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Two books enter. One book leaves… Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! We had a quick warming spell that melted most of the snow so it looks dismal out there. Looks like Fall, which it technically is, but it’s already winter up here. We’ll get sandblasted this week, no doubt. My snow removal equipment is ready, I […]

One ship against many in a battle that has lasted a thousand years… Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Stanley’s first big snowstorm. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but once he got into it, he was a big fan. He loves the snow. But it’s getting deeper, almost too deep for his short legs. […]

Hard are the lips of the woodpecker Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! We don’t have plastic great white sharks in Alaska – I took this abominable selfie while in Florida. I’m back home! Finally. I’m tired from being on the road for three weeks. It was an epic journey, to be sure, but a grind all […]

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. – Liane Cordes Greetings from Atlanta! As part of supporting other authors, I am still on the epic Drive Across America. Since Wichita, I’ve stopped in Fort Worth, had to cancel Houston, New Orleans, & Mobile because of weather, and […]

Greetings from Wichita! As part of supporting other authors, I’m on an epic Drive Across America. I’ve had author events in Vegas, Provo, Colorado Springs, Denver, Kansas City, and now Wichita. I have a meetup later today in Fort Worth after a short drive and then Houston tomorrow. Fifteen stops in sixteen days. Over 500 […]

Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! It’s getting to be that time. The leaves are changing and lows are dropping into the 30s (F). That’s a bit cold: Stanley would be fine, except for the rain. So, he’s been trying out his coat which looks more like a warhorse blanket.It keeps a lot of the rain from […]

The Cosmic Visionaries Bundle – Curated by Robert Jeschonek What is it about space opera that makes us love it so much? The action, the exotic settings, the colorful characters, the alien species? The promise of countless adventures in the face of the great unknown? The excitement of imagining what humanity may someday become and […]

An epic search to find a moose running rampant Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Today’s newsletter is not just about finding a moose, but giving away all kinds of free stuff. Check it out all the way to the bottom.  He sniffed the ground and sniffed the airHe knew the moose was thereDespite his nose and […]

A Battleship called Leviathan – bring the Payne Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! That’s Stanley way down there. I was trying to walk him, but he hates the rain. He just stopped and looked at me while I kept going. He wasn’t going any farther. This is the trail into the big woods. We’ve worn it […]

Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Life up here is nice right now – temps in the 50s at night reaching into the low 70s during the daytime. And yes, it’s getting dark again: not enough to see the stars, but not enough to see a moose, either. I get up early, but don’t take Stanley outside […]

The fate of the galaxy rests in the most unlikely of hands Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! I thought we were on the other side of the mosquito surge, but no. They’re back after some high winds and heavy rains. A new bumper crop of the evil creatures. Here’s Stanley as we pioneer an expanded trail […]

When the chips are down, you’ll find out what you’re really made of: 21 Free Books + a Post-Apocalyptic Gear Giveaway Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! This is Monday’s newsletter early (so you won’t get one on Monday, June 14). That free Post-Apocalyptic promo ends tomorrow, so I have to get the word out today. And […]

There is nothing like having a happy dog in the house Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Stanley is finally here. He’s settling in and enjoying the great outdoors. How about a few pictures?    Stanley riding in Comfort Class on the final leg to Alaska. He’s wearing his official gear as a trained Service Animal. He’s also […]

There’s nothing more exciting than a combat drop. Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Did you ever get the feeling that someone was watching you? With their big brown eyes…  The moose have been hanging around our place for the past week. We’ve let our willow grow up so they have their usual food source. They are […]

The judge returns and she’s bringing a world of hurt to the bad guys Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Nothing replaces words like pictures… here’s our homestead in Alaska as the growth returns for a brief but vibrant period of time where it’s too light to see the stars. They will return with the dark come […]

Units without mutual support are doomed Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! The weather is nigh unto perfect. Highs are getting to 60 (16C) and lows are in the 30s (2-4 C). Mosquitoes have reared their ugly heads but they’re still shaky flying. There’s been a little wind lately and that keeps the aerial assault fleet grounded. […]

The silver lining in a springtime cloud Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Here’s the same back driveway I shared a couple weeks ago, but this time, it’s fresh with ruts from the water truck that refilled our tank. I’ll have my ground crew, the team who takes care of my yard, level this before it dries […]

Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Warmth is here. The snow is disappearing at a high rate of speed. Already, the low temperatures are above freezing. The lakes in our yard are growing. As the ground thaws, that’s getting pretty smushy, too. No threat of water getting into the house as the water flows away, but the […]

Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! Warmth is coming. We set a new cold record here in Fairbanks. 185 days straight where the high temperature has been below 40F/4C. But this coming week, it’s supposed to launch us above freezing every single day. Here’s what the forecast shows. We’ll know spring is almost over when the lows […]

Greetings from the Sub-Arctic! It’s been snowing most of the last four days. It’s not bad if you like being buried. Our house and yard are under a solid four feet. The picture is from in front of our garage. We drove out on Saturday when there was only about four to six inches on […]

More from my unpublished memoirs. After we left Russia, I was assigned to the Cooperative Threat Reduction group out of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I first worked nuclear materials tracking, but that wasn’t going to work out as I would have to travel back to Russia. The Russians had made it clear, no returns […]

And the time of our formal wedding was upon us! I had reserved everything a year in advance from the comfortable confines of my basement apartment in Seoul, Korea. I reserved rooms in Dalhousie Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, contacted a photographer, coordinated with the minister, and locked on a bagpiper. All was well. Our wedding […]