I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome all new and longtime readers to our updated FOMAC website.

Earlier this year, my father and I decided to switch to a more regular and predictable weekly blog-type posting style to give readers a better incentive to check back frequently and to keep fans better informed of upcoming releases and events. The weekly updates have done not only that but have also enabled Max to talk more in-depth about behind-the-scenes topics and to share more personal blog-like posts about pop culture.

Now the website itself has finally been updated/blogified/Web 2.0ized into the 21st Century to better suit the more blog-like style of Max’s posts. Each post now has its own URL to link on blogs or share with friends. We’ve added the option to leave your comments on each post, and we hope that you will take the time to share your thoughts with us and your fellow readers. The front page has been streamlined to display only the four most recent posts, but you can browse all the way back through every update Max has written. We’re also equipped to handle guest bloggers, so you may see posts from Barbara, myself, or even others as well.

For your convenience, the “Upcoming Releases” pane at the top of the main page now has direct links to order each title from several online retailers, although we hope that those of you lucky enough to have a local independent bookseller will continue to support them. In the past, I’ve avoided having links to online stores primarily for that reason, but we’ve started to hear urgings from some publishers that we need to include these links or we could face unpleasant ramifications from some of the major retailers. It’s my opinion that you all probably have your favorite stores already, and there’s not a whole lot of readers out there as yet unfamiliar with Amazon or Barnes and Noble or whichever. But by including several links we will give you direct access to order — or pre-order — Max’s works from a number of online sources, right from the comfort of this window, and all without any bothersome human interaction. Now there’s no excuse to miss a single book!

I hope you will like the changes we’ve made, and there are still many more in the works. My top priority is now updating some woefully out-of-date content still poking around the website. I will also be toying around with the look and design of the site and better integrating the individual book pages with the blog. Any comments or suggestions are welcome, either to my e-mail listed on the front page or by commenting directly to this post.