Book Amplifier Tour: Miss Moon by Alan Ramias with Q&A and Excerpt

Here’s a new book that blends poetry and storytelling into a moving reflection on the human experience.

In Miss Moon, Alan Ramias delivers a luminous collection of stories-in-verse that explore the fragile, powerful, and fleeting nature of life. From quiet moments of reflection to sharp glimpses of family, longing, and loss, these narratives transform the ordinary into unforgettable portraits of what it means to live, love, and remember.

Drawing from his own lived experiences — including his time as an Army reporter in Vietnam — Ramias creates pieces that are at once intimate and universal. His writing blurs the line between poetry and prose, offering beauty, honesty, and resonance in every page.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3Iw54eM

 

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236955918-miss-moon

Excerpt:

The first night of guard duty was typical:  uneventful, boring, hard to stay awake.  That’s what it was like for seasoned soldiers.  But for the newly initiated, it was the ultimate in ceaseless terror:  every noise, every movement, every shift in the breeze, every change of lighting brought ominous imaginings.  Everything looked swollen, enlarged, animate. The skin could tingle so strongly it felt hot.  The eyes strained until they throbbed and the vision turned watery.   Sitting in a watch tower, glancing at the moon’s progress.  Two hours on, four hours off,  performed twice over a twelve-hour shift.  Trying to sleep during the hours off was impossible even for some veterans; for the newcomer, not a chance.  So it was for Tinkerbell.

There were three guards who took turns.  He got the first shift—6 to 8 p.m.—and the fourth—12-2.  The only difference from the ordinary routine was that instead of being alone in the tower, Tinkerbell was accompanied by LaPointe, who kept up a steady patter of instructions, observations, cautions, jokes and homesick talk. 

Still, by the end of that first shift, Tinkerbell looked sweaty, pale and shaky as he came down from the tower where LaPointe had already descended and was waiting with the second-shift guard.  After LaPointe gave a quick sitrep he guided Tinkerbell to a nearby tent with cots draped in mosquito netting, one of which was occupied by the third-shift guard. 

When shaken two hours later, Tinkerbell got back up looking even worse.  He opened his canteen, tipped it and pulled clumsily at the water, spilling some on his fatigues.

LaPoint, watching him stonily, said, “For chrissake, man, relax.  We just gotta do this for two more hours.  You’ll never make it at this rate.”

Tinkerbell looked at him dubiously.  “You think something’s going to happen?  We gonna get shot at?”

 Q&A with the author: 

Who was the hardest character to write?

I struggled to get the right voice for the narrator of the story, Miss Moon. I seldom attempt first-person stories because I tend to slip into autobiography, which limits my imagination. So I gave the character of Jerry a poor grasp of grammar and vocabulary. It was a trick to remind me Jerry wasn’t me. 

 

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received on your writing?

 

One reviewer said that reading my book was like having a conversation with a “dear friend”.

 

OR

 

Several reviewers have said they felt they were in the story with the characters. 

 

 

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

 

For the main character, Jerry, I would cast Casey Affleck. With his intensity and expressive face, he would do a terrific job of projecting Jerry’s loneliness and conflicted feelings. For Stan, I would choose Owen Wilson.  He would be the perfect amiable, gentle not-quite-handsome lover of Miss Moon. 

 

And for Miss Moon herself it would have to be Gong Li. Gorgeous beyond words. All of these folks are too old for the roles but hey, this is Hollywood and it’s my fantasy, okay?

 

What do you like to do for fun?

I am taking acting lessons and participating in improv. I harbor no delusions about becoming a professional actor. I’m doing it because it’s lively, fun, incredibly challenging and occasionally terrifying. I’ve seldom felt more alive. And it’s making me a better writer.

About the author: 

Alan Ramias served as an Army reporter in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War, where he documented the daily lives of soldiers and civilians in a world marked by uncertainty. Those experiences became the foundation for The Bridge, a story about connection, loyalty, and the unexpected friendships forged in the shadow of conflict. 

After the war, Alan earned degrees in English, Philosophy, and an MBA, and built a distinguished corporate career helping organizations improve performance around the globe. 

Today, he draws on both his military service and decades of working with people from many cultures to create fiction that explores the complexities of human relationships, memory, and the moments that stay with us.