Steve Alten April Newsletter
MEGheads, Cove Dwellers, and the rest of my wonderful readers::

I know many of you enjoyed last month’s newsletter which was delayed as I battled a demon for control over my wife’s laptop while we had to vacate our home for 17 long days to make some needed repairs, etc. Well, we caught the little bastard…yep, just as I suspected – it was the angry spirit of a summer camp romance scorned.

She did manage to leave a parting gift – the link on youtube we included to watch the new teaser for episode one of WHERE SEA MONSTERS ROAM was faulty. My apologies – new link is listed below. Please help us spread it around as new traffic and members goes into new content to the SeaMonstersCove.com website (still only $4.95).
Apparently a gremlin got inside Paul’s video game programming, but he promised he’s making progress and a beta test will be coming soon. Paul is doing the work of a team of programmers and his work is amazing so we’ll give him all the time and support he needs.

BIG NEWS: A new Alten graphic novel looks like a green light.

I’ve been speaking with J.S. Earls who did the story in The MEG graphic novel. He and his artists were looking for another one of my novels or stories to create a new graphic novel. My initial response was to pass as I remembered how upset many MEGheads were about the Canadian publisher’s broken promises and delays (they essentially ran out of money – I received no advance) and were waiting on a loan. After speaking to the artist (Mike Miller) I was able to get the publisher to turn over the rights to his group and he raised funds to finish the project. While you may have not received a schlocky tee-shirt, the comic and graphic novel are amazing. If you saw The MEG movie but were disappointed the story was different from the novel GET the graphic novel – it stays 100% true to the book.

The reality with graphic novels is that there is simply not a whole lot of money in this for the author. The best solution is to allow J.S.’s team to publish it and sell directly to my readers as we do with A & M publishing. That way there are never any returns from distributing to stores.

J.S. agreed. So, which title?
I feel RAVENOUS – an original vampire thriller I wrote the first 175 pages to back in 2015 works perfectly for this format and project. I had to stop writing the novel as the story was at a crossroads and I was not ready to decide the best path forward. This happens from time to time – if the juices are not flowing it is best to move on and come back. A few years later the ideas started flowing again.I made extensive notes as I was writing UNACKNOWLEDGED at the time.

I prefer RAVENOUS debut as a comic/graphic novel. I am 100% committed to finishing LOCH-3: Heavens Lake and then it’s on to MEG-7: Purgatory. A RAVENOUS novel would be 2-3 years before I could continue it, and again – this is a very visual story – definitely a hard R.

Look for sample pages soon.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

--Steve
The LOCH: Heaven’s Lake: April 2022
Pre-orders for part 3 of The LOCH series (Vostok is part 2) commenced back in February 2018 when I began writing the novel. Like MEG: Generations, the book will be a signed collector's first edition hardback which will only be sold on the SteveAlten.com
website. My goal was to finish the manuscript just before a studio press release announcing The LOCH movie had been greenlit, then send the manuscript to our printers.
So much for that goal...
Two major things happened. First, COVID hit the world. For movie studios, every production schedule was pushed back 2 + years. Normally, I would have just finished writing the book and held the release, but I was not happy with the storyline. And so I took a much needed break from the novel to create www.SeaMonsterCove.com and the first two episodes of its amazing TV series, Where Sea Monsters Roam.
The break enabled me to return to LOCH-3 last year with a clear mind. First however, I went back and read VOSTOK which is part 2 of The LOCH series. In doing so I realized how detailed and layered VOSTOK was and how I had purposely left unanswered questions that would play major roles in LOCH-3. For the first time I could see the forest for the trees - and wow - what a dense rain forest it was - far more complex than I had intended with a huge payoff for the reader if I could pull it off. To do that, I would have to go back to page one with a major rewrite ahead of me.
As of early April 2022 Parts 1 & 2 have been completely rewritten to accommodate part 3 which had already been written but now makes much more sense, setting up for the huge payoff in part 4. So - when will the manuscript be finished and the books printed and delivered? My intent (for whatever that is worth) is to finish everything before the end of the year... just in time for a LOCH movie announcement - fingers crossed.
Megalodon captured on video?
No. It’s a bottom feeder, maybe half that size. The video was taken at a substantial depth, the cage is a bait box. To a Meg… dinner.
In Peru, skull of 'marine monster' points to fearsome ancient predator
Paleontologists have unearthed the skull of a ferocious marine predator, an ancient ancestor of modern-day whales, which once lived in a prehistoric ocean that covered part of what is now Peru, scientists announced on Thursday.
All new at www.SeaMonsterCove.com
While we await the new video game’s next beta testing, I came up with a way we could release a teaser episode to Where Sea Monsters Roam, the episodic series I wrote back in early 2020 when the entire Sea Monster Cove concept came to me. From March thru October 2020 (during the worst of COVID) our dedicated crew of actors, producers, crew and director traversed France between lockdowns shooting the first episode – most of it against greenscreen. The footage was originally intended to test the actors and their chemistry on film, as well as the abilities of the producers and director. We came away sold on the two male leads and the talents of our F/X team. Unfortunately, there was so much greenscreen shot (the pandemic eliminating key location shots) that to make the episode with F/X would have been way beyond our budget – especially with COVID affecting our monthly membership goals needed to shoot the first season. In fact, to help families affected by COVID, I decided to cut our monthly membership fee in half from $9.95 to only $4.95 a month for the entire household where it will stay until video game 2 is released. 

A few months ago, I watched the footage shot in France once again and I was really impressed by our two leading men. I captured a few still photos off the screen, using photo suite to add real images to the greenscreen – which worked really well. After organizing the best of the best scenes (some of which did not require F/X) I was able to rewrite the episode to work with what we had, which would be narrated by the two male leads. Once we receive these new voiceover sequences, our editors will put it all together and we will release it – first to members, then on youtube.
For now - enjoy the trailer – you are the first to see it. 

Check out the trailer below:
The more new members we receive – the sooner we can get the show underway. So please – spread the word!
APRIL ZOOM call:
Saturday April 23, 2022 at 3pm est.
Reserve your spot with Kelly at kelly@seamonstercove.com
Living Tips: Cybersecurity
Longtime fan Linda responded to my laptop fiasco reported in the March newsletter with some sound advice.

Steve:

What a time you’ve been having! I don’t know what type of laptops you and your wife have, but here’s a couple of suggestions. First, find a top-notch forensic IT/computer company to do forensic analyses on said laptops, and how your IT system is set up at home. You may have been hacked or you picked up a virus or malware. Utilize VPNs. They work! I use Nord. Use encrypted services for email & Internet. You can use Gmail for your “junk” stuff, iCloud email for mid-level needs, and an encrypted service for financial, medical, and immediate family. When your laptops are not in use DO NOT leave them plugged in. They should also be placed in an RFID casing or sleeve. I use the products from Silent Pocket - they work! Search engines? Try the following: StartPage; DuckDuckGo. Here’s a hyperlink you may find useful:


Finally, NEVER save anything to a laptop. All my work is saved to an external hard drive - I use a Toshiba unit that holds 4 TB.
Music Video of the Month: SATISFACTION
Rolling Stones at the Marquee Club – 1971
I love this rendition with Mick Taylor on lead guitar, Bobbie Keys at the sax, and the slightly different lyrics twist by Mr. Jagger – worth the listen.
Joke of the Month
After a long illness, a woman died and arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the Gates. She saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her - "Hello" "How are you! We've been waiting for you!" "Good to see you." When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?" "You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her. "Which word?" The woman asked. "Love." The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven. About six months later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day. While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. "I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?" "Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a big mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation and I went water skiing today. I fell, the ski hit my head, and here I am. How do I get in?" "You have to spell a word," the woman told him. "Which word?" her husband asked. "Czechoslovakia."
Thanks to JoAnne Weise.
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.
Recipe of the Month:
Farmer’s Casserole
Sometimes to get the morning right, you need to get back to your country roots. Farmer's Casserole has the rustic charm and classic flavors that make mornings so much brighter. Fluffy, creamy eggs top a layer of sharp, cheesy ham and crunchy, hearty hash brown potatoes; all the best parts of breakfast are mixed into every slice of Farmer's Casserole. Make your mornings simpler and more delicious in one dish.

Ingredients:

3 cups hash brown potatoes diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green, bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup ham, cubed, and cooked
1 (6-ounce) can evaporated milk
5 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the hash browns, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers into an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the hash brown mixture with the cheddar cheese. Add the green onions and ham. Step 5 in a small bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.

Recipe by Cooking Professionally.

*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.
Finally…

Usually I close each newsletter with a video tribute to the 3 Stooges. Instead, I’ll share something I heard on Howard Stern the other day that made me laugh. From the source, be prepared for a slightly R reference.

When it comes to the Stooges, most men love them and most women can’t stand them. Why? I dunno – because it is what it is – basic timeless low-brow humor at its best. Anyway, one of the Stern guests had convinced his wife to give him the perfect birthday gift – oral sex while he watched an episode of the Stooges. “It was amazing… right up until the opening credit when I saw it was a Shemp!”

I could attempt to explain that to my female readers – but what’s the point.

Stay well, stay safe… send prayers and donations to the people of Ukraine, and know I appreciate you.

Steve Alten, Ed.D.
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