Can You Guess What This Is? The "Light Riders" Will Need To Use It!

Putting Protagonists in Peril

Let's face it. Authors get attached to their protagonists. Maybe it has something to do with the psyche, but I'm no expert. I just know that when it comes to putting them in tremendous peril, we flinch. Well, at least I do. But without those gut wrenching obstacles coming between the protagonist and his/her goal, the story would be awfully dull.

So, here I am forcing my "Light Riders" to face the worst kinds of scenarios in the depths of the Bastille, the night before July 14, 1789. And just as they seem to emerge from one horrific incident, the next is facing them dead- on. I hope I'm doing this right, because my heart keeps beating faster and faster as I write. And at times, I even break out into a sweat. (Of course I can always blame that on my surroundings. I live in Arizona and it's 113 degrees out there! ).

But I'm not alone. When I really have my characters face something truly heinous, I just mutter, "Blame Donis Casey." She's a mystery writer who knows how to get all of those elements of suspense in motion.

Sorry little "Light Riders," you're really in for it now! 

Snell's Law at work - now and in time

Get Ready for "Light Riders" Trilogy

One of my readers recently asked me why Light Riders and the Morenci Mine Murder will go on to become a trilogy. After all, I could have chosen any of my other YA mystery-suspense novels. Or could I?

For starters, Aeden and Ryn have discovered the perfect vehicle for time travel - Snell's Law. Refracted light can be utilized at any time, unlike the methods other time travelers have to employ. I get to use the same formula for two more novels. And, as characters, they are fairly self reliant, highly motivated, and yes, a bit whiny. But the neat thing as a writer is to watch them mature. Aeden was only 12 and Ryn, 13, when they found themselves in 1930's Arizona. At the end of the trilogy, Aeden will be 15 and Ryn, 16.

Their take on the world and ability to handle situations will change over time. So will their predicaments and perils. Of course, they always run the risk of getting trapped as time ripples, folds, and bends. Even the best formula has flaws. So, I have my work cut out for me.

New venues in an old past. But one question remains, should they share the formula for refracted light?

Keep reading!

Dr. Robert E. Farrell & Ann I. Goldfarb

Waking Up to Space Aliens and Time Travel

Amazing conversation today with sci-fi author Robert E. Farrell at our book signing in Surprise. The folks at Sunsational Coffee just heard about a new theory that is at odds with the "Big Bang." More to come!   #timetravel   #bigbangtheory   #books  #spacealiens

Avid Readers Win Time Travel Essay Contest

"Gifts to Go" in Surprise, AZ sponsored an essay contest for students, asking them where they would go if time travel were available. Our winners, Debbie and Ngaruiya from Sky View Elementary School in Peoria, wanted to meet Thomas Edison and see dinosaurs. Their entries were certainly intriguing.

As an author, I am genuinely appreciative of the effort that "Gifts to Go" has made to promote reading in our schools and to introduce students to Arizona authors.

As the recipient school for the winners, Sky View Elementary will receive a complimentary workshop given by me this year on a theme that they can select, such as: Creating Believable Characters, Using Mood and Tone in Writing, Creating Elements of Suspense, etc.

When businesses and schools work together, our students will indeed benefit. Thank you Tammy Fraser at "Gifts to Go" for all you do! 

Three Favorite Time Travel Pieces You May Have Forgotten

                Sometimes we get so caught up in a good plot or compelling characters that we have to take a moment to remind ourselves that we’re reading time travel stories. In case you’ve forgotten, I’ll mention three of my favorites. One forward, one backward, and one, both!

            “Rip Van Winkle” – Washington Irving’s short story about a hen-pecked man who wonders off to the hills for a respite from his wife, taking only his rifle and faithful dog, “Wolf.”

He meets up with some mysterious men, drinks their liquor and sleeps for 20 years. Upon waking up, he discovers that his entire world has changed. In one night, he has time traveled into the future.

           

            A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court – Mark Twain’s quintessential time travel piece as protagonist Hank Morgan suffers a blow to the head at work and wakes up in the 6^th century in a rural area of Camelot. Imagine having all the knowledge of modern times and bringing it with you to the past. What would you do? I’ll bet Hank Morgan can beat that!

            A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens’ heartwarming story that continues to grace our holiday season, not to mention, morph into other story lines and venues with misunderstood and yes, despicable Ebenezer Scrooge. In this tale, our character is able to move forward and backward in time. Some hard line time travel critics may contend that since Scrooge was unable to speak, move, or otherwise interact as he moved through time, it was more of a “dream state” than an actual travel. However, I believe that if a character can observe the world the way it was and the way it will be, he or she is time traveling.

            So…if you have time on your hands, check out these great reads!

Next "Light Riders" adventure in progress...

For those of you who have followed Aeden and Ryn through their first time travel adventure, you may be pleased to learn that I'm currently moving them through time in yet another endeavor to solve a mystery. Unlike the first novel, they're not separated this time and that's proving to be a royal pain in the neck for Ryn, who finds 14 year old Aeden to be bossy, know-it-all and overly emotional. Aeden has adjectives of her own for Ryn and you'll just have to wait until the novel is published to find out exactly what they are. These characters are dialoging in my mind every minute of the day. Can't keep up fast enough with them!

Wonderful book signing today with young novelist Anivarya Kumar ( Two Lives One Decision ) at "Gifts to Go" at Barnaby Street Shops in Surprise, AZ. I'm always fascinated to learn how other time travel authors move their characters backwards and forwards.

Time Travel Techniques - What's your favorite?

As an author of time travel mysteries, I am always intrigued by the techniques that other authors use to move their characters into the time-space continuum, either forward or backward. And it seems as if every new book presents readers with more options for "time travel."

So, what's your favorite?

H.G. Wells used machinery ( our first Time Machine ). Daphne Du Maurier used a drug concoction in The House on the Strand. An old clock served as the portal in Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden. And who could ignore the self hypnosis that brought Richard Collier back in Richard Matheson's Time Bid Return. And some protagonists, like author Audrey Niffenegger's Henry DeTamble ( The Time Traveler's Wife) are simply doomed to disconnect from one dimension and travel back and forth to others.

And don't forget the "tesseract" that Meg and Charles used in Madeleine L'Engle's classic children's book - A Wrinkle in Time.

As for me, I've used a variety. Nature and the equinoxes allowed my characters to travel back in time in my first novel. "Something in the blood" allowed one of my characters to ripple back in my next novel. My third used sheer determination and will power, coupled with a "pull" from another century. And now, I am using Snell's Law of Refraction and the use of prisms to capture light and travel in time.

Whatever the method, authors of this genre are always finding creative ways for their characters to enter into a new realm, one we have yet to discover.

Got any ideas? I'd love to hear from you!