The third and BEST novel in the international best-selling 2012 DOMAIN series will make its U.S. debut in late August (Tor/Forge). The story picks up where RESURRECTION left off in 2047, then returns to 1990 in a cause-and-effect twist that reintroduces Professor Julius Gabriel and his teen son, Mick, who are forced to deal with a very real threat to our planet in December 2012 - a miniature black hole created by the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. Free excerpts coming this spring!

REQUEST FROM A DEPLOYED SOLDIER: Steve, please recommend your readers to go to www.booksforsoldiers.com and sign up to help support troops looking for great books to read.

Some of the Grim Reaper reviewers who posted on Amazon.com certainly think so. I learned long ago that reviews are opinions that often reflect an individual's belief system as much as their tastes. For the record, I do not write books to garner praise, I write books that I'd want to read. Some stories like MEG or The LOCH are simply entertainment on steroids. Others, like The SHELL GAME or GRIM REAPER are designed to get readers to think. Writing a MEG sequel takes me about 6 months; writing a novel like GRIM REAPER took more than 2 years, and it was mentally exhausting. Not everyone wants to think while they are being entertained, and some people may be offended by my anti-right-wing political views. There is a delicate balance between creating a story and preaching, and if I crossed that line then I apologize.

Since I am being taken to task, let me set the record straight: I am not a Hollywood celebrity, I am a writer, and as such my characters are going to have opinions which represent both sides of the aisle. Personally, I feel our entire political system has been corrupted by the influence of money, much of it from the military industrial complex, oil cartels, insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and if that sounds like Conspiracy Theory 101 to you then so be it. In GRIM REAPER, the hero, a soldier who enlisted after 9/11, questions how Building 7 (housing the CIA, Dept. of Homeland Security, and SEC offices investigating Enron and Worldcom) collapsed at free fall speed after never having been hit by anything. I question it, too, along with more than 1400 architects and engineers who claim the collapse defies the laws of physics. The events of 9/11 are NOT political fodder, the events were a crime, and the fact that this crime has NOT been properly investigated by those elected officials in-charge should irk every American. As a writer, when I see the truth defiled, I speak out - but only when the storyline of the novel calls for it. GRIM REAPER deals with a real threat (biological warfare). The threads that run thru the story may disturb readers who see nothing wrong with spending $100 million a year on biological weapons that can wipeout the populations of small countries. I suspect many of these same people see nothing wrong with placing gun sites on political maps to "target" candidates. As we approach the 2012 election, things can and will grow even more toxic. GRIM REAPER is a thriller, but it is also a warning that we are here to help one another on our journey thru life, not to cash in by stirring the pots of hatred.

Okay, that's my 2 cents worth of responses to those reviewers "insulted" by what they perceive as my "political slant." Having said that, there is no truth to the rumor that Bela and Lizzy will devour and regurgitate Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin in MEG 5: Night Stalkers. (hmm, or will they?)

See the video. (scroll to the bottom of the page)

A Hungarian Jewish woman who survived Auschwitz found a coat belonging to a guard which she took to shield her from the cold immediately after her liberation. In the pocket of this coat she found a photo album. It contained pictures of what went on in this extermination camp. Imagine her reaction when she saw a picture of herself coming off of the train as well pictures of her family who were already murdered. This album at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem was donated by this woman in 1980 and will forever be displayed there. When you have 5 minutes of peace and quiet in front of your computer, watch it and consider passing it around to people that you know so they can share it and know about it. It is truly moving and important.

Because we are still tallying views, the winners will be announced in the March newsletter.

A controversial radio DJ's wife sold his $45,000 sports car on eBay for less than a dollar after he flirted with model Jodie Marsh on air. Kerrang 105.2's Tim Shaw told the sexy babe he was prepared to leave his wife and their two children for her. The DJ's wife was listening and immediately started an auction on eBay to sell his Lotus Esprit Turbo with a 'Buy It Now' option of $1.00. The item description read: "I need to get rid of this car in the next two to three hours before my husband gets home to find it gone and all his belongings in the street." The car was sold in under five minutes. It wasn't the first time this DJ upset his 27-year-old wife. When she was pregnant he rang up her sister live on air and said he thought about her while having sex with his wife. Mrs Shaw said: "When he said he would leave me and the kids for Jodie Marsh, that was it for me. I am sick of him disrespecting this family for the sake of his act. The car is his pride and joy but the idiot put my name on the log book so I just sold it. I didn't care about the money, I just wanted to get him back." She added: "There is no hope for a reconciliation." A Kerrang 105.2 spokesperson said the DJ was 'absolutely gutted'.

Have you read a story that borders on the ridiculous? Send it to Steve Alten at Meg82159@aol.com

A man wakes up in the hospital bandaged from head to foot. The doctor comes in and says, "Ah, I see you've regained consciousness. Now you probably won't remember, but you were in a huge pile-up on the freeway. You're going to be ok, you'll walk again and everything, but your penis was severed in the accident and we couldn't find it." The man groans, but the doctor goes on. "You've got $9,000 in insurance compensation coming and we now have the technology to build a new penis. They work great but they don't come cheap. It's roughly $1,000 an inch." The man perks up. "So," the doctor says, "You must decide how many inches you want. But, I understand that you have been married for over thirty years and this is something you should discuss with your wife. If you had a five incher before and get a nine incher now she might be a bit put out. If you had a nine incher before and you decide to only invest in a five incher now, she might be disappointed. It's important that she plays a role in helping you make a decision." The man agrees to talk it over with his wife. The doctor comes back the next day, "So, have you spoken with your wife?" "Yes I have," says the man. "And has she helped you make a decision?" "Yes" says the man. "What is your decision?" asks the doctor. "We're getting granite countertops.

*IF YOU HAVE A JOKE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at MEG82159@aol.com Put JOKE in the subject line.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 plus cups of flour add extra flour in case, 2 eggs, 2 tbs of water, 1/2 tsp baking powder, chicken broth. Mix everything but the broth in a bowl with small of amounts of water. Roll dough out on flour surface, roll paper thin, the smaller the better. Cut into thin small pieces. After you have made noodles place them in a pan with chicken broth and shredded pieces of chicken to cook. And when the noodles thicken then take off the fire and let them cool to set up. Be sure to stir or they will stick to pan or burn.

IF YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at MEG82159@aol.com Put RECIPE in the subject line.