Kyle Pratt's Blog: Musings & Rantings, page 11

Live on the Air

Today at 4:00 pm (Pacific Time) I’ll be live on The Write Stuff radio program with Parker J. Cole of PJC Media and WLUV Detroit to discuss my latest novel Through the Storm.

In this latest novel, Neal Evans is in Nevada when he hears that an immense coronal mass ejection will soon slam into the Earth’s magnetosphere. Will it cause only beautiful auroras to dance across the night sky or will it throw technology back a hundred years? Politicians and scientists are still debating when Neal decides to act. As night falls, he has ten hours to reach home before the first CME strikes.   

Drake Evans is a happy high school freshman. Conner, his older brother, has gone hunting, instead of watching over him while their father is away at the conference. So now it’s party time!

As the world sinks into darkness, Neal and Conner must confront a dangerous new world on their long journeys home. Drake, alone on the farm, must become a man even before he figures out his teen years.

No matter where you are you can listen to the program live via the internet at http://tobtr.com/10165105  

Through the Storms Released

The worldwide release of my latest novel, Through the Storm, occurred this morning—while I slept actually.

Despite my sleeping through the moment, I am excited about this new book. The ebook released today, because of a few logistical problems the paperback will come out later this week and audiobook next month.

Below is the back cover blurb,

An immense storm on the sun has flung four coronal mass ejections at the Earth.

That’s the news Neal Evans hears while hundreds of miles from home at a conference in Nevada. Will it cause only beautiful auroras to dance across the night sky or plunge technology back a hundred years? As politicians and scientists debate, Neal drives north toward home.

On the family farm, Drake Evans is a happy high school freshman. Instead of staying home with his younger brother, Conner Evans has gone hunting. So, it’s party time for Drake!

As the world descends into darkness, Neal and Conner must confront panic, hunger, and fear on their long journeys home. Drake, alone on the farm, must become a man even before he unravels his teen years.

For the first ninety days the novel is available exclusively on Amazon. The paperback will be available in a few days, the audiobook will be released in late October or early November. The book will appear on Nook, Kobo and other platforms with the start of 2018.

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Publicity is Good

It usually surprises me when my local paper, The Chronicle, has a story that mentions me. I’m not complaining, they have written some really nice things about me. It’s just I rarely know when these articles will appear. I’ve sent them story ideas and even press releases and seen nothing in the paper and then suddenly something large and really nice like this full-page spread in the Life section will appear.

Admittedly, this article, titled Southwest Washington Writers Conference Bringing the Region’s Writers Together, is not all about me, not even most of it, but my picture is there, above the fold. That kind of publicity is a good thing.

The article is actually about the fourth annual Southwest Washington Writers Conference this Saturday, September 9th at the Walton Science Center on the campus of Centralia College.

With the rise of Amazon, the advent of ebooks, the growth of audiobooks, and the steep decline of traditional bookstores, the role of authors has changed dramatically. I’ll conduct two workshops at the conference on how authors can exploit those changes through indie publishing.

If you’re in the area I hope to see you there.

Dorky Glasses and the Eclipse

What is it about an eclipse that brings out the child in us?

I know it was a rare event, the last one like it occurred in 1918, but several of my friends traveled hundreds of miles and camped out in farm fields just to experience the eclipse totality.

As the eclipse begins.

We read in the local paper that the recent solar eclipse would reach ninety-six percent of totality in this area so; I purchased dorky glasses and invited our sons over to watch from the backyard.

If I made a habit of sitting in the backyard, wearing paper sunglasses and staring up into the sky I think my wife might have my head examined, but on this day she joined me, along with the boys, and we looked like a rather eccentric family having a backyard picnic.

The backyard at ninety-six percent of totality

At first, as the moon moved across the sun, we didn’t notice any change. Even when half of the sun had been blocked we couldn’t tell any difference in the day. Only when the moon blocked the vast majority of the sun did the sky take on the deep blue of evening. As we continued to watch a cool breeze blew.

Still, it amazed me that with ninety-six percent of the sun blocked, it wasn’t even close to dark.

Then the moon moved out of the way, and the hot and bright summer sun shone once again and we returned to the house. What am I going to do with the dorky glasses?

Hot and Cold

I put on a new chain, filled the gas and oil tanks and went out with my chainsaw to tackle a large pile of logs and limbs in the backyard. My tendency to procrastinate had allowed the pile to grow all summer, but my son James had offered to help and this needed to be done. So, on one of the hottest days of the year, I cut wood to use on some of the coldest. We will probably burn these logs in the woodstove around January or February.

Our house has electric heat and in the Pacific Northwest electricity is affordable, but on those really cold days, the woodstove heats our home better than anything else does.

There is a natural rhythm to life in the country. In March as the days grow longer and warmer the chickens go into full summer egg production. In April we hive bees. In May the garden is tilled and planted. During the summer we cut trees (usually the dead or fallen), tend animals and care for the garden. Honey is spun from the honeycomb in September. Also during that month fruits and vegetables are canned and preserved.

Part of that natural rhythm is the cold of January and February. Some years our woodstove will burn for days on end during this time.

By late in the afternoon the chain on the saw had gone dull, but the pile had been reduced to logs and hauled into the woodshed. We were hot and tired, but ready for the cold days of winter.

As I drank a tall glass of cold water I made a pledge to myself. Next year I’m going to cut wood on a cooler day.

That Made the Difference

I’m reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing, and came across a passage that I shared with my wife.

On Writing by Stephen King 

 “If she (King’s wife Tabitha) had suggested that the time I spent writing stories … was wasted time, I think a lot of the heart would have gone out of me. Tabby never voiced a single doubt, however. Her support was a constant, one of the few good things I could take as a given. And whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or husband). I smile and think, There’s someone who knows. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”

My first book, Titan Encounter, released in 2012, has this dedication; “Many authors say that their spouse is their biggest fan. My wife Lorraine most certainly is mine. This book would not exist without her constant encouragement and editing.”

Stephen King and I don’t have much in common, but it appears we share a love for writing and both have wives that believe, support and encourage.

Thank you, Lorraine, for all of your support. That made the difference.

My New Shirt

The next day in my office wearing my new shirt.

When a friend and fellow writer, Pat, came to a recent critique meeting wearing a white shirt with “Writer” emblazoned in black letters on the chest, I admired it and was a bit envious. I asked where he got it and Pat said his wife, LeeAnn, made it for him.

About a week later he presented me with the shirt seen here. I’m told that LeeAnn contacted my wife about the size and colors and then made this shirt for me.

My wife knows I loved the television show Castle with Nathan Fillion and said she says she chose the colors based on Castle’s vest from the show.

Thank you all, I really appreciate the gift.

Return to Earth Cover Reveal!

Since the March release of Seekers of Earth, events have moved rapidly with the Guardian Knights of Terra series. As I mentioned above interest in the series has allowed for the third book to be written. Since we already had the name for the third book and wanted to continue with a design similar to Seekers of Earth and Recall the Earth we went ahead with the creation of the ebook cover.

Here, for the first time in public, is the cover of the third book in the Guardian Knights of Terra series, Return to Earth.

On the left we see Lucas with a serious look on his face. On the right is Rachel. She appears to be in a better mood, probably because she is returning to her home planet of Earth. The Space Needle, a local landmark, is behind her.  

I’ve plotted most of the book and completed the first chapter, but we don’t have a Return to Earth web page up (but I’m working on it) and we don’t have a release date, but I’m shooting for late this year.

Hopefully, it can be a Christmas gift!

Working hard, so I can rest

I decided to build a patio on a shady knoll beside my home. However, due to my writing schedule and other commitments, it took a couple of months to gather all the materials and find the time to construct it. Finally, on the evening of July 2nd, I had everything I needed.

Stiff and sore, but trying to relax (click to enlarge)

After breakfast the next morning I began construction. It occurred to me that it would be nice if the family could use the patio on Independence Day, but that would mean all the work had to be completed that day.

I worked hard, very hard, on July 3rd. 

July 4th was a lovely warm day here in the northwest. The blue skies were welcome after a long rainy winter and spring. Also, as you can see from the picture, my family and I did enjoy the patio. My relaxation that day was tempered by many stiff and sore muscles. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the patio even more after I’ve recovered from building it.

Hate from the Stage

The Public Theater of New York City recently decided that it would be a good idea to stage Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” in a modern setting. In this version of the play the dictator, Julius Caesar, looks a lot like Donald Trump and, of course, in act three he’s murdered in order to save the country.

While I firmly believe that staging pretend assassinations of a president of the United States, such as done by Kathy Griffin, is bad for the country, the Public Theater is free to stage their plays and make any tasteless political statement they desire, but not with my money.

In a tweet, President Trump asked, “I wonder how much of this 'art' is funded by taxpayers?” Forbes Magazine provided the answer, “Data at OpenTheBooks.com shows that over $4.1 million in federal, state and city grants funded the New York Shakespeare Festival (NYSF) – the parent company to Public Theater and its production, Shakespeare in the Park – over the past three years. The total amount since 2009?  Nearly $30 million.” The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), the people who brought us Piss Christ at taxpayer expense, gave the New York group over $630,000.

I think this taxpayer funded swamp could use some serious draining.

My revulsion with both Kathy Griffin and this play is motivated more by love of country than admiration for Donald Trump. Hate so deep and malicious that it expresses itself in decapitation or murder of the president is bad for democracy and the institutions of this nation.

Because of the play two corporate sponsors, Delta Airlines and Bank of America have withdrawn sponsorship. As I read about that I also learned that American Express has continued to fund the group while expressing dismay at this particular production.

I use American Express as my business credit card so I called them and stated, “You can’t have it both ways; either stop fostering hate or you lose my business. Your choice.”