particularly during the height of the Expulsions, when Shepardsport’s population was growing right to the limits of the physical plant to sustain so many residents. But there was also the simple fact that the community could not afford idle youths getting into mischief when a lunar settlement is a small and very fragile shelter in a very hostile environment.
I never managed to earn my banned-by-damnable-SocMedia-stasi badge.
Bravo to Mr. Hall. May the Lord bring his good son home, or spare him for we who remain: Deo volente.
Clicking through to grab a title.
N.B. Picked up Miss Ferreira’s latest. Taking a chance she takes advice from Mrs. Blake.
50 words? Yipes. Ok, here’s one.
The young man with the gun was surprised. She was not. This alley was her favorite feeding ground, after all. Nice and dark, just the place a young lady should avoid when muggers and other such ne’er-do-wells prowled the night.
She was getting quite a large gun collection at home.
Dammit, Ms. Hoyt! Here I was prepared to go “No Buy June” and you post books that are right up my wheelhouse. Including one by a Marine. (Hubs was in the Air Wing in the early ’70’s, so I have a soft pot for the Globe & Anchor.)
*soft spot. /Sheesh
I have a soft spot for marines, and a surprising number of friends who are marines. Some a little old to be active…. but still essentially themselves at heart.
“Whaddya been doin’ with yourself, these strange days, Preston?”
“Oh, this an’ that. Lots o’ readin’, lots o’ surfin’ the Net.”
“No, I meant gainful doin’s, Preston. Not re-readin’ old Destroyer books or OD-ing on spicy memes or veggin’ out to cat videos. Or yellin’ at all them psycho dumbunnies on the TV.”
“Well, Alphonse, it depends on your timescale, I guess. Will it ever be ‘gainful’ to two old mostly-retired gents like us? Doubtful.
“But someday we might all outgrow mining little bits of land on planets, and even siftin’ through somethin’ like Jupiter to get out the goodies. So, well, it turns out there are whole huge piles of carbon and oxygen and neon and suchlike out there. Hundreds of Jupiters’ worth at a time, and even pretty-much pure, not watered down to fractions of a percent.
“They’re called white-dwarf stars, and if you bother to get out on the Internet you’ll find that they’re out there. Tens or hundreds of thousands of times as much ‘ore’ as our whole Earth weighs, all in one convenient one-stop-to-shop place. The books and articles call it ‘star mining’ and it even turns out people already been talkin’ ’bout it for years.”
“You truly one strange cat, Preston. Sure ’nuff!”
“Yeah, well, if we humans can last even as long after now as we’ve lasted since we started out already… someday it likely will matter, long after you and me are gone to our reward. When we uppitty little monkey-boys and girls are all up and out there, workin’ and playin’ among all those pretty lights in the night.
“You know what they say, Al? Keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars.”
“Lookin’ good, is all I can say, Preston. Seems t’ be keepin’ you young.”
Of course. No matter how much they sold the herbs for, they could not have all their food brought up river and sold.
“We’d better get back,” said Marlene. “They’ll have the stuff ready any moment now.”
Sylvie ran with her, and they still got a raised eyebrow from Adelaide.
“I use this for the food,” said Marcus. “It makes it easier to buy clothes if that alone is what I spend it for.”
“It’s necromantic,” said Jasper. “How can necromancy be the source of food? It’s life magic.”
“Life is not the opposite of death,” said Marcus. “Nothing can die without being alive. Life is the opposite of the inanimate. Stone. Dryness. Desert. That is what it means in practice for a knight to oppose life.” He spread his hands. “A charmed bag works on the same principles. There are not two kinds of wizardry that can be worked.”
just a bit to add to what Sarah said re the youtube thing – the service I use to access text to speech has been flakey as hell the last several weeks, but if anyone spots major issues, I will do my best to fix them. The biggest is that anything it doesn’t read as a word (to include words special characters adjacent to then) gets read out letter by letter. I’ve done a lot of cleanup on that, but there is no way I have fixed every issue in 3800 posts.
email me at Matthew dot excels111 at Gmail dot com
Fact is, this blog saved my sanity and probably my life on more than one occasion. If I can get it in front of more people, I’ll consider it Aslan’s work. If I can get some grocery money out of it, that is a happy bonus.
Dear Ladies of the WNBA;
If you want gainful employment in a thriving league, it’s the Women’s National Basketball Association, not the Women’s Negro Basketball Association. You ladies are no different than all those Klansman and racists who protested Jackie Robinson and Hank Arron. When you look in the mirror in the morning you are looking at a racist. Contrary to liberal thinking you have no racist privilege to discriminate against whoever you don’t like. You want more money, play better.
An excellent selection this week.
Not able to buy books right now – but I am going to add Mr. Hall’s to the top of the wish list. Besides a prayer, for whatever that is worth.
(Actually, “have” not “going to” – I get forgetful after a morning of stripping off roofing…)
“Good afternoon, everyone, please be seated. This briefing is classified TEP SOCROT, so no notes.
“We’ve gotten a break on the Atropia situation. HUMINT reports that top leadership of the Southern Atropia People’s Army will gather for a conference at this remote site, which we’ve designated Objective WINDMILL. SIGINT confirms the movement of several SAPA HVIs in that direction.”
“Sounds good. It’s remote enough that a couple of JDAMs won’t cause any collateral damage.”
“That’s the hitch. National Command Authority has directed that we use deniable assets only. So we’re sending in Big Blue.”
“Ouch! Guess that means the upcoming carnage will be brought to them by the letters ‘C’ and ‘M,’ and the number ‘5.56.’”
“Given the time frame and distance from the border, we don’t have time to infiltrate by land, so it’ll be an aerial insertion.”
The Air Force rep spoke up. “What’s the air defense threat look like? From the distances involved, we’ll need to use fixed-wing. Rotary-wing frames with the required range are few and far between, and certainly aren’t deniable assets.”
“Not much,” the briefer responded. “SAPA’s best SAM system is a couple of batteries of 2K12s. State of the art in 1967, they put some hurt on the Israelis in ’73, but our selected aircraft can fly well below their minimum engagement altitude. We have a few tools to spoof their radars, nothing built here in the States.”
Satisfied, the Air Force rep nodded. The briefer, however, noticed a couple of puzzled expressions, most notably on the face of the SEAL rep.
“Jack,” the briefer said, “you’ve probably only heard of them by their DoD designation ‘SA-6’ or NATO reporting name ‘Gainful.’
“Here’s the mission profile….”