13 Days to Impact!

Hello CK Westbrook readers,

The Aftermath will be published in 13 days on Friday, September 13.

I sure hope that’s not bad luck!

I’m very excited about this book and hope you all love it as much as I loved writing it. The story takes place five years after the global mass shooting that killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide. What will the world be like?

Hint (but not spoiler) – the story has a childless cat lady and the cat is named Clorox. Are you intrigued? If so, and you have not yet, please consider preordering the book. It helps authors to have a large preorder number. Like reviews, publishers and algorithms love large numbers.

As I write this at the end of August, Washington D.C. is under another heat advisory. I love summer, but the extreme heat has made this one tough. Also, as I write this, Butch and Suni are still stuck in space.

Happy Labor Day weekend! As we roll into the long weekend, please take a moment and check to see that your voter registration is up to date. Perhaps check in with kids, family, friends, and neighbors to be sure they are ready for November 5th.

Baltimore Comic Con

I will be signing and selling at Baltimore Comic Con, “America’s Greatest Comic Book Convention” on September 20 – 22. It’s celebrating 25 years in Baltimore and will have several famous artists, authors, and actors attending, including; Leinil Francis Yu, Jim Lee, John Glover, John Wesley, Sam Jones (Flash Gordon), and many others.

As a side note, when I was a kid, I loved the Flash Gordon movie and watched it multiple times.

Come find me in the Artist Alley, booth number H4, if you attend.

Baltimore Comic-Con | "America's Greatest Comic Book Convention" (baltimorecomiccon.com)

Panels are still being scheduled but as of now, I will be on this one on Sunday, September 22:

History and Science in Fiction Comics

How important are events of the past and the science of the real world when creating fiction? How do we use them in storytelling, and how can that use add to the story? What research (or lack of research) goes into adding elements of real history and science to our stories? And are there times when it turns out truth is stranger than fiction? Come hear from comics creators Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), and sci-fi author CK Westbrook (The Impact Series) with moderator Emily S. Whitten (The Underfoot) as they share their experiences and tips for incorporating these elements into fictional work.

Louisville PopCon

I had a blast signing and selling “The Impact Series” at PopCon Louisville last week. I met several cool fellow 4 Horsemen Publications authors and readers. I was on panels with varied topics including creativity and mental health; where to get great story ideas; genre & tropes (why we love them and how we use them); dark fantasy, horror, and dragoons; villains and conflict; and bad writing advice and what to do with it.

I love how people love cosplay, which is when people dress up as a character from a movie, book, or video game. It’s a big part of Comic Conventions. And for those who are not educated in this world, comic cons are also called PopCon, AwesomeCon, and other names. They have traditionally focused on comics, but include books, video games, movies, and TV shows, with a big focus on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other art styles.

I made fun videos and posted them on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X accounts. I was “shot” by many famous characters as I innocently read The Shooting. Can you identify any of the characters? Check it out!

CK Westbrook | Twitter, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree

Book Review

This might be one of the best books I have ever read. Well, I actually listened to it while on long drives this summer.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

It has been on all the best-seller lists since 2016, so I’m late to this amazing party. I have braided sweetgrass in my living room, given to me by an Indigenous tribal member in 1999 when I worked for the Environmental Protection Agency in the American Indian Environmental Office. It still smells amazing. This book reminded me why sweetgrass is so important, why all plants are, and how people are an important part of nature. We must learn to respect and reciprocate fair and kind treatment with nature and participate in the honorable harvest before it’s too late. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a brilliant storyteller. I cried many times; happy, sad, and angry tears. It also made me feel less alone as an environmentalist and advocate for wildlife and nature.

Book Blurb:

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers.

Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.

I highly recommend this book.

Until next time!

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

CK

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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