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Hello, Rest of My Life
Hollywood fame or the love of his life? A suspense story of young romance, mature tenderness, and the promise of them coming together into timeless Danny's once promising acting career dribbles away to nothing.Then he finds Samantha, the love of his life.Years later, when the story begins, he stumbles upon the opportunity to go back in time and redo his career, get it right, a second chance. He can be rich and famous. He can have a sexy young woman who wants him.But he doesn't want her. Or the money. Or the fame. He wants Samantha back. Will he fight off all the temptations to stay where he is in the 70s, or will he risk everything to work his way back to his timeless love?2022 Winner of the Silver Nautilus Book Award (Fiction)2022 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist (Fiction)"At the heart of this time-travel adventure is a golden age love story that glows with life-tested wisdom. Rick Lenz proves once again that he's a master storyteller."--Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, NY Times best-selling author of A Woman of Independent Means."In Hello, Rest of My Life Rick Lenz has written a compelling thriller-love story-time-traveling saga for readers not interested in Highlanders or the ripped bodice romance of the dystopian worlds of hovercraft and alien planets. Finding himself forty-seven years back in time, Danny now with the wisdom of an old man and the gullibility of youth, has to choose between a re-do of a crashed Hollywood acting career in the 1970s and returning to Samantha, the love of his life. An extraordinary book."--Bret Easton Ellis"Clever dialogue...Intriguing complications...a life-affirming ending...A feel-good, entertaining blend of humor, philosophy and romance, with a time-slip twist."--Kirkus Review of Books"A person might find themselves comparing Hello, Rest of My Life to The Wizard of Oz or Back to the Future, even so, it doesn't take away from the wonderful unpredictability of the story."--Silver Screenings
- GenresTime TravelFiction
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2021
19 people are currently reading
1367 people want to read
About the author
Rick Lenz
7 books45 followersI’ve spent the greatest part of my life as a writer and actor. Most of the acting was to make a living and raise my family. I have been a writer longer than I’m comfortable saying. I do it because it gives me joy, whether it’s playwriting, or in the last dozen years, writing books. Like a lot of people, I’m told, I threw away my first attempts at books—maybe two medium length novels. I hope readers come away from my stories knowing something they didn't know before, having been entertained, and wishing it didn't have to come to an end.
To see what I'm doing now, please visit www.ricklenz.com. Thanks!
To see what I'm doing now, please visit www.ricklenz.com. Thanks!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 11, 2023
This book had me at "dog" -- a wise and friendly character who lives in California but occasionally shows up trailing foreign foliage and mud from the Dead Sea. Tali's comings and goings are just the first of the many mysteries that make Rick Lenz's novel compelling. In addition to being a love story and a time travel story, this is a book that does for the reader what the experiences of the main character do for him: namely, offer a way to embrace the magic of life.
October 10, 2021
Given that I love time-travel stories, I was excited when this one came to my attention. It follows seventy-five-year-old Danny Maytree, a former actor who suddenly finds himself thrust back in time 47 years to 1974. Danny is once again 27 and finds that he has a second chance of living his Hollywood dream. However, he soon discovers that the dream may not be everything it’s cracked up to be without his beloved wife, Samantha. Now trapped in time, Danny desperately tries to find his way back to his own time — and to Samantha.
This was a well-written and twisty love story with rich, evocative scenes and compelling, well-drawn characters (including the delightful and enigmatic dog, Tali). In addition, there was plenty of fun and witty banter between the characters, which added to the richness and enjoyment of the story.
I found this to be an utterly riveting tale that sent me on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. By about 1/4 of the way in, I was sucked into Danny’s story and loved seeing his reaction to his situation, especially once he began concocting a plan to return home.
Time travel, along with its pitfalls and potential paradoxes, can sometimes be migraine-inducing, but that was not the case with this story. All the details you need are worked seamlessly into the narrative. The time travel aspect here was believable, unique, and not at all confusing. Hello, Rest of My Life is a blend of science-fiction, a touch of history, and romance. I thought this book was a breath of fresh air in a well-worn genre. An unexpected gem!
This was a well-written and twisty love story with rich, evocative scenes and compelling, well-drawn characters (including the delightful and enigmatic dog, Tali). In addition, there was plenty of fun and witty banter between the characters, which added to the richness and enjoyment of the story.
I found this to be an utterly riveting tale that sent me on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. By about 1/4 of the way in, I was sucked into Danny’s story and loved seeing his reaction to his situation, especially once he began concocting a plan to return home.
Time travel, along with its pitfalls and potential paradoxes, can sometimes be migraine-inducing, but that was not the case with this story. All the details you need are worked seamlessly into the narrative. The time travel aspect here was believable, unique, and not at all confusing. Hello, Rest of My Life is a blend of science-fiction, a touch of history, and romance. I thought this book was a breath of fresh air in a well-worn genre. An unexpected gem!
August 26, 2022
I love time-travel books. But not this one. The existential chitter chatter was super annoying and I did not finish. Too many good books to try and slog through something like this.
October 23, 2021
‘Her eyes, I could fall into those eyes’ – one splendid romance novel!
California author/actor/playwright Rick Lenz brings to his writing a rich sense of dramatic genius garnered from his years on stage and screen as well as back stage as the creative writer for such events. His has penned four successful books – NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, THE ALEXANDRITE, IMPERSONATORS ANONYMOUS, and now HELLO, REST OF MY LIFE – a story that embraces a romance of longevity impacted with time travel and other mysterious elements.
The people he creates (or celebrates...) are so well sculpted that should we pass them on the street we would immediately recognize them. That is a talent in which Rick basks. Prefacing his story with hand-drawn maps of the San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside, he opens this beautifully depicted romance by introducing his cast in 2021 (and that date is a cogent additive!) – ‘I live with my wife Samantha in Valley Glen in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I never thought I’d have it this good. It feels, in some part of me, that I loved Sam even before I stood outside her apartment, anxious from blind date nerves. She answered the doorbell, looked puzzled, then relieved, and said, “Not bad.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I grinned and said, “Hi, I’m Danny Maytree.” With that bit of gentle humor, a recurring trait in Rick’s writing, one of the most engaging romances evolves.
The synopsis outlines the chief facts of the story: `When Danny Maytree, an ambitious young 1970s film actor, met Samantha on a blind date and fell in love, he decided he no longer cared about Tinseltown stardom. He still acted sometimes, but he became a writer, too. Now married and in their seventies, they find a dog whose faded tag has the name “Tali” and a Beverly Hills phone prefix from fifty years earlier. Writing a time travel novel in 2021, Danny gets a call from a mysterious, velvet-voiced acting agent. He has a meeting tomorrow. Now, Danny is in Beverly Hills—not at the meeting, but in the elegant home where he lived in 1974, forty-seven years ago. He is twenty-seven again, bewildered, but with a second chance at his Hollywood dream. He doesn’t want it, because Sam is not in this world. Unhappy in his new “now,” he realizes his journey back to “Kansas” hinges on the magic of film. A sharkish agent helps him navigate Hollywood’s rocky shoals. A worldly-wise teen and a New Age fortune-teller.'
So we now know that Rick Lenz can likely enter any realm of story telling and succeed. This is one finely tuned machine of a novel. Highly Recommended.
California author/actor/playwright Rick Lenz brings to his writing a rich sense of dramatic genius garnered from his years on stage and screen as well as back stage as the creative writer for such events. His has penned four successful books – NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, THE ALEXANDRITE, IMPERSONATORS ANONYMOUS, and now HELLO, REST OF MY LIFE – a story that embraces a romance of longevity impacted with time travel and other mysterious elements.
The people he creates (or celebrates...) are so well sculpted that should we pass them on the street we would immediately recognize them. That is a talent in which Rick basks. Prefacing his story with hand-drawn maps of the San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside, he opens this beautifully depicted romance by introducing his cast in 2021 (and that date is a cogent additive!) – ‘I live with my wife Samantha in Valley Glen in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I never thought I’d have it this good. It feels, in some part of me, that I loved Sam even before I stood outside her apartment, anxious from blind date nerves. She answered the doorbell, looked puzzled, then relieved, and said, “Not bad.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I grinned and said, “Hi, I’m Danny Maytree.” With that bit of gentle humor, a recurring trait in Rick’s writing, one of the most engaging romances evolves.
The synopsis outlines the chief facts of the story: `When Danny Maytree, an ambitious young 1970s film actor, met Samantha on a blind date and fell in love, he decided he no longer cared about Tinseltown stardom. He still acted sometimes, but he became a writer, too. Now married and in their seventies, they find a dog whose faded tag has the name “Tali” and a Beverly Hills phone prefix from fifty years earlier. Writing a time travel novel in 2021, Danny gets a call from a mysterious, velvet-voiced acting agent. He has a meeting tomorrow. Now, Danny is in Beverly Hills—not at the meeting, but in the elegant home where he lived in 1974, forty-seven years ago. He is twenty-seven again, bewildered, but with a second chance at his Hollywood dream. He doesn’t want it, because Sam is not in this world. Unhappy in his new “now,” he realizes his journey back to “Kansas” hinges on the magic of film. A sharkish agent helps him navigate Hollywood’s rocky shoals. A worldly-wise teen and a New Age fortune-teller.'
So we now know that Rick Lenz can likely enter any realm of story telling and succeed. This is one finely tuned machine of a novel. Highly Recommended.
December 29, 2021
When I read the blurb for this one, it really reminded me of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger but this was less compelling. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book.
This story follows seventy-five year old Danny Maytree who is a former actor and is in the middle of looking back on his life when he finds himself thrown back in time to 47 years ago, 1974. Danny is once again twenty-seven years old, at the peak of his acting career, and he finds that he has a second chance to make the right decisions. But there is one problem. He no longer has his beloved wife, Samantha, with him. Danny hasn’t met her yet and wonders if the decisions he makes will cause him to lose Samantha. He soon realised everything he has means nothing if he doesn’t have Samantha to enjoy them with. Could the one decision Danny make change his future with Samantha?
This was quite a bizarre story to follow at first because I didn’t know if he really went back in time or if he is in a long dream. There is also a philosophical element in the story which touches on Danny’s faith and that reminds me of Mitch Albom’s books.
This story is about understanding oneself and what would one change if given the chance to change the past but also at what cost. I love how committed Danny is to Samantha. He never gave up his love for her even when he was faced with difficult choices.
Thank you Netgalley and Chromodroid Press for the arc.
This story follows seventy-five year old Danny Maytree who is a former actor and is in the middle of looking back on his life when he finds himself thrown back in time to 47 years ago, 1974. Danny is once again twenty-seven years old, at the peak of his acting career, and he finds that he has a second chance to make the right decisions. But there is one problem. He no longer has his beloved wife, Samantha, with him. Danny hasn’t met her yet and wonders if the decisions he makes will cause him to lose Samantha. He soon realised everything he has means nothing if he doesn’t have Samantha to enjoy them with. Could the one decision Danny make change his future with Samantha?
This was quite a bizarre story to follow at first because I didn’t know if he really went back in time or if he is in a long dream. There is also a philosophical element in the story which touches on Danny’s faith and that reminds me of Mitch Albom’s books.
This story is about understanding oneself and what would one change if given the chance to change the past but also at what cost. I love how committed Danny is to Samantha. He never gave up his love for her even when he was faced with difficult choices.
Thank you Netgalley and Chromodroid Press for the arc.
October 9, 2021
Going back in time while remaining in the present. A unique approach to understanding yourself, and your relationship with others. Danny has a love for his wife that has lasted since they met. Hello, rest of my life. When faced with an out of body experience (I don’t know how else to describe it) he realizes that their personas are intertwined, and he is desperate to return to her and become whole again. Mr. Lenz has presented us with a puzzle that he offers us piece by piece and they all fall into place magically in his writing. I gave this five stars because there aren’t six.
March 30, 2022
This book will take you on a captivating and spiritual journey through time. It opens with a sweet couple, deeply in love, in the modern era. Then we follow Danny back in time, where he stands at an important crossroads. One path will lead him back to the happiness he has already found in 2021, one can take him to stardom. All the colorful characters that populate this story were wonderful and memorable. I absolutely loved every moment of this book. A beautiful work of literary fiction with some romantic elements woven in.
November 7, 2021
Great read. This book makes you question whether Danny actually time traveled back in time or not until the very last pages. Could the one decision made to produce a 'B' film change the entire course of history for Danny and his friends? A story of timeless love and devotion and keeping the details straight. Thank you Goodreads, Chromodroid Press and Rick Lenz (@RickLenz) for an amazing read that's right down my alley.
December 13, 2021
This is one hell of a book. It’s a time-travel love story. A Hollywood film caper with a cast of brilliantly imagined characters. A lesson in quantum physics with a side of philosophy. It’s all that, plus a talking dog, seamlessly held together with the kind of self-reflection that only comes from a deep understanding of life. And a big heart. This is a story to be savored. Lenz’s finest book to date.
September 15, 2021
Time-travel romance novel features a 75-year old actor going back 47 years knowing then what he knows now, but with a few quirks thrown in. Mix dreams, drugs and a fusion of past and present characters to get an entertaining tale. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
November 1, 2021
Hello Rest of My Life is a time travel novel about a second chance at the dream job you left behind. Is it all that you thought it would be or are your original choices the way your life was meant to be. I really enjoyed this book! Had me thinking about cherishing what you have in the here and now. Highly recommend!
June 16, 2023
Hard to explain this particular time-travel odyssey unless you came of age in the seventies, maybe were kind of clueless and self-absorbed at the time, but still managed to grow into a reasonably decent human being. Maybe you had too be there.
Even so, it took me a little while to see the picture emerging, but once it did I knew I was on board for the rest of the trip!
Even so, it took me a little while to see the picture emerging, but once it did I knew I was on board for the rest of the trip!
February 20, 2024
When I read the blurb about the book, I thought a book about an actor who goes back in time to relive his career and to correct mistakes he may or may not have made, it would be a compelling story. I did not find it to be one. I just could not wrap my head around it and lost interest quickly. I normally enjoy a good time travel novel, but found this one lacking.
September 20, 2022
We are proud to announce that HELLO, REST OF MY LIFE by Rick Lenz has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
November 24, 2021
This is a great read..I loved it. Original story line and well written. His best book ever..
November 8, 2022
I love time travel books but found this one a bit trippy and I couldn’t fully make sense of it. But the love he has for his wife is wonderful.
June 30, 2023
Recommended by an author that I adore so I had high hopes for this book. Respectfully, it was not for me.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews