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My latest book is now available for free to readers, but only through Monday.  Alcatraz Burning, Four Mind-Bending Short Stories offers readers exciting science fiction horror, fantasy, and mystery stories for their reading enjoyment.  Once you have read the tale, please don't forget to leave a review on Amazon.

Here's an excerpt for you below.  Enjoy!










Exclamations arose from the personnel as they recognized the lifeless legs hanging in the air above them as having once belonged to Slaughter. Derek swore and reached up to pull the body out, but it did not budge. He looked closely and noted that the body and clothing had fused into the vessel’s own metallic material. Everyone’s attention was so riveted above that they failed to notice the shadows in time. Once the dark forms reached the squad’s rear, the screams began. Laser fire erupted next, but it had no effect. Bodies of the dead fell about the corridor. Anne’s hands shook as she assembled the cannon. Derek covered her as best as he was able, but his weapon seemed useless. The laser would cut through a shadowy figure, then it would simply re-materialize. He dropped the rifle and went for his backup weapon, which was an old .45 caliber handgun in his belt pouch. He jammed the magazine in and chambered the round and fired twice into the darkness, punctuated with flashes of white light and fire.

Erickson, Karl Bjorn. Alcatraz Burning (Kindle Locations 217-224). Karl Bjorn Erickson.

Rockhound Heaven

The last time I went hunting for fossils, it was just my father and me several decades ago in the Yakima Valley.  We crisscrossed the sagebrush-dotted hills of Terrace Heights to the north as well as visited the Yakima River Canyon.  It was a great activity to do with my dad, but it was a hobby I let slide as an adult.

That changed this weekend.  The four of us recently learned of Holleywood Ranch in Sweet Home, Oregon.  It's only an hour's drive from Salem, and it offers some of the highest quality petrified wood around.  Our visit took place yesterday afternoon.  I particularly enjoyed the sheer variety of the specimens here.  Some of it resembled the bleached driftwood you might see at the beach, but there were also plenty of other species available.  My son was particularly excited with digging-up a carnelian agate.  It's really amazing the variety of specimens found throughout these acres: a rockhound heaven, and it's a great family activity.

If you want to stop by, it's best to call or e-mail first.  E-mail actually never seemed to work very well, but you can text or phone Brad, the landowner, at 541-401-0899.  Keep an eye on your growing collection as you dig; it gets heavy fast, and there is also charge of a dollar for each pound.  You can also drop by their Facebook Page for more information.

Church Reflections

It's been a decade since we joined the Catholic Church, and we couldn't be happier.  Today, I'm sharing a dozen published religious essays that are particularly meaningful to me.  I hope they will be to you, too.


"Thirst for Reverence" (on coming home)

"Mysterious Tools" (on prayer)

"Reflections on a Hymn"  (on church music)

"Is Anything Sacred?"

"Fleeing Sin"

"Closer than a Brother"

"Cost of Discipleship"

"Stances of Grace"

"A Call for Unity"

"Reflecting on the Nature of God"

"Parting the Veil of Eternity"

"Forgotten Mass Etiquette"

Introducing Karl & Kimberly's Etsy Page!

In case you haven't had a chance to drop by our sparkling new Etsy page, I invite you to do so today.  We currently are selling high resolution digital photos, as well as one signed book package, and (of course) a selection of Kimberly's original artwork.  The original plan was to also feature a selection of Kimberly's glassworks on this page, but we've decided to largely restrict those pieces to her website and the Red Raven Gallery in downtown Salem.  

I'd also like to add that nearly all of the digital images were taken in the Pacific Northwest, and Photoshop was used sparingly.  If you're looking for digital images for personal or business purposes, I also invite you to enjoy my photos on Bigstock, Flickr, as well as at karlerickson.com .  

As an added bonus, I invite you to use TRISTANSTRAVELS.  This special coupon code should save you 25% on your online purchase.

Speaking of Red Raven Gallery, here is some other news of interest for those of you in the beautiful Willamette Valley.

Cold Brewing is...HOT!

I recently learned about cold brewing coffee.  For a long-time Pacific Northwest coffee drinker, it just took just one sip of the cold brew to reveal its potential.  Because, you see, I'm one of those avid coffee drinkers who often has an upset stomach come afternoon.  I've come to the conclusion that this is because of the acids created by hot brewing; cold brewing produces a much less acidic brew.  Anyway, I really took my new Filtron coffee maker and enjoyed using it to create concentrated cold brew to use throughout the week.

There are a couple tweaks or hacks, though, that you might consider for improved flavor and convenience.  The flavor of straight cold brewing is rich, yet somewhat flat.  I was curious how one might combine cold brewing with regular brewing for a kind of hybrid approach.  In case you're interested, here's what I have been doing.  It's easy and the resulting coffee is a little better in flavor, and cleanup is much simpler.

First, fill-up your coffee maker's carafe with enough water for a full pot, then use this water to fill-up a pitcher (like the Filtron one pictured above).  Add enough water to bring the water level up to between one-half and three-quarters.  Next, add the same amount of coffee you typically use for a pot of coffee into the pitcher, tighten the lid, and briefly shake to mix the contents and start the cold brewing.  Pour the remainder of the water from the coffee pot into the coffee maker's reservoir for the morning.  (The total water used, then, should equal a regular pot.)  Now, just let the coffee in the pitcher sit on the counter until the following morning.  

When you cheerfully wake early the following morning, lightly shake the coffee pitcher--making sure the lid is still on.  Pour the contents into the filter compartment of your coffee maker, but don't turn on the power yet.  (Remember to use the same filter method--e.g.paper or gold mesh--that you do ordinarily.)  Once the cold brew coffee is all into the basket and mostly drained into the pot, turn on the coffee maker.  The hot water extracts a pleasant hint of the rich acidic notes, which are ordinarily missing from regular cold brew coffee.  I think you'll agree that this hybrid approach is a little simpler and creates a really good cup of Joe.  Enjoy--and spread the word!

Sense of Place in The Blood Cries Out

Seattle Pacific University

I seem to either connect or not connect with a place; there's seldom a feeling of ambivalence. In the case of the south and Midwest, for instance, I always felt like a fish out of water. Don't get me wrong, I love the people, but I can't feel a sense of connection to the places. 

In Washington and Oregon, there's so much beauty and majesty all about you, that it's sometimes hard to take it all in. You get accustomed to it. I think this is part of the reason why it was so important to me to get the details right. I wanted to convey a strong sense of place in The Blood Cries Out.  The readers should feel like they are within the story.  They should be able to smell the salty air blowing off of the Puget Sound; the environment must add to the reading experience--not detract or distract.  Reader feedback suggests that I was successful.

I love Seattle. I attended Seattle Pacific University in the late 1980s, and I worked at the university as a staff member in the early 1990s. It's a special place, and I love the light and atmosphere of the city. I could spend a lifetime photographing it, but I never have the time these days to spend considerable time there.

Neil Low gives me the royal tour of SPD.

In the spring of 2011, we took a few days to visit areas of critical importance to the tale. This included the Seattle Police Department, where Neil Low graciously came in on his day off to give me a department tour. The tour was great, but, sadly, the Seattle weather was...a lot like Seattle weather.

Friday Harbor was that other western Washington area we visited on that 2011 vacation. The weather was lovely the first day, but things began going downhill on the second. It didn't matter much to me, though. It was wonderful to visit the island again. It had been far too long--and it has been so again! Some authors will say that that these kind of personal visits aren't necessary for fiction authors, but I think this kind of in-person research is terribly important if the writer is to successfully capture and convey the unique feeling of a particular environment.

Listen to a short author reading from the novel, which illustrates the importance of conveying a strong sense of place in fiction.

Watch a slideshow (on the book page) offering a unique perspective on all the research this novel required.

Rest in Peace, Shirley Collier

Early Tuesday morning, my dear mother-in-law, Shirely Collier, passed away in her sleep.  It's hard to convey personal thoughts and reflections in words right now, so I've turned mostly to photos instead.  (With only one or two possible exceptions, either my wife or I took all the photos used in my collage.)  You can also find a public Flickr Album dedicated to Shirley's memory.

Shirley will be greatly missed by her family, but we all know with the certainty of faith that she is in a much better place today.  I will particularly miss her laughter and the joyous way she played that piano of hers.  She also had a profoundly giving and hospitable personality--even towards this college kid who was dating her daughter more than twenty-five years ago.  Shirley loved life and savored every moment with her family.  Her life was anchored in Christ, and we all look forward to that heavenly reunion.   

Services will be held on Tuesday at Saint Rita's Catholic Church.  The obituary is available here.