The Least Practical of Jokes

I can't believe that I forgot to list this story when I was listing my previously published works a couple of years ago. Robert Lendorin has always been one of my favorite characters that I've created. I think I need to re-visit him one of these days.

A man gets conned into helping Robert Lendorin pull off a practical joke, but when things go wrong, what will the consequences be?

http://jalanerwine.com/blog/product/the-least-practical-of-jokes/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/824396

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/241492/The-Least-Practical-of-Jokes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVSFMF3

Seas of Red

In all of the insanity of the last week, I guess I forgot to post this when I released it...

Attempts at cleaning up the ocean go very wrong and leave the entire planet in peril. Can it be saved in time? And if so, what will the consequences be?

This one has never been published before!

http://jalanerwine.com/blog/product/seas-of-red/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/821726

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CR1B2G6

Diagnosis?

Back from the doctor. He seems to think the problem is most likely costochondritis (which is basically inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum. He also thinks there may be two or three detached ribs.
The course of action for now is to stay on the medication I'm on for another two weeks. After that, we'll try a different pain med if I'm still in pain. If things haven't improved by the middle of June, we'll do a CT scan. If it turns out that it is costochondritis, they're going to try a temporary nerve block. If that works, they're going to go with a permanent nerve block, killing the nerves that are causing the problem. If that doesn't work...well, who knows...

April recap

A grand experiment
Flight of Madness
The Spirt of Mars
NDP Short Collection Bundle
Earth Day sale
Earth Day
More medical ranting
Environmental Holocaust
The Infestation
Mundanities: A Digest of Mundane Science Fiction
PDF Book of the Week for April 30th

PDF Book of the Week for April 30th

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
For one week only, get The Union Man and Other Stories by Eamonn Murphy for half price at DriveThruFiction... http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/229443/The-Union-Manand-other-stories

The Union Man and other stories brings you three stories from Eamonn Murphy.
An interrogator (torturer) for MI5 is accused of a murder, a murder he couldn’t have committed, but where his investigation takes him will not only change his life, but it will forever change the world.
Happy is a drug that has been legalized in England, but no one can expect the consequences of what that legalization will mean, except for one man, and no one want to listen to him, because everyone wants to be Happy.
Finally, a brief story that is a twist on the princess and the frog tale.

Mundanities: A Digest of Mundane Science Fiction

Mundanities

A Digest of Mundane Science Fiction

Welcome to a new science fiction zine being published by Nomadic Delirium Press. This zine will be published twice a year, as both a print and e-zine, on February 1^st and August 1^st, with the first issue appearing February 1^st, 2019.

So, what is mundane SF? It doesn’t mean boring, as some might think. Why would we want to publish magazine of boring fiction?

Mundane SF is defined as fiction focusing on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable use of technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written. No aliens, time travel, interstellar travel, wormholes, warp drive, ftl, or anything like that.

Sound boring? Not really. Think of all of the science fiction that can and has been written about the Earth and the planets.

RESPONSE TIMES

Our current response time is two months. If you change your e-mail address, please let me know. There are always a few submissions that never get responses because the contributor changes their address.

FICTION

Fiction must be science fiction, and it MUST follow the basic guidelines. I’m looking for stories up to 10,000 words. Reprints will be considered, although preference will be given to first rights stories. I also won’t consider simultaneous submissions. Flash fiction is not likely to be successful with me unless it's absolutely brilliant. I'm not a big flash fan, so please keep that in mind when submitting.

FICTION PAYMENTS

Original stories up to 1,500 words will receive $5.

Original stories between 1,501 and 5,000 words will receive $10.

Original stories longer than 5,000 words will receive $15.

Reprints, no matter the length, will receive $5

POETRY

At this time, we are not reading poetry. If the magazine does well, then we will start taking a couple of poems per issue.

ART

We are not currently seeking artwork.

FORMATS

All submissions must be sent as attachments in rtf or Word. I will read submissions that are sent pasted into messages, but I'd prefer attachments. Every submission must contain the word "Submission" in its subject line, or it will be flushed with all of the spam. I hate to start getting anal, but given the amount of Spam I have to sift through, it just makes my job easier, and a happy editor is always a good thing. Also, all submissions must follow standard ms guidelines...if you don't know what that means, please find out. Your name, byline, and address MUST appear on the submission. All submissions MUST have page numbers. If you want something italicized, please italicize it in the submission. Also, please include a bio with your submission written in the third person.

FINAL NOTES

Don’t send work that is based in other people’s universes. All works must be original with no threat of copyright infringement. All submissions should be sent to mundanitieszine at yahoo dot com.

The Infestation

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
Our second Mars Station Beta story...
The loss of Mars Station Alpha has been a mystery, but now three men from Mars Station Beta have gone rogue, and have decided to visit the base.
Will they find the true reason for the loss of the base, and will they then bring about the destruction of Mars Station Beta?
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-infestation/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/820894
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/240286/The-Infestation
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CNDSKS9

Environemental Holocaust

ANNOUNCING A NEW ZINE FROM NOMADIC DELIRIUM PRESS!
This is a new zine that Nomadic Delirium Press is launching. We are looking for stories about the future if the environment continues to decay. For the most part, we want stories that look at the grim aspects of our environmental future, but we will also consider stories that look at us overcoming our difficulties and creating a better planet. This zine will be published twice a year…May 1^st and November 1^st, with the first issue appearing on November 1^st, 2018. Environmental Holocaust will be available as both a print and an e-zine.
RESPONSE TIMES
Our current response time is two months. If you change your e-mail address, please let me know. There are always a few submissions that never get responses because the contributor changes their address.
FICTION
Fiction must be science fiction, and it must follow the basic guidelines. I’m looking for stories up to 10,000 words. Reprints will be considered, although preference will be given to first rights stories. I also won’t consider simultaneous submissions. Flash fiction is not likely to be successful with me unless it's absolutely brilliant. I'm not a big flash fan, so please keep that in mind when submitting.
FICTION PAYMENTS
Original stories up to 1,500 words will receive $5.
Original stories between 1,501 and 5,000 words will receive $10.
Original stories longer than 5,000 words will receive $15.
Reprints, no matter the length, will receive $5
POETRY
At this time, we are not reading poetry. If the magazine does well, then we will start taking a couple of poems per issue.
ART
We are not currently seeking artwork.
FORMATS
All submissions must be sent as attachments in rtf or Word. I will read submissions that are sent pasted into messages, but I'd prefer attachments. Every submission must contain the word "Submission" in its subject line, or it will be flushed with all of the spam. I hate to start getting anal, but given the amount of Spam I have to sift through, it just makes my job easier, and a happy editor is always a good thing. Also, all submissions must follow standard ms guidelines...if you don't know what that means, please find out. Your name, byline, and address MUST appear on the submission. All submissions MUST have page numbers. If you want something italicized, please italicize it in the submission. Also, please include a bio with your submission written in the third person.
FINAL NOTES
Don’t send work that is based in other people’s universes. All works must be original with no threat of copyright infringement. All submissions should be sent to eholocaust at yahoo dot com.

More medical ranting

As everyone knows, I've ranted many times about the screwed up medical system in America, especially the way insurance companies get to decide who gets treatment. Well, I'm at it again. Rebecca was diagnosed with bulging discs. She went in for treatment, which involved needles in her spine. After seeing what the insurance company was going to charge us, I talked to the billing office at the place where this was done. They basically said that they would be covering a major part of our bill...once we'd paid our deductible...which in this case is $2000. We can barely afford to put food on the table most weeks, and they expect us to be able to pay a $2000 bill before we really get any help? That's outrageous. As a result, Rebecca won't be going in for any more treatments, and will continue to be in serious pain.
On another note, I have an appointment with a surgeon tomorrow to see if there can be any relief for my chronic pain. I'm sure this will be something else we can't afford.
It's sad that in America we have to choose between our health and basic survival.
And before anyone says it's the ACA or it's Trump's new plan, the simple answer is that the majority of politicians, on both sides of the aisle, get huge payouts from the insurance companies, and therefore they allow the insurance company too much input on what goes into our medical plans. Insurance companies should not have this much power!

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, and to me, it seems kind of silly that we only recognize this day once a year. In reality, every day should be Earth Day. The sad truth of the matter is that if you're not in elementary school, you really don't hear about Earth Day that much. People seem to be forgetting about the problems the planet faces, and with the current administration and their plans to dismantle much of what the EPA does, things are only getting worse.
A common argument I hear from the Right is that global climate change isn't real. Ok. Assuming for a moment that they're right, so what?
So, we shouldn't have cleaner air and water because global climate change isn't real? Doesn't it make sense to have these things for our children, and our children's children, even if the planet isn't warming up?
Fossil fuels will eventually run out, so we shouldn't develop renewable energies, because global climate change isn't real? How does that even make sense? When we run out of fossil fuels, what are we going to do?
I also hear that we shouldn't be worrying about oil because global climate change isn't real. The truth is, oil is also a fossil fuel, and it will eventually run out. Not only that, but if we stop our dependence on Mid-East oil, we will stop funneling money into countries that fund terrorism. This should make sense to people on the right. So, even if you don't believe in global climate change, switching to alternative fuel sources makes sense from a political point of view.
So, taking better care of the planet actually makes sense for people from every political perspective, so let's start today, and let's make sure we never stop!

Earth Day Sale

Now through Earth Day, pick up the e-book version of Ecotastrophe II for just $2.
More than a decade ago, Sam’s Dot Publishing released a small anthology titled Ecotastrophe that looked at the dangers posed by global climate change.
Now, the planet seems in even greater peril, and maybe we are facing Ecotastrophe, but is there time to save ourselves.
Ecotastrophe II features startling fiction from Tyree Campbell, Dan Rice, Melanie Rees, Robert J. Mendenhall, Gustavo Bondoni, and Mike Adamson.
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ecotastrophe-ii/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/735461

NDP Short Collection Bundle

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
Four short collections from three different NDP authors for just $5. Sample a little from each and discover just how amazing our authors and their stories really are!
This bundle brings you "The Tulku of Titan and the Terror of Titan" by Mike Morgan, "Nano-Bytes" by Daniel C. Smith, "3 of a Perfekt Pear" by Daniel C. Smith, and "The Union Man and other stories" by Eamonn Murphy.
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ndp-short-collection-bundle/
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/239879/NDP-Short-Collection-Bundle-BUNDLE

The Spirit of Mars

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:

 

This is our first Mars Station Beta story...

Things are tense on Mars Station Beta. No one knows what happened to Station Alpha, and things on Earth are threatening to boil over and envelop Mars. In the midst of all of this, Wyatt Finch is about to welcome his 16 year old son to Mars, a boy genius who also has a penchant for troublemaking…

http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-spirit-of-mars/">http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-spirit-of-mars/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/814830">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/814830

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/238932">http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/238932

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C437THZ">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C437THZ

Flight of Madness

The storms on Taranis are legendary for putting people on edge, but can they drive someone insane? Brice is just trying to get home, but he's about to find out just how bad the storms can really be.

This is a new, never before published story from J Alan Erwine.

http://jalanerwine.com/blog/product/flight-of-madness/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/812190
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZHVC74
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/239059/Flight-of-Madness
 

A grand experiment

A while back, I decided to publish the stories I've sold over all of these years as individual e-stories...each selling for 99 cents, or for free if they were short enough. With many of these stories, I've actually made more from selling the e-stories than I initially made selling the first rights to a publisher. As a result of this, I'm going to try something different with my latest story. Instead of trying to sell it to one of the many markets out there, I'm going to post it as a new e-story, and sell it myself.
I'm not sure how this will work, but in this new age of publishing, everything seems to be an experiment anymore...

April recap

A review of The Divided States of America Bundle #1
Read an e-book week
The Moth and the Flame
Order Spaceports & Spidersilk early
Trial of Payne
Spaceports & Spidersilk April 2018

Spaceports & Spidersilk April 2018

Spaceports & Spidersilk features some of the best science fiction and fantasy fiction and poetry for kids of all ages. The April 2018 issue will take you to places you might never have imagined. It will appeal to your inner child, and hopefully take you back to the places you loved as a child…and if you’re still a child, it will open your imagination to all kinds of new worlds.

This issue features fiction by: Jessica Marie Baumgartner, Melanie Smith, Tyler Omichinski, Eamonn Murphy, and Maureen Bowden. It also features poetry by: John Grey, Christina Sng, Rebecca Herzog, Pamela Love, and Tamara K. Walker.

http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/spaceports-spidersilk-april-2018/">http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/spaceports-spidersilk-april-2018/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/809594">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/809594

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BTJ7S9K">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BTJ7S9K

Trial of Payne

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:

The Divided States of America continues with Ian Brazee-Cannon's "Trial of Payne."

Debra Lennon has found that she does not like Corprotopia. While waiting to renew her gun permit, she contemplates returning to The Rocky Mountain States, but an invitation to renew that permit at the home of a wealthy corporate matriarch leads to a series of trials that will not only test her shooting abilities, but will ultimately test her character.

http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/trial-of-payne/" target="_blank">http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/trial-of-payne/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/808906" target="_blank">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/808906

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BS3BG85" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BS3BG85

Order Spaceports & Spidersilk early

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
It's still a week until the release of the April issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk, but you can download it now and start reading it today...and it's only 75 cents!

Spaceports & Spidersilk features some of the best science fiction and fantasy fiction and poetry for kids of all ages. The April 2018 issue will take you to places you might never have imagined. It will appeal to your inner child, and hopefully take you back to the places you loved as a child…and if you’re still a child, it will open your imagination to all kinds of new worlds.
This issue features fiction by: Jessica Marie Baumgartner, Melanie Smith, Tyler Omichinski, Eamonn Murphy, and Maureen Bowden. It also features poetry by: John Grey, Christina Sng, Rebecca Herzog, Pamela Love, and Tamara K. Walker.
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/spaceports-spidersilk-april-2018/

The Moth and the Flame

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:

The Moth and the Flame: A Yoelin Thibbony Rescue is now available at http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/butterfly.htm
Yoelin’s periphery is under attack, and she has to close down her chosen purpose in life—performing Rescues, of children, people, and things. Her investigation takes her into the sordid world of betrayal. Too many people want her dead—including her former boss in Corporatia Security; a crime boss who wants to force her favors in exchange for an old debt; and the head of one of the most powerful corporations in Corporatia. Her only allies are a former lover with his own agenda; a concourse deli operator; and a woman who has sworn to kill her, whatever the cost.
As Yoelin strives to rescue herself, she stumbles upon a dark family secret: she may not be who she thought she was. But can she ever discover who she really is?