Gaye Levy
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Today I share the first author interview and book giveaway in the latest Backdoor Survival Book Festival. James Wesley Rawles, the author of Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse, is joining us today for an interview and is also providing one reader with a free copy of his latest book.
As most of you know, James (or Jim as he likes to be called) is a prolific writer in addition to blogging at his website, SurvivalBlog.com. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the details of this week’s giveaway below.
AN INTERVIEW WITH James Wesley Rawles
Tell me about your novel, Expatriates. What is it about?
To start, I should mention that Expatriates is the fourth book in the Patriots novel series, which is about a near-future socioeconomic collapse. I use an unusual contemporaneous approach to writing sequels. Rather than the traditional formula of following the same group of characters in sequential installments, I show different characters in different geographic regions, but in the same near-future timeframe as in Patriots. So it isn’t necessary to have read the other novels before you read Expatriates.
Expatriates is set primarily in the Philippines, northern Australia, and Florida. The main characters are American ex-pats—a missionary family on Samar Island in the Philippines and a young Texan petroleum engineer living in Darwin, Australia. (Darwin is up on the tropical northern coast of Australia.) Another storyline follows a family in central Florida that is related to the family in the Philippines.
My goal with this book was to illustrate the international repercussions of an economic collapse. In Expatriates I show one likely outcome of a power vacuum in Australasia, when American military influence quickly disappears. Sensing that there will be no American response, a newly-radicalized Indonesia begins a jihad, and in rapid succession invades the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and finally northern Australia.
Most of the second half of the novel describes those calamitous events from the perspective of American expatriates in Australia.
What type of research did you have to do while writing Expatriates?
I did a lot of correspondence and conducted phone interviews with Australians and American ex-pats in Australia and the Philippines. I also corresponded with a number of subject matter experts in America and overseas.
How long did it take to write?
Roughly one year–although I had outlined all of the key storyline elements a year earlier.
Every book, fiction and non-fiction, includes a message. What message do you hope my readers will take with them after reading Expatriates?
Like all of my other novels, Expatriates is a tool to encourage family preparedness. If families prepare for the dreaded “worst case scenario,” then they can handle lesser disasters in stride. My novels are essentially survival manuals dressed as fiction. Most folks read them twice—the first time through for the fun of it, and the second time with a notepad and highlighting pen close at hand, taking notes.
Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?
I served as a U.S. Army Intelligence officer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I resigned shortly after being promoted to Captain. I live on a remote ranch in the Inland Northwest, where my family strives to be as self-sufficient as possible. I write a daily blog at SurvivalBlog.com. Between writing the blog, writing my books, and work on the ranch, I keep very busy.
Do you have plans for another book?
Yes, I’ve just written a non-fiction book, tentatively titled Tools For Survival, that will be released by Penguin in May of 2014. I’m also drafting another novel, titled Liberators. That one will be set mainly in the Bella Coola region of western Canada, and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?
I encourage everyone to think seriously about preparedness, and to set your family budget accordingly. You need to ask yourself: What is more important —a new jet ski and a big screen HDTV, or being prepared for the worst?
THE BOOK GIVEAWAY
A copy of Expatriates has been reserved for one lucky reader. Here is this week’s question:
What is the biggest mistake you have made in your “Prepping” career?
To enter the giveaway, you need to answer this question by responding in the comments area at the end of this article. The deadline is 6:00 AM Pacific next Thursday and the winner will be selected at random using tools on the random.org website. Also not that the winner will be announced in the Sunday Survival Buzz and he or she will have 72 hours to claim the winning book.
Note: If you are reading this article in your email client, you must go to the Backdoor Survival website to enter this giveaway in the comments area at the bottom of the article.
THE FINAL WORD
I am thrilled that Jim was willing to take the time to share his thoughts with Backdoor Survival. His book, as with all books in the survival fiction genre, teaches us that even through we do our best to prepare, circumstances do not cooperate and we must rely on our survival skills and the unwavering faith in our ability to prevail, no matter how bad things get.
I hope you will enter the giveaway to win your own copy of this fabulous new book!
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Spotlight Item: Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse
This a story about two expat families who struggle for survival in the midst of a global economic collapse. When the United States suffers a major socioeconomic collapse, a power vacuum sweeps the globe. A newly radicalized Islamic government rises to power in Indonesia, invades the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and finally northern Australia.
No longer protected by American military interests, Australia must repel an invasion alone. In the thick of these political maneuvers, an American family of missionaries living in the Philippines and a Texan petroleum engineer in Australia must face the fear of being strangers in a world in flux. Are their relatives back home healthy and safe? Will they ever see them again?
Bargain Bin: Today is all about books. Listed below are all of the books in the current Backdoor Survival Summer Reading List. There are both fiction and non-fiction titles and a bit of something for everyone.
THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – NON-FICTION
Backyard Cuisine: Bringing Foraged Food to Your Table
Home Remedies
Living on the Edge: A Family’s Journey to Self-Sufficiency
Make It Last: Prolonging + Preserving the Things We Love
Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills
The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms: Helpful Tips for Mushrooming in the Field
Good Clean Food
The Amazing 2000-Hour Flashlight
Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living
The People’s Apocalypse
Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better
THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – FICTION
Going Home: A Novel of Survival (The Survivalist Series)
Surviving Home: A Novel (The Survivalist Series)
Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse
The Border Marches
Rivers: A Novel
After the Blackout
The End: A Post Apocalyptic Novel (The New World Vol 1)
The Long Road (The New World Vol 2)
3 Prepper Romances: Escape To My Arms, plus 2 other e-books (your choice)
Prepper Pete Prepares: An Introduction to Prepping for Kids
THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK FESTIVAL 4.0 – LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS
The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
Escaping Home: A Novel (The Survivalist Series)
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You know how I like to have comfort foods and hot chocolate is right up there on the list. This particular combo includes 4 cans: French Vanilla, Mint Truffle, Raspberry, and your basic Gourmet Creamy Hot Chocolate.
For a head start on your holiday gift giving, a dozen red emergency candles – including gift bags and bows – are on sale at $49.99 or 41% off. These are great candles, even for non-emergency purposes.
Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials
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59 Responses to “BDS Book Festival: Expatriates + Interview With James Wesley Rawles”
Oh, how I wish I had organized my “stuff” as I bought it and not just dumped it in the basement. If you can’t find it, you can’t use it. I have been making some progress, but should have had a PLAN in place before I started. I at least know HOW I am going to organize the various categories. Even have the boxes and tubbies, etc.
Here comes my two cents worth. From my back porch I can see Big Rivers power plant. Beside it is Alcan Aluminum. The aluminum foundry can NOT loose power. That is why if was built beside the power generating plant. Across the road is another aluminum foundry that mixes special blends of metals, including the aluminum from Alcan. There are 5 “pot lines” at Alcan and 2 pot lines at PWI. To restart one line, after a power failure, is about 2 million dollars. 5 pot lines is over 10 million dollars. That would put Alcan out of business and the lost of hundreds of jobs.
They are not going to turn off the power, just practice what would happen. If the power goes off here, the fan is brown.
Not starting earlier. I keep thinking if the grid goes down in a couple of weeks Nov 13 & 14th and doesn’t come back up for a while. Of all the things I don’t have stored yet!
I agree JR. Fact is that with solid, reliable firearms one can gather food, defend family, barter ammo and if you have spare firearms they will be worth a ton of goods during a SHTF scenario. Rarely do they drop so much in value that you would be sorry you have them, I have been sorry when I sold them, wished I had kept them. Overall a firearm is a tool just like a chainsaw, hammer or socket set. And tools, like knowledge, empower the person to survive.
Hey JR, regarding that sister in the LA area, a friend once told me that he felt that life is a shit sandwich. The more BREAD you’ve got…. The less shit you’re eating.
He may have a point????
As for prepping, at times I think we might just be little boys playing soldier and having war games, only difference between now and when were children is that we’re supposedly grown up.
Perhaps it’s nothing more than escapism???
I don’t know, what I do know is that it’s fun and I also know that THOUSANDS in New Orleans after Katrina as well as just as many more after Sandy, all wish they had prepped. So despite what some may say, regardless of what might be said about me, none of that matters. Bottom line is I don’t listen anyhow! Better to have stuff and never need it as opposed to need stuff and not have it.
hoagie, I think I am running out of bread. Have stuff? I really think the time is getting very close to where “stuff” is more valuable than money. I have found out that as of this week, I have more toilet paper in stock than the local Wal-Mart. I also feel that with money not gong to be worth anything, what is always worth what you pay for it. Yep. Guns and ammo. All my loose change is going into guns and ammo. If it doesn’t hit and I get between a rock and a hard place. guns are as good as gold.
hoagie, Thanks for reminding me. Most of my food storage is over 25 years old. If I could post a little smiley face with its tongue stuck out, I would. All in good humor.
crazyteacher. I have a sister in the suburbs of LA. Her husband is a Judge. They live in a large fine home and I can talk until the cows come home, but they don’t believe in prepping. She told me of waking the morning of the last big shake. She couldn’t get out her bedroom door, the house was shaking so bad, but still no preps. What’s wrong with people. She doesn’t even know who Nancy Pelosi, or Diane Feinstein is. Maybe that is the way to live. No worries, living life large. Taking great vacations. Makes me wonder who is better off, me or her.
For anyone wishing they had started earlier, think of it this way. If you had started 10, 15 or 20 years earlier, all the food you would have bought & stashed away would be that much further past the expiration dates!
SO YOU HAVED SAVED IN THE LONG RUN
My biggest prepping mistake was telling my sisters & brother (who live in a HUGE city — I live in a very rural farm –paid for!) that I prep. My brother started prepping for his family and he has brought alot of preps to my place incase he is able to bug-out and get here because he is welcomed…but all my sisters just think that they will get in their car and come to my place!! One sister had TWO cans of food in her pantry when I came to visit…and she has LOTS of money!! I really ache for my sisters and their kids, but I’ve warned them that getting to where I live would be impossible with their roads clogged and no bug-out bags. 300 miles is a long ways on foot to my house!
I would have to say my biggest mistake is not starting earlier. I had a gut feeling I needed to start a food-storage plan about a year before I actually started. Granted my pantry is ALWAYS well-stocked, but things like meat was a weekly trip to the grocery store. I now feel comfortable that I have several months of food storage (maybe more, I’m not very good at inventory) and the beginnings of basic hygiene and medical preps storage.
When my husband finally got on-board with food-storage is when I was really able to ramp things up. I guess inventory is something I need to work on next.
On another note, my husband has ALL these wonderful ideas on what we can do to sustain ourselves and barter if TSHTF…but time is seriously lacking for both of us (we both work 3 jobs and have 3 teens at home). TIME to do more preps would be wonderful, which takes me back to wishing I had gotten started sooner.
Many here have expressed the same as what I feel. I regret not really getting a handle on things years ago, and not stepping back and re-prioritize, getting caught up in the news, and getting worked up, when I should use that energy on preps.
brian gest mistake is same as hoagie i sold my firearms now they cost double and i sold them for half so i guess my mistake would actually be i suck at math:( live and learn right never again will i make that mistake hopefully i can replace all before i need them hopefully i dont need them but if i do that is one thing u cant replace very easy