Michael Selden's Blog

I've republished my books through Amazon, after severing my relationship with Lightning Source.

In addition to the 4 paperbacks and Kindles, all 4 books now have audio editions.

In the meantime, I am actively writing the followup story for The Balance, and am about 60 thousand words into the draft. I anticipate late 2025 for that book's release, but have already created a preliminary cover for the book.

This can be found on my website at michaelselden.com

I've been working on The Balance Part 2, "The Wastelands and the Wilderness"

The manuscript is up to about 50k words, although still growing fast.

The story continues 5 years after the first book ended. Many of the familiar characters are still involved, and I've added new characters, as well.

My plan has always been for a 3-volume trilogy, one story spread across 3 volumes. I'll eventually post excerpts on my web site.

In 2020 I decided it was time to begin the process of putting an RV system together. I elected to go down the Truck Camper path. I looked at truck campers online and narrowed my choices down to two options: An Alaska truck camper (ironic, since I was planning a 3-month trip to Alaska at the time���more about that later) and a Bigfoot Truck camper. These two are very different. The Alaska is compact, with a roof that can go up and down to lower the RV profile, but contains only one open area and no real bathroom. and the Bigfoot, which is made of fiberglass, but has a high ceiling and a wet bath / shower. In the end I chose the Bigfoot. Within this, I selected the 1500 series, lighter and with less storage and insulation, but plenty for me.

An Alaskan Camper, with hydrolically adjustable roof height The Bigfoot loaded onto the Chevy 3500HD Truck

Truck campers are not really light, loaded with water and supplies mine will be around 3000 pounds, but it’s lighter than the 4500+ pounds of heavier campers. I wanted to avoid having dually wheels in the rear of the truck, but still I bought a 1-ton pickup, with a 4400 pound cargo capacity. Because I wanted to maintain as much cargo capacity as possible, I avoided the diesel engine, which would have reduced this capacity by 600 to 800 pounds. I bought the truck in Sept of 2020 and ordered the camper in Feb 2021, but it took 19 months to receive it.

My house is on a hill, so there are no actual flat surfaces. But campers require a flat surface to be off loaded (off loading is a big plus of this kind of RV, because you get to keep your truck when not hauling the camper) I do LOTS of projects, which require the ability to haul materials.

To store the camper, I constructed a camper support system in the flattest part of my yard (which still has a 10+ percent slope).

This was the construction of the first camper holder. I dug 6 3-foot deep holes and poured piers to hold a wooden structure and to secure lines to guard against the wind. The platform is actually level, even though it doesn’t look that way.

The board laying across the timbers is level w respect to gravity���checked two ways (a spirit level and with a filled water hose) The doubled up 2X8 joist elements maintain separation of the 6X6 Timbers. This way the stacked front section is supported laterally Precarious looking, but it was held solidly in place I had to raise the camper higher, because of the slope. The rear jacks are bottomed out.

Once I learned just how difficult and dangerous it was to load a camper on uneven ground, I decided to bite the bullet and put in a concrete pad that is mostly level, but retains a 2% to shed water. I contracted with Flatworks (in Colorado Springs) for the pad and excavation work. The pour was in winter, so it was a bit tricky, but the concrete was under blanket for 4 days and then I covered the floor with a tarp until I hit almost 4 weeks before putting weight on the pad.

Forms and Rebar in Place Just After Pour The ramps help me get the truck up into the yard. The city approved the pad and the ramps, but a second driveway is against code I’m using pads to distribuet the weight

I plan to take the camper off the truck after I make a trip to Tennessee. I bought a dolly for the camper and am anxious to try that. My first trip will be soon���just a short one, a few days.

In 2020 I decided it was time to begin the process of putting an RV system together. I elected to go down the Truck Camper path. I looked at truck campers online and narrowed my choices down to two options: An Alaska truck camper (ironic, since I was planning a 3-month trip to Alaska at the time—more about that later) and a Bigfoot Truck camper. These two are very different. The Alaska is compact, with a roof that can go up and down to lower the RV profile, but contains only one open area and no real bathroom. and the Bigfoot, which is made of fiberglass, but has a high ceiling and a wet bath / shower. In the end I chose the Bigfoot. Within this, I selected the 1500 series, lighter and with less storage and insulation, but plenty for me.

An Alaskan Camper, with hydrolically adjustable roof height The Bigfoot loaded onto the Chevy 3500HD Truck

Truck campers are not really light, loaded with water and supplies mine will be around 3000 pounds, but it’s lighter than the 4500+ pounds of heavier campers. I wanted to avoid having dually wheels in the rear of the truck, but still I bought a 1-ton pickup, with a 4400 pound cargo capacity. Because I wanted to maintain as much cargo capacity as possible, I avoided the diesel engine, which would have reduced this capacity by 600 to 800 pounds. I bought the truck in Sept of 2020 and ordered the camper in Feb 2021, but it took 19 months to receive it.

My house is on a hill, so there are no actual flat surfaces. But campers require a flat surface to be off loaded (off loading is a big plus of this kind of RV, because you get to keep your truck when not hauling the camper) I do LOTS of projects, which require the ability to haul materials.

To store the camper, I constructed a camper support system in the flattest part of my yard (which still has a 10+ percent slope).

To be continued, when I have time

I plan to begin traveling with my dog, sometime this year—after I receive my truck camper, a 1500 9.5 Long bed model from BigFoot RV (based in British Columbia, Canada). The camper will be outfitted with a basic solar power system, including 2 solar panels with a maximum capacity of 380W. In order to use the air conditioner or microwave, I’ll need to be plugged into what is called “shore power”, as though the camper is a boat, although the refrigerator will also run on DC power or on propane.

This is the Basic Power System for the Camper

I’ve been watching online videos from a blogger in Nevada, named Will Proust , and learning quite a bit about solar systems and the products that one can integrate to make a useful system. To experiment, I’ve also bought some equipment and have begun playing with some of the modules. I plan to put a small off-grid Un-interruptable Power System in my home office, with which I’ll experiment and adopt the best ideas into the camper, as well.

This is the kind of system I am putting together. I’ll expand it after setting up the initial 100W system. My goal will be a 400W system, able to keep my computer equipment running, with or without grid power This is where I’ll be assembling things—the same garage where I built my kitchen cabinets

I’ve bought a 100 Amp-hour battery from SOK, and will be using a very small inverter (500W) as a stand in for larger unit, later. The first solar panel (a 100 W unit for Rich Solar) has not yet arrived, and I’m adding a couple of other things, like pure copper bus bars, which should be here today (Feb 7). The board onto which I’ll mount the active hardware is drywall (sheet rock), attached to a square of 3/4 inch plywood. This provides both strength and rigidity (plywood) as well as fire resistance (sheetrock).

I’ll provide updates as things progress.

I’ve posted a sample chapter���chapter 1���from the upcoming book, The Wastelands and the Wilderness at https://michaelselden.com. The chapter, entitled Morwen, introduces a new character to the mix of people involved in the story.

The chapter is still considered “draft”, although it is close to what will be the final form. The story is not going to change. I will be posting up to 3 chapters on my web site over time, to provide a look into the feel of Part 2. The Balance was always envisioned as a 3-part story.

The first part: The Balance begins with its main character, Phoebe, a sensitive who was abandoned or forgotten by the a technology-founded organization, called The Order. As a sensitive, Phoebe is intensely telepathic, to the point of disability. She finds it difficult to around people, and to do so without betraying who and what she is. The Order was forced out of The Land by the Council of God, with which it co-existed in a semi-harmonious relationship for 150 years���under a treaty called The Balance. The inherent conflict between the theocratic Council and the Order broke down and many members of the much smaller Order were imprisoned and executed. The rest fled into exile.

Part 2, picks up where The Balance started, as the Order continues its quest to re-establish The Balance and fights for its existence. Much of the story takes place in the lands west of the Western Mountains, called the wastelands, and to the far north, beyond the Great Northern River, in the territory called The Northern Wilderness.

A Map of The Land

I’ve posted a sample chapter—chapter 1—from the upcoming book, The Wastelands and the Wilderness at https://michaelselden.com. The chapter, entitled Morwen, introduces a new character to the mix of people involved in the story.

The chapter is still considered “draft”, although it is close to what will be the final form. The story is not going to change. I will be posting up to 3 chapters on my web site over time, to provide a look into the feel of Part 2. The Balance was always envisioned as a 3-part story.

The first part: The Balance begins with its main character, Phoebe, a sensitive who was abandoned or forgotten by the a technology-founded organization, called The Order. As a sensitive, Phoebe is intensely telepathic, to the point of disability. She finds it difficult to around people, and to do so without betraying who and what she is. The Order was forced out of The Land by the Council of God, with which it co-existed in a semi-harmonious relationship for 150 years—under a treaty called The Balance. The inherent conflict between the theocratic Council and the Order broke down and many members of the much smaller Order were imprisoned and executed. The rest fled into exile.

Part 2, picks up where The Balance started, as the Order continues its quest to re-establish The Balance and fights for its existence. Much of the story takes place in the lands west of the Western Mountains, called the wastelands, and to the far north, beyond the Great Northern River, in the territory called The Northern Wilderness.

A Map of The Land

In early 2020 I decided that I would update some aspects of my kitchen. It’s a galley kitchen, so of course it lacked a lot of counter space, the cabinets were not overly generous and I wanted to update the countertop and switch from an an old (and failing) electric range to a gas range, as well as update my refrigerator from the old hotpoint unit to a side by side french door refrigerator.

I decided to make the cabinets myself, which meant it was time to begin watching youTube videos, then to reserach and buy tools and materials and then . . . to begin experimenting.

I decided to use a track saw rather than buy a huge table saw, for which I didn’t have the appropriate power in the garage anyway. I chose to buy a Festool saw and also their domino jointing tool

First I made a prototype cabinet using ordinary plywood, where I made LOTS of mistakes Then I bought pre-finished Maple Plywood (furniture grade) to make the real cabinets. I used dual thickness plywood sheets and 2X4 for edges on top of saw horses for my workbench And cut the plywood into useful dimensions I bought 2 tracks for the track saw, so I could join them for longer cuts. I used a dust mask and safety glasses, and often hearing protection, when working The back of the first real cabinet I made. I routed channels in the sides to receive the back panel and screwed these stretchers in place (also mortice and tenon) to attach the cabinet to the wall. The upper stretchers are for the eventual countertop U used mortice and tenon joinery for the project, but also pocket screws and a few regular screws, where it made sense.

Of course I made jigs and mahogany face frames for the cabinets, too I was running out of space in the garage, so I began installing the cabinets as I had time. The old cabinets were like the one on the left I had to make the drawers, too. I used 3/4 inch material for the drawers, cutting these strips at the same time to make it easier Drawers are a pain, but at least you can make them exactly like you want them, and fit to your storage containers and such Doors are another project. I learned how to use the router on this project, too. I made a new sink cabinet, too. It’s extra strong because originally I was going to put a country kitchen sink in and it weighed 250 pounds, but I changed to this sink—I think it was the right decision. I also decided to switch to a gas stove (from electric). That added more work, including running a gas line (I hired a plumber for that), and putting in an external exhaust range hood (which I learned how to do myself). I also decided to change the refrigerator, to put a brushed stainless backsplash over the new stone backsplash, and to lone the walls around the range with stainless steel panels. Of course the kitchen had to continue to be a working kitchen through the whole project. One of my own ideas was to make this stainless panel that I could raise and lower to reduce the spatter. I put soapstone countertops in place because of the chemical, bacteriological and physical properties of soapstone (which is used in chemistry labs). I still need to make several cabinet doors and to change the kitchen floor and then install the toe kick. But everything works and I’m involved in other projects at the moment. I used a high quality, scrubbable Sherwood Williams paint (called Duration) for the walls.

In the end, I learned a LOT, had control over the cabinets and the kitchen, and had something interesting to do during the pandemic.

I am currently (July 1 - July 5 2021) running a giveaway for the kindle edition of my book The Balance on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Balance-Michae...

The Balance is a YA novel set in a post apocalyptic dystopian world and contains a science fiction backdrop. It was published and was reviewed by both Forword Clarion Reviews and by Kirkus

*******
A 5-Star Clarion Book "This morally gray dystopian novel is as thought provoking as it is entertaining." —Forword Clarion Review
—
"Start of a probing sci-fi series that engages audiences of all ages" —Kirkus Review