The last time I offered a CHARACTER CONTEST, 85% of those people who entered won something. This time around, it's even easier to win. Essentially I have two releases out: GRIM REAPER (paperback) and PHOBOS (hardback). If you just watched the two trailers, you'll see how much work went into their creation. Now, with your help, we need to spread these two videos around. It only takes 5 minutes to post them on YouTube or a website, but it takes some creativity to NAME THE TITLES to entice people to watch. The contest runs from October 1st until December 21st, 2012 (a year before the Mayan prophesied date of doom). If your uploads track over 5,000 hits (combined), I will send you a personalized signed MEG poster. If your upload totals finish in the TOP 50 in either category, your name (or someone you gift the prize to) will be written into either Grim Reaper: Purgatory or DOMAIN Part 4 (or both!). And, if you are really really clever and your traffic totals over 500,000 hits, I'll make you a major character in the book of your choosing - including MEG 5: Night Stalkers. Each Friday, everyone who enters will receive an e-mail showing your ranking. The rules and video download instructions are posted on Stevealten.com click below.

Sent in by reader Richard Hessel. Bela and Lissy are hunting in this area in MEG 5, so this isn't over yet!

Just what we need - more toothy monsters.

Using pain relievers too often for your headaches or migraines can actually cause a boomerang effect called a rebound headache. Find out what you can do to keep this from happening.

Alten friend and fan Stan Tremblay offers a great new service for self-publishing authors. "Find The Axis" is a service for new authors looking to succeed in a market where odds are stacked against them. They will work with you to provide top-notch cover design, print interiors, e-book formatting/conversion, website design, and contests that will make your competition scramble for your new book. To find out more, visit their website at www.findtheaxis.com. (from Steve: I worked with Stan on the interior of Grim Reaper. Simply put -- he is the best.)

Ingredients: 3 medium or 2 large baking potatoes such as Russet, 1 large yellow onion, 1 egg, 3 tsp (1 Tbsp) salt, ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper, 3 Tbsp flour or matzoh meal, pinch of freshly ground nutmeg, Canola oil for frying.

Set your oven to the lowest setting possible to keep the finished potato pancakes warm as you cook the rest. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Peel your onion and cut in half. Peel your potatoes and cut in a size which will fit into the shoot of your food processor. Using the food processor, grate your onion and then the potatoes. Put the grated potatoes and onion into a mixing bowl. Crack the egg onto the potatoes then add the salt, pepper, flour (or matzoh meal) and grate nutmeg. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Add ¼" of oil to the pan and allow to heat until it stops shimmering. Test the oil with one piece of potato, if it actively sizzles, the oil is ready. Using your hand, lift the potatoes out of the bowl to loosely fill a ¼ cup measuring cup trying to leave as much liquid behind as possible. Place the measured potatoes into the oil and pat down with a spatula so that the oil comes up to about ½ the thickness of the potato pancake. Cook the pancake for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Carefully, flip the pancake with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown. Remove the pancakes as they are done and place onto a pan lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Place the pan into the warmed oven to keep until ready to serve. Serve with sour cream and applesauce!

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.

DRUNKEN MAN TRIES TO PULL HIS OWN TEETH. Francisco Rojas' wife told 911 dispatchers her 49-year-old husband was "drunk and in the garage trying to pull his tooth out with a pair of pliers."

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