The Michael Jackson story has arguably been the most compelling of 2009 and more than once has caused me to rearrange my own writing schedule to help clarify various aspects of the iconic entertainer and philanthropist’s legacy. Towards that effort, I have written the following blogs, articles, and poems regarding Jackson with the most recent listed first:June 25, 2009. At that point, I sat other projects aside and began to write my various memories and interpretations of his life. I also began to chronicle as a Red Room and AuthorsDen author, and as the National African-American Art Examiner, the public and media’s responses to Jackson’s passing.

In the advent of the publication of my book Written In BLOOD in January I am offering free downloads of a sample PDF containing 10 chapters from the edited portion. The book is still in final draft and I hope to have it published by as late as January 25. Meanwhile, the PDF will be available until the end of the current year. To order, visit the product page at http://www.antellus.com/book/WrittenInBLOOD.html.

Written In BLOOD is the 8th book in my science fiction vampire series Children of The Dragon, a chronicle of the Xosan, living vampires from the planet Antellus. They are stories of science fiction, fact and fantasy, myth and history, tragedy and triumph, linked together by the theme of the vampire as hero.

It is hard to imagine that books have survived a myriad of attempts to remove them from the human cultural landscape over the course of several centuries, and yet it may be that books will not emerge from the internet era unscathed. Yes, I am employing a double negative, because even now publishers are shedding authors and old business models like so much dead skin, and bookstores, even large chains like Borders, are closing stores right and left. Such draconian measures are a direct result of the unintended consequences the internet has created. Even dear old eBay, which prides itself as being the best place to sell anything under the sun, has lowered its listing fees in order to generate more product. The problem is, booksellers know that the readers aren’t buying.