Research Notes, an Interview with Tom Abrahams & Covid Exposure 🤨

And a free book announcement.

Researching for In the Meantime Continues Despite Setbacks

Last week I took a trip to the town of Silverdale, WA, the setting for the Times of Trouble series. I live nearby so this wasn’t difficult but the weather was a bit gloomy. And…during that trip, I encountered someone with Covid because four days later I received the notice of exposure on my phone. And…though I won’t receive the test until tomorrow…I’ve had some annoying symptoms. Mainly headaches, neck pain, sneezing, mild sore throat, and exhaustion. Could also be the flu. This is not fitting into my plans…. (The irony though…writer of The China Pandemic, gets mild Covid.) It could always be worse…says the apocalyptic writer 😉

So I’ve been isolated at home…trying to behave and research remotely. One of those efforts comes from the book, By the Shore by Nancy Blakely. If you live in this area, this is a great guide. If you don’t, I encourage you to seek out local guides for your own area.

The whole premise behind In the Meantime is about resourcing your local area when times are troubled... What if those little blue Prime trucks stopped coming? Have you been to the grocery store lately and had your jaw drop at the empty shelves. It’s remarkable. Less dependency on the Yelp app and more knowledge of what you would do if you had to in a time of crisis, is important. At least knowing what local farms produce. And, where to fish, hunt, and gather and how to prepare those things is worth looking into. Learning to can, hunt for mushrooms, knowing what plants are edible and not, are invaluable skills and there are lots of classes on these subjects.

This series, Times of Trouble, is loosely based on that seasonal premise and the story of two mature ladies with knowledge once thought lost, will highlight the importance of these skills.

And, of course, you can also gain valuable knowledge of what to avoid if you research your local area before it’s necessary. Who wants to avoid food poisoning in a crisis?

After I walked along the cold shoreline for a while, I went to the local hangout. When I’m researching, I always try to pick the popular spot to have a meal, work for a while and listen to the locals. This was perfect. I’ve been to Silver City Brewery in the past but not as a researcher. It’s more of a restaurant than a pub but they do brew their own.

If you remember Dawn of Deception, you’ll remember the coffee shop they used as their home base. Sleepy Monk’s Coffee in Cannon Beach, Oregon, was that location. My daughter Kelley and I loved that place when she was a teen. Every small town location has something like this. A place people gather, even if they’re silent. It’s like connecting with the hive mind while checking the overall citizen barometer. More research to come for In the Meantime…after I’m well again.

Coming Interview with Author Tom Abrahams

This Friday, 1/14/22, my friend, Tom Abrahams has scheduled an interview with me and we’ll discuss my new series, the concept of a cozy apocalypse, and what’s happening next. I will post the interview likely next week. You can check out the interviews he’s done lately with authors, Steve Konkoly and Franklin Horton. More to come…

FREE Book 1 - Surrender the Sun

And lastly…this week you can pick up the first book in the Surrender the Sun series for FREE for a limited time. It’s currently FREE in most stores and soon in Amazon. Here’s a link for availability.

Have a great week and please take care 😊

Best, AR Shaw