The Traveler is coming out as an e-book from Rogue Phoenix Press next month, but the links are already up for ordering it on several sites.
It’s the story of a Time Traveler whose Time Machine has broken down – one of his circuit boards has literally fried – in Imperial Rome. His only way to get home is to rebuild it using whatever he can find or construct in ancient Rome. The story is told from the point of view of the Roman street kid who is helping him out. The book is nominally YA, but can be read and enjoyed by anyone.
I will look forward to hearing about the release of the book. I love time travel stories. Do you happen to have a major in world history, or studies that followed Roman history in particular?
No I studied Latin in High School and visited the Roman sites in Southern France, Rome, and near Vesuvius about the same time. I read a lot of classics in college, both in and out of class, and have kept it up ever since. I’ve written two books on mythology (although only one has been published), and have written other stories set in Imperial Rome. I was strongly influenced by L. Sprague de Camp’s Lest Darkness Fall, a time travel novel in which the hero finds himself I just the right time and place to prevent the Fall of Rome, and I was impressed by his struggle to survive and thrive in Rome.
It just occurred to me that I’d never seen anyone treat what seems to me a very obvious fear and problem of time travel – what if your time machine b4reaks down? And you know that no one will be coming to your rescue? Could you repair it on your own, without modern technology?
Yeah, I couldn’t help being reminded of that book when I read the description of yours
I seem to recall one or more of the Family Guy episodes featuring Stewie’s time machine involving him having to repair it to avoid being stranded in the past. And of course Marty McFly has to get his time-traveling DeLorean to work using 1950’s technology in Back To The Future. But those aren’t really the same kind of story that you seem to be talking about here.
Meh, you don’t even need to carry any spare time-travel parts on the trip. If your time machine breaks down, all you need is to remember to do like Bill & Ted and bring yourself everything you need via-- time machine.
If it’s being sold electronically anyway, shouldn’t there at least be an automated e-mail saying “Congratulations! You’ve made your first sale. Here are some tips to generate word-of-mouth and keep the sales coming:”