It’s Getting Hot in Here!

Hello CK Westbrook readers,

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer, and surviving the heat dome, if you are currently in one. And if you are not, well, one might be coming. They say this will be the hottest summer on record. Sadly, global warming is here so try and stay cool my friends.

The Aftermath

Early reviews for The Aftermath are rolling in and they are great. Thank you to those who received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) and have read and reviewed it! If you want an ARC, email me and I will hook you up!

Check out the reviews: The Aftermath (The Impact Series Book 4) by CK Westbrook | Goodreads

Podcast

I had fun reading a small role on Fun Classics Reads. We read The Survivors by T.D. Hamm, a 1961 short science fiction story. The story is timeless, explorers arrive on inhospitable Mars and have an adventure. I don’t want to reveal spoilers but I will say it has a profound ending.

Check it out: https://youtube.com/live/ibfFm8236A8

Events

A little history repeating. As activity in space increases, we bring with us the risk of damaging the space environment as we’ve damaged our environment on Earth. As an environmentalist and author of “The Impact Series,” I’m working to elevate these issues so the public can get involved before it’s too late.

I was on a panel at the Environmental Justice in Space Workshop on June 21 entitled, “Policymaking, Space, and the Environment.” It was awesome being part of a workshop that addressed cutting-edge issues of our time. My fellow panelists included an astrophysicist, space historian/lawyer, engineer/scientist, professor, and congressional staff. We had a great discussion, that, unfortunately, could not be recorded because there were Senate staffers on the panel.

However, many other panels had brilliant speakers and fascinating presentations and are available to watch: https://whova.com/portal/registration/sejc_202406/

Barnes & Noble

I had a great time signing books at Barnes & Noble on Saturday, June 8 in Ashburn, Virginia. The staff was helpful, the customers were fun, and the event was successful. I posted cute pictures below and a reel of the event on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook. Social media links are below.

Book Review

I found the Convergence of Gods, by Ty Carlson, fascinating. This story requires thoughtful reading to even try to anticipate the many shocking reveals. It has many creative characters, including demons, gods, witches, priests, giant insects, and humans. It's action-packed, has great dialogue, and diverse and creative locations. Who is good? Who is bad? Who or what is dangerous to each other? I enjoyed the many twists in this complex story and I'm eager to see where The Dadirri Saga goes. I highly recommend this book.

If science fiction is your jam, check out Ty Carlson’s website and sign up for his newsletter: Ty Carlson – The Official Website (tycarlson-author.com)

Current Events

From NASA’s website about Lower Earth Orbit (LEO):

There are no international space laws to clean up debris in our LEO. LEO is now viewed as the world’s largest garbage dump, and it’s expensive to remove space debris from LEO because the problem of space junk is huge — there are close to 6,000 tons of materials in low Earth orbit.

I included a picture of a poem below from the same NASA website page about space debris.

https://www.nasa.gov/headquarters/library/find/bibliographies/space-debris/#:~:text=LEO%20is%20now%20viewed%20as,materials%20in%20low%20Earth%20orbit

And in other sad news, the Supreme Court overturned a ban on bump stocks enacted by the Trump Administration, ruling that the government was wrong to classify the devices as machine guns. This is even though 72% of voters (including 68% of Republicans and 79% of Democrats) and the NRA, support the ban.

However, the Supreme Court then ruled to maintain gun restrictions on people who are subject to a domestic violence restraining order. This is helpful if the woman can get a restraining order before she is shot. On average, 70 women in the USA are shot and killed each month by their intimate partner, and many more are shot and wounded.

Fear means more guns. Guns mean more fear. It’s a violent cycle.

I write science fiction to escape from the horrors of life, including climate change, gun violence, and pollution - so I better get back to writing my next novel.

Until next time gentle readers!

I can’t express the deep gratitude I have for my readers. Thank you for coming on this fantastic adventure with me!

CK

Sign up for my monthly newsletter through my website: CK Westbrook

To purchase books –

The Shooting | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

The Collision | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

The Judgment | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

Pre-order link: The Aftermath | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

CK Westbrook – 4 Horsemen Publications

Reviews

I need more reviews!