Green List Wednesday - Electric Cars

In wildflowers, I send two rule-bending, 
Tesla-driving teens 

into the Restricted Zone to find 
the secret for rebuilding the West.

When crafting this novel, set in the not-so-far-off future, I saw a world where hybrids still exist, but electric vehicles (EVs) would replace gas-fueled cars.  My inspiration for this came in 2010 when Wired Magazine featured an article on the future of EVs, with the focus on the budding Tesla Motors.  It changed my perspective on the green car movement, and today it's great to see EVs popping up all over the place.  Below, I've compiled a list of EVs worth considering...for fun or for purchase.  I've broken out my top three with a bit of commentary.  

1.  Tesla Motors

This American car company's Model S won both Automobile Mag's 2013 Automobile of the Year  and Motor Trend's 2013 Car of the Year.  Stylish, quick, though expensive.

2.  Fisker

The Fisker Karma is so luxurious it won TopGear's Luxury Car of the Year.  With an eye on clean production, this car is bold and landscape-esque.  Also expensive.

3.  Zelectric Motors

This innovative car company reworks mid-century modern classic cars to a more sustainable fuel-source.  Their retro-specialty seems to be VWs.  This is recycling at its best!  Hip, clever, and totally do-able.

4.  Smart Car

5.  BMW i Series

6.  Chevy Volt

7.  Ford Focus

If you're considering buying an EV, I Want To Buy An Electric Car is a good site to check out. And if you'd like to learn more about electromobility, check out this article and vid from Siemens USA.

all things good and green

all things good and green

In the book, wind is a problem, but in real life, wind becomes 

a clean resource for power.  Check out this article 

describing how Carbon County, WY has just been approved 

to house the largest wind farm in North America.  

The farm will host 1,000 turbines.  

The next largest farm is near Roscoe, Texas 

and holds 627 turbines.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  

If you're looking for the "meet the characters" post, click here.

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meet the cast

In the desert Southwest, it's wildflower season.

It's always amazing to see the blooms appear from

the hard soil, the craggy spaces between rocks, 

and the forgotten spots in the landscape.

This style of growth is so compelling to me that

I used the flower's development as inspiration

when developing the characters for wildflowers, the book.  

Today let's meet those wildflowers.

Keifer Michaels - Main character.  Intelligent and curious. Laments the past, worries about the future, and struggles with panic attacks. Top student, high-achieving soccer player, accomplished abstract artist.  Has a secret talent that, if used, would break him open and reveal his truths.

Abi Michaels - Younger sister to Keifer.  Savvy observer and straight-forward philosopher.  Lives in the moment with a spirit for fun.  As a brave risk-taker, she tests boundaries while always...always...living her truth.  She is a great teacher.

Sam Michaels - Father to Keifer and Abi.  An overworked scientist and biologist who understands environmental change at its deepest levels.  Misses his wife, loves his kids, but has difficultly letting down his guard.

The Garner Girls - Keifer and Abi's sense of adventure is rooted to these women.  Two aunts, a grandmother, and their mother, Belle Michaels.  Abi can embrace their lessons, Keifer is more apprehensive.

Alex - Schoolmate to Keifer.  But that's all.  Adam knows too much about Keifer for them to have a friendship.  Both will be surprised to know how the mysteries..and people...in their lives overlap.

Noah, Ryan, and Larrick - Keifer's friends and dorm mates at LWR, Lower West Regional in Helena, Montana.  When school breaks come, the boys go their separate ways, back to their homes, which have changed in varying degrees in the eight years since the evacuation.

Margo - Besides Noah, the person Keifer feels closest to...though something is holding him back.  He loves her curls and her birdsong voice, but most of all, he loves how she just gets him.

Max - Beyond the gaggle of girls that are always around Abi, Max is Abi's best friend, in Arizona and at LWR.  Abi's ability to relate to all sorts of people leaves a lasting impression on Keifer.

Sydney - An old woman that becomes a new friend.  Ex-professor and now inventor, she knows her way around the Restricted Zone.

Desert Rats - The label given to people living in the Restricted Zone. Is their criminal reputation real or fiction?

Murphy and Tara - And here's where the great mystery could be revealed.  Who are they?  What do they know?  Or more importantly, who do they know?  Could it be that they know Belle Michaels?  Abi hopes so, Keifer's not so sure.