The 2012 DA14 Asteroid

On the same day a large asteroid 2012 DA14 passed within 17,200 miles of Earth - too close for comfort for most of us - a meteor exploded over Russia, shattering windows, and injuring more than 1000 people.

Catastrophic impacts have been a part of Earth's history. If we didn't have oceans, erosion and plate tectonics to smooth over the evidence, our planet's surface wouldn't look much less cratered than the moon. Several years ago, I met famous meteorite hunter, Geoffrey Notkin, in a Tucson memoir writing group.  Since I have a Masters degree in geology, I've always found science fascinating and Notkin’s submissions about meteorite collecting trips to some of the most remote regions in the world had a special appeal to me. He eventually published his exhilarating stories as a book entitled Rock Star:Adventures of a Meteorite Man. After meeting Notkin, I found myself reading more about meteorites and catastrophic asteroid and comet events, which contributed to some of my plot ideas for MESSAGE FOR VIOLA MARI.

I couldn't help but feel a shock wave of irony when I watched Lisa Sylvester's CNN interview with University of Maryland scientist, Melissa Hayes, who shares the same first name as my female protagonist (also a meteorite scientist).

At least for now, we can let out a sigh of relief and say, "Whew, that was close." If you'd like to read a fictional tale on how scientist Melissa Jones reacts to evidence a comet cloud is headed this way, you can immerse yourself in this not-so-unbelievable erotic sci fi tale on Amazon.