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From the deep dark rainforest of Borneo

From the deep dark rainforest of Borneo

Marty’s photo of the day #2909: While working on my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, Deb and I were only the third outsiders to backpack with the Iban (a reformed headhunting tribe) across a special section of Borneo’s rainforest. You can read about our adventure in my book, so I […]

The feet tell the story

The feet tell the story

Marty’s photo of the day #2846: Why am I posting a photo of Deb’s and my feet? If you’ve read my first book, “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents,” you know. We were only the third outsiders to ever hike deep into a section of Borneo’s rainforest. We lost our guide halfway through […]

Which is better: nonfiction or fiction?

Which is better: nonfiction or fiction?

Most book authors either write nonfiction or fiction. I started out with nonfiction, publishing Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents in 2006 and following up with Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico in 2016. After that I switched to fiction, publishing Time Is Irreverent in 2018 […]

Neptune’s revenge

Neptune’s revenge

Marty’s photo of the day #2657: I took this photo on Deception Island, which is near Antarctica. You are looking at the remains of the Hektor Whaling Station. This short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, provides more information: We went ashore instead at the more sheltered Whaler’s […]

Wandering albatross

Wandering albatross

Marty’s photo of the day #2592: I will let a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explain this shot: Even though we were hundreds of miles away from any significant landmass, our Drake Passage voyage was never boring. I spent much of my time outside on the […]

Inside a Spanish castle

Inside a Spanish castle

Marty’s photo of the day #2558: I will let a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, explain this shot from Spain: If medieval real estate agents existed, they would have listed the Castillo de Monfragüe as a “starter castle.” Built in the fifteenth century, it was much […]

My day at MisCon

My day at MisCon

Marty’s photo of the day #2553: Yesterday, I was at MisCon (Missoula’s Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention) for several events. First I did a reading from “Time Is Irreverent.” I read the section where Nellie Dixon handles the cops expecting a sexual favor in her own “special way” and shocked the audience. But hey, I […]

Don’t trust that laugh!

Don’t trust that laugh!

Marty’s photo of the day #2535: Here’s what I wrote about laughing kookaburras in my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents: Though not as stunning as the kingfishers or cockatoos, laughing kookaburras are handsome gray and white birds with a very famous call: Oo-oo-oo-aw-aw-aw-oo-oo-oo-aw-aw-aw. When motion picture soundtracks were in their […]

The day I held up the world

The day I held up the world

Marty’s photo of the day #2463: I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years since I held up the world! This excerpt from my book Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents explains the shot: I had a debt to pay for our successful Antarctica landing. Besides Shackleton and Neptune, another larger-than-life being had been […]

Matterhorn at sunrise

Matterhorn at sunrise

Marty’s photo of the day #2452: While in Switzerland, Deb and I met up with Emad, our Swiss-Egyptian friend, and we stayed at a hotel at the base of the Matterhorn. The only way to get to the hotel was via gondola. Here’s a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures: Hot Planet: Exploring […]

Fun with dugouts

Fun with dugouts

Marty’s photo of the day #2450: This photo, from Peru, explained with a short excerpt from my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents: Other than Yaguas paddling in their dugouts (a skinny canoe carved from a log), we had the Rio Orosa to ourselves. When we passed the occasional tribal village, […]