I see space debris everywhere.

Hello CK Westbrook readers,

I hope you are all doing great!

And yes, I do see space debris everywhere.

You know how when you learn about something, and suddenly it’s everywhere? My friend was doing a crossword puzzle on Saturday and asked, “Ten letters for floating junk?” The answer was space waste! Good job LA Times! I like the word waste better than debris as debris sounds benign while waste is often dangerous.

If you have read “The Impact Series,” are you seeing more space debris and waste referenced in the media?

For me, it’s a consequence of growing up near Florida’s Space Coast and the research I did for the writing of “The Impact Series.” As an environmentalist, I am keenly aware of pollution and its impacts on humans, wildlife, and nature. When I realized how much we have polluted space, I was heartbroken. Humans do seem determined to leave pollution everywhere we go. I follow many leaders calling attention to this crisis, like Dr. Moriba Jah, in the space sustainability world and share their research and work on my Twitter and other social media. Check it out, it is fascinating. And look at the pictures below.

As for mass shootings, those are everywhere. The mass shooting tracker reports that there have been 269 mass shootings so far in 2023, and sadly probably more by the time I post this. There have been 5404 since January 2013. America is averaging 2 a day now. I often wonder what the world would be like without guns and gun violence, but you all know that.

Being a dark, suspenseful, sci-fi writer makes me gloomy sometimes. But then there is The Judgment, which makes me smile.

On to happier topics!

Booky Call Update:

The Shooting is still doing awesome on Booky Call. So many “matches,” “swiped rights” and “DMs!” If you are an avid reader, check out the app. It’s fun!

Book Recommendation:

I love to read and will often be enjoying two books at the same time, one fiction and one nonfiction. I do read slowly since I’m supposed to be writing.

I recently read and highly recommend the book, PESTS, by Bethany Brookshire. It’s both fun and educational. It dives into the history of animals we consider pests and explains how our interactions with them have caused conflict, sometimes because we love (or loved at a different time) them too much. Some of the species Bethany does a deep dive into include, bears in North Carolina, rats everywhere, elephants in Africa, the amazing history of pigeons and sparrows, and of course cats! It’s informative and funny.

Let me know what you’re reading and what you recommend!

Listeners Update:

The audiobook of The Judgment is available. It usually takes around six weeks after publication, so if you have been waiting to listen to the grand finale of “The Impact Series,” it’s now available!

I love to meet “The Impact Series” readers in person!

I will be in the Artist Alley (table C29) at Awesome Con in Washington D.C. June 16-18, 2023. Some of the celebrity headliners at the con include Andy Serkis (Gollum), Sean Astin (Samwise), and Elijah Wood (Frodo). Who doesn’t love Lord of the Rings? And there will be hundreds of others from the comic book and movie world, including Marvel, DC, Star Trek, and Star Wars. Hundreds of artists, authors, and creatives in one building so put on a costume and come to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center!

Awesome Con 2023 | Washington, DC Comic Con | June 16 - 18, 2023 (awesome-con.com)

I will be doing a reading and discussion of “The Impact Series” at the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library on June 22 at 6 p.m. as part of the D.C. Public Library Beyond Words series. The address is 3160 16th Street, NW, Washington D.C.

See the updated calendar is on my webpage under events for more details.

Reviews:

As always, I must ask for reviews. They are extremely important for authors.

I need The Collision to get to 50 reviews ASAP. I have been told 50 is the magic number that makes the algorithms pop! Please help us get to the pop! And of course, The Judgment is just starting out. Please help it get some love and attention!

Details for doing a review are below – along with fun pictures!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS WRITTEN REVIEWS AND TO EVERYONE THAT SOON WILL!

Feel free to email me with any comments or questions about the series. I would love to hear from you! Ckwestbrook.author@gmail.com

Please follow me at - Author CK Westbrook (@WestbrookCK) / Twitter and CK Westbrook (@ckwestbrook.author) • Instagram photos and videos and on TikTok @ckwestbrook.author

The Impact Series is available in paperback, e-book, and audio wherever books are sold. https://books2read.com/impact03

I can’t express the deep gratitude I have for my readers. Thank you for coming on this fantastic adventure with me!

CK

To write a review or give a rating on Amazon: The Collision: Amazon.com: The Collision (Impact): 9781644506226: Westbrook, Ck: Books and for The Judgment: Amazon.com: The Judgment (Impact): 9781644507124: Westbrook, Ck: Books Just click on stars and scroll down until you get to the place that reads “write a review.”

To write a review or give a rating on Goodreads: The Collision: The Collision by CK Westbrook | Goodreads and The Judgment: The Judgment (The Impact Series Book 3) by CK Westbrook | Goodreads You do need to create an account to give a review on Goodreads.

The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) is a Delegated Program in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) at NASA HQ. The ODPO has taken the international lead in conducting measurements of the orbital environment and in developing the technical consensus for adopting mitigation measures to protect the users within it.

That is their plan anyway…