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Ask the Author: Les Lynam

“Ask me a question.” Les Lynam

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Observation? It was a surreal reading the first two books (just finishing the 2nd and will proceed on through the series) because, though the place & character names are changed, I could envision the people, places & events described. The bridge over the river, the diner, the fries, the main street, the park and bandstand, the lake and so forth. I started HS in the fall of 1970 so not too far off.
Les Lynam Perhaps you are suggesting Mercer, IA, has similarities to a certain REAL Iowa small town?
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When is book 5 scheduled to come out? I just read all 4 in quick succession and am now having withdrawals! These would make a great TV series, by the way.
Les Lynam Regina, sorry for the delayed response, but I just found this question. I'm still hoping to have it finished this year. About 81,000 words so far. I'm trying to make sure that I tie up all the loose ends from the first 4 books. Thanks for reading the first 4.
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Does being a librarian color how you write?
Les Lynam I've never actually thought about that, so thank you for asking. Before becoming a librarian, I also worked in restaurants and the printing industry. I think I probably draw on all those experiences in my writing, at least on a subconscious level. Now I'm trying to think how to have my A.I. character shush someone in my current work. ;-)
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Who - apart from yourself, of course! - is your favourite modern writer about time travel?
Les Lynam I've always had trouble picking favorites. I'm the weird Dr. Who fan who doesn't have a favorite Doctor. I love a quote by Brigader Lethbridge-Stewart (in The Five Doctors, I believe). "Splendid chap, all of them."

So I will skate your question and instead say that of recent TT authors read, I've enjoyed Rysa Walker and Nathan Van Coops.
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Two 16 year olds in a time-machine - what could go wrong? What a brilliant premise and of course a nod towards the awesome Bill & Ted. Did you find it easy writing from the perspective of young whippersnappers?
Les Lynam During my lifetime it has been trendy to 'get in touch with your feminine side' and 'get in touch with your inner child'. Somehow I ended up getting in touch with my inner teenager. I suspect it was from growing up during a tumultuous time in history. Cold war, Cuban crisis, assassination of JFK, Vietnam, constant threat of nuclear extinction. These dark things spawned a counter-culture that promoted 'love, peace, and understanding' (also 'sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll', but we'll skip over that for now). I think the powerful forces of that time imprinted my teen years so strongly that I can easily 'get in touch with my inner-teen' when I need to.

Truth be told, I also find observing Millennials to be fascinating.
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Who was your favorite SciFi author as a child?
Les Lynam I have a HUGE problem picking favorites. I don't have a favorite movie, or song, or Doctor, and if we limit to childhood, I would say my major influences were from comics. Thus the Marvel team of Stan Lee / Jack Kirby was probably my gateway to SciFi.

I can narrow it to three, I suppose. I think the three top SciFi authors of the 20th Century are: Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. Each have a unique style that speaks to me.
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Your portrayal of Sean as a 16 year old boy was pretty accurate. Did you find it challenging as a grown man to get into the head of a teenager?
Les Lynam Thank you for the compliment (I think?) about Sean. I've had one reviewer say that he was so accurate that he found him to be quite annoying.

I actually have a harder time getting my head around the fact that I have 3 grandchildren. I remember from my own childhood thinking that my parents and grandparents were great sages and had attained all the knowledge necessary to make life unfold as required. I'm beginning to suspect that they were faking it with what limited skills they had acquired and with all good intentions -- at least that's how *I* manage.

I enjoy observing people, so I think I subconsciously tuck away bits of people that can bloom into character traits for my protagonists. Thinking before speaking is a trait of maturity, so it's fairly easy (for me anyway) to allow my uncensored thoughts to spew all teenager-ish from Sean.

Facebook is also a great source to observe uncensored thought and immature behavior. (he says, grinning like a Cheshire Cat)
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Which book in the Time Will Tell series did you find the most challenging to write?
Les Lynam The next one. Sorry, that may have sounded cheeky but it's true. I have the 5-story arc in my head and keep thinking about scenes in the FIFTH book when I haven't finished writing the FOURTH book. My imagination outpaces the discipline I need to get more words typed each day.
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What are you currently working on?
Les Lynam Managing my time between marketing the first two novels and writing the third. I've also got a short story started that may never get anymore of my time . Maybe I can work it into an upcoming novel.
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Les Lynam I've been plotting a time-travel tale that involves teen-aged characters (who hale from two centuries apart, yet related by blood) for nearly a decade now (on and off). I keep imagining new places I want to take them, and it seems I keep getting new ideas faster than I can write them.

Fortunately, with a time-machine, getting to these various places is a piece of cake.

While the first two books deal mostly with the years 1995 and 1969, there are some places in the future I want to take them for an experience in both Post-apocalyptic and Utopian societies. Hopefully that trip to the future Mars Colony will also make it into one of my future books.
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