Part of the morning cabin routine is to restart the fire. This responsibility falls to the person who first wakes up and can no longer stand the cold. The disadvantage of being the first one out of bed in the cold is that it is a sure way to wake up. The person who starts the fire won’t, generally speaking, go back to the sleeping bag, especially since starting a fire is more complicated than pushing a button. There’s paper to crinkle, smaller wood to put in and larger wood to follow after that. Anyone who is able to stay in bed through the morning chill will be able to wake up to a warm cabin. As a bonus, since the person who started the fire is up anyway, he or she will probably start on making coffee and breakfast. That’s just etiquette and hunger working together to create motivation.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Books
Stories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter Four
Start with the Introduction.
“It must be my turn.” George looked up at the Moon, closed his eyes, and began speaking, “The Moon is tidally locked to the Earth in its orbit. It circles the Earth and shows the same face to us with little variation. The side we don’t see, the so-called dark side, was first revealed to us in 1959 when the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 passed around the Moon and took photos. Unfortunately, the photos showed something that didn’t make any sense to the scientists who saw them. They assumed that they had seen some defect in the film and only released the images that made sense with their understanding of what was up there. The rest they discarded.
Continue readingStories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter Three
Read the introduction, prologue, chapter one, and chapter two.
Lee took a second to gather his thoughts. He looked into the cabin and noticed the unlit lantern. Moonlight flowed through the small window and onto the table where the lantern was. The stove was glowing orange but with much less intensity than before. Then he began:
Continue readingStories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter Two
Read the introduction, prologue, and chapter one.
George and Lee looked at John, who shrugged and said, “That’s probably fair.” He took a breath, and this is the story John told:
Continue readingStories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter One
You can read the preface here and the prologue here if you would like a better orientation to what this is about. Be sure to subscribe to our Patreon to continue the story beyond the first chapter.
Day One
Chapter One: The First Story
When they arrived at the cabin, they set their bags on the porch and opened the door. Inside, the last people who were there had left some firewood. Otherwise, everything was clean. The men claimed their bunks, lit a fire in the stove, and started preparing dinner. After dinner, there was card game, jokes, and beverages. It had been a long day for everyone, and the short trip to the cabin was enough to tire them out. They decided to call it a night.
Continue readingWhy Did Richard Paul Evans Write the Michael Vey Series?
Upon release of his fourth installation in the Michael Vey series, Author Richard Paul Evans wrote a letter in response to some fans asking why he would write young adult fiction when they want to read something else. In spite of these protests, the number of comic con attendees that call themselves Veyniacs attests to the popularity of Vey and his adventures.
Evans says that Vey bucks the trend of dystopia and pride that much of young adult fiction subscribes to. Vey himself experiences Tourette’s syndrome, but doesn’t allow his disability to define him. He offers a character that others who experience disabilities can relate to.
This positivity combined with the moral aesthetic of Vey conveys hope that the world needs right now. Rather than focusing on the possible outcomes that lead to dystopia, Evans has created a place where people value loyalty and friendship while trying to make the world better.
While the Vey series doesn’t lack for strong female characters, Evans says that he has come under fire for making a male hero at a time when Hollywood has focused on female heroes of The Hunger Games, Divergent and Twilight. Yet, male role models, even fictional ones, are important to help keep boys reading and involved in life.
Evans makes an appeal in his letter to all of his fans:
“So even if you don’t think Michael Vey is for you, the cause may be. I invite you to join the cause, because this is one where we can make a difference shaping culture. Introduce Michael Vey to your children, your grandchildren, to a neighbor. Purchase a copy or two and donate it to your school or church. Many schools have library waiting lists for Michael Vey numbering in the hundreds. (Trust me, if you’re 300 on the waiting list, you’re not going to get to read it.)”
By buying the books that deliver a message that is uplifting and important to others, readers can make a difference not only in the lives of others but in culture itself. The success of a certain book will prompt the creation of other stories that are along the same lines. For anyone who wants not only more from a certain author but also more of the same type of story, voting with dollars and social media support is a good way to ensure that publishers and movie makers listen to the demand.
This article was originally published at examiner.com. The links have been updated September 2019.
‘Polly Penguin Wants to Fly’ available now!
We’re so excited because “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” is available on Amazon, right now! You can get it in paperback or on Kindle! This is my 10th book.
When Polly hatches, she sees her father first and then she looks up into the sky and sees the terns. She’s immediately fascinated. Polly Penguin wants to fly, but she’s a penguin. Penguins can’t fly, can they?
I wrote this for parents to read to their older children ages four and above. It’s also for children who are beginning to read. If your child loves penguins, Polly Penguin is a good introduction to reading without pictures. The pictures are formed in your mind.
Check out “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” now.
‘Stories from an Alaskan Cabin’ Prologue
If you haven’t read the introduction yet, you can do so here. The first chapter to the story will be posted on Friday Sep. 6, 2019. I’ll add a link when it comes on line. The series will then become a Patreon exclusive weekly story until it becomes a book. Join our Patreon, and don’t miss a story, get access to other great content, and find your favorite penguins.
Continue readingIntroduction to ‘Stories from an Alaskan Cabin’
Preface
As Boccaccio’s “Decameron,” Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur,” and Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” can attest, our forebears were, much as they were in everything, better at telling stories. For what else was there to do in times before the Internet, television, movies, and radio? While modern man finds the need and the capacity to tell stories, the ability and opportunity is much diminished.
Continue readingHow Does the Emperor Penguin Launch Itself from Sea to Ice?
This was interesting on how penguins fly through the air when they leave the sea to get on the ice. Emperors can weigh up to 89 pounds, “the same weight as a baby hippo.” So how does it get out of the water? Based on a new study, it could be preening that allows them to get so high in the air to make it over the ice shelf. Check out the video to see the details.
Polly is a newly hatched chick who wants to fly, but penguins can’t fly, can they? If you want your name in “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly,” sign up for our Patreon at any level before August 30, 2019. You’ll get a mention in the acknowledgements.
Penguinate! Positive Creativity 