HAPPENINGS FROM THE WRITING CAVE IN FEBRUARY

Unlike my other novels, I altered my style in Climatized, pairing my fictional scientists with real-life experts. Dennis Avery was the bestselling NYT co-author of Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years, Dr. Harold Doiron, was the Chairman of The Right Climate Stuff research team and NASA Apollo Space Mission veteran, and Tom Wysmuller was also a veteran of the Apollo Space Mission and a leading expert on Sea Level rise. These men became my real characters in my storyline.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. I researched the legal ramifications of using real-life characters in this manner and discovered that if I don’t impugn or misquote them in any way, I was within my legal rights as an author—but it didn’t feel right—and it certainly was not the courteous thing to do without first notifying them. So, after the manuscript was completed, I set out to make contact and to explain what I had done.

A friend who had worked with Dennis, agreed to pass along the manuscript to him, so that was easy. But what was unexpected was to receive a phone call at our home in Italy a few weeks later. Dennis’ first statement from miles away in Virginia, was that I had accomplished what no other human being in the western world has been able to express. Then, he proceeded to read aloud an outstanding review he had written. At that point the twists and turns became cartwheels.

Admittedly at that juncture, I was feeling overconfident. So, I stepped up the ante and took an astronomical leap. I decided to contact my NASA guys. To my delight, Hal and Tom responded and asked to review the manuscript to check for scientific accuracy. I wasn’t the least bit deterred by the challenge because it was imperative that the science be factual and that the storyline be plausible. In the end, it turned out to be a remarkable collaboration. From the meticulous details, explanations, suggestions, and corrections, it was clear they had devoted the time and interest to read the manuscript thoroughly. Their feedback has also greatly added to my understanding of the climate change debate we still face today.

Dedicated to getting it right, and willing to accept the support of these scientific minds, has paid off from a growing list of endorsements. Hal wrote an amazing review that became the Foreword for the book, and reviews were crafted by Jay Lehr the Science Director at The Heartland Institute and Laurence Gould, Physics Professor at the University of Hartford, to name a few.

I’m very proud of the work and the results that spawned the writing of Climatized because climate change has become a topic up there with religion and politics that creates not only heated conversations, but much confusion. I believe Climatized puts to rest much of the confusion and shines a light on the real science, returning the discussion to the dining room table. Most important, were the indelible friendships I had made. Sadly, four of these amazing men have returned to the heavens they studied so well and now they look out for us from above.

These dear friends remind me of a Hemingway quote…