This issue includes a 50-year-old high school newspaper and a Valley news resource, how softball fits into my latest novel, and the latest on my Escape from Arzack's Castle beta.

My son just finished a public speaking class in college. You can watch one of his speeches on YouTube. He did an excellent job on a pertinent topic.

When he started the class, I gave him a copy of Mastering Table Topics.  

This book shows you how to analyze questions, organize your thoughts, and get your ideas across in less than three minutes. Practice your skills with 750 topical questions. This book is perfect for Toastmasters and public speaking classes.

Public speaking is one of the most valuable skills you can gain. Get your copy of Mastering Table Topics in paperback or eBook from these retailers:

• Lulu (Paperback and most ePub readers)
• Apple Books (iPad, iPhone, and Mac)
• Amazon (Paperback and Kindle)
• Barnes and Noble

Also look for Mastering Table Topics at your local bookstore and library.

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 wouldn't spend so much time writing about being a teenager in the 1970s if the 1970s weren't repeating themselves. This is something that I see in latest trend, grandmacore, which I wrote about in a recent post.

So, let's talk about my hometown of Reseda. Although it has been nearly 40 years since I've lived there, I've found plenty of resources to keep me in touch with what's happening in the Valley today. 

The latest I found is "In the Valley with Josh Haller" on Substack. In a recent issue, I shared a PDF of the first issue of the Regent Review I received when I started at Reseda High School. That issue reported on the murder of Mary Ann Henderson.

I learned in this issue that the Raising Cane's in Encino has this amazing Reseda Regents button from when I went to high school, along with other memorabilia from Valley history. If you're in the area and want some fried chicken fingers and Texas toast, check them out.

You can read about the goings on in the San Fernando Valley past and present in Josh's Substack. Consider subscribing for additional features and coverage.

There's also some good news coming out of Reseda: The Reseda Charter Regents softball team has been dominating their opponents in the CIF Los Angeles City Section playoffs. They defeated Westchester 20-9 to earn a spot in the championship game. They play South East on Friday, May 29 at 3:00 pm for the title. Go Regents!

Playing softball has practical applications after high school. For example, softball skills can help save you and your coworkers from a billionaire CEO's deadly recreation of a vintage video game. This is what Julie must do in my latest manuscript, Escape from Arzack's Castle. Here's an excerpt. 

Why did I make Julie a softball player? In Escape from Arzack's Castle, she goes through challenges that require physical strength and stamina. More importantly, they require mental toughness, quick thinking, teamwork, determination, and a willingness to persist despite setbacks.

These traits aren't just useful in fighting monsters. Student athletes can apply these skills in all aspects of life as well as incorporating physical fitness as part of their lifestyle. The bonds they make with their teammates can last a lifetime. Youth sports programs provide a tremendous benefit for society, and they are worthy of our support.

High school sports especially need help right now. Cutbacks in public education are making it difficult to fund basic academic programs, let alone the arts and athletics. It's also important that we support the sports that don't get the big Friday night crowds, such as softball, tennis, and golf. We also need to support unified sports programs so children with special needs can benefit from athletics, such as my granddaughter who plays on her middle school unified soccer team.  

You can support youth and high school sports programs by volunteering, coaching, contributing to fundraisers, or showing up to cheer on the players. Just a little help from you can make a big difference in a child's life.

Speaking of Escape from Arzack's Castle, my presentation at the Commodore LA Super Show went even better than I expected. Not only did I get volunteers to be beta readers, several people offered to put together a demo based on the story. 

You can read about my experience and watch the video of my presentation.

I sent Escape from Arzack's Castle to my beta readers, but I'm still looking for volunteers who'd be willing to read it and give me an honest critique. If you're interested, please email me.

My next scheduled event is the Local Author Fair at the Fullerton Public Library on Saturday, August 22 for the Local Author Fair at the Fullerton Public Library. But more events may be on the horizon. Check upcoming issues of my newsletter to learn more.

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.