Guess what? You have even less of it now. Blame Chile.

After that 8.8 quake last week, the 8th most powerful quake on record (which doesn’t mean much, considering we haven’t been around that long), our days are now a little over a millisecond shorter than they used to be. That might not sound like much, but as social media becomes more and more about cataloging our every blink and fart, milliseconds can add up.

Here’s the story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100302/sc_space/chileearthquakemayhaveshorteneddaysonearth

Also of concern is the discovery that our planet’s axis has moved three inches. That might mean winter will last an extra five minutes this year. Which, when you think of all the time you’ve lost due to our shorter days, is quite frightening.

So . . . what does this all mean? Not much, really. The Earth has been undergoing far greater changes over its 4.5 billion year existence than we can comprehend or chart with our pathetic time frames and perspectives. This quake undoes the work of one that probably took place 10 million years ago and threw the pole off by an entire foot. Besides, the days are already getting shorter every year because of the braking action of the moon. Which, incidentally, is getting further away from us every year.

All the systems around us are about change. We just can’t see it because we’re so unpracticed at that beautiful endeavor ourselves.

If you haven’t read the second book yet, the following might not be funny. In fact, it might ruin portions of the story for you. Spoilers are bad, which is kinda what this entire video and post are about. I suppose that injects a bit of meta-ness to today’s offering.

A huge thanks to everyone that came out to the Tin Roof last night. This is becoming a wonderful tradition for releasing Molly books and I very much look forward to part three!

For those of you too far away to attend, it was a cool scene. The bar had drink specials named after parts of the book. There was the “Molly Fyde,” a Miller High Life and a shot of the bartender’s choice, and a “Drenard,” which was an appropriate shade of blue. Most of the staff had read the first book, and some were delving into the second. Plenty of attendees had already read both books and were eager to discuss their favorite characters and various plot-points. All seemed very stoked to be there and were extremely complimentary of the series. It was extremely satisfying.

After milling around for an hour or so, my sister Mollie got up on stage and introduced me to the crowd. I went up and read the prologue from book two, which seemed to go over very well. It was weird to hear so much applause afterward. You just don’t expect to hear that as a writer (at least, I sure don’t).

Overall, the night went great. Several people bought t-shirts. Everyone had a great time. I can’t wait to come back in the summer to do it again!

…but don’t let that stop you from trying.

The eighth review for MOLLY FYDE AND THE LAND OF LIGHT went up today on Amazon. It is another blush-inducer (and it makes certain other parts of me pucker as I attempt to make book three half as good as the first two). Keep in mind that you don’t have to write brilliant reviews like this to earn my eternal thanks, but you DO have to write them!

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue was a wonderful debut, and earned a 4-star rating from me. Naturally, I was eager to read the sequel, Molly Fyde and the Land of Light, but it surpassed all of my expectations! 5-stars, no question.

Mr. Howey brings us right back into the story, but this time divulges more and more information from the perspective of the characters around Molly. I loved hearing the story from these different perspectives — it added texture and depth to the events. Anlyn’s story — and that of her people — is compelling and unexpected, and holds great promise for Book 3! I’d rather not give any of the story away, so I won’t discuss specifics here.

The themes raised, however, are truly universal: How is the safety of one (or the few) to be measured against the safety of the many, and who gets to make those choices? How much of what goes on in our lives (and universe at large) is within our control (or even within our comprehension) and how much is not? How do we forge bonds of friendship and trust — and with whom — and how do we measure loyalty?

Hugh Howey is proving to be a highly-skilled storyteller with a gift for detail and pacing. He’s got my attention; I’ll be eagerly awaiting Molly Fyde and The Blood of Billions!! Oh, and I’d like a Wadi Thooo, please.

-By Jill Martin Clements

Thanks for the awesome and honest review, Jill. Here’s hoping I can do something 6-star-worthy with book three.

For the rest of you: if you’ve read either of the books and enjoyed them, please help spread the word. Write a review (who knows, maybe it’ll show up in future books!), tell a friend, give a book as a gift, lend your copy to friends and family. Thanks!

G. G. Stokes’s Letters For Catherine tells the story of one William Hunter, a young boy coming of age right alongside his burgeoning country. Historically precise and emotionally accurate, the novel manages to bring the past alive, entertaining and educating at once. The romance, boyhood angst, and the bond between friends rings just as true as the smells, sights, and textures of Revolutionary America.

Lost in most textbooks, unfortunately, are the internal conflicts present in the colonies of the late eighteenth century. Too often the war is portrayed as something waged across the Atlantic, when the truth is far more sinister (and interesting). Many, if not most of the new Americans considered themselves British citizens foremost. And the difference between a revolutionary war and a civil war is more a question of who becomes the victor, rather than mere semantics.

Stokes captures this turmoil ably, as a war fought on one’s own land must also be fought in secret. An individual’s alliances are difficult to know, dangerous to safely discern, and often prove temporary.

Told through the lens of a young boy who isn’t completely interested in world affairs at first, his growth into a young man in love parallels his maturation as a soldier at war. And even though the Revolutionary War was notorious for its lack of set-piece battles—being mostly a struggle to keep the colonies’ army intact—there is enough action and intrigue interspersed throughout to keep the narrative moving.

Told over a three year period, Stokes manages to capture the many phases of conflict. Those taking place within William as well as those conducted between one great nation, and another that aspires to be. The titular letters assist in this endeavor by laying out the ruminations between William and a few other characters (most notably Catherine, the prototypical lady-in-waiting).

Letters For Catherine is an easy recommend. Well-written and wonderfully researched, the book is chock-full of local color. As a former resident of Charleston, I especially appreciated the accurate geography, all the place-names I know well such as King Street, Meeting Street, Fort Moultrie, the Cooper River, James Island. Anyone familiar with the area will revel in all the place-names.

Another bonus was being treated to a Southern war novel in which I could root for the protagonist. Civil War novels outweigh the Revolutionary by a billion to one, and are often written by Southerners attempting to romanticize the deplorable. Perhaps it is the lack of inglorious bloodshed that makes the Revolutionary era less attractive to authors. Whatever the cause, G. G. Stokes does an admirable job of highlighting the tragedy of this imbalance.

4/5