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HEAVEN AND BEYOND

We must never forget that we are part of the universe and subject to its laws above all else.

  Behind the Scenes of Antheia in the Thorns 

Writing environmental thrillers in an era when government leaders openly mock global warming is a challenge. How do you present scientific information to a public riddled with doubts reinforced by the very leaders they voted into power? The task is especially difficult because my fiction is grounded in real-world events. People can rightly say that much of my story is imagined.

However, like many writers I respect, I believe the novel is the perfect place to explore the possible outcomes of a society that disavows scientific studies and replaces them with hearsay promoted by corporations more interested in profit than the public’s right to the truth. To deny global warming, climate change, and the pollution caused by oil and coal is, in my mind, unconscionable. Yet nature won’t let us bury the truth.

This week, I watched a NOVA program showing what is happening in the Arctic as it warms faster than even scientists once predicted. Large sinkholes are forming in thawing permafrost, weakening building foundations and releasing methane into the atmosphere. Houston is sinking by one-fifth of an inch per year, with some areas subsiding by as much as two inches annually. Eight major U.S. cities—New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Dallas—account for more than 60 percent of the population living on sinking land. These cities are already experiencing increased flooding. New York City has discussed building barriers along its shores, installing a gate around the harbor, and relocating people from the most hazardous regions.

It’s not only rising waters and sinking land that are of concern, but also the dramatic increase in asthma, now affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. The tiny particles we breathe come from traffic emissions, industrial activity, fireplaces, and disintegrating plastics.  Long-term exposure to pollution has caused increases in cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other respiratory illnesses. Nearly half of the U.S. population lives in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.

Antheia in the Thorns, the second novel in my Rightfully Mine series, is about to be published. It centers on a highly polluting, heat-raising product that few Americans know about, even though the United States is its largest producer. This oil-based energy source is processed into a substance resembling coal. It burns hotter than coal, is cheaper to produce, and is exported to India, China, and Africa—contributing significantly to global warming. Its continued production and sale demand scrutiny.

The thrill of seeing ordinary people confront corporations willing to dispose of anyone who gets in their way is life-affirming. It is ordinary people who ultimately bring about change. My first novel, The Water Factor, explored what happens when water is treated as a commodity rather than a public right. Antheia in the Thorns asks whether there should also be a right to clean air—and to live without constant fear of floods, fires, or toxic exposure. Though the story is a page-turner and its characters come from my imagination, its incidents are based on actual events.

I’ll let you know the moment Antheia in the Thorns becomes available for purchase later this month. Your purchase and review on Amazon will help it get off to a good start.. As with The Water Factor, I hope it sparks lively book club discussions about accountability, power, and what we owe one another in a rapidly changing world.

References: 

Krajick,K (2025). America is Sinking: 28 Major Cities Are Slowly Going Under. SciTechDaily. Retrieved from https://scitechdaily.com/america-is-sinking-28-major-cities-are-slowly-going-under/

  Surico, J. & Underwood, N. (2025), New York Is Going to Flood. Here’s What the City Can Do to Survive. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/15/nyregion/new-york-climate-flooding-solutions.html

  (Staff (2024)Air Pollution’s Role in Rising Global Asthma Cases. American Journal Of Medicine, Retrieved from https://www.emjreviews.com/en-us/amj/respiratory/news/air-pollutions-role-in-rising-global-asthma-cases/

Art is always for sale. Heaven and Beyond can be purchased on my website at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/1662380/heaven-and-beyond#/ 

  I look forward to your comments on my blog site at 

  The Water Factor is an International Firebird Book Award winner for best dystopian novel and a Literary Titan Gold Award recipient for best thriller. The novel is available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. It can be purchased on AMAZON, Barnes and Noble, and Powell Books Online and as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Ask your bookstore to order a copy from Ingram. Please leave a review.