*Note: table of contents links may not work on mobile. 😢
This episode is brought to you by Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Alien, in honor of the three "Take Your Best Friend to Work Days":
June 8 -- Best Friends Day (USA)
June 16 -- Take Your Cat to Work Day (USA)
June 20 -- Take Your Dog to Work Day (USA)
— and World Productivity Day (also June 20).
If you're bringing your best friend to work this month, consider what will best serve your productivity goals. For instance:
For increased [AI-assisted] efficiency, consider bringing a friend like K9 (Doctor Who, “The Invisible Enemy,” S15:E5) -- the tin-plated good boy who calculates faster than a Time Lord, fires lasers at enemies when necessary, and still finds time for sass.
For indefatigable [electronic or human] 'spam' protection, invite a friend who can sniff out a rat like Hermione's cat Crookshanks (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 11–17) -- who identified that Ron’s rat was actually a fugitive Animagus, routinely hunted him, and finally joined forces with Sirius Black to corner/end him.
Do your 'productivity' goals include a subtle but relentless undermining of workplace authority? Gift your boss a friend like Spot (Star Trek: The Next Generation). Data’s feline companion ignored orders, defied training, rejected at least 221 food formulations, routinely walked across consoles in use, and even left Worf nonplussed how to handle him.
Important Note:
By choosing to bring a friend to work, you have agreed to the following Terms (including but not limited to):
You will uphold the Buddy System like Ellen Ripley (Alien, 1979). Though everyone else perished due to the xenomorph on board or the ship exploding, Ripley made sure her cat Jonesy escaped alive.
Thus, youmust ensure your friend is smuggled safely off-premises before your boss catches up to them with a SMART goal form, and/or any yearly [re]training meetings occur. You know the ones of which I speak.
Last month, I asked you guys whether you preferred this newsletter as-is (once a month, formatted in segments) -- or whether you would prefer the segments broken up in more frequent emails throughout the month.
81.8% of you voted that your preference was "as-is," so that's the plan (at least for now)! Thank you all for your helpful responses! 🙏🏻
True Story Tech (& Science)
---gruesome fact warning---
In The Frozen, Shaan's "dog" Oshi is actually a genetically engineered dog-jaguar hybrid, known as a "jagmocha," who sometimes eliminates enemies by leaping or dropping on them and crushing their skulls in her jaws.
This is based on actual jaguar behavior: jaguars often use their incredible bite strength to crush the skulls and/or pierce the armor of their prey, killing them in one bite. Jaguars have one of the strongest bites (relative to their size) of any animal alive today. At 1500 PSI, it is also more powerful than the raw bite strength of grizzly bears, polar bears, and bull sharks. (Do you want more details? 🙃)
This month, on The Erebi (Book 2 of the Xianova Chronicles)
Personal Life:
On the up-side, I got my new computer back -- with a new motherboard! And so far so good with avoiding more hospital stays for family members 🙏🏻.
The challenges of late May/early June have been: keeping everyone alive, well, and sane through the end of the school year; finishing up major outdoor projects while also making time to write; and finally -- invading and re-conquering Thistletopia (a.k.a. my 40'x40' garden after two months of rain and neglect). I shall be victorious!
Dog Life:
Darryl: continues to get himself trapped in Thistletopia using the hole he dug under the gate. Apparently, it's a one-way hole.
Shawnie: will slurp down baby rabbits with no fur without any qualms. However, when Darryl catches and squeaks a baby rabbit with fur until it's mostly dead, she rescues it, brings it to Mom, and insists on adoption (to include miraculous healing).
Chicken: Living up to her name.
*hears inaudible noises of something very sus*
*barks x 100*
Nothing can stop The Chickening.
Writing Life:
Accomplished:
✅Time Jumper scenes
✅ Sent out The Refuge to all the survey winners from April
✅ Plotting work on The Erebi!
Main July Goals:
⏹️ The Refuge audiobook edits
⏹️ Complete the plotting work on The Erebi
⏹️ Be more realistic?
Serial Fiction with Friends
Last month, Ainan escaped from the six-legged crocodile-like creature only to find herself the subject of a two-party manhunt on a mountainside. She started to fade away -- merging with time itself...?
You voted for "author's choice." Read on!
original art by my daughter, Alex Porter
13: No More Games
A chocolate-frosted, cream-filled bismark. Her favorite guilty pleasure.
Ainan’s tour through time did not give Jonas any extra time to deal with her, unfortunately…and he trusted her mad genius to find a way around every obstacle he presented, including his upgraded security systems, the time-shear forces on the mountainside, and even (eventually) the concealed, self-contained backup recording systems aboard each of the new time capsule packs.
So yesterday, for the benefit of the security cam feed he knew she'd check (and thus for the benefit of all mankind, or so he told himself), Jonas had licked his fingers and swallowed the last of the other donuts he’d eaten from the same box. He'd swigged the last of his cold coffee and walked away from his desk, leaving the ornate wooden box that contained the skin-mapping system in plain sight, as if it contained nothing more than a novelty pen. Just the one ‘special’ donut remained in the six-pack paperboard box: a sweet treat for his reverse-Santa Claus and former partner...
Note from Jen: I know it's not sci-fi or fantasy...but who doesn't love a little history brought to life? This YA Christian historical fiction novel ranks quite highly in 3 different Amazon categories!
A bribe he should never have seen.
A vow he should not have made.
Now a young nobleman must deliver his beloved into the clutches of their greatest enemy.
AD 526.
...Now bound by shame to his vow, Marcellus must lead her to Constantinople through blizzards, betrayal, and whispers of dark magic—across a crumbling empire with only a sword, a fading hope, and a trunk of sacred scrolls. With each step, the weight of what he knows grows heavier—and the line between protection and betrayal begins to blur...
When wildfires, societal breakdown, and a solar storm threaten, people turn to Arland.
Note from Jen: This one is engaging right from the start (at least I thought so) -- and it's a 'Reader Team Exclusive' addition to a finished 9-mini-book series.
A prequel to the YA fantasy Rise of the Grigori series -- in this rich, breathtaking series, join merfolk, sphinxes, dragons, and humans in a search for redemption that will determine the fate of the world . . . they just don't all know it yet.
...In a society teetering on the brink of chaos, Carmen Northrop, a skilled engineer, and her proficient teammates emerge as the beacon of hope for humanity in the face of the alien threat. Their discovery of an ancient holographic bracelet, a gift from the Nephilim, unveils the aliens’ sinister plans...
Beneath Princess Isabelle's demure countenance lies a longing to break free from the traditions of her ancestors...
Step into the world of Eoasia, where Unicorns and Waterdragons roam, Shadow Snatchers lurk, and invisible gods hold sway. In this short story, embark on Isabelle’s journey to discover whether she will be the kingdom’s salvation—or its downfall.
*Please use your own best judgment while perusing the book deals I provide. Unless I indicate otherwise, I haven't read them; I provide them as books or sales you may be interested in based on their descriptions and/or previews. They may contain objectionable content.
*FREE* Fast-Paced Fantasy & Sci Fi
Fast, action-packed plots only! 50+ books. Runs until 6/30/25.
FREE Sci-Fi June
35+ more *FREE* sci-fi books, including space opera, dystopian, and some box sets! Runs until 6/30/25. Grab your next reads here!
Audiobook Month: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Sale
Need a new audiobook for your summer drive? Check out these 19 -- including space opera, dystopian, mythical magic, and humor!
Thanks for reading this episode of The Blessed Bulletin! Let's connect on socials if we haven't already (or if you prefer that to emails). See you next month!
