Jeff Probst's Blog
January 9, 2024
Jeff Probst's Blog
EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS: ‘WHEN THE MOON WAS WHITE�
January 2024, MichaelJOC, London: ‘Highly original... poetic writing... much use of colour, and gentle alliteration... no sex, no swearing, no animals... real emotion below the surface and a gentle evocation of a time now gone.�
November 2023, Jana Rollo-Fennick, California: ‘Evocative descriptions and turns of phrases�.
November 2023, Jody Gillen-Worden, Maine: ‘A strange, sad story that speaks to me � the lies underneath so much of what we live with every day, the joy of creativity (I loved the frenzied color creating scene), the worm that often lurks within the purest apple, and perhaps, most of all, the fear of being responsible and the shame of not.�
October 2023, Stewart Wilkinson, Johannesburg: ‘I’m an engineer and I advised the author and did my best to help create a reasonably believable scenario for the plot... I’m heartened that my technical advice was taken. I believe that the book’s plot is as scientifically sound and as plausible as possible.�
September 2023, Antonia Denford, London: ‘A small-town megalomaniac wants to leave his mark, not on the world but on the moon. Can a motley cast of loners and dreamers muster enough teamwork to stop him?... A funny, original novel, set in a fictional place which crosses small-town America with leafy north London, England... If a novel can have a soundtrack, this one rings with classic rock tunes and guitar riffs. The characters roam their world with music sounding in their thoughts � the songs a commentary on all kinds of experience, trivial and tragic.�
August 2023, H L Talbot, London: ‘I had so much fun reading this book and kept returning to it during the day when I should have been doing other things!... A really intriguing premise with gorgeous writing.�
August 2023, Andy Watson, London: ‘Different to anything I’ve ever read... The author clearly has a love for the sound and rhythm of words... A gentle, quirky story... that has heft and tension as it shifts into high gear... The structure is intriguing but easy to follow... The letters between the characters strike just the right tone... Though the book is clearly set in the sixties, it somehow has a timeless feel.�
July 2023, John Hegley, London: ‘Having sung on street corners myself, I much liked the song lyrics of the busking lad being so valued and listened to with such care in the story � by one person, at least. I also warmed to the meticulousness of describing the meticulousness of the proof-reading and also the name Crescent Crescent.�
June 2023, Zenka, Krakow: I loved the first 100 pages and read them three times, and read the whole book twice. I went, gladly, to the Moon... A plethora of vocabulary � cleverly coined... I liked the way reality changes the small town of Goodmews into a Moontown with a Moon Centre... The characters presented with delicate humour.�
June 2023, R.C. Trussell, Colorado: ‘The ideal reader, like myself, lived through the years of the Space Race which were the years of these songs... I was astonished how the lyrics came to occupy center stage in a new and pivotal role... The author is the most magnificent master of alluring alliteration, seasoning the meal with polygamous puns. I liked the similes too, which offer wise insight into life lived and experience of the world around us.�
May 2023, Geoff Lowsley, London: ‘A charming and idiosyncratic novel, and probably quite unlike anything else you're likely to have read! The plot is a low stakes romp which, while very engaging and fun, is almost a device around which the author can weave a kaleidoscope of his own musings, observations, word play, rhetorical questions and fragments of poetry. I cannot recall reading a book with quite as vivid a reflection of the author's working mind, which makes this a real pleasure... I was often left thinking "huh...I never imagined that someone else might have noticed that!"... A wistful, nostalgic shading to the writing.�
February 2023, Vicky, Nottingham: ‘I loved this book. I loved the vividness of the colours, and the descriptions of the colours. I found it such a compelling and very visual book, which reminded me too, of the beauty of the English language.�
February 2023, Steve Davis, Petaluma: ‘I was entertained from the get-go... I buzzed thru it... I wanted the story to go on, to learn more about the characters and “what happened next.� ... a pretty cool piece of work.�
January 2023, Benz K, London: I read this book the way I like to read books � slowly, as it’s not one one can rush. It is written beautifully, and honestly, as I’m sure aspects of the author’s life are woven into the fabric of the story. The tension builds as the book unfolds and drew me in... I was intrigued by the science regarding the moon and the creation of the paint, and by NASA’s role in the plot. But what was most satisfying, even with all the research the author must have done, was that the book read effortlessly, like a good book should.�
January 2023, Thirza Kotzen, London: ‘Jeff is a friend... I designed the cover... I knew a little about the setting of the story, but reading the book came as a bit of a revelation... I was very pleasantly surprised at how the pages turned and how interested I was in what was to happen next... I see Jeff in all the characters, and that made me smile. The author, teacher, hippy, music-head. I liked that this book feels personal. That is not always easy to do.�
January 2023, Weroni, London: ‘I started reading this book as I lay on a beach in Thailand feeling care free. Straight away I could really feel the contrast to the story where a man sets out to change and manipulate a little sleepy US town for his own gains. It felt imprisoning. But the story became exciting, and it wasn’t obvious what was going to happen so it kept me gripped till the dramatic end.�
November 2022, D. Paul, London: ‘It is a feat of the author's quirky imagination that one is soon drawn into the charming world of Goodmews, a small town that contains more original features than anything I imagine that ever existed in the US in the 60s. The place would surely be subject to a preservation order, with an olde worlde counterculture all of its own, with horse and carriage tours, British type letter boxes, roman numerals for house numbering and street signs and shop windows full of puns and jokes. The place becomes instantly endearing and with a rural backdrop of orange-woods, flora and fauna. And then one becomes interested in the characters who are introduced one by one in different scenes and who have been drawn to Goodmews after hearing a broadcast about the unusual brightness of the moon, including a woman who is an astro-geologist, and a man who wants to make a name for himself, somehow... A good unusual read.�
November 2022, Kate, London: ‘A welcome escape... A world beautifully conceived and captured... A wonderfully light touch to the prose and a totally original storyline... The whole feel of the town and landscape stays with me; that brilliant white moon and the various intriguing characters pulled together under its thrall.�
November 2022, Steffi Kipster, San Francisco: ‘A love poem to the moon, to seeing the beauty around us, and to enhancing it. Over and over, I felt drawn in... The inspirational attempt to do something dangerously exciting. Will the plan succeed? ... For people who like a good story that incorporates mystery, music, and science. It resonates with people like me who experienced the 1960’s.�
November 2022, David Burns, London: ‘I don't read many novels but a friend recommended it to me and the title got me in, because the Moon IS white, isn’t it?... The book looked long but was an easy read as the style was pleasing, light and original. Its playful language and curmudgeonly musings were amusing and it was about many things I enjoy like light, colour and music, especially from the sixties. As the plot intensified, I became aware of what the title meant. The riddle in the middle kept me guessing. I look at the Moon differently now.�
January 2024, MichaelJOC, London: ‘Highly original... poetic writing... much use of colour, and gentle alliteration... no sex, no swearing, no animals... real emotion below the surface and a gentle evocation of a time now gone.�
November 2023, Jana Rollo-Fennick, California: ‘Evocative descriptions and turns of phrases�.
November 2023, Jody Gillen-Worden, Maine: ‘A strange, sad story that speaks to me � the lies underneath so much of what we live with every day, the joy of creativity (I loved the frenzied color creating scene), the worm that often lurks within the purest apple, and perhaps, most of all, the fear of being responsible and the shame of not.�
October 2023, Stewart Wilkinson, Johannesburg: ‘I’m an engineer and I advised the author and did my best to help create a reasonably believable scenario for the plot... I’m heartened that my technical advice was taken. I believe that the book’s plot is as scientifically sound and as plausible as possible.�
September 2023, Antonia Denford, London: ‘A small-town megalomaniac wants to leave his mark, not on the world but on the moon. Can a motley cast of loners and dreamers muster enough teamwork to stop him?... A funny, original novel, set in a fictional place which crosses small-town America with leafy north London, England... If a novel can have a soundtrack, this one rings with classic rock tunes and guitar riffs. The characters roam their world with music sounding in their thoughts � the songs a commentary on all kinds of experience, trivial and tragic.�
August 2023, H L Talbot, London: ‘I had so much fun reading this book and kept returning to it during the day when I should have been doing other things!... A really intriguing premise with gorgeous writing.�
August 2023, Andy Watson, London: ‘Different to anything I’ve ever read... The author clearly has a love for the sound and rhythm of words... A gentle, quirky story... that has heft and tension as it shifts into high gear... The structure is intriguing but easy to follow... The letters between the characters strike just the right tone... Though the book is clearly set in the sixties, it somehow has a timeless feel.�
July 2023, John Hegley, London: ‘Having sung on street corners myself, I much liked the song lyrics of the busking lad being so valued and listened to with such care in the story � by one person, at least. I also warmed to the meticulousness of describing the meticulousness of the proof-reading and also the name Crescent Crescent.�
June 2023, Zenka, Krakow: I loved the first 100 pages and read them three times, and read the whole book twice. I went, gladly, to the Moon... A plethora of vocabulary � cleverly coined... I liked the way reality changes the small town of Goodmews into a Moontown with a Moon Centre... The characters presented with delicate humour.�
June 2023, R.C. Trussell, Colorado: ‘The ideal reader, like myself, lived through the years of the Space Race which were the years of these songs... I was astonished how the lyrics came to occupy center stage in a new and pivotal role... The author is the most magnificent master of alluring alliteration, seasoning the meal with polygamous puns. I liked the similes too, which offer wise insight into life lived and experience of the world around us.�
May 2023, Geoff Lowsley, London: ‘A charming and idiosyncratic novel, and probably quite unlike anything else you're likely to have read! The plot is a low stakes romp which, while very engaging and fun, is almost a device around which the author can weave a kaleidoscope of his own musings, observations, word play, rhetorical questions and fragments of poetry. I cannot recall reading a book with quite as vivid a reflection of the author's working mind, which makes this a real pleasure... I was often left thinking "huh...I never imagined that someone else might have noticed that!"... A wistful, nostalgic shading to the writing.�
February 2023, Vicky, Nottingham: ‘I loved this book. I loved the vividness of the colours, and the descriptions of the colours. I found it such a compelling and very visual book, which reminded me too, of the beauty of the English language.�
February 2023, Steve Davis, Petaluma: ‘I was entertained from the get-go... I buzzed thru it... I wanted the story to go on, to learn more about the characters and “what happened next.� ... a pretty cool piece of work.�
January 2023, Benz K, London: I read this book the way I like to read books � slowly, as it’s not one one can rush. It is written beautifully, and honestly, as I’m sure aspects of the author’s life are woven into the fabric of the story. The tension builds as the book unfolds and drew me in... I was intrigued by the science regarding the moon and the creation of the paint, and by NASA’s role in the plot. But what was most satisfying, even with all the research the author must have done, was that the book read effortlessly, like a good book should.�
January 2023, Thirza Kotzen, London: ‘Jeff is a friend... I designed the cover... I knew a little about the setting of the story, but reading the book came as a bit of a revelation... I was very pleasantly surprised at how the pages turned and how interested I was in what was to happen next... I see Jeff in all the characters, and that made me smile. The author, teacher, hippy, music-head. I liked that this book feels personal. That is not always easy to do.�
January 2023, Weroni, London: ‘I started reading this book as I lay on a beach in Thailand feeling care free. Straight away I could really feel the contrast to the story where a man sets out to change and manipulate a little sleepy US town for his own gains. It felt imprisoning. But the story became exciting, and it wasn’t obvious what was going to happen so it kept me gripped till the dramatic end.�
November 2022, D. Paul, London: ‘It is a feat of the author's quirky imagination that one is soon drawn into the charming world of Goodmews, a small town that contains more original features than anything I imagine that ever existed in the US in the 60s. The place would surely be subject to a preservation order, with an olde worlde counterculture all of its own, with horse and carriage tours, British type letter boxes, roman numerals for house numbering and street signs and shop windows full of puns and jokes. The place becomes instantly endearing and with a rural backdrop of orange-woods, flora and fauna. And then one becomes interested in the characters who are introduced one by one in different scenes and who have been drawn to Goodmews after hearing a broadcast about the unusual brightness of the moon, including a woman who is an astro-geologist, and a man who wants to make a name for himself, somehow... A good unusual read.�
November 2022, Kate, London: ‘A welcome escape... A world beautifully conceived and captured... A wonderfully light touch to the prose and a totally original storyline... The whole feel of the town and landscape stays with me; that brilliant white moon and the various intriguing characters pulled together under its thrall.�
November 2022, Steffi Kipster, San Francisco: ‘A love poem to the moon, to seeing the beauty around us, and to enhancing it. Over and over, I felt drawn in... The inspirational attempt to do something dangerously exciting. Will the plan succeed? ... For people who like a good story that incorporates mystery, music, and science. It resonates with people like me who experienced the 1960’s.�
November 2022, David Burns, London: ‘I don't read many novels but a friend recommended it to me and the title got me in, because the Moon IS white, isn’t it?... The book looked long but was an easy read as the style was pleasing, light and original. Its playful language and curmudgeonly musings were amusing and it was about many things I enjoy like light, colour and music, especially from the sixties. As the plot intensified, I became aware of what the title meant. The riddle in the middle kept me guessing. I look at the Moon differently now.�
January 8, 2024
Jeff Probst's Blog
BIO
JOBS
California: aircraft assembly-line sander; door-to-door vacuum-cleaner salesman; car wash back-window man; summer legal secretary for lawyer father; small-town newspaper columnist, kitchen cleaner, farmer’s pipe-layer.
Israel: kibbutz grapefruit picker.
South Africa: book editor; literacy teacher to black domestic workers, English teacher to English-teachers-to-be in Soweto.
England: English teacher; proofreading teacher.
PERSONAL
Married 42 years. Rock drummer in Sixties college band.
PUBLICATIONS
Stories, articles and poems (including ‘Fear of Folk-dancing�) published in literary magazines, journals and newspapers in California, South Africa and London.
Two memoirs: 'Teaching Shakespeare to Hairdressers: an American Teacher in London' and 'The Isla Vista Bank-burning Story'.
Two novels: 'Bachelor Butterflies' (1994) and 'When the Moon was White' (2022).
JOBS
California: aircraft assembly-line sander; door-to-door vacuum-cleaner salesman; car wash back-window man; summer legal secretary for lawyer father; small-town newspaper columnist, kitchen cleaner, farmer’s pipe-layer.
Israel: kibbutz grapefruit picker.
South Africa: book editor; literacy teacher to black domestic workers, English teacher to English-teachers-to-be in Soweto.
England: English teacher; proofreading teacher.
PERSONAL
Married 42 years. Rock drummer in Sixties college band.
PUBLICATIONS
Stories, articles and poems (including ‘Fear of Folk-dancing�) published in literary magazines, journals and newspapers in California, South Africa and London.
Two memoirs: 'Teaching Shakespeare to Hairdressers: an American Teacher in London' and 'The Isla Vista Bank-burning Story'.
Two novels: 'Bachelor Butterflies' (1994) and 'When the Moon was White' (2022).
