'Fracking Justice' Kickstarter - 13 days to go now

WATKINS GLEN, New York - The Kickstarter campaign for Fracking Justice is past the midway point, with 13 days left to run.

That leaves 13 days to preorder a print book, e-book, audiobook or a T-shirt. Or maybe some combination of all four.

LINK to Kickstarter campaign.

After yesterday's blog post (and email) a number of folks jumped on the Fracking Justice Kickstarter bandwagon.

Thank you all!

So far, 31 folks have contributed $1,200, preordering their print books, e-books, audiobooks and T-shirts.

The T-shirts - designed by Canandaigua artist Amy Colburn who also did the book cover - are being printed and will be ready in the next few weeks.

And this  week - provided my cold goes away - I will be in Scott Adams' Hector, NY studio to record the soundtrack for the audiobook of Fracking Justice.

If you have any questions about the Kickstarter or how the rewards/purchase/preorder works shoot me an email by clicking this link: Michael.FitzgeraldFLTcolumnist@gmail.com

Thanks for your support.

'Fracking Justice' final proofs done - now it's all Kickstarter

ALAMEDA, Calif. - The final-final-final page proofs of Fracking Justice are done! I found the last out-of-place commas, formatting errors and (OK, OK!) spelling goofs today.

Now the book will be put into its final form by Mill City Press, still on track for a June 1 public release. Kickstarter backers will see their copies earlier.

This week Adm. Fox and I launched a Kickstarter campaign for the book, similar to what we did for The Fracking War. This time  Kickstarter backers can pre-order a print edition, e-book, audio book, a specially designed T-shirt - or a combination of any of these.

The audio book has proven to be the most complicated part of all this.

With the encouragement of Canandaigua, NY artist Amy Colburn, (who did the cover art for Fracking Justice),  I went into the recording studio of Hector musician Scott Adams where I recorded an audio book of The Fracking War. And when I return to the Finger Lakes in a week, I'll be recording the sound for production of the audio book of Fracking Justice.

Ever try reading aloud for hours without making a single mistake? 
Or stifle a cough mid-sentence? 
Or stop your your stomach from gurgling so loud the sound gets picked up by a microphone?

Kee-rist it's hard.

This week we also finalized the back-cover endorsements for Fracking Justice, too.

Here they are, also listed on the Kickstarter page (LINK: to Kickstarter):

Josh Fox - Director of Gasland and Gasland 2:
"At a time when fracking and other forms of extreme fossil fuel development threaten to destroy everything we hold dear, Fracking Justice is there to remind us of the true cost of fracking. It may be fiction but it shows how the fossil fuel industry is fracturing not only our land but our communities. Read this page-turner, then pass it on. "

Will Potter - author of the compelling book Green is the New Red:
"This isn't just a good read—it's grounded in a very real ecological crisis, and a backlash against those who dare to speak up. Fracking Justice captures exactly what is at stake, both for the planet and for our freedoms."

Mystery fiction writer Elle Ashe - author of Chasing the Dollar:
"A smart, powerful page-turner." In the new genre of environmental thriller, she says, "It’s exciting, edge-of-your-seat writing, and is all the more scary because it’s so timely."

Executive editor of the daily Finger Lakes Times newspaper, Mike Cutillo:
 "Fitzgerald has the uncanny ability to write in the meaty, fact-filled manner of a veteran hardscrabble journalist while also weaving a deft and enjoyable storyline befitting a seasoned novelist. In Fracking Justice — just like in The Fracking War — he puts his knowledge about the environmental and social issues associated with hydraulic fracturing to use in crafting a real page-turner with characters you feel for and care about. This is a must-read -- whether you want to learn more about fracking or are simply a fan of good writing."

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With praise like that, they have set the bar pretty damn high for Fracking Evil, the third book I plan to write in this fracking series.

Did I say damn high? The evil is creeping up on me already...
 

"The Book of Mormon" musical opens in San Francisco...

ORPHEUM THEATER, San Francisco, Calif. - The theater critics who said the musical "The Book of Mormon" is over-the-top, irreverent, obnoxious - and even in bad taste in spots - were all right.

But it's also hilarious, entertaining and provides some interesting insight, not only into the entire Mormon culture, but human nature.

 The plot revolves around a group of young Mormon men headed out on their church mission.

And what a mission they go on.

Adm. Fox and I viewed the show from some waaaaaaay back seats at the classic Orpheum Theater on Market Street. Even so, it was hard to take your eyes off the stage for even a second, the action moved so fast.

And the singing! And the choreography! It was timed so neatly the two+ hours of show zipped by.

The show was written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone which explains a lot of the more eye-popping elements/concepts presented. I won't spoil the show by saying what they are. But wow!

Parker and Stone must be confident that God has a good sense of humor. (I'm sure she does. I watched the movie "Dogma.")

In the end, perhaps ironically, "The Book of Mormon" musical seems to offer a message for nearly everyone. You will have to check it out in person to see what the play has to say to you.

Springtime - and spring sneezes - in the Sacramento air

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The shock of 60+ degree days after the past few winter months at Seneca Lake was, not surprisingly, almost as startling as when Adm. Sylvia Fox and I used to fly into Puerto Vallarta, stepping out of an air-conditioned plane into a sauna masquerading as a resort city.

But here in California it hasn't been just the temperature, it is the sunshine. Hours and hours of it. Hours. Sunshine.

 Still,  this isn't entirely a paean to the drought-stricken Golden State. In addition to the warmth and sunshine, I rediscovered why we weren't always thrilled with California in the spring when we lived here for years.

Allergies. Lots of allergies.

My airplane flights from Elmira to Chicago, and then Chicago to Sacramento, sent my sinuses into such a paroxysm of congestion I wondered if it might need to use a half stick of nasal dynamite to unclog the logjam. But a day of hot showers and gentle sinus rinsing brought my breathing almost back to normal.

Almost.

Then we started taking long, glorious walks in the sunshine, past carefully tended flower beds and gardens, all gloriously in bloom here while still  a faroff dream for upstate New Yorkers. And amid the glorious sunshine and blooming there were also some less-glorious puffs of pollen that have sent my sinuses almost back to where they were when I got off the cattle-car flight from Chicago.

All that said, sitting in the sun and not having to put on boots (for either snow or mud) is a treat. And if it means I have to lug a small box of tissues with me, it's worth it.

I bought an extra box to take home with me to New York when I travel in about two weeks. Thing should just start blooming shortly after I get back.

And I hope the sun has returned, too.