Erickson's Crazy Art Sale!

Cover art from "Tristan's Travels"

With a new school year lying just around the corner, we decided it was a good time to...sell some art!  Hope you can check out the action on Ebay!

(Click caption.)

Lighthearted illustration from "Toupee Mice"

*Also, let us know if you're looking for prints!

Would you like to learn more about....

Kimberly Erickson

Karl Erickson

Tristan's Travels

Toupee Mice

Karl Erickson is an Author? (Updated with "What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin")

It's probably going to come as a shock to many of you, but, yes, I do actually write stuff!  You might know me as a number cruncher, but numbers are actually just the day job.  I know it's startling...but I'd like to introduce you to several of my favorite pieces.  The short story collection needs reviews on Amazon--if you are up to the task!  (By the way, my lovely wife, Kimberly, is wonderful illustrator.)

Tristan's Travels (Rafka Press)

(Opening excerpt)


It never occurred to anyone to take a closer look at the houseboat’s window planter.  The pine flower box was unremarkable enough at first glance.  Sheltered by overhanging flowers and a sick trillium plant, the cubbyhole beneath the flower box was hard to spot unless you looked closely.  This hidden nook had become Tristan’s home.  It was a perfect morning to be a seagull, but Tristan was still sound asleep.  He twitched a couple times as the night’s last dream overtook him.  He saw a man standing at the edge of a grassy meadow.  At his side, stood a large gray wolf.  Birds flew around and about him.  Rabbits, squirrels, and mice ventured out of the shadows of the trees to join the smiling man who was dressed in a simple robe with a cord around his waist and sandals on his feet...

Toupee Mice  (Rafka Press)

(Opening excerpt)


The name is Ian Svenson, and I am a red-haired Irish mouse with a dash of Swedish charm and humor.  If there are two things you need to know about me, they are that I am a talking mouse, and that I love to sing.  In fact, many of the animals around my town of Mousehaven can talk, but they usually don’t like going to the trouble.  As for why I am a talking mouse, I credit my dear mother, because she read stories or sang mouse songs to me nearly every night.  Perhaps the singing is on account of my mother being a mouse who just loved to sing and dance at every opportunity; she was indeed a happy mouse.  Papa, on the other hand, was a seafaring field mouse from Sweden who could only sing sea shanties and wasn’t even very good at that.  But I digress from my short tale.  I was a happy church mouse here in Mousehaven until just a few months ago...

Blinded by the Darkness, Three Short Fantasy Stories (Amazon)

(Opening excerpt)


Shadows deepened as the fluorescent lights began to flicker on around the university campus, and the warmer lights shown down from the dormitory windows above.  A soft November rain began to fall as students and visitors headed indoors.  A lone campus security guard walked briskly down the sidewalk, jingling keys and a heavy flashlight hanging from his belt and a radio gripped in his hand.  Suddenly, a young man raced by, nearly knocking the guard off his feet.  The runner barely paused, then bolted towards the eastern edge of the university campus.  Before the guard could make pursuit, he tripped over a hidden sprinkler head.  The young man was already fading into the dusk.  The radio lay shattered and quiet along the path...

What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin (Amazon)

(Opening Excerpt)


1.  After reading There and Back Again, An Actor’s Tale, it seems to that you have a healthy caution or ambivalence towards success.  What does true success mean to you?

I love success absolutely, in all of its myriad definitions, applications and relative doses. I think the ambivalence you infer, comes from my antipathy for the anxiety laden stress that comes from depending on other people’s decisions. In large measure, it is that anxiety that pushes success further away. I also think that it is unhelpful for actors to organize their thoughts along ‘success’ paradigms... While being inspired by others and studying their careers is critical to success, there is a languid quality that runs throughout ‘the actor’ tradition, a pointless but familiar wallowing, that actors, heck everybody has to some greater or lesser extent... It’s natural but should be kept in it’s rightful place...

This will be available for free on Amazon between May 24 and the 27th!

A personal favorite of mine is this article which appeared some years ago in America Magazine.  I hope you enjoy reading "Mysterious Tools."




(Opening excerpt)


One night a few months ago, my 8-year-old son was very sick in bed. He lay there moaning and crying because of terrible pain in his ears. While my wife was on the phone attempting to get hold of a doctor, I did what I could to comfort him. We tried the usual things, but nothing worked. The choices seemed to be either to wait in an emergency room for hours late at night or try to wait it out at home. Neither option seemed like a good choice. We could not let him go on like that, so something told me to pray over him. I took the holy water we were given at a recent church event. It felt a little strange to me, as a new Catholic, but I proceeded to make the Sign of the Cross over my son with the holy water. Then I prayed for healing. I framed my prayer along the lines that we know that children hold a special place in God’s heart, and that it cannot be God’s will that my son would be in pain. Something seemed different about the prayer, but I could not immediately identify what it was. Since nothing dramatic took place after I finished the prayer, I returned to our room...



You can find me on Facebook (Author page), Facebook (Book Page), and even Twitter!

What's next on the literary horizon, you ask?  Well, my next book is The Blood Cries Out.  This mystery novel is aimed at an older audience, and I'm currently looking for a good literary agent for my entry into this new genre.  Stay tuned!

Got Newfy?

Sliding into the Guild's News Position....

Illustration by Kimberly Erickson

Greetings!  Please bear with me as I try to lend a hand with getting the news out for the Catholic Writers' Guild!  I'm new at this, so hopefully everything will work as it should-- but I'll ask your patience in advance!



So, who am I, and what am I doing here?  Well, why don't we leave the philosophical musings to John Konecsni...but let's just say that I am glad to be endeavoring to lead a more active role within the guild in the coming year.  That said, I should probably mention that I am a very busy guy.  Between the full time state government job  (doing terrible things to numbers) and a novel which has been nearing its last and very final stage towards completion for about....the last year, I sometimes am tempted to throw in the towel and open a bed and breakfast in Friday Harbor (San Juan Island, Washington).

Seriously, perhaps you would like to know a little about me?  I'm the author of two lighthearted children's books: Tristan's Travels and Toupee Mice.  Both are available from Rafka Press--but the latter tale is still pre-order.  They are illustrated by my lovely wife, Kimberly Erickson.  If you'd like to learn more about me, please drop by Karl Erickson.  I also have two Facebook pages setup currently.  This is the main author page, and the second page is designated for the children's books.  (If you want to make an author happy, "like" them today--especially the newest one!)

                                                             
As far as the spiritual journey which brought us here, you can read about that in Catholic Answer's This Rock.  To make a long story short(er), we're very happy to be done once and for all with church shopping.  We're home where we belong in the Catholic Church, and we couldn't be happier!  Now...could we just work on some of those hymns!

I thought I'd conclude with two of my trailers for our books, but I also want to put a quick plug in for a new experiment I'm doing.  It's called the Catholic Writers' Guild (Western Branch).  It occurred to me that it sometimes it's easy to feel geographically removed  from the larger group when only a few brave souls occupy the "western frontiers."  If you think that having an online place to gather for those of us in the western states would be helpful, please just swing by and hit like (hard).  So far, I only have one other person who is remotely excited about the idea.  If no one else has time, I'll probably shelve the group entirely after Christmas.  I won't be promoting that group any more--most likely--so drop by now if interested!

I look forward to helping CWG members get the word out concerning their exciting work and achievements!  Here are the two promised book trailers: Tristan's Travels followed by Toupee Mice.

PS.  You can also find me on Twitter at PacNWCathWriter!

Win a Signed Book and Gift Card!!

Fred from Toupee Mice

Ian, Fred, and Pierre can barely stand the excitement!  

With Toupee Mice pre-ordering only a couple weeks away now, I'd like to quickly boost membership on our Tristan's Travels and Toupee Mice page over on Facebook.  So, here's the plan...  If we can get the members (or "likers") up to a minimum of 100, we will donate one signed copy of Tristan's Travels and a $5 Starbucks gift card to a randomly selected Facebook follower.  Both the author and illustrator will sign the book!  (We'll announce the winner on December 1st.)

So, make sure you're entered today! 

Coming Soon from Oregon Author & Illustrator Team....Toupee Mice!

            This is an end-of-summer note to just share with readers that our next children’s book, Toupee Mice, will be coming later this year from Rafka Press!  Pre-order information should be available in the near future.  Be sure to check back for updates!

       In other news, we have a small number of signed copies of Tristan’s Travels still remaining after summer events.  If you’re interested in making a purchase, we’re charging $20 for one book or $35 for two.  (This includes standard US shipping.)  As they like to say...this offer is only available while supplies last!  Please e-mail me at either karl@karlerickson.com or erickson1990@comcast.net, and I’d be happy to call you to facilitate the order.  We are fine with either check or credit card.  

       Karl & Kimberly Erickson

Don't Miss the Terrific Art Sale! (Silverton Fine Arts Festival)

My talented wife, Kimberly Erickson, is very excited this summer to have her art featured at the upcoming Silverton Arts Festival to be held on August 18th and 19th.  She plans to have about thirty original pieces available for sale on that weekend.  


The available artwork will feature paintings (including original artwork from both Tristan's Travels and Toupee Mice) as well as new sketches, and other original pieces.  We also will have signed copies of Tristan's Travels available.  We also are planning to share flyers there for our next book, Toupee Mice--coming soon from Rafka Press!

Kimberly's beautiful cover art for "Tristan's Travels."

Recently, Kimberly has especially enjoyed painting animals.  While she has always loved spending time with animals, we've noticed that a real need exists for quality painters of family pets.  For example, we hope to have at least one painting at the art festival featuring a happy Newfoundland.  (Yes, we have the "Newfoundland bug" now, but we're not sure our little place is ready for such a big dog.)  

A photo taken of Silver Falls by Karl Erickson.

Silverton is a lovely and picturesque Oregon town situated about fifteen miles northeast of Salem--not far from beautiful Silver Falls.  The weekend of August 18th and 19th is coming up fast; we hope to see you all there! (Free admission to the event.)

About the Artist

Kimberly Erickson currently resides in Salem, Oregon with her husband, Karl Erickson, and their two children.  Karl is the writer of children's stories and religious essays.  They enjoy working together on uplifting books for children. 

Kimberly comes from a family of artists.  As the daughter of acclaimed illustrator and sculptor John Carroll Collier and the granddaughter of successful landscape artist Carroll Collier, Kimberly is no stranger to the arts.  (Her uncle, Grant Collier, a great artist, too.)  Over the last few years in particular, Kimberly has experimented with a wide variety of art mediums--from "water gilding" and pastels to photography.  


She is currently concentrating on the creation of illustrations for children's books.  Her enchanting artwork captures the wonder and delight of a child's imagination.   

Children's illustrator and fine artist, Kimberly Erickson.

Reflections Upon Laughter

It's a funny thing, but most people who know me in an official capacity (that is, the office), think of me as a very serious and focused individual.  This makes sense, of course, because work is our professional side.  I can't imagine having my identity tied-up with my profession of number-crunching.  In fact, I'd say that my work right now I think is a sure sign that God indeed has a marvelous sense of humor.


For me, at least, humor is an important outlet in keeping things in their proper perspective.  In the past, I was able to explore the humorous side in my children's books: Tristan's Travels and Toupee Mice (coming later this year).  Today, I have my silly blog: the Restless Auditor (for an older audience).  I suppose this kind of thing might be referred to as sublimation by some out there--e.g. I can't wear a dead chicken on my head at the office, so writing silly and zany stuff is a positive outlet.


There's probably some truth in that, but I think, in a more significant sense, good humor offers us a glimpse of ourselves in a larger context than our daily life.  Let's face it, being able to laugh at yourself is certainly a sure sign in favor of sanity.  In this day and age, I'd say that humor gives us both this ability to stand back and laugh, which comes down to perspective and balance, as well helping us cope with uncomfortable or stressful situations.


As a child, for instance, I relied on humor as a way to see me through childhood as an overweight kid of divorced parents in a town that I felt, at times, was a backwards joke.  (My views have softened since on my hometown.)  Faith was more important, but the humor seemed to go hand-in-hand with it at times.  It was like God was reminding me that I would not be in junior high forever.  Being the class clown was not always a good experience, but it was a tool to help me cope.  


I think too often we try to exclude or push away humor as unimportant or trivial or in bad taste.  Of course, many times humor does cross that line of good taste, but it doesn't have to do so.  I have a number of very serious-minded friends who seem to avoid reading fiction or humor, because, I think, they see it as serving no purpose.  I guess a laugh or a good story are not a purpose in and of themselves, pointing to the mystery and depth of us as people created in the image of God.


It's interesting to pause and reflect on how great Catholic writers of the past have used humor.  Flannery O'Connor's characters, for instance, are cases in point of tragic humor.  For instance, who can forget Hazel Motes in "Wise Blood?"  He refuses to acknowledge that everything he does is a frantic search or flailing for Christ's truth.  His desperation becomes comic as much as it is tragic at its core.  Redemption is something Hazel can't bring his conscious to ever accept, but his subconscious certainly recognizes its presence.  


I'd say that there is also a deep humor running through much of G.K. Chesterton's works.  It's like he's pointing fun at the world, while, at the same time, acknowledging the seriousness of it all, as well.  Particularly strong  examples of this would be The Man Who was Thursday and The Everlasting Man.  Chesterton and Flannery O'Connor aren't the only great Catholic writers to be associated with humor--Hilaire Belloc would be another whose cutting satire and irony reflected a greater truth.  (Someday, I'd like to talk to Dr. Joseph Pearce about Shakespeare's use of humor.)


Of course, not all humor is going to rise to such a powerful level, but it can, and it does.  Laughter can be a cathartic tool in helping people deal with hardship, and it doesn't have to be limited to a clown visiting the hospital.  Humor and laughter aren't just for children either.  I'll conclude with an observation from Chesterton.  That is, God's humor is evidenced by His creation.  In other words, if you watch some birds or animals (or neighbors) you can't come away with any other sense that God must be smiling .  An entirely serious God would have no business creating the clown fish or tufted puffin, after all.

Bring Tristan Home for Christmas!

In case you missed all the excitement, I hope you'll take a moment to check out my children's book, Tristan's Travels!  With the current special on priority shipping, it couldn't be a better time to bring this book home for Christmas.


What are they saying about Tristan's Travels?  Here is a short sampling of reviews and feedback...




"With a Disney-like quality of imagination, adventure, and insight, Karl Erickson weaves his allegory on friendship and faith in this delightful tale..."

Fr. Tim Mockaits


"It reminds me of the work of A.A. Milne in its delightfully simple humor, of Beatrix Potter in its simply delightful depiction of anthropomorphous beasts, of Kenneth Grahame in its debt to literary tradition..."

Joseph Pearce




"For anyone who has lived in Astoria, Oregon--for anyone who has watched animals read--for anyone who has or hasn't wanted an adventure, Karl Erickson's beautifully illustrated, lovingly written fable about the life and particularity of a seagull named Tristan is a worthwhile journey."

Sean Astin


"Inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi and the writings of C.S. Lewis Erickson's narrative is one of pure delight. It's imaginative, action-packed adventure of faith and friendship will enchant readers of all ages."

Gail Welborn



"Tristan’s Travels weaves a theme of grace into a tale of animals trying to surmount an impossible distance to help someone they love. It is a tale that has deeper themes and Catholic undertones without shoving them down the reader’s throat. This is the sort of book I imagine myself — and my children — rereading many times, enjoying some new pearl and all the old laughs again each time."

Sarah Reinhard




Links:


Video Trailer


Tristan's Travels at Rafka Press  (discounted priority shipping currently available)*

* The customer will need to change the shipping method from Standard Domestic to Priority.  

After they “Add to cart” and

“Check out” and select

“Don’t have a PayPal account” (or they can “Check out with PayPal”) and

“Review and Continue”

Then they’ll be able to change the shipping method to Priority. 

Breaking Book News... for a sneak peek at the artwork for our upcoming book Toupee Mice, please visit my new author page on Facebook!

Profit Break

With Christmas rapidly approaching, here are some items from yours truly for your shopping pleasure.  Hope you can check them out!  :)

Tristan's Travels

Calendar featuring my photography from NE Oregon (Drop me a note about coupons, if interested.)

Calendar version 2 (Contact me about coupons.)

Tristan's Travels mug

"Happy Mouse" mug

"Light in the Darkness"  (Free)

"Stars Within the Glass"

Happy 200th Anniversary, Astoria!

One of my favorite places in Oregon, Astoria on the north coast, celebrates its bicentennial this year.  I've been visiting Astoria (as an adult) as regularly as possible since the late 1990s.  In my May 10th radio interview, I talked about the inspiration the area gave me for elements of Tristan's Travels.  


While many people seem to think of Astoria as a dark and dreary place, my visits often take place on the most beautiful days: brilliant blue skies, cool ocean breezes, and wonderful ocean views.  (If you want to see some good Astoria photos, check out the video trailer for our little "tale of tails."  Several photos are courtesy Oregon photographer Austin Granger.)  So, I hope you can stop by Astoria, Oregon and wish it happy 200th!  It's a great place to visit, and, I imagine, even a better place to stay.