THE WRITINGS OF STEPHEN JOHN MORAN
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Photo - The Writer in the Family 

1/25/2017

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A WRITER IN THE FAMILY

A picture is worth a thousand words and some come with a story. Kiana is closing in on 2 years of age, so of course she isn't writing yet. Somehow though, she fashioned a makeshift pen from paper and went to it anyway. She wants to write stories like her father. I look forward to the day I can read her fiction. 
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Photo - @IanMcKellen - Thou Shall Not Pass

1/22/2017

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Women's March on Washington - Las Vegas  #WomensMarchLV #WomensMarch

1/21/2017

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WOMEN'S MARCH
LAS VEGAS

WHEN

SATURDAY JANUARY 21, 2017
11AM - 3PM

WHERE

Llama Lot 100–198 N 9th St Las Vegas, NV 89101
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Review of The Terrorist of Providence Street by @GHNeale

1/18/2017

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REVIEW
THE TERRORIST OF PROVIDENCE STREET



 Meta-fictional Genius., 13 Jan. 2017

By 
G H Neale

Verified Purchase
This review is from: The Terrorist of Providence Street (Paperback)

Who would know that such a short work as this novella would stretch, twist and break the confines of linear narrative? Who would know that this collection of short stories isn’t? For this work is not ordinary. This work is different. This work is exceptional in its imagination, structure and form and I cannot praise it highly enough. Rather like you may gaze upon a building site day after day as bricks are laid here, beams are placed across voids and workman come and go, you are totally unaware as to what is going until the end, the very end, and it is topped off. This book commingles stories, narrative levels and points of view and it is only as Mr Moran places his final full stop do you get it and his house reveals itself. That, my friend, is genius and I have no other diction that best describes it.

But Let me not dress up my review in too many artful reveries, although I would sorely wish too, as Mr Moran’s eloquence should be eulogised in such a way, let me simply say: if you like complex writing in a style that seems homely and redolent of the brilliance of ordinary life then you will love this.

O and it has a talking monkey called Karl Marx. Dearie me it’s funny but then all the best writing is isn’t it?

Who would know of these things?

Well you can. Get in the know and buy this book today. Period. 

GET A COPY OF THE BOOK
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Cover and Book Discussion - Server and The Metamorphosis #Art #Kafka

1/17/2017

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SERVER, THE METAMORPHOSIS, AND ART

A core influence on me and especially my story collection, The Terrorist of Providence Street, are the writings of Franz Kafka. I don't know if calling this story collection Kafkaesque would be appropriate, but there is a heavy flavor of Kafka's shorter works in the pages of this book. 

When it came time to depicting the book through cover art - I wanted somehow to capture the feel of the original cover of Kafka's Metamorphosis. The sense of dread, horror, and a character on the border of madness spoke to me and I wanted those feelings represented in my own cover.
The painting for the original version of the book was done by Marielle (also the artist of the Ella painting). I  enjoy this painting and thought it fit the book well. From the start I intended to release a special edition of this book with a different name. The meta fiction aspects of the book and the influence of Kafka informed the inspiration for this painting and the cover for The Terrorist of Providence Street. 
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For the special edition, which will be named Server, I wanted a cover that more closely captured the feeling of a servant losing his mind. Originally I wanted a single Monkey on the cover, a sinister look upon the face and perhaps holding a book, a bomb, or a server notebook to take orders. This is the current version of the cover. 

I ask - does this cover speak to you? If you didn't know anything about the book, what would you think? I must admit to being 'stuck' here and something feels not quite right to me, but I can't put my finger on what this illustration for the book is missing. Hopefully feedback from readers and friends can help me make the jump and figure it out.

Now that you see the original cover with the image of Kafka's Metamorphosis I was trying to capture, what do you think of this new illustration?

Thank you in advance for any input you can give.
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Narcissus and the Reflecting Pool by @adamzyglis #Twitter #Trump

1/17/2017

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Cover Ideas for SERVER 

1/8/2017

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COVER IDEAS
FOR
SERVER

These are two ideas for the cover of SERVER - the special 'complete' edition of The Terrrorist of Providence Street. Which of these two ideas do you prefer? If you have any suggestions to improve either of these ideas, please let me know!
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Fiction News

1/8/2017

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FICTION NEWS

Good morning from Vegas,

A new year will bring new books to share and I will tell you what's coming in the next few months.

The first release will be the special edition of my story collection, The Terrorist of Providence Street. Thanks to a long-time reader, two short stories that belonged in the collection that I thought lost have been located. 

Day Adventure with Monkey is a companion story to Karl Marx: A Refutation and will help illuminate the entire collection. 

Edmund is a story that speaks to the madness of the main character and will take its place in the collection after Transitory. 

I will release these stories in a seperate e-book as well as releasing the complete story collection under the new title, Server. 

The second release of the new year will be a collection of Ella stories that will serve as introduction to the release of the novel Preface to a Suicide. Many of the scenes from Preface are shown from another perspective in this collection and I hope my readers will enjoy this book.

That's all for now. Watch for the release of Server in the next month. More news when the time is closer. 

From Vegas, 

Stephen John Moran
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    THE TERRORIST OF PROVIDENCE STREET

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    REVIEWS OF THE TERRORIST OF PROVIDENCE STREET
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    SERVER

    EXCERPT FROM SERVER
    ​DAY ADVENTURE WITH MONKEY

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    EXCERPT FROM SERVER
    KARL MARX: A REFUTATION

    EXCERPT FROM ELLA
    ROUTINE

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    EXCERPT FROM ELLA
    ​THE INTERROGATION

    REVIEW OF ELLA

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    Author

    Stephen Moran lives in Las Vegas with his beautiful wife, baby Kiana, and two dogs.