Twists of Time

by S. R. Cronin

 

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GENRE:   science fiction/fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Alex once walked away from a rare ability to warp time, thinking it was only a young man’s trick to play basketball better. Now, as a father and teacher, he needs to relearn the skill before the past begins to destroy his own future. To protect his daughter and his most promising student, he must stop the school at which he teaches from turning the clock back to an era of intolerance. He wants desperately to use his unique gifts to help an old high school friend solve an ancient Maya mystery offering a rare chance to bridge the past and the future. Both are possible, but only if Alex can learn to control his temporal talents before he runs out of time.

 

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Excerpt

Alex and Xuha continued their tennis workouts into the summer, with Xuha growing stronger each week, as his left-handed playing improved. After two and a half months, he felt confident enough to try his right hand.

 

"I think I'll always practice left-handed, too. It could be an asset, giving my right arm a rest or even using my left to throw off an opponent."

 

Alex agreed. "I'd focus on serving with both hands. That's where you'll get the most impact." The two of them worked on serves, until the June sun rose high enough for the summer heat to take over the morning.

 

"That day you got attacked. You still have no idea who they were or why they picked you?" Alex wondered aloud as they both gulped water and gathered up their gear.

 

Xuha shook his head. "I mean, I can guess. It's pretty obvious around school who'd be inclined to do that. But they didn't say anything to me and no one has threatened me since"

 

"Given the way you fought the first two attackers off, I'd guess you've been in a fight or two. I have to admit, I had no idea you could move that fast, and I coach you."

 

Xuha grinned. "I don't like to fight, but I can if I have to. I know this will sound odd, but if it's a situation where I really have to make my body do something, it's like everything slows down for me, so I can do it. Does that make any sense?"

 

Alex felt his own heart loose a beat.

 

"I tried to tell this to a boy I played soccer with. He was like scary good and was trying to give me tips and stuff, and I was afraid he'd think I was crazy, you know?" Xuha made a crazy face. By now Alex had gotten used to the boy's odd facial humor and he ignored it.

 

"But this soccer player didn't think I was crazy. He said that's exactly what happened to him sometimes on the soccer field."

 

Now Xuha really had Alex's attention.

 

"He told me he wished he could control it, like make a kiss with a pretty girl last longer, but it didn't work that way. It happened when it needed to. He thought maybe all great athletes could do this when they played, even if they didn't realize they were doing it."

 

"That's interesting. Do you think maybe some people become good at a sport because they can do that? Or maybe they get good first and the technique follows?"

 

Xuha shrugged. "I've heard people describe something like it during a car crash, too. You said you used to be a good basketball player, Mr. Z? Did you ever have this happen to you?"

 

"Yeah. I think I know what it is you're talking about."

 

"Okay. So, that's what happened to me during the fight you saw. Like I didn't ask for it or anything, but these guys started moving slower, you know, slower to me and it made it easier to defend myself."

 

"I wish it could have protected you from the idiot behind you who you couldn't see."

 

"Me too. For that kind of protection, I have to go to my alternate plan."

 

"What's that?"

 

"Stay out of fights."

    Review

   ****

This is book three in the 46. Ascending series and it is spectacular. This book shows Alex's friend Dr. Stan Dexler and his students excavating of the stone box. This is the most prized holy grail Mayan artifacts that all wants to find. This story was enlightening & intriguing. The author did such a great job with the history. You can tell the author did a lot of research for this one! This is an absolute must read!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Sherrie Roth grew up in Western Kansas thinking there was no place in the universe more fascinating than outer space. After her mother vetoed astronaut as a career ambition, she went on to study journalism and physics in hopes of becoming a science writer.

 

She published her first science fiction short story long ago, and then waited a lot of tables while she looked for inspiration for the next story. When it finally came,  it declared to her it had to be a whole book, nothing less. One night, while digesting this disturbing piece of news, she drank way too many shots of ouzo with her boyfriend. She woke up thirty-one years later demanding to know what was going on.

The boyfriend, who she had apparently long since married, asked her to calm down and  explained how, in a fit of practicality, she had gone back to school and gotten a degree in geophysics and spent the last 28 years interpreting seismic data in the oil industry. The good news, according to Mr. Cronin, was that she had found it to be entertaining and ridiculously well-paying. The bad news was the two of them had still managed to spend almost all of the money.

She was now Mrs. Cronin, and further good news was that they had produced three wonderful children whom they loved, even though, to be honest, that was where a lot of the money had gone. Even better news was that Mr. Cronin turned out to be a warm-hearted, encouraging sort who was happy to see her awake and ready to write. "It's about time," were his exact words.

Sherrie Cronin discovered that over the ensuing decades Sally Ride had already managed to become the first woman in space and apparently had done a fine job of it. No one, however, had written the book that had been in Sherrie's head for decades. The only problem was, the book informed her it had now grown into a six book collection. Sherrie decided she better start writing it before it got any longer. She's been wide awake ever since, and writing away.

Author Social Media Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Number46Ascending
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

Blogs:

46 Ascending

Face Painting for World Peace

Fire Dancing for Fun and Profit

Treasure Hunting for a Good Time

Leaving the Nest to Touch the Sky

Touching the Sky to Save the World

 

Email me at lola.zeitman@gmail.com

S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC and a gift Kindle copy of Shape of Secrets to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

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