I drove M-48 and M-60 tanks for the U.S. Army during the Viet Nam War era. Later I was a high-school history teacher and real estate broker (in North Carolina). I was, until recently, a free lance writer. Now all that most people will buy are cheap e-books, I have ceased writing anything..

.In 2011 I wrote a science fiction story called "The Shadow of Olympus." which has since been endorsed by The Planetary Society. It describes (in detail) life in the mid-twenty-first century colony of Lowellsville, on Mars. You could have purchased it in person at: The Bodacious Bookstore in Southtowne, Pensacola, FL: (850) 446-6966. B.B. is now defunct (as is HAWSEY'S BOOK INDEX-another store that formerly featured my paper and ink books.). Now writing is no longer worth my effort.

One of my former readers, who had a masters degree in psychology, compared my writing to the works of Michael Crichton!* Another reader compared my style of writing with the great Robert Heinlein.** Almost 80% of the readers of "The Shadow of Olympus" have loved it (until the last twelve months) . Now the market for most paper-and ink books is DEAD!

A year ago I finished its first sequel, "The Pact of Olympus.," which is not yet on the market (and probably never will be). It further introduces a multitalented, female android named Kariena to the reader. The colonists who find her soon realize that she is too life-like and intelligent to have been built by humans! Kariena was a fun character to create. It is a shame that the few remaining American readers may never meet her.

On a part of Mars' northern hemisphere, robotic orbiters have found unmistakable evidence of recent volcanic activity! A huge fault line there has spewed out volatile gasses and black soot in a large "fan" across the planet's surface. There is also plenty of evidence of continuing plate tectonics in Cerberus Fossae. Mars is not a dead planet!

For some reason NASA wants us to forget that one of its robotic rovers found a small, four-sided pyramid near Mount Sharp last summer. No more has been said about a large building found a couple of years ago in Mars' south polar region, either.

I want to warn other writers that the current publishing market for book manuscripts is very inhospitable. Do not attempt to contact any publisher directly (unless you are invited to do so). You must find an agent before your literary career can advance any farther. Good luck in doing so!

I also want to inform writers that they will probably need to advertise their books themselves now. Publishers have become very stingy with their advertising dollars.

Dinosaurs are another passionate interest of mine (especially the carnivores). The one that I chose as my chess avatar was one of the two most massive terrestrial ones known: the 9.35 ton monster from Argentina, Giganotosaurus carolinii. Its 6 feet long head included a huge pair of jaws that could engulf a zebra-size animal whole! A human would have been a brief appetizer for it (if we had existed during the Mesozoic). With serrated fangs that were 6 to 8 inches long, it must have been terrifying to encounter!

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* The author of "Jurassic Park" (1&2), "Sphere" and other sci-fi thrillers; written during the 1980s and 1990s.

** Author of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," "The Menace From Earth" and "Stranger in a Strange Land"; written during the 1950s & early 60s. Famous for his interesting, life-like characters.