Science Fiction and SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT

Science Fiction, SciFi, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy...the genre includes an array of adventures from aliens and other worlds, to time travel and steam punk. Robots, artificial intelligence, metamaterials and quantum computers. 

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT, my SciFi novella puts an ordinary family in a regular-type present-day world. Or, to be more exact, in two every-day worlds—an exploration of the implications of Everett’s Many Worlds Theory, which is a fairly solid theory in quantum physics used to explain the unusual behaviour of quanta, the tiniest known building blocks of which all matter is composed.

It is likely true, physicists say, that everything that can possibly happen, does happen. That with each option, choice, alternative that arises, reality splits. The original and all subsequent threads of reality proceed through time and space. Whether or not we, as humans, can access these other worlds is debatable. However...

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT brought to you by WolfSingerPublications View the powerful new video trailer that introduces this "...speeding bullet of a story."

Custom filmed and produced by MindWave Studios

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT: What the reviewers say--

“...like a good episode of The Twilight Zone" 

"Chilling -- a fast and fascinating read!”

"A psychological mystery of the first order..."

“...a mind-bending roller coaster ride”

"Oh, and the zinger of an ending? It will knock your socks off! (Don't say I didn't warn you). "

Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

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In-studio Author Interview

I just received this recording of my 9 January 2013 in-studio interview with Evan James on 97.7 THE SPUR. We talk about THE TRAZ, FATAL ERROR, and my author presentation to the students at the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre.

Eileen Schuh, author Interview | Muziboo
 
This was my second live in-studio radio interview, I did one around this time last year on CKLB-FM 101.9 in Yellowknife. I've also done several phone interviews for radio stations.  This, however, is the first time I've been able to hear what I sound like on air.

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Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

Happy Birthday to me!

Although I look 50 and I say I'm 50, there are those who suspect I'm not. So...how old am I today? 

What better day than a birthday to reminisce about those days of olde...

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I’m so old I remember party lines and owned a car with an 8-track player.

I’m so old, I remember the first time I heard the word “microwave” and decades later, the word “cell phone”.

I remember black and orange computer monitors, learning DOS, and buying floppy disks.

I’m so old I remember my mom being appalled when women started wear pants...with zippers in the FRONT.

I’m so old I remember my mom being appalled at the shortness of my miniskirt and the longness of young boys’ hair.

I’m so old I remember being appalled at men wearing earrings.

I’m so old...

I’m so old I remember riding in a car that had to be cranked to be started.  I remember my sister going to a one-room school house. I remember Dick and Jane and Sally, and Betty and Tom and Susan.

I remember not being able to apply to become a police officer when I finished high school...because I was female. (Not that wanted to. I just was upset that I couldn’t—you had to be there to understand. These were bra-burning days, you see. Which, by the way, was also an activity that appalled my mother.)

I’m so old both my mother and I overcame being appalled at things. 

I might be old, but, I'm not too old to make my dreams come true  Two years ago I had no books published, now I have four novels with my name on the covers.

But, here’s the real clues to how old I am...

I'm so old I was already 9 when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. I didn’t see them, though, because I was13 before we had electricity in our house and 14 before we got our first TV. 

My dad finally broke down and bought that old black and white because he wanted to watch the first man walk on the moon.

That, my kidlets, is how old I am. So...happy birthday to me!
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Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

Business Writing...

I used to quite like writing the annual Business Plan for our family company, Genesis Homes Ltd. It took a creative use of words to put the proper spin on things like market conditions, competition, and the world economic crisis. It was uplifting to review where we’d been and where we were going as a corporation. It was rewarding to look back on the hardships we’d overcome and make definitive plans to meet the challenges of the future.

But this year...

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Compared to penning stories about drug-dealing biker gangs, undercover cops, alternate universes, and run-away teens...prattling on about profit margins and debt-to-equity ratios is dreadfully dull.

I’ve thought about enlivening the prose with a bit of fiction but I’m not 100 percent certain the banker would appreciate the drama...

“The market for new housing was slow at the beginning of our fiscal year. However, after the disappearance of a young local girl with gang connections, the local police force was expanded considerably to deal with the ongoing drug dealing and biker problems. The influx of law enforcement personnel spurred the housing industry. Half-way through the year, sales skyrocketed...”

Or...

“The Town’s plan to develop the property it holds north of the tracks and bring a new subdivision, has not proceeded. It appears we’ve slid into an alternate universe, where the Town land will forever remain un-serviced and a shortage of lots on which to build will continue to be a major factor influencing the St. Paul real estate market...”

In any event, I WILL write the Business Plan, because after all, it is the family business that pays my room and board and allows me the freedom to pursue my dream of becoming a self-sufficient, best-selling international author...

“Genesis Homes Ltd. was incorporated in 1991...”

Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

It's cold in the Arctic...

It’s cold in the Arctic this time of year...and dark. Those above the Arctic circle get no sunlight. It was on just such a December day that we first meet Katrina in the prologue of THE TRAZ. It’s 1986, she’s four and playing with her computer while Tanesa, her mom—steeped in depression—sleeps. Outside, the wind howls.

Much of what Katrina dreams, does and becomes in the BackTracker series of novels has its origins back in those Arctic childhood days.

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THE TRAZ

Free January 3,4, 5th 2013 

 

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While I’ve never been as far north as Cambridge Bay, Canada where Katrina lived, I have been as far north as Yellowknife, experienced the mid-night sun during the summer solstice and a dog-sled ride during the winter one. 

I’m familiar with snow and cold, long winters and dark days, having spent my entire life in central and northern Alberta, Canada. What one is familiar with often seems quite unexciting and not worthy of mention, but artists and artisans, poets and novelists know how to weave familiarity into their work and cast a new magical light on the ordinary. 

So here’s some trivia that may help you appreciate four-year old Katrina’s life in the Arctic.

Bare skin exposed to the elements can freeze in a matter of minutes when temperatures drop and wind chill rises. Faces are often the only exposed parts of northerners when they face winter. However, even covered parts can quickly freeze, especially those parts farthest from the heart, such as toes and fingers.

 Trivia question:

As skin freezes, when does a person feel the most pain?

1. When it first starts to freeze, a warning to cover up and/or get warm
2. When the skin turns white and freezing sinks down into the tissue
3. When the skin begins to warm and thaw

Oh, yowsers! I can tell you from experience, it is #3. When the skin starts to thaw, it is very, very painful. Almost makes you want to stay frozen.  When skin first starts to freeze, one notices a bit of nippy pain but nothing severe. On the face, once the freezing sets in and white patches appear, no pain is felt at all. The area becomes numb. Fingers and toes may become increasing painful as they get colder, a stern reminder to get indoors, but if the warning is ignored, they, too, will eventually turn numb.

If the freezing is very deep and/or prolonged, tissue may be damaged beyond repair and amputation or other severe measured may be required. 

Here’s an excerpt about cold weather from THE TRAZ: (Katrina is 4 years old and in Cambridge Bay. December 1986)

 "I was going to come and see you, Daddy. Then I got caught up with the computer. I got bored with the Garfield game but I learned how to compose music using DOS. After supper I'll play you the song I wrote."

"Tanesa, that's why she needs a mother. Would you even have noticed if she'd taken off in the dark and the fifty degrees below to find me?"

"I would've found you, Daddy. I know how to get to the police detachment. I'm not stupid."

"No, you're definitely not stupid." Dave sighed.

"I know how to dress for the weather."

Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

Highly rated series...

FATAL ERROR Book II of BackTracker series: "Riveting psychological drama," says one Amazon reviewers of this thriller...and others agree. 

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This second book in my BackTracker series deals with the legal, emotional, and social consequences of the year young Katrina spent with The Traz biker gang, as well as the fallout from the undercover police operation that brought down one of North America's most notorious gangs.

Who's to blame for the torture and gang murder of young Lukas? Who should bear the guilt and who should pay the price? The answers play out as the court room battles heat up, as the media catches wind of the stories, as dark secrets become revealed.

"It's about guilt and blame, and ultimately, forgiveness," one reviewer notes. "Emotions run high in this book," says another.

FATAL ERROR was written before I wrote The Traz,  and therefore reads very well on its own. But be warned--when you finish FATAL ERROR, you'll likely feel compelled to read The Traz --to find out for yourself just who is REALLY to blame for all that went wrong.

This well-done video trailer takes you into the heat of the action and gives you an accurate taste of the intense drama in FATAL ERROR.

Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

Writing therapy for depressed teens

In THE TRAZ, young Katrina's grieving and depression sends her into a downward and dangerous spiral. Depression is common among adolescents as they struggle with the physical and emotional changes that come with puberty as well as ever more complicated life situations. Depression makes youngsters not only vulnerable to the results of their own poor decisions, but also to nefarious adults--who are always on the watch for ways to exploit others' weaknesses.

There are very effective treatments available depression and if you suspect your child may be suffering from it, seek professional help quickly. You will find a list of international resources in the back of THE TRAZ to assist you in finding the help and information you need. (For an excerpt of that list, check out my blog Who do you call when you're down and out? ) 

Agnes Jimenez, a partner with HelpYourTeenNow.com, a resource agency/parent advocacy group, shares with us information on how keeping a written journal can help teens deal with their troubles.

Journal Writing As a Therapeutic Activity for  Depressed Teenagers

Life can be overwhelming, especially for teenagers. Social pressures, raging hormones, and everyday situations can be difficult. Teens do not yet have the life experience behind them to work through many of these issues. As a parent or mentor, you have the insight and responsibility to do your best to help them. Consider suggesting that they keep a journal.

 

Helping a Depressed Teen

It is important to get help for troubled teens.  Teens, who are feeling depressed may appear withdrawn, lose interest in things they once loved, and they may feel tired all the time. If you suspect a teen of being depressed, do what you can to get a professional involved. He or she will be able to help develop a plan of treatment. If this is not possible, being a positive role model can help. Journaling is an excellent suggestion for many reasons.

The Science of Journaling

Keeping a journal isn't quack medicine, there is science behind it. According to University of Texas psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker, writing about events that are stressful helps you come to term with them. This in turn reduces their impact on your physical health. His research also suggests that keeping a journal helps to boost the immune system. In addition to keeping physically healthy, there are mental benefits as well.

Clarification of Thoughts

Teens especially can feel lost, torn, and uncertain of themselves. They may feel one way, but will act in a totally different way to fit in. Writing these inner thoughts down without worrying about how they sound can help teens get in touch with their innermost selves. A journal acts as a judgment-free sounding board.

Discovery of Self

Writing in a journal can help teens get to know themselves better. They will enjoy greater self-confidence and happiness. The process also helps them identify people or situations that are toxic.  

Stress Reduction

Teens feel a range of intense emotions like anger and sadness. Writing about them is a form of expression. Vividly writing about how they feel will release some of those feelings. This lets them move on and deal with the situation without the pent up emotions.

Problem Solving

Writing down problems is a great way of working through them. Teens will be able to analyze and be more creative about their conflicts. When looking at them in this way, solutions might become easier to identify.

Depression is a serious issue for teens. If you know a teen that needs help, do what you can to involve a professional. Offer insight and suggestions, like keeping a journal. There are many proven benefits, and it can truly help them. 
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Agnes Jimenez is a professional blogger and writer. She writes for many online establishments and currently partners with HelpYourTeenNow.com in spreading awareness about troubled and depressed teenagers (and how to deal with them).  Help Your Teen Now aims to increase awareness on the current psychological and societal stresses of today's teens and how these factors affect the future of our society.

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THE TRAZ is available in paperback and ebook formats and in a special School Edition that includes a Teaching Guide. Click on the following links to purchase or sample THE TRAZ

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Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ