Time Travel discussion

WINNERS DECLARED!!


We have a special treat this month!! A double helping of giveaways
Rabbit Hole

Official Web Site: http://www.ParadoxSeries.com
written by Garrett Smith

For those that missed out on winning I'll Be Seeing You Through Time here is your chance to win this month!

“The novel moves at a quick clip, with short chapters and a snappy plot that keeps the pages turning.” Kirkus Reviews

BACK COVER COPY:
Rabbit Hole is the first book in the Paradox Series. Set in 2025, Rabbit Hole tells the story of the partnership of Rabbit Hole Time Travel—the world’s first commercial time travel company, and Paradox Force—a government sanctioned black ops organization. Together they race to find and defeat the Rippers—a shadowy organization determined to use stolen time travel technology to alter the past to gain unlimited power and wealth.

Brilliant scientist Dr. Nora Hamilton, CEO of Rabbit Hole Time Travel, teams up with former Special Forces operative Nick Canton, Director of Corrective Mission at Paradox Force. They rush to locate and rescue Nora’s mentor, Dr. Marcus Locke, who has been kidnapped by the Rippers. On the way, they must also correct altered history before it can do irreparable damage to the present. While preserving historic moments that shaped the world today, they travel across hundreds of years and to locations around the globe. As Nick and Nora’s romance heats up, they recruit the team that will follow them any place, any time. In the process, they all learn more about themselves and the importance of trust and teamwork.

OTHER INSIGHTS FROM GARRETT SMITH:
What if everything you know, never really happened? This is the predicament the characters in Rabbit Hole find themselves in, as they struggle to save their kidnapped mentor, and return history to its original state. In the end they have to avoid the temptation to manipulate events, realizing the wisdom in the adage often repeated by Dr. Marcus Locke - Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
When not traveling the country in their RV, husband and wife writing team, Michael C. Smith and Cynthia K. Garrett—writing as Garrett Smith—make their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they live on an acreage with their two much-loved dogs.
Michael owns TulsaWoodSmith, a fine furniture and cabinetry business. Cynthia is an attorney in private practice.

Authors Choosing Winners, NOT randomly!!

RULES OF THE GIVEAWAY:
Based upon the answers we receive in response to the Discussion Question below, we will be awarding ten winners with a complimentary eBook copy of Rabbit Hole. Plus, an eleventh winner will receive a complimentary signed copy of Rabbit Hole in 6x9 paperback.

Of course, a review is not required. However, honest reviews are always encouraged and appreciated.

We will choose the winners based upon our purely subjective and arbitrary reaction to the answers given, as well as the usual indefinable reasoning of such giveaways. We can tell you that we favor well-written, insightful and imaginative answers.

If we use the place and time found in a winner’s answer in a subsequent book within the Paradox Series, we will include that winner’s name in the acknowledgements of that book and provide the winner(s) with a complimentary signed copy.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Given the following three parameters of time travel which exist in the first book of the Paradox Series, where and when would you travel back into time?

1. You can only travel into the past.
2. You cannot travel in your own lifetime.
3. You must at all times strictly adhere to the Federal Department of Time Travel (FDTT) Policies and Procedures Mandate #1 – Take Nothing. Leave Nothing. Change Nothing.

Participants answers to the Discussion Question must be received no later than August 31, 2013.
The winners will be announced on September 2, 2013.

"The technology utilizes Einstein’s principal of general relativity, the curve in time and space. A beam of negative energy comprised of exotic matter, such as Bose-Einstein condensate or a quark-gluon plasma soup, is brought to Planck scale, and directed at a predetermined point in the quantum foam of the time space continuum. That creates a traversable wormhole to the exact time and place you want to go."

Oh yeah what was the question?

Take Nothing...Leave Nothing. Change nothing reduces time travel to seeing cool historical happenings but not messing with them...I think it would be fascinating to go back and check up on the history books especially when it comes to wars and battles and such. Winners write history but time travelers could call out the liars of the not so "glorious" victories.

I'm a barbershopper, vocalist and amateur musician. My wife plays second violin in the local symphony, plus piano, and we play duets.
I would love to share great moments in history wit her, where different types of music originated.
As well, I'd like to attend one of the weekly barber shop 'quartet' meetings at the Alvin Plaza Hotel, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in mid-1939 (once there was a crowd, and a "different" face wouldn't cause consternation. It would be quite interesting to see and hear the beginnings of a unique American-grown form of music.

Make that "with" her' (durn virtual keyboard on oPod)

IPod

Lincoln wrote: "Take Nothing...Leave Nothing. Change nothing reduces time travel to seeing cool historical happenings but not messing with them...I think it would be fascinating to go back and check up on the hist..."

Lincoln wrote: ""The technology utilizes Einstein’s principal of general relativity, the curve in time and space. A beam of negative energy comprised of exotic matter, such as Bose-Einstein condensate or a quark-g..."

Lincoln wrote: ""The technology utilizes Einstein’s principal of general relativity, the curve in time and space. A beam of negative energy comprised of exotic matter, such as Bose-Einstein condensate or a quark-g..."

Lincoln, is there any particular time period or historical event that interest you? Reading your post, we thought of some, I (Cynthia) would like to witness the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. I've read bios on Mary and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, both written with a strong prejudice. I would like to be the fly on the wall to see what really happened.
Michael would like to see for himself why Attila the Hun did not sack Rome. Was it the Pope who came out to speak to him, or Theresa of Avila? What was said that would turn him around?

Art wrote: "I'm a barbershopper, vocalist and amateur musician. My wife plays second violin in the local symphony, plus piano, and we play duets.
I would love to share great moments in history wit her, where ..."

Art wrote: "IPod"

We watched the TV special on Barbershop competition, and were fascinated. Living in Tulsa, we do occasionally hear barbershop.

So, is there any specific time/place/music you and your wife would like to visit?

I was specifically thinking about 300...How did so few Spartans turn back Xerxes. I think from a military strategy perspective I would like to see new tech and new strategy surprise the "old" unsuspecting invaders. The first use of mounted units, the longbow in England, advancements in armor, but also unknown or unused strategies that were never previously used. I think I would like to be at D-day as well, that one is not about new tech or biased historians, just such a huge turning point in breaching fortress Europe.

I would go back to around 32 A.D. to area around Jerusalem and follow Jesus. I would want to see if the miracles and aftermath of the crucifixion took place as written. He had a profound effect on the world for having had such a short period of activity. Oh, I'm from Tulsa, too.

As to specifics, for my wife, I think the time between Beethoven (1770 -1927) and Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) whose music is (are?) so powerful. When you add in Rossini, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt and Mendelssohn, a lot of our favourite music was written in this time period. We still hear lots of it in our commercials and cartoons today.
My wife says she'd like to attend Tchaikovsky's conducting of his Piano Concerto no. 1 at Carnegie Hall in April of 1891.
It is also the time of Victor Hugo (Les Miserables 1862), William Blake, Lord Byron, Shelley, and writers such as Cooper (Last of the Mohicans), Walt Whitman, Longfellow, Melville and Edgar Allan Poe. Some of the "classics" we are seeing in modern movies and shows, originated in this time as well.
Both of us would like to watch Stradivari and Guarneri creating their stringed instruments. They both worked in Beethoven's tome.

Garrett wrote: "Living in Tulsa, we do occasionally hear barbershop."

Funny, I've been in Tulsa for 18 years and only encountered barbershop once when my co-worker got a singing telegram Valentine's serenade by a barbershop quartet (much to her delight and embarrassment). I never knew Tulsa was a hotbed of barbershop singers. You learn something new every day I guess.

Anyhow ... that said ...

I'm sure that I'm the only weirdo in the room that isn't interested in going back in time to see a historical event, specific person, or live in preferred period of time. Instead, I'm more interested in going on a botanical hiking trip to see a world of plants and trees that no longer exist. Specifically, I'd like to see the now-extinct other members of the Ginkgo genus. Our modern Ginkgo biloba is the only surviving tree from this genus and the last to be seen since the Pliocene period. Unfortunately, the time when this genus was most diverse was the Cretaceous period, but I'm not that keen on encountering dinosaurs unless they're docile ones. I'd definitely need a traveling companion for this ultimate camping trip ... and a surefire way of getting home again (and immediately in case of non-docile dinosaurs).

Sorry, many errors due to virtual keyboard on my iPod. Beethoven didn't live that long, and it was in his "time" that those luthiers created. Gotta proofread more effectively!

Yes, Garrett, modern barbershopping originated in Tulsa!
As to botanical exploration, that sounds like a cool idea!

Sorry, that should have been to Amy.

Bill wrote: "I would go back to around 32 A.D. to area around Jerusalem and follow Jesus. I would want to see if the miracles and aftermath of the crucifixion took place as written. He had a profound effect on ..."

We too would like to see that era. Usually people speak of wanting to see a particular event in biblical times. We like the breadth of your vision.

I would certainly follow for 2 yrs, but avoid being a 13th disciple.

Art wrote: "As to specifics, for my wife, I think the time between Beethoven (1770 -1927) and Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) whose music is (are?) so powerful. When you add in Rossini, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt and..."

Art wrote: "As to specifics, for my wife, I think the time between Beethoven (1770 -1927) and Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) whose music is (are?) so powerful. When you add in Rossini, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt and..."

What a fabulous hop back in time that would be. One of our main characters is a composer as well as a scientist. One of his compositions plays an important role in the book.
We also write about Bedřich Smetana who wrote the opera The Two Widows. Smetana is considered the founding father of Czech nationalist music.

Amy wrote: "Garrett wrote: "Living in Tulsa, we do occasionally hear barbershop."

Funny, I've been in Tulsa for 18 years and only encountered barbershop once when my co-worker got a singing telegram Valentin..."

Amy, what a surprising and wonderful trip you imagine. I have always looked at medicinal plants and wondered who first realized that had medicinal qualities and the story behind how and why they were first used.

Lincoln wrote: "I was specifically thinking about 300...How did so few Spartans turn back Xerxes. I think from a military strategy perspective I would like to see new tech and new strategy surprise the "old" unsu..."

Lincoln,

I know Michael wants to comment on the 300. It is one of his favorite representations of courage in the face of greats odds. I've watched the movie with him, twice I think, and have to admire those people. So, look for Michael's comments later today.
We are both big fans of our military forces. Your comment reminded me of watching Saving Private Ryan and asking ourselves, why are we watching this D-Day scene. The only answer can be, because they lived it and it cannot be forgotten.

More to come on Lincoln's post.

Your comment reminded me of watching Saving Private Ryan and asking ourselves, why are we watching this D-Day scene. The only answer can be, because they lived it and it cannot be forgotten.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

I am partial to Lincoln...but as he puts it...

"...never forget what they did..."

Lincoln wrote: "Your comment reminded me of watching Saving Private Ryan and asking ourselves, why are we watching this D-Day scene. The only answer can be, because they lived it and it cannot be forgotten.

Four ..."

I have a painting of Lincoln in my office downtown. He is beardless and younger than we normally think of him. I had forgotten how beautiful his Gettysburg address was, thank you for reminding us. Best, Cynthia.

Art wrote: "As to specifics, for my wife, I think the time between Beethoven (1770 -1927) and Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) whose music is (are?) so powerful. When you add in Rossini, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt and..."

Amy wrote: "Garrett wrote: "Living in Tulsa, we do occasionally hear barbershop."

Funny, I've been in Tulsa for 18 years and only encountered barbershop once when my co-worker got a singing telegram Valentin..."

Amy, Michael here.

Years ago, I journeyed down the Orinoco / Amazon basin by dugout canoe. I think if there are still honest to goodness dinosaurs roaming the earth, they call that basin home! It has not evolved 15 minutes in the last 150 million years. It is so fecund that I am convinced you could drive a 2x4 into the ground and it would sprout roots and branches. I am not botanist by any stretch, but I saw flowers, trees and plants right out of Dr. Seuss. If you take a hop with Rabbit Hole, we would make sure you come back in one non-chewed on piece. It is all part of the service!

I love your idea of adventure camping in the distant past. Thanks.

Lincoln wrote: "I was specifically thinking about 300...How did so few Spartans turn back Xerxes. I think from a military strategy perspective I would like to see new tech and new strategy surprise the "old" unsu..."

Hi, Lincoln. Michael here.
I love the story of the Spartans. The movie was just icing on the cake, as far as I am concerned. To take a "hop" to see that epic event would be exciting and heart breaking. I wonder if I would grab a weapon and jump into the fray. Granted, short-lived heroics. Those guys did this for a living. Cynthia and I wrestled with the paradox concept of non-interference when our characters travel back. As you read more of the book, I sincerely want your thoughts.
Thanks

@Michael I wonder if I would grab a weapon and jump into the fray. Granted, short-lived heroics. Those guys did this for a living.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI6sAR...

How many soldiers did you bring?

Garrett wrote: "Art wrote: "As to specifics, for my wife, I think the time between Beethoven (1770 -1927) and Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) whose music is (are?) so powerful. When you add in Rossini, Schumann, Schuber..."

I 'll have a new student from the Orinoco area soon, so I took a Google images tour of the area last week. Now I'm thinking I should go in for a closer look. There certainly are still some beautiful and exotic areas left in the world ... If only there was time and money for the tour.

Amy, Michael here again.

No doubt it is beautiful and pristine. However, every creature living there has "eat tourist" on their to-do list. Right now, Chavez has made it dangerous for Americans to travel there. I am no pantie waist, but I always avoid countries that are openly hostile to me.

I loved the jungle and Angel Falls is dazzling.
I don't think I'll drag Cynthia back down there though.

Lincoln wrote: "@Michael I wonder if I would grab a weapon and jump into the fray. Granted, short-lived heroics. Those guys did this for a living.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI6sAR...

How many soldiers did..."

The Bubble only holds six, but I don't think that is going to turn the tide!

A few comments regarding "Rabbit Hole" after reading the first 7 chapters.

I am loving the book thus far. Fast paced, quick chapters. The flow of the book reminds me of Dan Brown...easy to sit down and knock out four or five chapters and than walk away, if you can stand walking away from the action.

Lincoln wrote: ""The technology utilizes Einstein’s principal of general relativity, the curve in time and space. A beam of negative energy comprised of exotic matter, such as Bose-Einstein condensate or a quark-g..."


Lincoln,

Cynthia here. We are remiss in not answering this comment earlier. We can tell you that we did not invent any of those words or phrases. When we were researching the 'science' of time travel, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the possibility of time travel has been scientifically debated by legitimate scientists for many years. We took the unique terms and phrases often used in those discussion, and sorted them into an order that could explain how time travel is possible. In the scene you quoted from, Troy may be able to talk about it, but Nora and Marcus are the ones that made it happen. We had so much fun writing this chapter!

Chapter 16

Meet Bean:


Chapter 17

I happened to watch Bourne Legacy tonight and I can't help but imagine that I watched in the movies happened in Chapter 17. (view spoiler)[ Nora, the scientist, being protected by our super soldier "Treadstone, Black Briar...Paradox. Nora does what she can and defends herself nicely. Can't help but think her state of dress moves the romantic strain along a bit, but also is a metaphor of how vulnerable Nora is in that moment and generally so far. Also, Nora needs to be kicked in the head for wanting to go home...and Nick needs to be kicked in the head to allow it. (hide spoiler)]

I could not get The Things They Carried out of my mind. Made the chapter very personal and very touching.

Chapter 18

I love the action, black ops marines very manly very exciting fun! (view spoiler)[with a touch of human realism, and killing people is terrible and despite what is depicted in action flicks...their is a psychological cost. I believe it makes the story as a whole more believable and fleshes out Nora as a character nicely. (hide spoiler)]

Lincoln,
Cynthia and I love your comments and insights. Rick Moranis!!! We wrote the other main characters envisioning certain actors and actresses. Who do you see?

Thanks

My interest in, and desire to time travel comes from being an American history enthusiast coupled with an interest in physical science. As a result, there are two periods of time in which I have always wanted to observe. Even if we assume time travel is realistic, my first location/time is probably logistically impossible but since this “blue sky” thinking, I’ll throw it out there - - I’ll give you a clue, I like to think big. Have an idea? Think bigger! Take me back to the Big Bang. I want to see how it ALL started, not just Earth and our meager, insignificant human timeline but everything! I would, however, require a timeline remote control (similar to TV) for this one so that I slow things initially but then hit the fast forward button to speed up the billions of years that pass in between to the creation of the solar system, Earth, and mankind.

The second place/time I long to visit is more realistic between the two. I have stated previously in this group that if I could go back in time, I would want to go back as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Unwittingly, this ensures that I would not violate the Federal Department of Time Travel (FDTT) Policies and Procedures Mandate #1 – Take Nothing. Leave Nothing. Change Nothing -- as I would not want to interact with history but rather observe it. In this manner, I do not catch any diseases nor do I transmit any. This caveat stated, I have always admired the beauty of rural America and have longed to see it before Europeans arrived.

I have read several books on early American history and would love to experience America during the 1300’s amongst the Native Americans when their world was stable and relatively peaceful. No proliferation of disease such as in European cities and no warfare on the level of the “civilized” Europeans. Granted no technology either but life was simpler. I’m certain life was not easy but the idyllic environment among some of the American tribes provided the bountiful game they needed. I have always been drawn to this time, among these people, in this beautiful environment.

Grumpus,

Michael Here. I love your input. Blue Sky suits me just fine! I would love to see the various births and deaths that this little planet has experienced. But the fast forward feature would be essential. I don't even watch commercials!!

A pristine North America sounds wonderful. I wonder if one would really need to go way back to find that ideal pastoral life we envision. I think as long as there are at least 2 humans in the picture there is conflict. Cain-Able and always thereafter. But seeing the country relatively untarnished would be fabulous.

Grumpus,

Cynthia here. We have an upcoming short story you might enjoy. It provides back story to the reference in Rabbit Hole where Nora remembers that one unfortunate time the Bubble landed where it should, but not when it should.

Not to steal our own thunder, I can tell you the short story will touch on both dinosaurs and the American Wild West.

Garrett wrote: "Grumpus,

Cynthia here. We have an upcoming short story you might enjoy. It provides back story to the reference in Rabbit Hole where Nora remembers that one unfortunate time the Bubble landed whe..."

Keep me posted on its release...the timeline extremes are intriguing!

Chapters 20 through 30...

Perhaps I am burning through the book faster than whats expected, but I stand at what I say when its fast quick chapters, and they are all full of action.

(view spoiler)[ An honest observation, you are throwing characters at me that I simply don't care about. Ethan, Jonas.There was a Mica in there somewhere?..I get they are important to paradox/rabbit hole but the nerds at home base supporting the away team and I don't follow them very well. Chapter 21 was a train wreck. I say that with love, I understand not traveling to Prague to kick down the doors...but to use the analogy of Nora's. You invited me home to meet the parents and I was sitting so close to the passenger door I had to move away to open it. I guess I am supposed to glean from the chapter he is a braniac that cant relate to women who lives with his mom? Sorry for being so harsh...it felt like information dump not character development.

So you are pushing me to suspect Woodall...and your making me think that Nick has something to do with Carlton's death.

A time travel novel turned spy thriller, military action, murder mystery. Who done it?

Chapter 29

Eden trains Nora to defend herself with anything she may happen to have around her at any given moment.

I remember my grandfather talking about 9/11 and he said the mind set of passengers and pilots and stewardesses were to remain calm and give into demands of the hijackers. He said Flight 93 got it right. He also, said you can surprise us once...The next S.O.B. that tries to get away with hijacking a plane is going to have every object on board flung at him because we know now that our mind set of the past needs reset. (hide spoiler)]

Getting very intense...Whats next?

Lincoln,

Read on, read on. We appreciate and admire your attention to detail, and enjoy seeing the book through your eyes.

(view spoiler)[ The supporting characters play an important role in the book. None are superfluous. Remember, it takes a village (read team). We found your analogy to Flight 93 very interesting and right on point. When threatened, we all need to be prepared to use what we have, to do what we can. (hide spoiler)]

We talk every day about the feedback we are receiving from readers. It means so much to us as authors, to see readers investing their time in our book.

Chapter 38



"Fools...They’re the ones without a clue."

Tonight...We are bringing you an interview of Cynthia Garrett Smith and Michael Smith co-writing together as Garrett Smith

The Authors of: Rabbit Hole


How did Michael C. Smith and Cynthia K. Garrett, come to be Garrett Smith?

As a married couple, we deal with having two last names. People never know how to address their greeting cards to us. Often our mail is addressed to just first names. So, when we started writing Rabbit Hole, we decided to write as Garrett Smith, but not to hide the fact that we are a husband and wife writing team.

Why time travel? Appreciation for history, or the desire to explore the future?

We chose time travel because it is such fertile ground for a writer’s imagination. The human condition revolves around the past - thinking of the path not followed, second guessing our decisions, wanting to know what really happened, or simply wishing to return to re-live cherished experiences. Yes, we have a great appreciation for history. We especially like to learn about history while reading fiction. So naturally we enjoy writing about historical events in our own books. Then, of course, we get to twist history and spin the altered events into our plot. Such fun! Of course, we’re all curious to see into the future. In Rabbit Hole, only time travel into the past is possible. The Paradox Force is studying time travel into the future. But you’ll have to wait and read our books which will follow, to see if they succeed.

How does the co-writing process work?

We start with a long road trip. We talk and write ideas in a spiral notebook. When we get home, we pull those ideas together into a broad outline, throwing out un-workable ideas, and expanding on those that seem viable.

We continue to tighten our overview outline, until we have the skeleton of our story. Then we outline a few chapters at a time.

Working from the chapter outline, we write that chapter’s first draft together. Then we take the first draft and edit, together and separately, meeting at the computer, where we polish that chapter. Once we have a chapter honed, we add it to the manuscript file.

The process is not unlike fine woodworking. You cut, shape, sand, finish, and polish. In our case, we are just doing it together.

How do you work together on the male versus female viewpoints?

You might be surprised. Sometime we almost reverse roles, and say, Michael will take the lead on a female’s plotline, while Cynthia will take the lead on a male’s. In the end, we work toward an authentic character that still can surprise the reader.

What helps you write dialogue?

This is one area where working as a team really helps. If you just write dialogue by yourself, you often hear it differently in your head, than it sounds spoken out loud. We read the conversation out loud, almost like a play. It’s important to us that each character has his or her own voice. Because we’ve talked about them so much before we start writing, we know how each character should sound – grammar, cadence, vocabulary, etc.

Do you often disagree with plot lines? How do you decide which way to go with a story?

We do not often disagree, but it does happen. We each try to convince the other, and in doing so, usually convince ourselves that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Or, sometimes, we decide we’re both wrong, and take another direction entirely.

Rabbit Hole is Book 1 in the Paradox Series. What’s next?

Next, we will release four special edition back stories that will dovetail into Rabbit Hole. We have these outlined and pretty well locked down. We anticipate releasing these in the near future.

Then, in 2014, we will release Book 2. Although, we have Book 2 broadly outlined, we are asking our readers for input on some possibilities. For example, we have asked elsewhere on Goodreads, what the readers think about adding a dog as a major part of the story. The answer was a resounding YES.

Do you intend the book to become a movie?

We are both very visual people. It worked well for us to visualize the characters as a known face (actor). And yes, we would love to see the book become a movie.

What actors do you envision to play the parts of your characters?

We love this question, so much so, we’d like our readers to tell us who they have in mind. Our mental casting choices are not fixed in stone. We want to hear from the Goodreads community on their casting ideas.

You took special care to avoid paradoxes. Why? Besides beyond avoiding non-linear chaos and confusion, of course.

The theories of the consequences of time travel are myriad. We found that we needed to define the ‘science’ of time travel as it would play out in our series to keep the story line tight. Then, we wrote the story within those parameters.

How does writing fit in with your full time jobs?

We are both self-employed, which gives us some flexibility in our schedules. We are both committed to writing, so we find the time. At some level, we are always thinking about the series. We have a running dialogue about the series that can take place in all of our in-between moments such as when we are driving across town or across the country. We often pause movies, or stop what we are reading, to discuss how plots are moved forward or characters are developed

The number of books you have mentioned sounds like a lot of time and effort. How do you make the time?

We don’t care for the party or bar scene. We aren’t social butterflies. We like to be at home or traveling in our RV. This lifestyle is conducive to writing. The four back stories we have planned will each be between 20-40 pages long. The second book in the Paradox Series will be approximately 300 pages. This is doable. When you do what you love, it all just comes together.

Rabbit Hole contains quite a bit of shall we say military know how and or tactics. Where do you draw from to keep that part of the book authentic?

Michael in particular has read widely in this area. We also utilize video documentaries. We draw on the experiences of people we know who have served in the military and/or Special Forces. For our next book, we are consulting with canine officers to help us understand what these dogs can do, and to visualize the intricacies of these danger-prone human/canine partnerships.

What made you decide you need to flesh out back story before moving forward with Book 2 in the series?

It’s important to us that our books move at a fast and intense pace. Even so, we found we were asking ourselves about the stories behind the main story. Why was it so important to Nick to leave Special Forces while he was still at the top of his game? Who was Charlotte, and why won’t Marcus speak of her? What happened that one time the Bubble landed in the right place but the wrong time? What isn’t Nick telling Nora about the period during which he was assigned by the FDTT to investigate her?

We didn’t want to slow the book down by digressing into the back stories, so we decided we would publish them separately. It may be that some readers will be interested in some of the back stories, and not in others. It gives the readers some freedom to choose as well.

Oh, that's all the time we have...Thank you to our guests, Michael and Cynthia Smith.

Lincoln shared... 'We are bringing you an interview'

Lincoln, who's we?

Are you asking these questions?

If not, who is, who's we?

Just wondering, thanks.

I would like to think of the group collective...We the Goodreads group? I had a history teacher who would always say..."We will than give you a test" and the joke was who is helping him give the test?

Also, FYI some of the questions were proposed by the authors themselves, but most were mine. Feel free and join with "us" and ask a question I am sure Michael and Cynthia would enjoy answering any question you may have.

Lincoln, understood & that's what I figured, but I wanted to make sure given one should always assign proper attribution for a reprinted interview.

Thanks for clarifying.

Lincoln is correct, we would enjoy answering any questions that the group may have.

Thank you all for participating in our Rabbit Hole Giveaway. We were impressed by the imaginative answers to our Discussion Question.

The winners are listed below. Each will receive his choice of either an eBook or a signed copy of Rabbit Hole.

We do not know today, if we will use any of the suggested ‘hops’ in our upcoming books. If we do, we will happily name that winner in our Acknowledgement section of the book, and herald the news to the Time Travel Group as well.

ART

Art imagined traveling back in time to 1939 to attend the weekly barber shop quartet meetings at the Alvin Plaza Hotel in our hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the now 25,000 member strong Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing In America began.

We believe Art could pull his hop off without violating the FDTT Policies and Procedures Mandate #1. In fact, he could no doubt join a quartet and participate without anyone being the wiser.

Both skilled musicians, Art and his wife would also like to travel back to hear the great composers, writers and extraordinary craftsmen who lived during the period between 1770 to 1862. Sounds like Art will be spending some big bucks at Rabbit Hole Time Travel to visit all the folks he’d like to see. But where there’s a wallet, there’s a way.

BILL

Neither a shrinking violet, nor as he says, wanting to be a 13th disciple, Bill would like to travel back to the tumultuous time of Jesus to see for himself if the miracles, and the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion, took place as written.

Could Bill pull this off without violating Mandate #1? We don’t know. Even if he didn’t change history, history would no doubt change him. Just how, we may never know. A profound hop, and one, if for different reasons, we would also like to take.

GRUMPUS

What Grumpus would really like to do, is witness the time period between the creation of our universe to the beginning of mankind. No small feat, and one he realizes would require a bigger time commitment than he could make.

His second choice is to see the American continent during the 1300’s before the Europeans arrived. How you might ask, could he avoid violating FDTT Mandate #1? Certainly if he could see the Indians, they could see him, which may or may not violate Mandate #1, depending on how they reacted. Grumpus has thought of this, and would like to hop back as the Ghost of Christmas Past. A clever maneuver.

However, when Grumpus reads Rabbit Hole, and we know in our hearts he will, he will see that we don’t have the technology to change him into another being. So, as a consolation, we think Rabbit Hole Time Travel could embed him as a settler on one of the three ships Karlsefni Ericson (Leif’s brother) sailed to Newfoundland (The New World) in 1009, where they stayed for less than three years.

We would like to thank our Moderators, Lincoln and Amy, for hosting this Giveaway, and for their own thoughtful contributions.

Happy travels and Godspeed,
Michael C. Smith and Cynthia K. Garrett
writing together as Garrett Smith

Congratulations Art, Bill and Frumpus!

Hope you enjoy the books and look forward to your reviews if and when you get time.

This has been an excellent book prize month, sorry I have not contributed this time around but I have enjoyed the answers and Lincoln's excellent q&a with the authors.

Enjoy the book Art, Bill and Grumpus. I read it and enjoyed the fast paced action. Also, it might be a typo on Tej's part, but Frumpus makes me laugh.

Thanks to Cynthia and Micheal Smith writing together as Garrett Smith, for sponsoring this giveaway.

If you would like to be featured in a future giveaway contact me.

Lincoln wrote: "Also, it might be a typo on Tej's part, but Frumpus makes me laugh.
"

Ooops, Sorry Grumpus!

Thanks so much for selecting me as a winner! I can't wait to get started on reading this!

I swear I posted a response here, but can't find it. Anyway, I really appreciate the win, especially since I'd already decided to read this book. If I ever get to make my proposed trip, I'll let you all know the outcome.