Books
So, I've written a couple of books. The first (Travelers) is a science fiction novel that really doesn't really have anything to do with disc golf, except that some spaceships resemble the Pluto Platter, sort of. But, there have been sightings of ships that look like cigars, as well (thanks, Freud), so what do I know? This is the first of a trilogy and I've been a few years paused at around chapter 18 of the second book, but haven't had a block of time to complete it, which a good book (that it's yearning to be) deserves. I initially felt marginally qualified to write Travelers as I was once a design project manager for the $75 million renovation of Terminal 5 at LAX (the book involves an architect who designs spaceports) and Los Angeles is as ethereal as it gets on this planet. And I've conducted seminars and personal sessions for thousands of people on alternative healing and the power of conscious thought to create what one desires - a theme of the book. Nevertheless, Travelers had a heart and mind of its own and I was caught in its wake, struggling to keep up with my characters who kept creating impossible situations from which I, in reality, had no idea of how to rescue them. I was truly as surprised at most outcomes in the book, particularly the ending, as I hope you will be.
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If I figure the time spent writing and editing this book (1.5 and 6.5 years respectively), I'd have to sell like Colleen Hoover to have any chance of making ends meet. Some sage mumbled once (when things weren't working out so well, I imagine) that life is about the journey, not the destination. I must find solace in that, so if you wish to check these books out and, in so doing, contribute to the Duda College Fund, I would much appreciate it.
The second book was, admittedly, an experiment. I wanted to try out ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence app) to see how it could assist in writing. After generating the initial glob of surprisingly witty titles, chapter headings, and somewhat circuitous text through AI, I basically rewrote every word. So it was, I suppose, helpful, from the standpoint of producing an infinite amount of outline and technical data, but, near as I can tell, we humans are still needed to make it all, well, human. The vast amount of my time was spent formatting in a Canva template and hunting down and tweaking images to break up the text and add some visual stimulation.
The Travelers - Evacuation
Two interwoven tales affect the destiny of a planetary population: a world leader’s tenacious and concealed reliance on extrasensory abilities to govern a planet jeopardizes her position and challenges the sanctity of all she holds dear; generations later, her great-great-great granddaughter’s personal search for courage pits her obvious physical accomplishments against her own unspoken paranormal gifts—the true source of her talent.
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When scientists verify that the planet has a rapidly decaying orbit and within three generations will be uninhabitable, Senior World Councilor Tevaha, against all conventional wisdom and a covert high-level conspiracy, utilizes intuitive and psychic gifts, understandings of the Laws of the Universe, and a benevolent other-dimensional group of mentors to generate a potential solution to her planet’s crisis. Five generations later, Tevaha’s namesake descendent Teva, a young superstar architect, devotes every waking moment to the furious design of twenty-four Spaceports—receptacles for ships destined to evacuate the entire population. Mission successfully accomplished, Teva realizes her professional drive has left voids of family, relationship, and emotion—an awareness that hits her hard when she boards the last vacating ship and finds she has no more career and, worse, no one to turn to.
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The stories of the two heroines counterpoint one other chapter by chapter, merging when Teva travels back in time to seek Tevaha’s advice on a pressing issue and finds herself ironically positioned to dramatically alter the existence of the very future from which she came.
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Similar to Lem’s Solaris and Crichton’s Sphere, where reality manifests through unconscious memories and emotions, The Travelers demonstrates how thoughts and intentions may be consciously applied to create reality, though sometimes with unpredictable, startling, or humorous results. The challenges facing Tevaha and Teva could appeal to avid science fiction and metaphysical readers alike—those seeking not only entertainment, but answers, or at least possible solutions, to similar, perplexing personal and global situations confronting us presently.
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To buy:
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12501306-the-travelers---evacuation
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Flight School
Learning the Basics of Disc Golf
If you've found your way to this page, you pretty much already know some stuff about disc golf. This book was developed to assist folks who are beginning the sport, are considering if it might be for them, and even for some more advanced players. Disc golf basics are discussed, as well as equipment, rules, etiquette, and ways of throwing for the various types of basket approaches.
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Here's an excerpt:
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42 illustrated pages in .pdf form.
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I will be developing future editions that address practice techniques, stretching for both youthful and older players, course implications, a deeper look at equipment including disc selection, tournament preparation, and those all-important mental aspects.
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To buy: Disc Golf Santa Fe Store
Four digits, often stamped right on the disc, make up the flight rating system, which describes the disc's flight route. The first number is the speed of the disc, or how quickly it must be thrown to cover its greatest possible distance. The glide of the disc, or how long it will remain in the air after being thrown, is indicated by the second number. The third number indicates how much the disc will turn, or veer, to the right or left while in flight. The disc's fade, or how much it will hook to either side at the end of its flight, is indicated by the fourth number.
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A typical putter/approach disc, for instance, might have a flight rating of 2, 3, 0, 1. It follows that the disc travels at a reasonable speed, with a moderate degree of glide, without turning, and with a tiny fade at the end of its flight. This kind of disc is perfect for close-range shots that need precision and control, like putting or approach tosses over sixty feet.