E.J. Valson currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, traveling, watching movies, but mostly spending time with her loved ones.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
I asked E.J. about the time travel element in her book, and her interest in the subject. Here's her answer:
When I was thirteen my mother made me watch a movie called Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve. I remember being fascinated by that movie and the possibilities it inspired my young, impressionable mind to ponder. I have always been curious about past life regression, time travel, and psychic phenomenon and I tried to lightly touch on each of those things in The Nostalgia Effect.
In regards specifically to time travel, my approach was a little different from traditional time travel stories in that the lead character, Jennifer, traveled back to an alternate version of her own life. This is an aspect of time travel that fascinates me, as it is based on fate and destiny, but it specifically relates to the life of one person. Though there doesn’t seem to be an alternative form of science behind this possibility to study, there have been times in my life where I wondered, “What if I did this, instead? Where would I be now? Would my life be different?” Those types of questions are what inspired the book, as well as a re-occurring dream I used to have (that coincidentally stopped after I started writing the book).
Time travel, fate, and destiny are all enigmas in my mind. They aren’t tangible, but they might be possible. Do I believe there are “time machines” that you can step into and they will transport you back to the 1500’s or catapult you into the year 3000? No, not really, but that would be awesome! However, there are days that I wish I could go back and watch my life like an audience member – mostly moments like being with my husband before we were married, or when I was with a loved one who has passed away. There are periods of my life that I want to relive and feel in my bones again, and in all honesty, writing The Nostalgia Effect sort of allowed me to do that. I guess you could say that it was my own form of time traveling.
My sincere hope for this book is that it will encourage people to love what they have when they have it and not waste their lives on nonsense. We don’t have the ability to travel back and forth through time as if it is a well-traveled road, so we need to make the most of the time we are given and those we get to share it with.
Jennifer Nielsen awakens one morning to a life that doesn't belong to her. Thrown back eight years into a past she doesn't remember and again married to her ex-husband, she struggles to make sense of the situation. Longing to return to her current life with who she believes is her real husband and children, she seeks out answers -- and a way "back" -- wherever she can find them. Is she losing her mind? Did her other life ever exist? Or did she actually time travel? And if so, how will she get back and what will be sacrificed?
AN EXCERPT
“I’ll get her,” I mumble sleepily, as I am abruptly awakened by the faint sound of a toddler’s cry. The dark gray of dawn is coaxing my eyes to open, but they stay stubbornly shut. Her cry fades into the quiet morning and I assume that she was just dreaming and has fallen back to sleep. I am so tired, but I have so much to do today. I wrestle with the bed sheets, my eyes still closed, attempting to get a few more minutes of sleep.
Surrendering to the morning and with eyelids still shut, I slowly sit up and kick away the blankets to prepare for my feet to meet the cool hardwood floor. To my surprise, I instead feel something soft under my feet when they hit the floor. I quickly pull them back up because I think I am stepping on the cat. I open my puffy eyes the tiniest bit while trying to focus….no cat, no hardwood floor, but carpet.
My eyes fly open and dart around the unfamiliar room. Where the hell am I? My wide-open gaze drifts to the other side of the bed. And who the hell is that?
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nostalgiaeffect
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJValson
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
