This issue gives a preview of my Commodore LA Super Show presentation, how you can get my eBooks at your local library, and a call for beta readers for my work-in-progress.

In the mid 1980s, Laura is a young programmer determined to prove herself in a male-dominated industry. She thinks she's found a golden opportunity when she gets a job creating a revolutionary new software program for the innovative Commodore Amiga computer.

Thirty years later, Laura deals with family and career problems when the Amiga—and an old flame—re-enter her life. Laura must face a past she wants to forget, including when that golden opportunity took a dark turn.

Find out what happens in Amiga. You can buy it wherever books are sold, and it's available on Kindle Unlimited. 

If you've read one of my books, please post an honest review. Any number of stars will do. (I'm serious. I'm not one of those authors who go after reviewers who post less than five-star reviews. Besides, if you don't have any one-star reviews, you don't have enough reviews.)

It's the number of reviews that push books through online bookstore algorithms. For indie authors like me, reviews are vital. So, let readers know what you think. I appreciate your help.

In honor of National Library Week (read about my favorite libraries here), I'm happy to announce that my Black Rose Writing titles Amiga and The Remainders are available through these library eReader platforms:

• OverDrive
• Hoopla
• CloudLibrary
• BorrowBox

If your local library doesn't have my novels yet, you can request that they order them. Make sure you check out your copies when they get them so they know you're truly interested. Thank you for your support and making my books available to more readers like you.

I've been busy preparing for the Commodore LA Super Show the weekend of April 25–26 in Burbank. On my FS-UAE Amiga emulator for the Mac, I've loaded WordPerfect 4.1 and transferred my personal essay, "The Long Race," which I recently submitted to the Mission Viejo Library Anthology. While I'm at the show, I hope to recover writing from floppy disks that are older than our children.

I'll also discuss my work-in-progress, Escape from Arzack's Castle, which came from a discussion I had at last year's Commodore LA Super Show. Arzack is also inspired by a Commodore Amiga computer. It's like that famous Doofenshmirtz meme, "If I had a nickel for every time I wrote a novel inspired by the Commodore Amiga, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice."

Why the Commodore Amiga? There's the answer Laura gives in Amiga, "The Amiga made me feel like anything was possible because when I was 24, anything was possible." For Julie in Escape from Arzack's Castle, the Amiga provides a connection with her father:

Dad was still on my mind as I went to the Commodore Amiga 1200 at the end of my computer desk. He bought it when he went to work for BlitterDrive. I grew up with that computer. Even though my friends had Windows XP computers or G4 iMacs, I loved my dad’s old Amiga. I inherited it when he passed away.

Both Laura and Julie must confront their pasts as they deal with problems in the present. These vintage computers enable my characters to connect with their histories—and find the solutions that can help them.

For me, the Amiga represents what might have been in the computer industry. It was a machine that was ahead of its time with features that wouldn't be matched by Windows and Macs for years. It also represented a time of possibility and innocence in computing. We still saw technology as beneficial and its potential dangers as the realm of science fiction. (Who can think of a villain as evil as Palantir?)

At the Commodore LA Super Show, I will talk about how the Amiga boosted my creativity, including when I used one for writing. I hope you'll join us in Burbank this weekend.

I'll also have an exciting announcement...

I'm sending Escape from Arzack's Castle for a second beta to a select group of readers. I'm looking for volunteers who'd be willing to read it and give me an honest critique.

If you're interested, please email me.

In case you missed it, my interview with Miranda and Ashleigh of The Book MAsh podcast is still available on their website. We discussed my experience as a vocational author, how I use author feedback, and the role Commodore computers play in Amiga and my work in progress, Escape from Arzack's Castle. Don't miss it!

In addition to the Commodore LA Super Show, I'll be at the Local Author Fair at the Fullerton Public Library on Saturday, August 22 for the Local Author Fair at the Fullerton Public Library. You can find information about this and other events in upcoming issues of my newsletter.

I've interviewed a number of authors including N.J. Mastro, Nicole Zelniker, Jann Alexander, Karen E. Osborne, Joseph Lewis, Bailey Johnson, and Lucy McLaren. Recently, I interviewed bookstore owner Lonnie Owens and school librarian Amanda Prosin.

If you are an author or someone associated with the book community who wants to be interviewed, send me an email to admin@matthewarnoldstern.com with the following information:

• Your name.
• A brief bio (100 words or less).
• Your books.
• What you would like to talk about in your interview.

By supporting each other, we can all grow!

I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments and suggestions, feel free to email me at admin@matthewarnoldstern.com. 

If there is someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, pass it along and encourage them to subscribe. A simple subscription form is on my website.

I'll be in touch again next month with more news and content.