It's a boat, it's a plane, it's SuperReader!

Although some people may get distracted by proximity to cool machines like Beavers and Gillnetters, this reader didn't let beautiful pieces of engineering keep him from finishing SILENT SKY. He did confide in me that he had hoped the mechanic in the book would have gotten a little more action. But hey, we gotta leave something for the sequels, right?

Another reader sent me a note saying that he finally wrenched the book he'd bought from his daughter-in-law so he could have a chance to read it. Apparently, his wife got a hold of it, then his daughter, then his son, then another friend . . . and they all loved it. None of these readers are pilots, so be assured that SILENT SKY is not just a book for pilots.

That said, Christmas is coming up. Wouldn't a fun book like SILENT SKY make a great gift? (Yes, that's a hint). My website, OneSkyPublishing.com is now set up with a paypal button so you can buy directly off the website. If you want to buy multiples, email me directly: cjmighell@gmail.com . I'll give you a discount, and custom sign them too.
And, of course, referrals are greatly appreciated as well!

xo, Cate

War zones

I got my hair done today. It is an expensive endeavor but worth it, because bad hair can totally ruin a girl's day, in a way maybe men can't understand?

While I sat wrapped in foil and goo, a woman came up and chatted with my hairdresser, Jenifer. She asked if Jen would do a neighbor woman's hair who "hadn't had her hair done in over two years because her husband wouldn't allow it." She then went on to describe how this mother of a seven year old had been married for 20 years but finally sought shelter at the local Catholic church after her husband tried to choke her. The story was tragic and yet only slightly different than one I have heard way too many times.

And I wonder, how does one get to that place? It is like the story of the frog. If you threw a frog in boiling water, he would jump right out. If you place a frog in the pot and bring the water to a boil slowly, he doesn't notice the gradual change and just slowly dies. It is interesting what we learn to put up with. Whether we become inured to death in a war-torn town like Damascus, or we forget to notice our own mistreatment in a home filled with anger, the toll on our soul is severe.

I recently joined a group of writers who help kids, in homes and jails, leading lives of destruction. They help desperate teenagers heal their soul by writing out their hearts - in journals, poetry, stories, etc. I am new to the group, but am excited about the positive impact that writing can have on a young person who feels like a frog trapped in boiling water.


I like to think that the world is changing, because I have surrounded myself with people who are positive and supportive and functioning. But peel back that personal buffer, and underneath lies the woman who is not allowed to get her hair done and the kid whose mother ridicules him, and worse - rapes, shootings, wars. There is still a lot of healing that needs to be done in this world.

I love Joseph Campbell's writing about the hero's adventure. For those of us who have braved life's dark forests and raging rivers and come out the far side strong and capable, it is our duty to help the others who are still lost in the woods. Campbell says it is the hero's call to share his knowledge, to "bestow boons on his fellow man." So, go buy a woman a haircut, befriend a young man with autism, pound nails in a home for the homeless. Reach out with not just money, but with time. For most of us, this is the hardest thing to give.

I know a lot of you do these generous things, in quiet, and for that I applaud you. I would love to hear about them, as would others. As a writer, I treasure true tales of human good. You can post your stories here, or send me an email at cjmighell@gmail.com.

xo, Cate

Would you panic?

A friend sent me a link to these pictures from a small airplane (an RV10) that suffered a bird strike. Apparently, the bird (unknown species) crashed through the windscreen and slammed into the back window, eventually landing in the baggage area. I don't know any more details, about the pilot or his proximity to an airport, etc, but I imagine it took some nerves of steel to continue on and land that aircraft safely.

I read another report some time ago about a plane that impacted a Canadian Goose (or vice versa). The bird ended up lodged in the back window. On its way there, it shattered the windscreen, blinded the pilot in one eye, and knocked off his headset. If you've ever been in a small aircraft without a headset, it's noisy. Without a headset and without a windscreen? It's gonna feel like a frickin' hurricane. Yet, somehow, the pilot, bleeding profusely from his damaged eye, deafened by noise, pummeled by wind, and probably in some level of shock, still managed to land his craft. Damn!

As a pilot, I imagine how I would deal with these situations. In fact, we are forced to deal with emergencies like simulated engine failures throughout our training. There is no doubt that pilot training teaches you to be calm in situations that might cause others to panic. It also increases your confidence and your situational awareness, making you a better driver (god knows we need more of those on the road). It is awesome training for young people in particular. So, yes, I encourage everyone to get some pilot training.

But beyond that, I tell this story because I hope everyone out there appreciates our Sky Warriors that fly us from point A to point B every day. A couple days ago a United pilot suffered a heart attack but the crew still managed to land the plane safely. 99.9999% of the time nothing goes wrong on those long, boring flights we all take for work, vacation, travel, etc. But know that the calm voice coming from the cockpit has worked his or her butt off staying current on the machinery and probably gone into significant debt accruing hours of expensive practice All just so he or she could take you to your destination safely.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox. Just remember, go love yourself a pilot today.

xo, Cate

The Secret

I received a surprise text from an acquaintance last night, a woman I don't know well, who read my book recently. She had asked me, a month or so ago, how the book was doing, and I lamented that I've done virtually nothing to market it. Her reply, "Badass doesn't expire!" made me laugh and encouraged me to keep taking those baby steps forward toward my goals.

Her text, last night, indicated that she is going through a surprise divorce and she added, "I keep telling myself that Badass doesn't expire!" And that's the truth, whether you're 15, 51 or 115

Badass (which is the now-ubiquitous term for anything that is cool, awesome, amazing, powerful) doesn't expire. It doesn't fade. It is not only given to certain people and it can't be stolen. We each have an inexhaustible supply of badass, but some of us choose to deny it. We convince ourselves we can't do something because we are too young, old, fat, ugly, poor, unskilled, etc. Countless people have told me they wish they could write a book, wish they could fly an airplane, wish they could afford to go to college, wish they could own their own business, wish they could find someone to love. The list goes on and on. I believe we can do anything that we believe we can do. That is the message from the popular book/movie "The Secret" and there is nothing really secret about it. Believe it, take baby steps toward it, and your goal will become a reality. We manifest our own destiny.

My beautiful niece Leah

Pictured to the right is my badass niece who, through sheer willpower, overcame a childhood of economic deprivation to become a successful attorney. (Yes, she practices in Seattle, and yes she consulted on the legal scenes in "Silent Sky," and yes there is a little bit of her in Reina).

There is no time like the present to start down the path toward your dreams. When the fears and doubts arise, shoo them out the door. Begin today to take baby steps toward eating more healthy, getting that education, learning to boldly live on your own , becoming a derby skater - whatever it is that calls to you. It is not always easy to forge forward, but when you do, the universe aligns with you to make your dreams come true.

XO,Cate

Weapons Training

I've received great reviews from many of you on my new book, "Silent Sky." I also received some constructive criticism in the gentle offer of a couple male friends to take me shooting so I could learn something about firearms. As I intend for my heroine, Reina, to become gradually more badass in each subsequent book, I was anxious to accept this offer to learn about, handle, and shoot some guns.

Yesterday, I went to the local shooting range with friends Dave and Todd. Having never shot a pistol before, they provided full instruction in the safety etiquette of handling them: always treat a gun as if it is loaded, always check its status upon picking it up (check clip and chamber), always point away from people (all of which Reina completely disregards in the book, but hey, it's an action series, folks!)

My first attempt was with a Ruger 22, a sleek gun with minimal recoil. My target is pictured to the right in pink. At 25 feet, all ten shots went straight to the head. After removing the cartridge and laying the gun down on the table, I turned to high fives from Todd and Dave, both sporting big grins and comments like, "She's a natural."

After a couple rounds with the 22, I tried my hand at the Kimber 45. This gun has a much greater recoil, but still I managed to land the first shot smack on the x in the middle of the poor target's chest. I told myself that I was going to put the next one right through the first, and sure enough that's where it went. The third went south a bit, but the fourth drilled right through the first two. That sucker was dead, dead, dead. I turned around again to Dave and Todd laughing and shaking their heads.

After more rounds with the 22 and the 45, I tried a Smith and Wesson revolver and a sweet little Derringer Texas Defender with a hell of a kick. I think I could get hooked on this stuff. The guys at the neighboring table suggested that I try out the club's IPSC, which is a timed competition where you work your way through a course identifying and shooting appropriate targets as they pop up. Fun!

After gathering our targets and cleaning up our shells, we lugged the gear out and headed home. Later, over beers, Todd was telling a few friends about the day and warning the crowd at large "not to mess with dead-eye Oakley Annie."

Well, I figure, that's not a bad thing to have the world know about me . . . .

Hope your day is grand!

xo, Cate

Still True

A New Way to Live

On this day in history, when airplanes were used as weapons and religion was used as justification to kill, I lift my eyes to the sky and continue to believe in the human spirit. I believe we can evolve past the need for weapons and past the desire to kill. I believe we can choose a new way to be human, a way that sees we are all connected as creatures of the universe, with no exclusions.

If you believe that one skin color is more desirable than another; if you believe that one religion is more right than another; if you believe that one style of life is more correct than another, I challenge you to shake up your beliefs. When societies and religions are governed by fear and hate, judgment and righteousness, exclusivity and superiority, they destroy the very fabric of our precious human existence.

Know that deep down we are all made of the same core atomic structure. When we rebuild our world in love and acceptance and inclusiveness, we will all be safe, and we will all be able to fly free, in whatever way we choose, without fear of attacks, military crises, or vengeful retaliations.

It starts one person at a time. It starts with you and it starts with me.

This is a repost of what I wrote last year on September 11. It hasn't changed. With so much strife and violence in our world right now, I felt it needed to be re-said.

Back in the Saddle

The weather has turned on us already, here in the Northwest, and it seems as if summer has gone. As I look over my shoulder, I wonder, where did August go?

With my son, John

It feels as if I frittered it away - a spontaneous week-long trip to Canada, lazy afternoons by the lake, evenings of music and margaritas, maybe a few too many episodes of the inane-but-hilarious "Arrested Development."

But isn't that what August is for? Remember those childhood summers where the only thing you rushed to was the sound of the ice cream van before it faded into the distance? Remember charging the end of the dock and cannonballing into the lake? Remember lying
on your back at night looking for shooting stars? It is worth trying to recreate that carefree mentality for the sheer happiness it brings.

The well-laid table

Although I have a lot of stuff I didn't get done in August, I am easy on my failure to achieve. No guilt here. I know that a break from stress leads to greater productivity and creativity and produces a heightened sense of well-being. And what the hell, it's a lot of fun too!

So, if you haven't had enough relaxation this summer, get out there and enjoy the last holiday weekend. Work can wait a few days. And come September, we can all get back in our respective saddles. I'll be on track again, promoting book number one, writing book number two, and developing my new publishing company. See you then.

Be safe and be chill!

xo, Cate