Nothing is official yet, but things look promising for pre-production to begin in six to eight months. If all goes as planned, MEG will be the event film of 2013. Me? I'll get excited when I'm seeing previews and cashing checks. But progress is being made. Same for THE LOCH.

Every so often my talented associate, Leisa Coffman, will redesign www.SteveAlten.com. More of an HTML site, the new look will allow us to add far more links and cool images.

May 12, 2011 is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia call this an "invisible disease", as most people look perfectly healthy, even robust; however, fibromyalgia is debilitating, and those who have it suffer tremendous pain and fatigue. With any disease, education is the key first step in finding treatments, solutions, and emotional support. One excellent link, which provides the definition, symptoms, and treatments of Fibromyalgia.

Steve: You might remember me e-mailing you to tell you that I was off to South Africa to work with Great Whites through a research and education program a few months back? We have just launched a new website, (link below) which tells you all about the program and the area of Mossel Bay in South Africa where the program is run. As I mention above, it's an education and research orientated program. It differs greatly from other volunteer programs as it offers a much more diverse itinerary and a hands on approach to working not only with Great Whites, but with the other shark species in the area. I'm hoping that with Great Whites facing their biggest threat to date with their numbers dwindling I can encourage people to learn more about these magnificent creatures and help in the struggle for their conservation. I will be keeping the website up-to-date with photos and videos and have a blog page to report on the shark activity that some of your readers might find interesting. Thanks very much for all your help. Esther Jacobs - Program Assistant, White Shark Africa (UK)

GRIM REAPER: End of Days - mass market paperback: August 2011

PHOBOS: Mayan Fear (Domain part 3) hardback debut: October 2011.

THE OMEGA PROJECT - projected 2012.

MEG 5: Nights Stalkers - projected summer 2013

THIRTY DAYS TO LIVE - Unlike my other work, this is a true story, now tentatively on hold. This was a project I began a month before my own father was diagnosed with cancer. It's on hold because there are new developments in clinically testing a cure for solid tumor cancers and my personal involvement with the physician in-charge suggests I wait to include these pending, exciting results. Sometime in May I will send out a special announcement on how you can get involved and how this trial can directly or indirectly save a loved one.

Saudi Arabian security services captured a vulture suspected of being a Mossad spy, according to a report in the Israeli Daily Ma'ariv. The bird, complete with a GPS transmitter and a tag bearing the identification code R65 from Tel Aviv University, strayed into rural Saudi Arabian territory at some point last week, the newspaper said. Locals apparently suspected a Zionist plot, or at the very least espionage, and alerted the security services. Ma'ariv put the arrest of the vulture down to widespread hysteria among Arab nations about the growing military power of their Israeli neighbors. The incident came a few short weeks after an Egyptian official reportedly claimed that a shark that attacked tourists off the coastal resort of Sharm el Sheikh was also acting on behalf of the Israeli spy service. The Israeli authorities said the bird's activities were much more innocent and that it was in fact part of an academic study of the migratory habits of the vulture.

Have you read a story that borders on the ridiculous? Send it to Steve Alten at [email protected]

The third and BEST novel in the international best-selling 2012 DOMAIN series will make its U.S. debut in October (Tor/Forge). Free excerpt is now posted at the below link.

A man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by. He gets into the taxi, and the cabbie says, "Perfect timing. You're just like Frank." The passenger asks, "Who's Frank?" The cabbie says, "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right, all the time. Like coming along when you needed a cab, things happened like that to Frank Feldman every single time."The passenger says; "There are always a few clouds over everybody.""Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing fellow.""Sound like he was someone really special," says the passenger. "There's more. Frank had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman could do everything right." The passenger says, "WOW! Some guy then!" "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too! He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Frank Feldman." The passenger is impressed. "An amazing fellow eh? How did you meet him?" "Well, I never actually met Frank," the cabbie says. "He died and I married his f**king wife."

*IF YOU HAVE A JOKE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at [email protected] Put JOKE in the subject line.

This is a great recipe that I've been making for years. Sautee in large pan: 1/2 cup of minced onions, 1/2 cup of butter or margarine. Cook until butter or margarine is melted and onions are browned. Add 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef and cook until beef is browned. Drain most of the liquid out. Add: Family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, Salt & Pepper to taste, Stir until incorporated. Optional: Green onions to taste, Diced tomatoes (either canned or fresh). 1 bag of egg noodles. Put egg noodles in bottom of large casserole dish with a little bit of water just to coat the bottom of the dish. Add stroganoff mixture, stirring until incorporated. Bake dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy! -- Linda Achatz

IF YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at [email protected] Put RECIPE in the subject line.