Julie L. Casey lives in a rural area near St. Joseph, Missouri, with her husband, Jonn Casey, a science teacher, and their three youngest sons. After teaching preschool for fifteen years, she has been homeschooling her four sons for ten years. Julie has bachelor of science degrees in education and computer programming and has written four books. She enjoys historical reenacting, wildlife rehabilitation, teaching her children, and writing books that capture the imaginations of young people. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild and the St. Joseph Writers Guild.
Find out more at julielcasey.com.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
I have always been fascinated by life in the "good old days," so I've been drawn to books about early settlers, pioneers, and living off the land. I also love science fiction but as a realist, I've always thought that the notion of humans destroying themselves was a little far-fetched. I mean, sure, humans do some pretty terrible things to each other, but I'd like to think that overall we're too smart to totally decimate each other with nukes or something similar. Instead, I believe that if our civilization is doomed, it will be because of some natural event like a meteor or a solar superstorm. I don't believe that this scenario is probable in our lifetimes, just that it is possible and I did extensive research to make sure that what is in the book portrays what really might happen in such an event. Even so, I am a great believer in the spirit and goodness of the human species and I wanted to write a book that reveals that spirit in a positive way.
WHEN DID YOU START WRITING HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
I started with just a few basic ideas about the story, such as the solar event, the names of the brothers, and that they would live on a farm, but other than that, I began the novel with no preconceived ideas. I had decided in October, 2011 to write this story for the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) contest, for which you must write a 50,000+ word novel within the month of November to qualify. I began on November 1st, 2011 and finished on November 22nd with How I Became a Teenage Survivalist as the finished product. The story was so fun to write. Every morning I'd sit down at the computer, place my fingers on the keyboard and the story would just start pouring out of me; I had no idea where it would take me each day. It was like I was reading the story as it unfolded. I would pause only occasionally to research parts of the story to make sure it was as accurate as a fiction novel can be.
HOW MUCH INTEREST HAS THERE BEEN IN HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
The novel was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, being among the top 5% of 10,000 entries. Since the announcement of it's publishing deal in Publisher's Marketplace. the book has garnered significant interest from agents inquiring about foreign translation/film rights, including some major Hollywood producers.
HOW LIKELY IS A SOLAR SUPERSTORM LIKE THE ONE IN THE BOOK TO HAPPEN?
The story portrays a "perfect storm" scenario, so it is unlikely but still a possibility. There are solar events happening every year and some are quite large, but not only does the CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) have to be huge and higly charged magnetically, it has to hit the Earth's atmosphere just right in order to cause the kind of destruction portrayed in the story. The CME itself rotates, one side being positively charged and the other being negatively charged. If the CME hits Earth's atmosphere with the same polarity, positive to positive or negative to negative, the CME pulse will be repelled into space, much like what happens when you hold two magnets together with the same poles facing each other. But if it hits the opposite polarity, and the CME's magnetic field is strong enough, the Earth's magnetic field may collapse and the surge will quickly circumnavigate the globe, likely taking down most, if not all, of the power grids and short-circuiting a large percentage of all electronic devices. There are only a few places in the world that manufacture the 125 kilowatt transformers that are the backbone of the power grids; if a majority of those transformers are fried, it could take years, maybe even decades, to replace them. You can read more about solar superstorms, CMEs, and survivalism on the Find Out More page.
WHAT WOULD BE THE GREATEST DILEMMA FOR HUMANS IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN?
It would be hard to pinpoint one problem that would be the greatest, since so many things would most likely cause millions and maybe even billions of deaths. Immediately with the electromagnetic surge, up to two thirds of vehicles on the road would experience engine stall and traffic lights would blink off, causing a multitude of traffic accidents. Some people might be electrocuted by surges through the power lines and electronic devices, and workers at power plants may die in the explosion of transformers. Within a few days, people who rely on ventilators, dialysis machines, and other electronic devices would probably die as the fuel for the back-up generators runs out. Pharmaceutical companies would run out of supplies of medicines and within a few months, people who rely on medicines to stay alive may die. Remember, no manufacturing or drilling for and refining oil can occur without power. Food supplies will run low and many people will have to loot or fight for food. Sewage treatment plants will not be operable, so sewage will back up on city streets, causing all sorts of diseases; diseases for which medicine is no longer available to cure. Finding clean water will become a priority very quickly as cities will no longer be able to pump and treat water. Keeping warm will be a struggle in colder climates, as not that many people have heat sources that do not require electricity or fossil fuels to run.
IS THERE A SEQUEL TO HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
Yes! It's called Time Lost: Teenage Survivalist II and is published by Amazing Things Press. It follows the story of Ben, who eventually ends up at Bracken's farm in How I Became a Teenage Survivalist. His story, however is of his struggles to survive in a big city, which is infinitely harder and more tragic. A third book, Ice Queen: Teenage Survivalist III, is in the works now and is scheduled for a fall, 2014 release.
WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BOOKS?
All three books portray the same natural disaster (a huge coronal mass ejection from a solar superstorm, which strikes the earth and collapses the power grids worldwide), feature a teenage main character fighting for survival, and all three take place in Northwest Missouri. Each book, however, shows vastly different aspects of survival with three very different main characters: Book I follows Bracken, a happy-go-lucky teenage boy living on a rural farm, arguably the best-case scenario for survival; Book II chronicles dispirited Ben and his many trials and heartaches as he struggles to survive in the midst of riots, gangs, fires, and starvation in a big city, undoubtedly the worst-case scenario for survival; Book III details the tribulations of Taylor, a teenage girl, as she attempts to survive in a family with severe mental disorders which become ever more pronounced and dangerous as the drugs that were controlling them disorders run out.
Check back or sign up to receive news and updates or ask a question of your own.
Find out more at julielcasey.com.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
I have always been fascinated by life in the "good old days," so I've been drawn to books about early settlers, pioneers, and living off the land. I also love science fiction but as a realist, I've always thought that the notion of humans destroying themselves was a little far-fetched. I mean, sure, humans do some pretty terrible things to each other, but I'd like to think that overall we're too smart to totally decimate each other with nukes or something similar. Instead, I believe that if our civilization is doomed, it will be because of some natural event like a meteor or a solar superstorm. I don't believe that this scenario is probable in our lifetimes, just that it is possible and I did extensive research to make sure that what is in the book portrays what really might happen in such an event. Even so, I am a great believer in the spirit and goodness of the human species and I wanted to write a book that reveals that spirit in a positive way.
WHEN DID YOU START WRITING HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
I started with just a few basic ideas about the story, such as the solar event, the names of the brothers, and that they would live on a farm, but other than that, I began the novel with no preconceived ideas. I had decided in October, 2011 to write this story for the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) contest, for which you must write a 50,000+ word novel within the month of November to qualify. I began on November 1st, 2011 and finished on November 22nd with How I Became a Teenage Survivalist as the finished product. The story was so fun to write. Every morning I'd sit down at the computer, place my fingers on the keyboard and the story would just start pouring out of me; I had no idea where it would take me each day. It was like I was reading the story as it unfolded. I would pause only occasionally to research parts of the story to make sure it was as accurate as a fiction novel can be.
HOW MUCH INTEREST HAS THERE BEEN IN HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
The novel was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, being among the top 5% of 10,000 entries. Since the announcement of it's publishing deal in Publisher's Marketplace. the book has garnered significant interest from agents inquiring about foreign translation/film rights, including some major Hollywood producers.
HOW LIKELY IS A SOLAR SUPERSTORM LIKE THE ONE IN THE BOOK TO HAPPEN?
The story portrays a "perfect storm" scenario, so it is unlikely but still a possibility. There are solar events happening every year and some are quite large, but not only does the CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) have to be huge and higly charged magnetically, it has to hit the Earth's atmosphere just right in order to cause the kind of destruction portrayed in the story. The CME itself rotates, one side being positively charged and the other being negatively charged. If the CME hits Earth's atmosphere with the same polarity, positive to positive or negative to negative, the CME pulse will be repelled into space, much like what happens when you hold two magnets together with the same poles facing each other. But if it hits the opposite polarity, and the CME's magnetic field is strong enough, the Earth's magnetic field may collapse and the surge will quickly circumnavigate the globe, likely taking down most, if not all, of the power grids and short-circuiting a large percentage of all electronic devices. There are only a few places in the world that manufacture the 125 kilowatt transformers that are the backbone of the power grids; if a majority of those transformers are fried, it could take years, maybe even decades, to replace them. You can read more about solar superstorms, CMEs, and survivalism on the Find Out More page.
WHAT WOULD BE THE GREATEST DILEMMA FOR HUMANS IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN?
It would be hard to pinpoint one problem that would be the greatest, since so many things would most likely cause millions and maybe even billions of deaths. Immediately with the electromagnetic surge, up to two thirds of vehicles on the road would experience engine stall and traffic lights would blink off, causing a multitude of traffic accidents. Some people might be electrocuted by surges through the power lines and electronic devices, and workers at power plants may die in the explosion of transformers. Within a few days, people who rely on ventilators, dialysis machines, and other electronic devices would probably die as the fuel for the back-up generators runs out. Pharmaceutical companies would run out of supplies of medicines and within a few months, people who rely on medicines to stay alive may die. Remember, no manufacturing or drilling for and refining oil can occur without power. Food supplies will run low and many people will have to loot or fight for food. Sewage treatment plants will not be operable, so sewage will back up on city streets, causing all sorts of diseases; diseases for which medicine is no longer available to cure. Finding clean water will become a priority very quickly as cities will no longer be able to pump and treat water. Keeping warm will be a struggle in colder climates, as not that many people have heat sources that do not require electricity or fossil fuels to run.
IS THERE A SEQUEL TO HOW I BECAME A TEENAGE SURVIVALIST?
Yes! It's called Time Lost: Teenage Survivalist II and is published by Amazing Things Press. It follows the story of Ben, who eventually ends up at Bracken's farm in How I Became a Teenage Survivalist. His story, however is of his struggles to survive in a big city, which is infinitely harder and more tragic. A third book, Ice Queen: Teenage Survivalist III, is in the works now and is scheduled for a fall, 2014 release.
WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BOOKS?
All three books portray the same natural disaster (a huge coronal mass ejection from a solar superstorm, which strikes the earth and collapses the power grids worldwide), feature a teenage main character fighting for survival, and all three take place in Northwest Missouri. Each book, however, shows vastly different aspects of survival with three very different main characters: Book I follows Bracken, a happy-go-lucky teenage boy living on a rural farm, arguably the best-case scenario for survival; Book II chronicles dispirited Ben and his many trials and heartaches as he struggles to survive in the midst of riots, gangs, fires, and starvation in a big city, undoubtedly the worst-case scenario for survival; Book III details the tribulations of Taylor, a teenage girl, as she attempts to survive in a family with severe mental disorders which become ever more pronounced and dangerous as the drugs that were controlling them disorders run out.
Check back or sign up to receive news and updates or ask a question of your own.