Every writer I know plans to write the great American Novel someday. Most spend their lives talking about it, but never getting much on paper. I decided to be different. I wrote a novel called “The 14th Reinstated” a few years back.
I don’t know if it’s “great” but it’s 100% American. It was set in the future, after a total, world-wide economic and social collapse. Yeah, I know, it’s been done before, TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) is getting to be a worn out theme. I like to think I did it different and a little better than those other guys, but that’s for the readers to decide.
I didn’t intend it to be post-apocalypse when I sat down to write, I just wanted to write an adventure novel. But the more I dug into the plot and tried to tie it to current events, the more it pushed me into the concept of a failed social and economic structure. I tried to look at world events and create a worst case scenario. It was just fiction, stuff that came from the dark recesses of my mind. The problem is that a lot of it is happening now.
In an attempt to bring realism to the book I explored topics that most polite and civilized people simply won’t think about. I peeked under the tent that hides the reality of what is going to happen if it all shuts down and what I saw was terrifying.
Some editor types read the book and asked me to write some prepping articles. I was very much aware of the prepper movement and I suppose I participated to some extent as I keep food and other supplies on hand. I have lived rural much of my life so the concept of prepping was easy. I have always been self-sufficient. I can fix or build most things and I am a hunter, fisherman and trapper. We have raised and butchered livestock, planted gardens and foraged in the woods for edibles. Growing up, I thought we were poor but it turns out we were preppers. I guess we were ahead of the curve.
Even today I butcher all my own wild game. I also can venison and practice other methods of preserving meat and other food if the power goes out. I know about that too, I live at the end of an antique power line and we are without power after a lot of storms. At times for a week or more. You call all that prepping, I call it life. Tomato -Tomahto.
I have made my living for the past three decades as a gun and hunting writer. Guns are my passion as well as my profession and I am always learning new things about this wide ranging and diverse subject. While the pay sucks, this is the greatest job on earth!
It didn’t take long to see the obvious tie in here. I am also a hard-core reader and I have studied a lot of history. It became very obvious to me that America and the world are heading off a big, high cliff. I am still hopeful that the grownups will take over and we can avoid disaster. But, I know that if disaster strikes, it’s too late to start prepping. I also know that most of the country is not prepping. They laugh at preppers, roll their eyes and snicker about “tinfoil hats.”
If the collapse happens there are going to be millions of people who did nothing to prepare. Many of these people live off the “system,” which means they expect the lights to be on, the water running, the sewers working and the grocery stores to be stocked. They have no self-reliance skills and have their heads buried so deep in the sand that any crisis will catch them completely unaware and unprepared. They will have no idea of how to cope and panic will be their first reaction.
Most of them are probably good people. People who play by the rules, go to work every day, pay their taxes and would never think about taking something that does not belong to them. But what happens when the system they depend on, the system they have total faith in, fails? What happens after everything grinds to a halt?
Perhaps they have been forced out of their homes. They are lost, disillusioned, hungry and scared. These people are desperate.
Now suppose they discover you have food, water, shelter and medicine?
Those people will not just go away. Even if you are isolated, at some point bad people will try to take what you have by force. If they succeed and you are still alive, your preparations will mean nothing. You and your family will likely not survive.
It’s horrible to think about, but you really have only two options. One is death. The other is to defend your life, your property and your family.
The only way to do that is with firearms, but they must also be the correct firearms. There is a tremendous amount of total crap out there about prepping and guns. Most of what is on the internet will result in failure.
So I wrote Prepper Guns to kill the myths and set the record straight about the guns that will best serve to keep you and your family alive.
It’s not a book about strategy, battle tactics or how to build a remote wilderness compound. This is a gun book, a book about the tools to defend yourselves, your loved ones and your property. It looks at the diversity of firearms, ammunition and accessories currently available to United States citizens and explores the pros and cons of each.
This is a book for those who have chosen to take personal responsibility seriously; a book for those who understand that they alone are responsible for their own future. It’s an aid in helping to decide how you will prepare for that future. Lots of other books can tell you how to prep; this one shows you the way to survival.
Besides, even if nothing happens and the world keeps rolling along, this is a pretty comprehensive book about guns. You will learn a lot about all aspects of personal defense firearms. It can help you in making a decision on your next AR rifle or which carry gun is best for you and your unique circumstances.
SHWAT™ Editor’s Note: Bryce Towsley is a renowned gun writer and has been for longer than I’ve been in the industry. I have the book and think you’ll like it, prepping or otherwise. Just enjoy this piece referencing Vice President Joe Biden’s suggestion that all you need for self defense is a double barreled shotgun to shoot in the air: “Taking gunfighting advice from him is like having Michelle Obama cater your kid’s birthday party. It’s just not going to end well.” I’m picturing three spinach leaves on a party plate….
You can find Prepper Guns at Amazon or any other book store. If you want a signed copy they are only available at www.brycetowsley.com. At the moment, you can get free shipping there, too.
