Reality Stranger than Fiction

The situation in Malheur National Wildlife refuge has escalated to the point of absurdity. So much that it is now a mirror for a fiction book I wrote and Christopher Herndon illustrated in 2012. Terra Tempo, the Four Corners of Time.

Photo of the book cover

The basic plot of the book revolves around three kids who use a magic map to time travel to the distant past. The book is the second in a series so these kids have traveled time before but now 600 million years is open to them.  

This time, however, the kids are not alone. It turns out that there is a group of ARMED THUGS who claim to own the magic map. These thugs have no problem using force and violence to intimidate the youth. 

When we wrote it some critics say we had too many guns

The big chase scene in the book is supposed to be a metaphor for private interests in monetary gain on public land. The time maps reveal the origins of precious resources and the Thugs think they can own those resources through time travel and the rule of "first come first serve"  

Intimidation is all they have

These elements of the book were supposed to be subtle sarcasm. As in "Ha ha. Gun weilding land grabs in the west were part of the past." "It couldn't possibly happen in the future"  

We featured public lands throughout the American Southwest because there are so many beautiful, picturesque, public lands there. That and the Colorado Plateau is where the book of nature's time is most eloquently displayed.

One of many public parks highlighted in the book  

In our book the magic maps were made by the Rough Riders who were led by Teddy Roosevelt. The backstory on the time maps is that there was a split amongst the soldiers as to whether the time travel maps were to be used for study and the enrichment of our understanding of the earth or for the greedy purpose of making money off resources.  

Roosevelt in battle  

Again were creating a bit of satire back then. Everyone knows that Teddy Roosevelt is the reason we have so many National Parks. His presence in the book is minimal but Chris and I both think he was the greatest President ever. In our story the Rough Riders found the secret to time travel in their post-war quarantine at Montauk in 1898. 

Making the time map

In Terra Tempo the gun wielding thugs were supposed to be a metaphor for the dangers our future (the youth) are facing from outdated ideologies (the thugs). Now here in 2016 it's not a metaphor, it's reality.  

Hats and all

The line between fact and fiction is obscured.  

Look familiar? 

Check out the series! Look up my book. There has never been a better time to read the Terra Tempo series. And if you order one from the www.craigmorecreations.com website illustrator Chris Herndon and myself will sign and personalize your copy.  

Make some noise! Speak out against The injustice.  

Thank you for reading. I had to take all the photos from my phone. They are actual photos of pages from the book. Kind of home spun but the best I can do this morning :-) 

--David Shapiro