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Our latest release:

Welcome Back, Pluto
We're glad that you're a PLANET again!

By Ron Toms

When the International Astronomical Union (the IAU) removed Pluto from the list of planets, it was controversial for a good reason. The definition they approved had little to do with planetary science. It was the result of a purely political maneuver within the organization.

The vote was not intended to end the way it did. A definition was created that kept Pluto a planet, confirmed Eris as a new planet, and restored Ceres to planethood now that we know its true nature. The original announcement makes this crystal clear:

"The world's astronomers, under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), have concluded two years of work defining the difference between 'planets' and the smaller 'solar system bodies' such as comets and asteroids. If the definition is approved by the astronomers gathered 14-25 August 2006 at the IAU General Assembly in Prague, our Solar System will include 12 planets, with more to come"
-- https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau0601/

Twelve planets! Humanity was gaining new territory to spark our imaginations. As you can see, this wasn't a haphazard move. It took two years of effort. A lot of work had gone into it. All it needed was a simple vote of approval to make it official.

Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world.
-- Margaret Mead

And that's what happened, but not for the betterment of humanity. What was supposed to be a mere formality got hijacked. A small group of astronomers fought a petty power struggle over what they thought should be important in our Solar System, and what should not. They seized the process and forced their opinions on the rest of us. Afterwards, more scientists signed a petition to reject the definition than voted for it. But it had no effect. The internal politics of the IAU appear to be driving their decisions more than science does.

This book only briefly discusses the politics of the IAU. It also shows how their authority on the matter is not as far-reaching as they claim. It looks at how other scientific definitions work and exposes how the IAU got it wrong. It is also about the science of astronomy, the interplay of objects in the Solar System, and the tangle of words and definitions we use to describe it all. Lastly, it includes an honest, scientific analysis of the planet-worthiness of all the largest objects in our Solar System and beyond.

The conclusion is simple and inescapable; it is legitimate and accurate to call Pluto, Ceres, and Eris planets. It always has been, and it matters.

If you love science, astronomy and space exploration, you should be calling Pluto a planet too. But don't take my word for it. As the venerable Neal deGrasse Tyson said, "If the world is something you accept rather than interpret, then you're susceptible to the influence of charismatic idiots."

We agree. This book contains multiple scientific guidelines for determining planethood from a variety of perspectives. Some include Pluto, Ceres, Eris and more, and some do not. These are far more than just arbitrary or vague requirements. They are based on actual data. Take a look and interpret them for yourself. I dare any "Pluto is not a planet" people to read this book and not have their faith shaken!



Hardback | Paperback

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Other books in our catalog:

James Deng and the Topless Women of Luna

by Rocco Machaco

A rumor is floating around the world's governments about a weapon that can destroy a whole continent, and someone is threatening to use it. James Deng is a special investigator from Africa sent to help solve the mystery and prevent that war. With only three days until the end of the world as we know it, his investigation takes him to the moon, where he is embedded in a society dominated by topless women.

Warning: For entertainment purposes only. Not to be used for world domination.


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Convert It! How to convert ANY classic car to Electric

by Ron Toms

Converting a car to electric is a pretty big project, but if you have a good set of tools and mechanical aptitude, you can do it. This book will help you calculate the range and acceleration you'll get with your conversion. It includes a complete detailed schematic diagram, photos, illustrations and an overview of the whole project including a walk through the decisions process, what components are necessary and why you need them, some of the different types of components and how to choose. A page full of useful links for chargers, controllers, battery managers, batteries, motors and other items is included at the end. You will gain the benefit of all my experience working with electrical and mechanical systems, plus many days worth of searching on-line resources and analyzing countless youtube videos. Everything it took to do an actual conversion is distilled into this one comprehensive volume.

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The Big Book of Catapult and Trebuchet Plans

by Ron Toms

This book is a compilation of step-by-step instructions for how to build nine different types of catapults and trebuchets, including plans for: A PVC Pipe Trebuchet, A Tabletop Trebuchet, The World Famous Floating Arm Trebuchet, The Historical WarWolf Trebuchet, A Rat-Trap Catapult, The Mangonel (or Onager), The Greek Ballista, a Petraria Arcatinus And the Scorpion II. Each set of instructions include dimensional drawings of all wooden parts, lists of required hardware and sources, an abundance of photos, diagrams and detailed descriptions of the assembly process. Additional sections include historical notes for the different types of machines, warnings and safety suggestions, tuning tips, notes on scaling, tools and techniques and additional notes on even more kinds of catapults.

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And Then We All Just Died

by Thomas Neal Orland

And Then We All Just Died is a random assortment of fifteen short stories including hard sci-fi, mild comedy, historical fiction and one truly horrific tale of bloody torture. The basic gist: Things don't always turn out the way they should.

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MOONGAME

by Thomas Neal Orland

In the twenty-third century all factories are fully automated, agriculture has been replaced by chemically engineered fibers and nutrients, and money is based on fundamental units of energy. Most people live on a guaranteed basic income, and gambling on Moongame is the most popular pastime in the history of humanity.

Moongame is a brutal mix of basketball, polo and X-games played on the moon. Riders on electric bikes perform impossible stunts in the low lunar gravity while fighting to score goals and earn favors. The more brutal and dramatic they are in the game, the more favors they earn.

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Our Publishing Services:

  • Ebook Conversion

    We can make a professional quality ebook out of your word processor file. Sure, there are automated ways to do this. They don't work very well. If you want a table of contents that work, chapters that start on a fresh page, consistent fonts, etc. You really need to hand-craft these things. We work with the XML directly and compile it into Mobi or Epub formats for you.

  • Editing Services

    Whether you need an alpha reader for story doctoring, a proofreader, or someone to format, layout and prep your digital manuscript for print, we can do it at a reasonable cost. For references, take a look at the sample pages for any of our books on Amazon.com

  • Print-ready covers

    We can take your artwork or photography, or work with your design ideas and stock art to create a cover for your book, front, back and spine.

  • Coming Soon: Turn your book into an audio book! (Watch this space.)
  • For details and pricing, send an email to Ron @ RLT . com.

What we don't do:

We don't do advertising. We don't do social media. We don't promote your book. But neither do the big publishing houses. The fact is, they spend 95% of their efforts on the top 5% of their authors. The rest are left out in the cold, high and dry, up the creek. It's up to you to spread the word and get the ball rolling. If your product is good it will float to the top. The rest will take care of itself. But how do you know if your product is good? That's the easy part. You don't. No one does. Only the market will tell you that. As William Goldman said about experts in the book, TV and Film industries, "Nobody knows nothing." You pays your money and you takes your chances. Them's the facts, Jack. Sorry, sometimes the truth hurts. Having said that, you do need to let the world know your book is out there so they can judge it. We have strategies for that and we can help you get started. This is included free with any of our other services.


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Our Community:

If you want to hear about new book releases, special promotions (Free Stuff!), have any complaints or just want to chat, send an email to Ron @ RLT . com. Let us know what you're interested in. We're nice, friendly people. We'd love to hear from you.

If you're in the San Antonio, TX. area and want to join one of our weekly Story Doctoring and Alpha Reader meetings at the local coffee shop, send us an email and let us know when you're available. We'll let you know what our current schedule is. (It has a tendency to change now and then.)


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That's it. That's the end of the web site. There's nothing else to see here. No site map. No job openings. No investor relations. No legal disclaimers. Oh, I suppose I should add the copyright thing. Ok, here it is: Copyright 2021, © Ronald L. Toms. There. I did it. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this company is run by one and only one person, me, plus the few writers I've met over the years who actually want to put their work out for people to see, *and* who's work manages to hold my attention all the way to the end. I've met a whole bunch of the other kinds of writers -- the ones who only write "because I enjoy it" and cringe at the idea of actually publishing anything. And that's ok. We all have our quirks. Mine is cooking. I like to cook. Even when I'm alone and by myself I'll cook-up a nice asian-style dinner for myself and a guest or two. But since there's no guest, I end up eating the whole thing by myself. That's why I also work out and walk three miles every day. You know, athletes can eat as much as they want and never get fat. I'm no athlete though. I've heard that the worst job you can have for your health is being a truck driver. Sitting on your butt all day long every day, plus the stress of driving the big rig in traffic really takes its toll on a person's body. Writing is not that bad, but it's close. Sitting on your butt all day long, every day, plus the stress of knowing that the six or twelve months you spend laboring over this novel will probably result in a grand total of seventeen dollars in sales. Then it will be relegated to the dustbin of forgotten history. So it goes, as Mr. Vonnegut used to say. This is a big change from what I used to do. Designing, manufacturing and distributing educational products, designing, building and operating a thremed park... It was all reptty active and physical and involved a lot of working with people. But times change. We all have to adapt. That's really all I have to say at the moment. I dunno. Might delete all this later and get a job as a barrista somewhere. Then again, being a publisher is cool. I get to help my friends get their work out there. They can write, but they're not very good at the technical details of publishing books and e-books. That's where I shine. I'm good at technical things. My books? I wrote the non-fiction stuff in our catalog. I say "our". Yeah, it's the thing to do. Makes it sound like you're bigger than you really are. Essential for a one man shop, they tell me. Who's they? Good question. Wait, who's asking? Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?



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If you've made it this far and are curious about my previous incarnations
as a kit maker, a game designer and a park creator,

CLICK HERE