It's Alive!

It's here! The new sequel to IN THE NICK OF TIME is now available on Kindle. The paper version is being worked on as I write this.
You can find it now on www.amazon.com in the Kindle section.

In THE TIME OF HIS LIFE Andy Mackpeace, on a class field trip to the New Hampshire Historical Society, hears a boy calling to him from a photograph of Camp Forest Hills taken in 1925. " Who killed me? I was murdered here."

Andy and Miranda, once again using the incense sticks bequeathed to him from his grandmother, time travel to the camp to solve the mystery. Andy becomes a camper while Miranda lands in the kitchen as one of the hired help. Unprepared for the evil that stalks there, the two travelers must race against time to discover the killer and put a ghost to rest.

Excited about the coming birth of my sequel to IN THE NICK OF TIME. The sequel, called THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, will soon be available on KINDLE and CREATE SPACE. I have posted some beginning chapters on this blog before, but now the birthing process begins.

In THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, Andy Mackpeace, while on a class field trip to the New Hampshire Historical Society to look at an exhibit of the various boys camps in the state, spies an old group photograph of some campers from Camp Forest Hills taken in 1925. One camper calls out to him saying, "Who killed me? I was murdered here?" Andy discovers that he has the gift for psychometry. Andy and Miranda, through the guidance of Andy's Grandma Geri, time travel back to Camp Forest Hills to solve the murder. Unprepared for the evil that lurks there, they race against time to uncover a killer and put a ghost to rest.

The characters from IN THE NICK OF TIME

Sometimes it's fun and important to imagine the characters as so completely real, they begin to talk back to you. Often, people will say to me, "Andy is my 'favorite' character", and others will say, "No, Roger," or "No, Miranda!"

While Andy is the main character and the focus of the novel, it seems that readers too glean some sense of identity from Andy's friends. For me, when creating them, I loved thinking about them in real time: What do they eat? What do they wear? How do they walk? What makes them angry? What makes them sad? The list goes on and on.

Whenever I get a role in a play, the same process occurs. Who is this new character? How does he walk? How does he hide his embarrassment? How does he show his happiness? What is his favorite food, song, movie, book? It is a blast using the clues from the script to decipher the character.

Much of that theatrical 'training' becomes the same foundation for creating characters. A great shout out to Ken Hornbeck and Peter A. Carey for some of those theatrical juicy tidbits!

Healing and IN THE NICK OF TIME

So many people have commented on the healing quality of IN THE NICK OF TIME. While my intent was to tell a terrific time travel novel with rich characters who exhibit various emotional responses to the surroundings and events that occur to them, there seems to be, unconsciously, a thin veil of healing in the pages. Forgiveness is a common theme I feel drawn to as well; again, it seems to reveal itself in unplanned ways!

The adventures of Andy Mackpeace (and his friends Roger and Miranda) are not easily handled. Choices are made at times that are not always for the best. I like the idea of characters, especially Andy, transforming from his mistakes.

In IN THE NICK OF TIME, the maturing process happens to all three characters, their own sense of empowerment is strengthened, and as a result, their sense of community and belonging is deepened.

That's the powerful alchemic response called 'healing'.

Grandma Geri would have been proud. :)

THANK YOU ICS!

The International Community School in Avondale Estates invited me to give a talk to all the 4th graders and then read from my novel IN THE NICK OF TIME. I had a blast! A big MAHALO! (Thank you in Hawaiian) to Lori the Librarian, and all the 4th grade teachers there, and especially to all the 4th graders themselves!

Book signing for IN THE NICK OF TIME

A recent booksigning at TRILOGY, a new age store in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Thanks to owners Sean and Val for creating such a great store!

Another fan and her comment!

A great new quote from a recent fan for IN THE NICK OF TIME. She writes:

"J. Lee Graham has such a gift at portraying the teenage emotions and thoughts and telling a really good story."

Thank you Sofia!