Year: 2019

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The Best August Videos, Pictures, and News

The Best August Videos, Pictures, and News, personally curated by me Andy Zach. Be warned: these may not be what you expect.

The first video might be the weirdest prank I’ve ever heard about. And it’s part of English history too. Who’d ever believe this in fiction?

But hold onto your galoshes: there’s a lot more.

How about a late-breaking science video of new advances in rocketry?

Now let me try to be more relateable by posting a cute dog video for your viewing pleasure.

Speaking of relatable, I have a dog I walk every day over the hills and valleys in the park around my house. A105 pound black lab named ‘Trip’, so-called because he likes to rub against you and trip you.

Which picture do you like the best? Let me know and I’ll send you a free short story from my next book Oops Tales from the Turkey Apocalypse

What else do I have for you? How about this article about an exoskeleton?

More Best August Videos

This is a good one. If you’ve seen it before, contact me and I’ll give you a book of your choice.

Pachelbel’s Canon on the rubber chicken

I have more for you!

Or maybe this picture will tickle you. Everyone loves puppies!

Even three-headed puppies!

Then you’ve got this bon mot.

Okay, I have one last video for you. But before you see it, let me offer you a chance to win one of my books. I have two drawings coming up this month, one for a free book and one for a free audiobook.

Best August Videos
Andy’s four books

Click here to enter the monthly drawing and get a free subscription to my newsletter.

Andy Zach reading from his book Zombie Turkeys

Finally, A Secret Supers Review

Best August Videos
Secret Supers covers

Title: Secret Supers: What happens when ‘differently-abled’ people become ‘super-abled’?

Author: Andy Zach

Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror

Audience: Middle-Grade

Word Count: 31000

Assessment:

Plot: Four differently-abled middle school kids use science to give themselves super powers and solve crimes while in disguise. This is a sweet YA read with a surprise ending that will delight readers.

Prose/Style: There is some clever imagery here, with steady and clear dialogue. Descriptions of the super powers and how the children react to them are authentic, touching, and sometimes funny.

Originality: Disabled kids who are not just the heroes but superheroes of the story is a fresh and clever premise. Even without revealing their secret identities, the kids are accepted by their peers after saving the school budget.

Character Development: All of the young and vibrant characters are wonderfully drawn, especially Dan, the blind boy who gains the ability to read minds. Even the pet hamster, Dancer, plays an important role in the plot twist.

From my Book Life Prize entry. I entered Secret Supers and will find out if I progress to the next round.

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3 Things About Author Andy Zach You Didn’t Know

3 Things About Author Andy Zach–Let’s start with my office.

What about the inside of my office? It’s messy. Here you see a little of my desk and computer screen.

3 Things About Author Andy Zach
My first book arrives, Zombie Turkeys

Now you see a little more of my desk.

3 Things About Author Andy Zach
My Undead Mother-in-law with a little clutter.

Do you see the sticky notes? I used them to manage writing Zombie Turkeys. I still use them to remind to do stuff.

Maybe you’re unimpressed. “This isn’t very messy, Andy!” you might say. Okay, here’s a wider view of my desk (on a good day).

Next, you get the view of the rest of my office.

Messy enough for you?

3 Things About Author Andy Zach – The Second

Despite all appearances, I’m a real human being. I was born in 1956.

Andy Zach as a baby.

I had my childhood in the 60s.

3 Things About Author Andy Zach
Andy before authoring–or learning to read.

And I went on family vacations, like this one to Lake Ontario in 1968.

3 Things About Author Andy Zach
Andy with one of 3 pike he caught with his Dad. 1968. Click to zoom out.

But that’s not all of my humanity! Next, you’ll discover I actually own and love dogs.

Trip at 6 weeks and 12 pounds.

My wife Julie named him ‘Trip’ because the first time we took him to the park he walked between my wife’s legs. Then he grew.

3 Things About Andy Zach
Trip at the table A polite 105 pounds.

I’d like to know about YOUR pets. What kind of pets do you have? Contact me or answer this poll.

1. What kind of pets do you have or wish you had? (1 minute survey here. You get a free book if you get the right answer on the final question.)

Now, what’s the last thing about me as an author you may not know?

The Last Thing About Author Andy Zach

You can’t just be an author. You also have to be a businessman and entrepreneur.

I have to pay taxes–even if I don’t make any money! How’s that? I must pay sales tax on cash sales.

Even if I don’t have any income (I assure you, I don’t! Revenue, book sales, is not the same as income. Income=sales-costs), I must pay sales tax on my sales. And on my purchases.

Taxes are a big enough issue I’ve written these blog posts about them:

3 Tax Tips For Authors Business Owners

Authors Business Owners
Zombie Lady Maximizing Tax Returns

Taxes 101 for Authors – The Andy Zach Way

Image result for 2016 income tax public domain images Taxes 101 for Authors

3 Tax Programs Compared For Tax Day

3 Tax Programs Compared
Andy compares TaxAct with two other programs

In these posts, you will learn how to track your expenses, your revenues, and how to compute your taxes so you maximize your returns. Check them out!

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5 Science Stories That Surpass Science Fiction

“5 Science Stories That Surpass Science Fiction” – “I don’t believe it!” you say. Check out the first one.

In my childhood, Robert Heinlein wrote ‘The Man Who Sold the Moon’ a novel about a man who started a company to get to the moon. Here we have SpaceX, a company started by Elon Musk to get to the moon and Mars. Surpassing? Or surprising? Let me know what you think, right here. As always, anyone who contributes comments to my blog post or writes me an email, gets a free short story.

Moving from the moon to interstellar space, we have another current news story.

AI Used to Solve Mysterious Radio Signals from Outer Space

I couldn’t beat that title of this recent story.

I’ve read stories about AI and stories about mysterious signals, but not stories combining the two. If you write me a story of any length about this topic, I’ll give you one of my books for free! That’d be paperback, audiobook, or ebook gift for you.

5 Science Stories
Click to get these books

Let’s move on to the next amazing story.

5 Science Stories – Your Third Science Fiction Surpasser

Everyone loves stories about hidden worlds. I’ve read many books about a hidden Earth on the other side of the Sun. How about hidden galaxies? How about lots of hidden galaxies? Check out this article:

How can galaxies be hidden anyway? It’s pretty simple. If you can’t see them, they’re hidden. But people learned to combine multiple telescopes to find very dim light sources.

Let’s change our theme from outer space to medicine.

5 Science Stories: Medical Marvels from Today

We all want a cure for cancer. In one of these five discoveries, scientists find out how cancer hides from the body’s immune system. Strip away that cloaking device and down goes cancer.

In the preceding news link, you’ll also find a story about using AI to diagnose kidney disease. I’m not ‘kidneying’ you!

Before I finish this blog post, let me share some cool science fiction art.

5 Science Stories
Here’s a chapter icon from my novel Paranormal Privateers.

Onto Your Last Amazing Science Story

Why would I tell you about a failure? Because the inventor tried again and flew across the channel.

From England to France in twenty-two minutes. Enjoy the video.

If you like hoverboards, you might like my novel Paranormal Privateers. It has hoverboards, flying saucers, and more science fiction aspects. Click the cover to get your copy.

5 Science Stories