Date Published: 11/18/2025
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Narrator: Nathan Westhoff
Run Time: '6:37
Determined to get his prototypes back, he enlists the help of a professional hurricane surfer, an Alaskan oil worker, and a French salt farmer. But he's no criminal mastermind, and they soon find themselves caught between a growing hurricane and a surprise algae field.
Will Moro succeed? Will they beat the hurricane surfing world record? And how exactly does one farm salt?
It's a hopeful climate heist—a solarpunk blend of Ocean's Eleven, The Martian and Michael Crichton.
Interview
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
That the future holds a lot of
challenges — and also a lot of hope and opportunity. We each have unique skills
that, when we work together, will enable us to not just adapt, but to thrive.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The most challenging part of writing for me is
to really get into the minds of a diverse cast of characters. It’s really
interesting when I pull it off — but it’s really mentally challenging. It
requires a long period of calm concentration and getting into the flow, and a
lot of self-honesty. Because you can still write if you’re not in this flow
state, but it’s going to be missing a certain depth, a certain authenticity,
that’s very hard for me to add in later in the editing process.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
This is my first published novel!
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
I would love for How to Surf a
Hurricane to become a movie! Many readers have actually commented that it
reads like a movie. I think Timothée Chalamet would make a great Moro Petroff.
When did you begin writing?
I’ve enjoyed writing since I was a
teenager, when I completed NaNoWriMo in my high school creative writing class.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
From the moment I decided I was
ready to write a book to publishing it was exactly two years. But I’ve known
for a long time that I would eventually want to write a novel, so I’ve been
taking notes and gathering ideas for many years.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
I don’t actually know if this
story is true, but I once heard that JK Rowling wrote the first draft of Harry
Potter on bar napkins. I really hope that eventually she switched to at least
regular paper! But that image has always stuck with me as this powerful
reminder that writing is just that: you’re creating a story. You don’t need
fancy equipment, a team of people or an exotic location. It’s just you and your
imagination.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Sitting
down with some nice relaxing music and easing into the creative flow.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
A Hopeful Climate Heist.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
My next project is an anthology of
solarpunk short stories, based on the free hopeful storytelling game Solarpunk Pen
Pals.
Todd studied Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. He worked on self-driving cars and board games before discovering a passion for clean energy. He spent four years working on grid-scale battery storage and now offers Product Management consulting to clean energy companies.
Todd spends his free time playing games, climbing rocks, and gleefully riding his electric bike everywhere. He is currently working on expanding the Hurricane universe.
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