HW#7 Ted Atchley part 1 Newsletter before and after

BEFORE

Dive into Exciting Stories and Meet Author Clint Hall

Hello there, and welcome to the April newsletter. Spring has arrived in the southern United States, and with it, one of my favorite holiday celebrations, Easter. This was our first Easter without my eldest daughter, who is away at college. It was different, but we still had a great time with my middle school aged son.

How has your spring been? Did you see the eclipse? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Now, let’s “spring” into this month’s news and book recommendations.

Book Recommendation: “Steal Fire from the Gods” by Clint Hall

The novel features a dystopian world where androids rule the world. It’s like The Terminator, except the Terminators learned elemental magic. They hurl fireballs, summon windstorms, part the sea, and move huge chunks of earth.

This is a great science fantasy book—a blending of science fiction and fantasy that goes together like chocolate and peanut butter. The plot kept me on my toes with a story that never went in the direction I thought it was going to go. The characters are fully dimensional, and I was invested in their outcomes.

I’m a little bummed this was a standalone. While I look forward to the future works of Mr. Hall, I hope at some point, he will decide to revisit this world and these characters.

Get to know Clint Hall

Clint graciously agreed to a short, three-question interview to let you get to know him better. These are not your usual interview questions.

[three-question interview with Clint follows]

What I'm reading now? Risk the Real by Allen Arnold

I’m diving into a non-fiction with Risk the Real by Allen Arnold. AI strikes many as a neutral source. It’s actually a human-shaped creation that reflects the bias, prejudices, and worldview of its creators–many of whom actively oppose God.

In his new book, Risk the Real, author Allen Arnold reveals the roots of the issue and how to defy the rise of the artificial.

I loved Arnold’s The Eden Option. Risk the Real is a sequel to that. You don’t have to have read The Eden Option to read Risk the Real, but I think it helps.

What I'm listening to? The Experience: Conversations with Creatives

Clint Hall hosts a podcast where he interviews different creatives and entrepreneurs to discover how and why they do what they do. Besides writers, he talks with musicians and artists. I find these conversations fascinating and informative. Clint has a relaxed style and is easy to talk to. Find The Experience: Conversations with Creatives on your favorite podcast app.

What I'm watching: The Bad Batch, season 3

The last season of The Bad Batch has been a wild ride. The show slowly built-up momentum through the first nine episodes. Then, episodes ten and eleven were a punch in the gut, and some of the best Star Wars television I’ve seen, live-action or animation. It should be a fantastic final four episodes.

I’m also really excited about the recently announced Tales of the Empire. This follow-on to Tales of the Jedi will follow Bariss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth. We’ve been wondering what happened to Offee for years, and Morgan was a character I felt would be perfect for the backstory expansion the Tales series does so well.

AFTER

Dive into Exciting Stories and Meet Author Clint Hall

Hello there! Spring has arrived in the southern United States, along with my favorite holiday, Easter. This was our first Easter without my eldest daughter, who is away at college. It was different, but we still had a great time with my middle school aged son.

How has your spring been? Did you see the eclipse? I’d love to hear about your experiences. I personally read and respond to every email I receive, and I’d love to hear from you.

It’s also tax season. They even have to do taxes in the Star Wars universe. How do the Sand People of Tatooine keep from paying taxes? They single file to hide their numbers!