Adam Holt's Blog
December 19, 2022
I Did Not Want To Write This
Hello everyone!
I can't believe it's been so long since I last updated my blog. Time has just flown by and I've been so busy working on the final book in my Tully Harper series. I'm happy to announce that I'm actually in Las Vegas right now, working on the book and having a great time.Did you know that Las Vegas is home to the largest public display of space artifacts in the world? The National Atomic Testing Museum here in Vegas has an incredible collection of space-related items, including a Moon rock that you can touch. It's truly amazing to see and has definitely provided some inspiration for my writing.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my faithful readers for your support over the years. It means so much to me to know that people are enjoying my work and following along with Tully's adventures. I hope you're all excited to see how the series ends, because I know I am!
As we enter the new year, I can't help but think about the vastness of space and all the possibilities it holds. It's a reminder that anything is possible, and that we should always strive to reach for the stars (literally and figuratively). Here's a little poem I wrote to celebrate the new year and all the exciting things it brings:
The stars are bright and shining, In the vast and endless sky. They twinkle and they glitter, As we bid the old year goodbye.
The new year stretches out before us, Full of hope and possibility. We'll make our mark and reach for greatness, Embrace all that life has in store for us, you see.
So let's look to the stars and dream big, Embrace all that life has to offer. The new year is ours to conquer, Let's make it the best one yet, my dear.
I hope this blog post finds you well, and that you have a happy and healthy new year. And a special shoutout to Open AI for writing this post!
***It's true. I did not write any of the words you just read. I flew several thousand miles and knocked out 3,000 words in my Tully manuscript today, so I gave this job to someone else. This blog was the work of artificial intelligence (AI). Yes, every word above this final note. And if you look at the picture below, you can see the prompt I wrote that produced this blog post. I'm curious to see how people react to this technology in the coming years. I have mixed feelings myself. I think this is one of the technologies that will shape the age to come just as much as the Internet did decades ago. I will write more about AI and its implications in the coming months and years, so stay tuned, and, of course, I'll keep you posted on the rest of my writing misadventures as they continue. You can almost be sure it's me doing the writing and not phoning it in to an artificial friend. :)
Love and rockets,Adam
Not exactly Walden Pond. Sorry, Thoreau. Would you prefer me to be in an Air B 'n B?
April 14, 2022
TONIGHT: Join me for virtual poetry!
Dear conspirators,
It is my pleasure to cordially invite you to a reading of poetry this very night at 7pm. You will need to register but can find the information you need here on my Facebook page. We each have five minutes. I'll be reading a poem that challenges the idea of "I think; therefore, I am." I've never submitted it for publication, so this poem is in mint condition, never opened. I love it when you peel to top off that new poem cannister and that new poem smell hits you for the first time.
In other news, I attended the Houston Folk Market last Saturday and sold Tully books for the first time since the pandemic began, as you can see below. We were in Artist's Alley, under a canopy and in the shadow of a giant grain silo. It wasn't a huge crowd, but those that came were friendly and also bought books, except for the one lady who frowned and said, "I love to read, but I never buy books. I only check them out at the library." She was also wearing a bedazzled black t-shirt that said "Wine Olympics," so I reckon that's not quite my target market; nevertheless, I told her Houston Public Library had my books the last time I checked. Anyway, it was a good day. I hope you had one, too, and happy Easter to all of you who are celebrating.
See you tonight? If not, expect more frequent blog posts soon.
The blog is back, and the blog approves these pictures and this message. :)
Love and rockets,
Adam
June 1, 2020
My new VIRTUAL writer's workshop begins next week!
Hi, friends,
Here we are in the first week of summer! In terms of space, with the return of human spaceflight to American soil, it's off to a great start.
Now CHECK THIS OUT!
I wanted to let you know about my upcoming VIRTUAL writer's workshop. Students ages 12-18 can attend from anywhere on the planet, and learn along with me how to use outer space as inspiration. We'll also hear from published authors and at least one astronaut.
I can't believe that sentence is true, so I shall repeat it because thank God it all worked out: We'll also hear from published authors and at least one astronaut.
I'm going to put to good use what I now know about distance learning and writing to benefit these young writers. Help me share this info with others. We still have spots. Attendees will also get a signed copy of my first book and an opportunity to enter iWrite's yearly writing contest, the theme of which is "outer space."
They've also expanded the theme to include current events (the pandemic, the protests), and I'm glad they're making room for students to process this moment in history through creative means. My fiction has allowed me to do that time again: there are a number of passages in the Tully Harper Series that I could point you to - if you're interested - and explain how they relate to current events, even though they take place elsewhere in our solar system.
At any rate, flyer and link are below. I continue to work on the fourth Tully Harper book. It's in my head but not on paper in any digestible form. When it is, you'll be the first to know, my conspirators.
Stay healthy, inspired, and by the means you find at your disposal, promote good to those around you.
Please forgive typos. No time to edit. I'm about to throw some of the best leftovers into the microwave. Thanks, Mom! :)
Much love and many rockets,
Adam
PS - Please tell me you saw the launch this weekend. Jupiter's moons it was beautiful. Here's BBC coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI3fiNkgTOU
Here we are in the first week of summer! In terms of space, with the return of human spaceflight to American soil, it's off to a great start.
Now CHECK THIS OUT!
I wanted to let you know about my upcoming VIRTUAL writer's workshop. Students ages 12-18 can attend from anywhere on the planet, and learn along with me how to use outer space as inspiration. We'll also hear from published authors and at least one astronaut.
I can't believe that sentence is true, so I shall repeat it because thank God it all worked out: We'll also hear from published authors and at least one astronaut.
I'm going to put to good use what I now know about distance learning and writing to benefit these young writers. Help me share this info with others. We still have spots. Attendees will also get a signed copy of my first book and an opportunity to enter iWrite's yearly writing contest, the theme of which is "outer space."
They've also expanded the theme to include current events (the pandemic, the protests), and I'm glad they're making room for students to process this moment in history through creative means. My fiction has allowed me to do that time again: there are a number of passages in the Tully Harper Series that I could point you to - if you're interested - and explain how they relate to current events, even though they take place elsewhere in our solar system.
At any rate, flyer and link are below. I continue to work on the fourth Tully Harper book. It's in my head but not on paper in any digestible form. When it is, you'll be the first to know, my conspirators.
Stay healthy, inspired, and by the means you find at your disposal, promote good to those around you.
Please forgive typos. No time to edit. I'm about to throw some of the best leftovers into the microwave. Thanks, Mom! :)
Much love and many rockets,
Adam
PS - Please tell me you saw the launch this weekend. Jupiter's moons it was beautiful. Here's BBC coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI3fiNkgTOU
April 12, 2020
Apollo 13 at 50: A Brief Easter Meditation
It’s the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13. This was the most successful failure in space history. The rocket reached the moon, but it did not land. One of its oxygen tanks exploded, crippling the vehicle and leaving it with dwindling life support many, many miles from home. It took a room full of brilliant, dedicated people and three steely-eyed astronauts to work the problem and bring that rocket home. My dad was there in the side room of mission control, monitoring radiation levels inside the capsule, if I remember correctly.
In the end, they manage resources brilliantly enough to bring them home. Watch the movie, and take time to celebrate the courage it took to tell death, “Not today.”
“Not today.” That’s the same thing Jesus said to death on Easter - not in word, but in deed.Have a wonderful day, friends.
If you want to follow the mission in real time, here's your link. https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/. You can also hop around and listen to the highlights.
In the end, they manage resources brilliantly enough to bring them home. Watch the movie, and take time to celebrate the courage it took to tell death, “Not today.”
“Not today.” That’s the same thing Jesus said to death on Easter - not in word, but in deed.Have a wonderful day, friends.
If you want to follow the mission in real time, here's your link. https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/. You can also hop around and listen to the highlights.
March 21, 2020
How To Help Kids Climb Mountains: I Promise This Is Going Somewhere
My first real job out of college was in Orange County, California. It was a start up educational company whose primary focus was to run after-school academic enrichment activities for kids 4 to 14.
The company wasn't exactly rolling in the dough. It wasn’t like they were going to fly a recent random Baylor grad all the way from Texas to sunny SoCal for the interview. Nevertheless, I managed to get a phone interview and into a second round in-person interview. It all went swimmingly and was well worth paying for my own flight. The job was a great fit. It was a combination of sales, marketing, management, and education, and I learned so much from those years that I spent running educational centers for Score!, whether it was literally pulling families in from the sidewalk or tutoring a dozen kids on different subjects all at the same time.
By the way, the story is going somewhere.
Kids at Score! worked on a computer-adaptive curriculum that assessed their reading, math, and spelling skills, among other things. The more capable the student, the more challenging the lessons. Many of these kids were making A’s in school, so in some cases, even for the first time, they would experience adversity in an academic setting. They would encounter concepts at Score! they had not yet studied. One way that we, the coaches, helped them overcome these academic challenges was by setting goals with them.
Like I said, the story is going somewhere.
In every Score! center there was a large wooden mountain (about 5' x 12'), with thin slats where you could affix a plastic mountain climber. Every kid started with a bronze climber at the very bottom of this mountain, and at the end of every session, they move their climber with one of their academic coaches. We did fun stuff between lessons like shooting baskets for scorecards, which they could then redeem for prizes, but moving the mountain climber was a vital part of their visit.
Academic coach handing out a Score! card.
At any rate, it wasn’t always a smooth process helping these kids tackle academic challenges though. Kids got frustrated, scared. Many a tear was shed when for the first time a fourth grader might see a division problem or a spelling ace moved up a grade level on the software. ("Adam, what is a bureaucracy? How am I supposed to spell that?") It was during those times, when the tears started flowing and they turned their back’s on their computer terminals, that I would sometimes take them over to the mountain.
We would stand in front of the mountain. Their eyes would fix on their climber, wedged tightly to its spot. I would tell them, “ You see how your climber is on a pretty steep part of the mountain right now? Well, look what happens just a few steps farther.” The kid - let's call her Donna - would start looking beyond her spot on the mountain and a few steps up, where there was a drop off before the climber started ascending again.
“It gets easier over there,” she would say.
“That’s right, Donna," I'd say, "and then it will get a little harder again later on. So let’s go back over there and finish this lesson. Then we will move your climber. I can’t promise you it’s going to get easy right away, but remember, we’re almost over that hill. And guess what? When you get over that hill, you’ll know you can get over the next one, too. No bureaucrat will be able to stand in your way.” :)
It was really fun to coach kids on how to conquer challenges - and in my classroom today it still is! - but it’s not always fun to be the climber on the ascent.
It’s equally scary on real mountains, too. I know this from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro years ago: on our nighttime ascent of the summit, my water system froze, leaving me dehydrated and disoriented, on the edge of altitude sickness. Scared, disoriented, in awe of the majestic sunrise, it took a very savvy Tanzanian guide to get me up and moving to reach the summit. I wouldn’t have summited without him, and I wouldn’t trade that late night and early dawn of confusion and exhaustion for the world. This is a much longer story that involves hallucinations, grape juice, prayer, and U2. Maybe one day I will tell you.
But for now...
Here’s where the story has been going.
The mountain is the curve. As I type this, Covid19 cases are multiplying throughout our nation and around the world, and we know that even with social distancing, there are many multiples more that have yet to be identified. We are headed uphill, and it’s going to get steeper, much steeper for some of us, whether it’s a lost job, lost income, family strife, or a threat to our health.
However, and this is something that comforts me, though the curve might get steep, there will be a leveling, and then a fall. This steep section might last days, weeks, months. There may be times where each of us will fear what that might mean for us personally, for our family, for our city, state, nation, or world. And in this moment and at this time, I remember standing in front of two very different mountains: the one where I’m helping a child face a challenge for the first time, and the other where I’m crumpled and gasping for oxygen, wondering how my friends are continuing on. In both cases, there’s a good guide pointing farther up the mountain to where things level off. And then also, I see a third mountain, beyond which I will meet my savior face to face.
Now the story is almost over, and remember, there was a time when you didn't know how it would end.
Wherever you find yourself on the curve tonight:1. Take heart. Remember the slopes you've already climbed. 2. Encourage each other. We won’t get there without coaching each other along the way. 3. Flatten the curve. Make sure your friends and family do the same. We all have a say - and a stake - in how steep the curve becomes.
Love, Adam
Ways to sustain your community if you have income right now: (+)
*subscribe to your local newspaper*order books through your local independent bookstore*order coffee by the pound from your coffee shop *join a CSA*donate to a food bank *donate any supplies you realize you're hoarding*tip well when ordering in* Buy a CD, download or t-shirt from a local musician or band* Give blood*Contact your local bureaucrat to keep things moving in the right direction :)
(+) Most of these ideas taken from a popular twitter feed.
Our last view of Mount Kilimanjaro, peeking through the clouds.
PS - I am still writing Tully Book Four. :)
The company wasn't exactly rolling in the dough. It wasn’t like they were going to fly a recent random Baylor grad all the way from Texas to sunny SoCal for the interview. Nevertheless, I managed to get a phone interview and into a second round in-person interview. It all went swimmingly and was well worth paying for my own flight. The job was a great fit. It was a combination of sales, marketing, management, and education, and I learned so much from those years that I spent running educational centers for Score!, whether it was literally pulling families in from the sidewalk or tutoring a dozen kids on different subjects all at the same time.
By the way, the story is going somewhere.
Kids at Score! worked on a computer-adaptive curriculum that assessed their reading, math, and spelling skills, among other things. The more capable the student, the more challenging the lessons. Many of these kids were making A’s in school, so in some cases, even for the first time, they would experience adversity in an academic setting. They would encounter concepts at Score! they had not yet studied. One way that we, the coaches, helped them overcome these academic challenges was by setting goals with them.
Like I said, the story is going somewhere.
In every Score! center there was a large wooden mountain (about 5' x 12'), with thin slats where you could affix a plastic mountain climber. Every kid started with a bronze climber at the very bottom of this mountain, and at the end of every session, they move their climber with one of their academic coaches. We did fun stuff between lessons like shooting baskets for scorecards, which they could then redeem for prizes, but moving the mountain climber was a vital part of their visit.
Academic coach handing out a Score! card.At any rate, it wasn’t always a smooth process helping these kids tackle academic challenges though. Kids got frustrated, scared. Many a tear was shed when for the first time a fourth grader might see a division problem or a spelling ace moved up a grade level on the software. ("Adam, what is a bureaucracy? How am I supposed to spell that?") It was during those times, when the tears started flowing and they turned their back’s on their computer terminals, that I would sometimes take them over to the mountain.
We would stand in front of the mountain. Their eyes would fix on their climber, wedged tightly to its spot. I would tell them, “ You see how your climber is on a pretty steep part of the mountain right now? Well, look what happens just a few steps farther.” The kid - let's call her Donna - would start looking beyond her spot on the mountain and a few steps up, where there was a drop off before the climber started ascending again.
“It gets easier over there,” she would say.
“That’s right, Donna," I'd say, "and then it will get a little harder again later on. So let’s go back over there and finish this lesson. Then we will move your climber. I can’t promise you it’s going to get easy right away, but remember, we’re almost over that hill. And guess what? When you get over that hill, you’ll know you can get over the next one, too. No bureaucrat will be able to stand in your way.” :)
It was really fun to coach kids on how to conquer challenges - and in my classroom today it still is! - but it’s not always fun to be the climber on the ascent.
It’s equally scary on real mountains, too. I know this from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro years ago: on our nighttime ascent of the summit, my water system froze, leaving me dehydrated and disoriented, on the edge of altitude sickness. Scared, disoriented, in awe of the majestic sunrise, it took a very savvy Tanzanian guide to get me up and moving to reach the summit. I wouldn’t have summited without him, and I wouldn’t trade that late night and early dawn of confusion and exhaustion for the world. This is a much longer story that involves hallucinations, grape juice, prayer, and U2. Maybe one day I will tell you.
But for now...
Here’s where the story has been going.
The mountain is the curve. As I type this, Covid19 cases are multiplying throughout our nation and around the world, and we know that even with social distancing, there are many multiples more that have yet to be identified. We are headed uphill, and it’s going to get steeper, much steeper for some of us, whether it’s a lost job, lost income, family strife, or a threat to our health.
However, and this is something that comforts me, though the curve might get steep, there will be a leveling, and then a fall. This steep section might last days, weeks, months. There may be times where each of us will fear what that might mean for us personally, for our family, for our city, state, nation, or world. And in this moment and at this time, I remember standing in front of two very different mountains: the one where I’m helping a child face a challenge for the first time, and the other where I’m crumpled and gasping for oxygen, wondering how my friends are continuing on. In both cases, there’s a good guide pointing farther up the mountain to where things level off. And then also, I see a third mountain, beyond which I will meet my savior face to face.
Now the story is almost over, and remember, there was a time when you didn't know how it would end.
Wherever you find yourself on the curve tonight:1. Take heart. Remember the slopes you've already climbed. 2. Encourage each other. We won’t get there without coaching each other along the way. 3. Flatten the curve. Make sure your friends and family do the same. We all have a say - and a stake - in how steep the curve becomes.
Love, Adam
Ways to sustain your community if you have income right now: (+)
*subscribe to your local newspaper*order books through your local independent bookstore*order coffee by the pound from your coffee shop *join a CSA*donate to a food bank *donate any supplies you realize you're hoarding*tip well when ordering in* Buy a CD, download or t-shirt from a local musician or band* Give blood*Contact your local bureaucrat to keep things moving in the right direction :)
(+) Most of these ideas taken from a popular twitter feed.
Our last view of Mount Kilimanjaro, peeking through the clouds.PS - I am still writing Tully Book Four. :)
December 31, 2019
Pictures and a Poem for the End of a Decade by Adam Holt
Questions and One-Thousand Word Answers by Adam Holt
Do you understand my title? Either way, here we go....
Has the Eagle landed? Is Mission Control restored?
Did I visit Costa Rica?
Once?
Twice?
3 times?
Did I see a sloth in the rainforest? Did I get rained on in the rainforest?
Do the heavens declare the glory of God?
Do the skies proclaim the work of His hands?
Do they? Do they truly?
Did an artist turn my poems into paintings?
Did I ever imagine this might happen?
Did I meet one of my favorite bands?Did I listen to them while writing my first two books?
Were my students great?
Do I have the high score on Pac-Man at work?
Did I go back to Redland to run workshops?Did I pose with students?
Did I pose with a bear?
Did I pose with my cousins in front of a carat a DC United game?
Did I pose with a friend?
Did I pose with a latte at the Capitol?
Did my parents celebrate their 50th anniversary?Did they really?
Did we all go the beach as a fam?Did my godson write a book?
Did I play volleyball? Did I win?Did I lose the trophy?
See my face. You can tell.
Did I coach volleyball? Did we win a trophy or two? Did we nerd out and play Scrabble sometime?
Wlll I miss my seniors next year?
Did I rock these glasses in 7th grade?
Did I write? Did I write as much as I intended?
Did I sing? Did I perform as much as I wanted?
Did my mom beat cancer?
My mom beat cancer.Does anything matter more than that? Is this a sweet hat?
My mom beat cancer.Is anything sweeter than that?
And lastly, here I am, at the end of a decade, with my arms up in triumph,recovering from knee surgery,celebrating modern medicine,and wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years.
Love and rockets,Adam
For books and music and all else: adamholtwrites.com
Do you understand my title? Either way, here we go....
Has the Eagle landed? Is Mission Control restored?
Did I visit Costa Rica?
Once?
Twice?
3 times?
Did I see a sloth in the rainforest? Did I get rained on in the rainforest?
Do the heavens declare the glory of God?
Do the skies proclaim the work of His hands?
Do they? Do they truly?
Did an artist turn my poems into paintings?
Did I ever imagine this might happen?
Did I meet one of my favorite bands?Did I listen to them while writing my first two books?
Were my students great?
Do I have the high score on Pac-Man at work?
Did I go back to Redland to run workshops?Did I pose with students?
Did I pose with a bear?
Did I pose with my cousins in front of a carat a DC United game?
Did I pose with a friend?
Did I pose with a latte at the Capitol?
Did my parents celebrate their 50th anniversary?Did they really?
Did we all go the beach as a fam?Did my godson write a book?
Did I play volleyball? Did I win?Did I lose the trophy?
See my face. You can tell.
Did I coach volleyball? Did we win a trophy or two? Did we nerd out and play Scrabble sometime?
Wlll I miss my seniors next year?
Did I rock these glasses in 7th grade?
Did I write? Did I write as much as I intended?
Did I sing? Did I perform as much as I wanted?
Did my mom beat cancer?
My mom beat cancer.Does anything matter more than that? Is this a sweet hat?
My mom beat cancer.Is anything sweeter than that?
And lastly, here I am, at the end of a decade, with my arms up in triumph,recovering from knee surgery,celebrating modern medicine,and wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years.
Love and rockets,Adam
For books and music and all else: adamholtwrites.com
November 29, 2019
TULLY ON SALE! HELP ME REACH NEW READERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON :)
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Dear friends,
Greetings from Costa Rica! This is a long post.
I'm happy about the sunset behind me. I swear!
I wanted to reach out and let you know that The Conspiracy Game is free on Kindle for two days, and the second and third book are on sale through Monday. Could you post about this between pictures of your turkey day and help me reach a few readers this holiday season? Paperback copies are available from Amazon or email me (adamholtwrites@gmail.com) if you need/want autographed copies. Thanks! Here’s the link: http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash
Here’s my rationale behind the books:
We spend so much time gazing at our cell phones and precious little at the billions of stars swirling over our heads enough. The Tully Harper Series allows readers to sneak into space along with the main characters, and hopefully it helps us all focus are minds on the endless possibilities of space exploration.
This is Kjelll Lindgren, astronaut. He bought these books for his kiddos.
I have no idea if they like them or not, but it was a pleasure to sell him some books.
As an astronaut and commander of the International Space Station, he's someone
that has made a difference in advancing the human race.
These are the kind of people
I want kids to admire.So about the books, if you need a refresher. http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash
The Conspiracy Game is about a boy who sneaks into space with his two best friends on his dad's spacesuit, bound for an undisclosed location. Once there, they find something that changes the fate of the solar system. Each book in the series takes the reader, and the main character, farther into our solar system, visiting real moons like Enceladus and Europa. It was fun to research these moons and invent a civilization that might dwell there.
BrazCon 2018: Here's a picture of two girls that bought all three books in the series so far.
We talked about writing and space travel for a good fifteen minutes. Time well spent!
Unadulterated review from Amazon. I always appreciate the reviews because they attract new readers.
In the Rathmore Chaos, Tully becomes a fugitive on Earth, not that he wants to be there. He’s lost one of his dear friends in space, and is looking for a way to find her. He finds that way, and it takes him on a path further into the solar system and deeper into the mysteries of the alien race who hold his friend hostage. They're a lot like us, and this book is quite frankly about exploration, persistence, inclusiveness, and love. The Icarus storyline is close to my heart. I patterned this alien rebel after Diedrich Bonhoeffer, a German Christian pastor who resisted Hitler and lost his life in the process.
A Cord of Three Strands is told from multiple points of view. It allows the reader to follow Tully’s adventure to a moon on the brink of destruction. It also follows his friends on Earth, recently captured by the Ascendant. How will Sunjay the rebel fighter use his photographic memory to battle the Ascendant? And how will Tabitha the spy help him…if she can first choose a side in the war?
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” - Garrison Keillor
We don’t do a ton of advertising for these books. It’s mainly word of mouth or through writing events. Since I'm going all in on Black friday this year (FREE BOOKS! DISCOUNTED RATES! BUY NOW!), it's a great to share this with the young adults or old adults in your life. Thanks for supporting the creative endeavors of artists like me. We do appreciate you and hope to keep you entertained. As they say in Costa Rica, "Pura vida!" http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash Love and rockets,- Adam
Dear friends,
Greetings from Costa Rica! This is a long post.
I'm happy about the sunset behind me. I swear! I wanted to reach out and let you know that The Conspiracy Game is free on Kindle for two days, and the second and third book are on sale through Monday. Could you post about this between pictures of your turkey day and help me reach a few readers this holiday season? Paperback copies are available from Amazon or email me (adamholtwrites@gmail.com) if you need/want autographed copies. Thanks! Here’s the link: http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash
Here’s my rationale behind the books:
We spend so much time gazing at our cell phones and precious little at the billions of stars swirling over our heads enough. The Tully Harper Series allows readers to sneak into space along with the main characters, and hopefully it helps us all focus are minds on the endless possibilities of space exploration.
This is Kjelll Lindgren, astronaut. He bought these books for his kiddos.I have no idea if they like them or not, but it was a pleasure to sell him some books.
As an astronaut and commander of the International Space Station, he's someone
that has made a difference in advancing the human race.
These are the kind of people
I want kids to admire.So about the books, if you need a refresher. http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash
The Conspiracy Game is about a boy who sneaks into space with his two best friends on his dad's spacesuit, bound for an undisclosed location. Once there, they find something that changes the fate of the solar system. Each book in the series takes the reader, and the main character, farther into our solar system, visiting real moons like Enceladus and Europa. It was fun to research these moons and invent a civilization that might dwell there.
BrazCon 2018: Here's a picture of two girls that bought all three books in the series so far. We talked about writing and space travel for a good fifteen minutes. Time well spent!
Unadulterated review from Amazon. I always appreciate the reviews because they attract new readers.In the Rathmore Chaos, Tully becomes a fugitive on Earth, not that he wants to be there. He’s lost one of his dear friends in space, and is looking for a way to find her. He finds that way, and it takes him on a path further into the solar system and deeper into the mysteries of the alien race who hold his friend hostage. They're a lot like us, and this book is quite frankly about exploration, persistence, inclusiveness, and love. The Icarus storyline is close to my heart. I patterned this alien rebel after Diedrich Bonhoeffer, a German Christian pastor who resisted Hitler and lost his life in the process.
A Cord of Three Strands is told from multiple points of view. It allows the reader to follow Tully’s adventure to a moon on the brink of destruction. It also follows his friends on Earth, recently captured by the Ascendant. How will Sunjay the rebel fighter use his photographic memory to battle the Ascendant? And how will Tabitha the spy help him…if she can first choose a side in the war?
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” - Garrison Keillor
We don’t do a ton of advertising for these books. It’s mainly word of mouth or through writing events. Since I'm going all in on Black friday this year (FREE BOOKS! DISCOUNTED RATES! BUY NOW!), it's a great to share this with the young adults or old adults in your life. Thanks for supporting the creative endeavors of artists like me. We do appreciate you and hope to keep you entertained. As they say in Costa Rica, "Pura vida!" http://hyperurl.co/adamauthorsplash Love and rockets,- Adam
July 16, 2019
Apollo 11: The 50th Anniversary Is Finally Here!
I'm headed to Space Center Houston today to hear my dad talk about the launch. 50 years ago today, 9:32 ET, Apollo 11 blasted off from Launch Pad 39-A in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
I encourage you to relive space history this week in your own way, whether it's attending an event or finding something online.
As a matter of fact, this is one of the most fascinating websites I've found to do so. You can see and hear history unfold in real time: https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/
50 years. I set my first novel fifty years from today, so we are now at the halfway point between space history and my own space fiction. It has me wondering what life will be like in fifty years. May God grant us the great to make this place happier and healthier than it is today. I'm reminded of JFK's words spoken at Rice University in 1962: "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
Where will we choose to go next? How can we best use our energies and skills? What are we unwilling to postpone any longer? Tully Harper heard the words, "Go, and do not delay," whispered to him in a dream. This (and a vision) encourages him to sneak into space, and I hope you'll find encouragement to be bold and do something daring in your own life this week, too. After all, sneaking into space isn't nearly as hard as he makes it look. See below.... :)
Love and rockets,
Adam
Other links:
https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm JFK's speech
https://spacecenter.org/ Space Center Houston website for events
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/ Kennedy Space Center website for events, resources
https://spacecenter.org/apollo-50/apollo-anniversary-celebration/
I encourage you to relive space history this week in your own way, whether it's attending an event or finding something online.
As a matter of fact, this is one of the most fascinating websites I've found to do so. You can see and hear history unfold in real time: https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/
50 years. I set my first novel fifty years from today, so we are now at the halfway point between space history and my own space fiction. It has me wondering what life will be like in fifty years. May God grant us the great to make this place happier and healthier than it is today. I'm reminded of JFK's words spoken at Rice University in 1962: "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
Where will we choose to go next? How can we best use our energies and skills? What are we unwilling to postpone any longer? Tully Harper heard the words, "Go, and do not delay," whispered to him in a dream. This (and a vision) encourages him to sneak into space, and I hope you'll find encouragement to be bold and do something daring in your own life this week, too. After all, sneaking into space isn't nearly as hard as he makes it look. See below.... :)
Love and rockets,
Adam
Other links:
https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm JFK's speech
https://spacecenter.org/ Space Center Houston website for events
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/ Kennedy Space Center website for events, resources
https://spacecenter.org/apollo-50/apollo-anniversary-celebration/
June 3, 2019
It's Snowing in Houston in June
{As always, find my books here and my music here.}
This is true.
I had the strangest dream last night. In the dream, I woke up and found that it was snowing in Houston in June. Clods of white snow covered the streets knee-deep. I was staying at my parent's house although I was a grown-up in the dream, and waking up to all to fresh snowfall made no meteorological sense. My mom didn’t seem phased. She was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, and my dad was outside clearing the roads for cars.
Of course, even in the dream world, it was still Houston. The snow was already melting. Mini-icebergs floated on a river of slush and came to rest in front of the storm drains. Above all, the sun smouldered, waited for just the right time to smite my nocturnal wonderland.
"It should be all gone in a day or two," said my dad, still shoveling, smiling, with the sun beaming down.
End of dream.
Hmmmm....
SWAMPS, SUMMER, AND LIMINALITY
I don't know quite what to make of this one, but let me give it a shot.
I’m on summer break.
Summer is - or has become - a liminal space for teachers and students. I mean "liminal" in the anthropological sense. You can read the Wikipedia link, if you like, but I'll define a liminal space as a space between regularly ordered parts of life that allows a person the freedom to do or be things outside their normal purveyance. Usually, to reach a liminal space someone has to cross a threshold. Think of Luke Skywalker going to the swampy planet of Degobah, where he met Yoda and received his training. He returned, not a complete Jedi, but an accomplished one. Summer break - really June 1st - is that threshold for me.
Crossing a threshold last June at King's Cross. This is Platform 9 3/4, which is a threshold in Harry Potter. Young students leaving for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had to push their luggage carts through this wall to reach the train to Hogwarts. You're getting the whole liminal thing now, right? It's all over the place if you start looking for it, like I did last year on my Juneventure in Europe. Every summer I've had for the last decade I've tried to treat like a liminal space, and that has changed me. I wouldn't have written a screenplay, three books, an album, or quit my job to pursue writing for a time if I had not treated summer break as such. It was - and is - a stepping off point for me, where I can explore - creatively, personally, geographically. And I am thankful to God to have those opportunities to pursue these many things. I almost feel guilty having all this time to myself, like I should be doing the sort of work everyone else does all summer long. Almost. Then I remember that I am doing work, even if sometimes it feels more like play.
THE LIMINAL LANDSCAPE (AKA SUMMER PLANS)
MARYLAND WRITING WORKSHOPLast June I began the summer with a trip to Redland Middle School. My friend Chrissy works in the English Department there, and I’ve run two days of writer’s workshops at Redland for the last four years. After having my students for a full year, it’s rewarding and energizing to dive into a school for an intensive two days - more like being a grandparent wanting to make the most of every moment rather than the parent who has to manage expectations more carefully. I can say things like, “Today is all for you. It’s your chance to find out what it’s like to be an author, so go have fun with that. Your only job is to keep your pen moving: that’s the writer’s job. It’s just that easy and just that hard.” Anyway, that usually goes over pretty well, which is why they’ve asked me back again. This year’s trip is in thanks to a contribution from my current school, Kinkaid. Thanks to them for supporting my work.
THE TWO BIG FIFTIES!Later this month I’m headed to Galveston for my parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary! Good grief, time flies.
In July, another milestone: it has been fifty years since The Eagle landed on the moon. Plenty of events to attend in Houston because of that!
TULLY I’m working on book four. It’s a lot. I should have it out next year. Ending this series will be bittersweet, but I look forward to wrapping up this tale and beginning another.
I might write more about the landing, the anniversary, and Tully on the blog in the coming months.
FINALLY Now, if you don't mind, there’s a boarding gate about to open. I'll step over this threshold and take a first step into June. I think I have it all planned out, don’t I? Let’s see how long that lasts.
After all, it was snowing in Houston when I woke up this morning. Although I hear it’s 95 today.
Love and rockets, Adam
PS - If you want updates and I forget to post here, contact me at adamholtwrites [@] gmail.com or via social media available on adamholtwrites.com.
This is true.
I had the strangest dream last night. In the dream, I woke up and found that it was snowing in Houston in June. Clods of white snow covered the streets knee-deep. I was staying at my parent's house although I was a grown-up in the dream, and waking up to all to fresh snowfall made no meteorological sense. My mom didn’t seem phased. She was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, and my dad was outside clearing the roads for cars.
Of course, even in the dream world, it was still Houston. The snow was already melting. Mini-icebergs floated on a river of slush and came to rest in front of the storm drains. Above all, the sun smouldered, waited for just the right time to smite my nocturnal wonderland.
"It should be all gone in a day or two," said my dad, still shoveling, smiling, with the sun beaming down.
End of dream.
Hmmmm....
SWAMPS, SUMMER, AND LIMINALITY
I don't know quite what to make of this one, but let me give it a shot.
I’m on summer break.
Summer is - or has become - a liminal space for teachers and students. I mean "liminal" in the anthropological sense. You can read the Wikipedia link, if you like, but I'll define a liminal space as a space between regularly ordered parts of life that allows a person the freedom to do or be things outside their normal purveyance. Usually, to reach a liminal space someone has to cross a threshold. Think of Luke Skywalker going to the swampy planet of Degobah, where he met Yoda and received his training. He returned, not a complete Jedi, but an accomplished one. Summer break - really June 1st - is that threshold for me.
Crossing a threshold last June at King's Cross. This is Platform 9 3/4, which is a threshold in Harry Potter. Young students leaving for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had to push their luggage carts through this wall to reach the train to Hogwarts. You're getting the whole liminal thing now, right? It's all over the place if you start looking for it, like I did last year on my Juneventure in Europe. Every summer I've had for the last decade I've tried to treat like a liminal space, and that has changed me. I wouldn't have written a screenplay, three books, an album, or quit my job to pursue writing for a time if I had not treated summer break as such. It was - and is - a stepping off point for me, where I can explore - creatively, personally, geographically. And I am thankful to God to have those opportunities to pursue these many things. I almost feel guilty having all this time to myself, like I should be doing the sort of work everyone else does all summer long. Almost. Then I remember that I am doing work, even if sometimes it feels more like play. THE LIMINAL LANDSCAPE (AKA SUMMER PLANS)
MARYLAND WRITING WORKSHOPLast June I began the summer with a trip to Redland Middle School. My friend Chrissy works in the English Department there, and I’ve run two days of writer’s workshops at Redland for the last four years. After having my students for a full year, it’s rewarding and energizing to dive into a school for an intensive two days - more like being a grandparent wanting to make the most of every moment rather than the parent who has to manage expectations more carefully. I can say things like, “Today is all for you. It’s your chance to find out what it’s like to be an author, so go have fun with that. Your only job is to keep your pen moving: that’s the writer’s job. It’s just that easy and just that hard.” Anyway, that usually goes over pretty well, which is why they’ve asked me back again. This year’s trip is in thanks to a contribution from my current school, Kinkaid. Thanks to them for supporting my work.
THE TWO BIG FIFTIES!Later this month I’m headed to Galveston for my parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary! Good grief, time flies.
In July, another milestone: it has been fifty years since The Eagle landed on the moon. Plenty of events to attend in Houston because of that!
TULLY I’m working on book four. It’s a lot. I should have it out next year. Ending this series will be bittersweet, but I look forward to wrapping up this tale and beginning another.
I might write more about the landing, the anniversary, and Tully on the blog in the coming months.
FINALLY Now, if you don't mind, there’s a boarding gate about to open. I'll step over this threshold and take a first step into June. I think I have it all planned out, don’t I? Let’s see how long that lasts.
After all, it was snowing in Houston when I woke up this morning. Although I hear it’s 95 today.
Love and rockets, Adam
PS - If you want updates and I forget to post here, contact me at adamholtwrites [@] gmail.com or via social media available on adamholtwrites.com.
January 9, 2019
SNEAK PEEK OF MY POEMS AS PAINTINGS!
Dear Conspirators, In this post...RESOLUTIONS and a SNEAK PEEK at my POEMS AS PAINTINGS!
RESOLUTIONS
How's the New Year treating you? Other than some haywire allergies, I'm feeling good about life and trying to tackle my resolutions. I had my students write resolutions as well, and before doing so, I presented them with the fact that 80% of people fail at their resolution. My question to them was this: "Just how resolute do you think most people are about their resolutions?" To me, that seems to be the key. We did a word study on resolute and then used a powerful verb to start the writing prompt:
In 2019 I resolve to....
...to be kinder to my brother.
...to keep getting A's.
...to snowboard eight times this year and land new tricks.
...to go outside and jump on the trampoline.
...learn to play at least one of my songs on the guitar well enough to where I can sing along.
...finish my third book and then some.
...maintain a healthy work/life/sports/faith balance. Or should I say faith/life/work/sports.
So the first three are students' and the last three are mine, it goes without saying (but gets said anyway). What about you? What do you resolve to do? I challenge you to write a rez like we did and share it with someone. Committing them to this blog reifies my resolutions. To achieve them, I need to reconnect with my creative motivations, which include my faith, optimism, and my goal of pointing readers upward toward grandeur beyond themselves.
SNEAK PEEK!
Color: Story Exhibition
Reify. I love this word. I'm looking forward to seeing poems become paintings at the Color: Story exhibit. Here's a sneak peek screenshot of Marlo Saucedo's treatment of several of my poems. The Eiffel Tower mixed in with a Houston skyline comprised of my poems? I'm blown away. Come to the event and hear several poets share the work that inspired the Color:Story paintings.
Love and rockets,
Adam
RESOLUTIONS
How's the New Year treating you? Other than some haywire allergies, I'm feeling good about life and trying to tackle my resolutions. I had my students write resolutions as well, and before doing so, I presented them with the fact that 80% of people fail at their resolution. My question to them was this: "Just how resolute do you think most people are about their resolutions?" To me, that seems to be the key. We did a word study on resolute and then used a powerful verb to start the writing prompt:
In 2019 I resolve to....
...to be kinder to my brother.
...to keep getting A's.
...to snowboard eight times this year and land new tricks.
...to go outside and jump on the trampoline.
...learn to play at least one of my songs on the guitar well enough to where I can sing along.
...finish my third book and then some.
...maintain a healthy work/life/sports/faith balance. Or should I say faith/life/work/sports.
So the first three are students' and the last three are mine, it goes without saying (but gets said anyway). What about you? What do you resolve to do? I challenge you to write a rez like we did and share it with someone. Committing them to this blog reifies my resolutions. To achieve them, I need to reconnect with my creative motivations, which include my faith, optimism, and my goal of pointing readers upward toward grandeur beyond themselves.
SNEAK PEEK!
Color: Story Exhibition
Reify. I love this word. I'm looking forward to seeing poems become paintings at the Color: Story exhibit. Here's a sneak peek screenshot of Marlo Saucedo's treatment of several of my poems. The Eiffel Tower mixed in with a Houston skyline comprised of my poems? I'm blown away. Come to the event and hear several poets share the work that inspired the Color:Story paintings.
Love and rockets,
Adam
