X. Ho Yen 9/9/26 X. Ho Yen 9/9/26

X. Ho Yen's Author Newsletter (09 Sep 2026)

Greetings Dear Readers,

I don't know how to send these newsletter mass mailings without gmail. My new email provider, Proton, doesn’t do mass mailings. That's why this is coming from my old gmail address.

To subscribe: the subscription box “Older Posts >” link available at the bottom of the web newsletter
Or subscribe to my Substack (which is free)

If you’d like to UNsubscribe from this newsletter, hit reply and say as much. Easy peasy, no judgment, no problem. (Unsubscribing from Substack is separate and is done there.) Unsubscribing if you’re not interested HELPS me.

Mysubstack content replaces social media, and contains thoughtful and/or serious and sometimes even fun material (including my videos) that would never fit into tiny SM posts. (no more Youtube, which is google)

I'm taking a moment out of my own Great Ostriching to share news.

But first,

what's going on here?

Just outside our home there's this area of green tint on the ground.

And it moves throughout the day!

What could cause it?

(This pic is not altered, nor AI-generated! I took it myself. That's my shadow.)

Did Musk launch a test sun shade into orbit? Is it an alien laser beam? What could it be?

Anyway...

My "Online For Authors" video interview is out!

It was a blast, and Teri's awesome.

Please, I beg you to watch, enjoy, and share the interview and/or blog post (which includes the interview) as widely as possible, as many times as possible, including with perfect strangers who seem smart or bookish, and for the rest of your life. :)

Indie authors rely almost entirely on word-of-mouth (and reviews - please post reviews, on multiple sites). The algorithms on the 'zon and other sites skew toward the already viral and against the not already viral.

With millions of books posted every year, many of which are AI-generated garbage or human-made garbage (despite having gone viral), readers want to know where to find books that are both smart and are genuine, 100% meat byproducts (as author Kevin Bowersox says) — no AI writing involved. Help everyone by sharing where they can find such meat byproducts. (hint: XHoYenAuthor.com, as an example)

And if you know other authors with 100% meat byproduct writing, Teri invites them to reach out. Maybe she'll select, read, and like their book and schedule an interview. But patience is required. Teri's busy. I waited for almost a year after reaching out.

Here are the links to the interview, which I believe you'll enjoy:

Teri's wonderful, concise blog entry with audio and video links:

‍ ‍https://www.terimbrown.com/blog/episode-9-8-26

I recently changed my web site.

I added a new landing page (called 'hola').

It collects a bunch of graphics into a scrollable gallery of awards, review highlights, those things. Much better for a landing page than my info-ridden 'About' page.

Don't you think?

MYSTERY SOLVED!

Come now, what did you think it was? (That’s my “come now, what did you think it was?” facial expression in the pic.)

Anti-squirrel hood left over after we moved a bird feeder

All purchase options can be found here: https://XHoYenAuthor.com/books (see the DISCOUNT links). There’s info on how you can gift eBooks.

Thanks for sticking with me! I hope it’s at least mildly entertaining to watch this author second career thing come together in the midst of one kind of strife or another.

Please do share my page with fellow realism-based sci fi fans, especially anyone who enjoys Older’s Infomocracy, Card’s Speaker for the Dead, or movies like “Arrival” and “Don’t Look Up”. I'm convinced my books would appeal to the same audience, because I wrote them for me and I'm in that audience.

Thanks for your support!
XHY
https://XHoYenAuthor.com