A Journey Through Time & Space
She came into the world screaming and left it much the same way. A hole of unimaginable force and pressure had opened up the fabric of reality, swallowing her as the whale swallowed Jonah.
Interesting way to start a love story, right? The characters were already in love, the hard part was over, and they had forever before them to explore that love. Except, the universe had different plans for Rand Hazen and Muriel Matthews. During their study of the mysterious wormhole at the edge a small Nevada town, Muriel is ripped away from 2018 and thrown into the far, far future. Heartbroken, Rand is determined to get her back, even if it means jumping into the hole himself.
What Rand and Muriel find on the other side of the Tempus Motus is a world quite unlike the one they left behind. There is no law, no government, and humanity is clinging to life with the tenacity of an ant who does not know he is drowning. En masse, the remaining population of Earth are doe-eyed sheep with lives and minds automated by time and engineering. A few have broken free of the mindlessness that haunts the other inhabitants of the last city of Pavitra, and they live at the edge of the savage, empty desert that surrounds them. Muriel and her friend PAL are taken in by the outlanders, while Rand finds himself in the heart of the city. He will do anything to find her and take her home, even if it means burning the last vestige of human civilization to the ground to do it.
I had so much fun writing this story. It’s a long and winding tale of love and redemption for both my characters and the people they encounter in the future. The last city is in danger of destruction and Rand and Muriel have the power to save it, but will they? Rand is desperate to find her and even refuses to say her name until he sees her face again. Would he choose the last remnants of humanity over her?
There’s a lot of science in this book, and Rand and Muriel are both extremely intelligent. What we learn is that no amount of understanding of the way things work ever makes the universe seem fair. If they can find each other and unite the city-dwellers with the outlanders, it’s possible they can save the human race from the devastation that is headed their way. I enjoyed studying the theories surrounding temporal physics, electro-physics, and cosmology in order to put Muriel and Rand in the worst possible situation. How could they survive? Was human ingenuity enough to forestall what was coming?
Rand and Muriel’s love story is told through their memories of the past, and that’s atypical of most romance novels these days. There’s no doubt that they love each other deeply, but circumstances have aligned to tear them apart time and time again. Is the universe trying to tell them that they will never find that happiness they long for?
One of my favorite parts of REDSHIFT are the supporting characters. Rand and Muriel make many exotic, interesting friends during their adventures in the future. Nothing really changes, though, and it’s still hard to know who to trust. Are the “savage” outlanders really the fierce, untamed group of nomads that the city-dwellers claim? Are the docile, seemingly-innocent city-dwellers as innocent as they appear? One of the best parts about this story is that RAND DOESN’T CARE. All of these interesting and possible dangerous things are happening around him and his sole focus remains Muriel. Always Muriel. It’s endearing and completely insane, all at the same time! Muriel’s friend PAL (Patrick Alan Landers) is another character I can’t wait for readers to meet. PAL is a young boy from the Nevada town, who gets thrown through the Tempus Motus with Muriel. PAL is mature, thoughtful and strong. Without him, Muriel would have been lost a few times.
All in all, REDSHIFT is a story of love, understanding and willpower. No man ever set out with such resolve in his heart as Rand Hazen. He is determined to the point of self-destruction and I hope readers love him for it, even as they curse him. The future of humanity is grim, but its not the amenities of the world around us that makes us fight for survival. We fight for the people we love.
As always, I’m honored to have been invited back to Liza’s blog to talk about my stories! I hope you enjoyed today’s discussion. If you read REDSHIFT, please let me know what you think. I would love to talk to you about your thoughts on the future I laid out.
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Author Bio:
AR DeClerck: Wife. Mother. Healthcare Professional. Reading ninja. Food assassin. All-around goofball. Self-proclaimed nerd.
AR writes books about the power of love. You might find her penning a sci-fi romance, a steampunk novel, or even a cozy mystery but you can always be sure the story is filled with romance and adventure.
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