What If You Could Travel Back In Time?

New Novel Raises Provocative Questions About Time Travel

Time travel... the very idea of traveling back in time has intrigued generations of people. For good reason, too. After all, who wouldn't be excited to travel back in time to the date and place of your choice? You could witness amazing events like the Wright brothers' first airplane flight. You might try to meet famous figures in history like George Washington, Mickey Mantle, or Marilyn Monroe. Maybe you'd change past decisions that you regret, or win back a lost love. But what if your journey to another time dramatically altered the course of history-would you be willing to pay the price?

While some people scoff at the very notion of time travel as wishful thinking, some scientists are giving the concept serious consideration. "While many people don't believe in the concept of time travel, some scientists theorize that if we had the right technology, time travel may be possible, says historian and author Denis Wojcik. "Although the idea of building a time machine sounds like a movie, the ramifications of time travel are what I find really fascinating."

Wojcik explores the consequences of what happens when people from the 21st century plunk down in the 1700's and 1800's in his new novel, TurnBack. The main character in the book is college professor Jack Moore, a self-described 'techno geek' who unwittingly buys a time machine. When Jack's employee Thomas steals the time machine in a bid to change his own life, the race is on. Jack and his beautiful colleague Tara find themselves in a dangerous pursuit that has them crossing paths with some of history's most influential figures… and the outcome could be disastrous on a scale of epic proportions.

"Not only are the characters racing the clock to protect the course of national history, they also face unexpected challenges," says Wojcik. "How will they fare when they find themselves immersed in an era with a different culture? Not only was the culture different, everyday life was tough! Can they overcome their dependency on modern conveniences? These are provocative issues raised by the idea of time travel."

TurnBack also raises an interesting gender debate about the roles of men and women and who would have a tougher time handling time travel. "The rules were different for women years ago," says Wojcik. "We take for granted that women have the same rights as men, but that wasn't the case hundreds of years ago. That can make time travel a proposition that's fraught with challenges for women."

Whether or not you believe time travel will someday be scientific fact vs. science fiction, TurnBack is a thought provoking tale that captures the imagination. Readers will find themselves whisked away on a heart-pounding journey. The characters' encounters will fascinate readers and leave them wondering how they would handle the same situations if they were the ones racing the clock in a different era.

Hardback: 351pages
Publisher: Authorhouse, 2007

Available at: www.amazon.com, Barnes and Noble (in stores and online), Borders and www.authorhouse.com.

About The Author:

TurnBack is Denis Wojcik's second novel. His first book, CrossRoads, was published in 2005. Denis is the middle son in a family of eight children. He and his siblings grew up in the shadows of Notre Dame University. The school's fabled football team inspired his love of sports, which continues to this day. Denis is currently a vice president in a multi-billion dollar company and he teaches as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University, his alma mater. His career has spanned many fields including education, working with defense contracts and a stint playing semi-professional baseball. Denis lives in Flower Mound, Texas with his wife Jackie, daughter Avery, and Kaiser, the family dog. Denis enjoys doing charity work in his community and reading historical biographies and suspense novels.

judythpiazza@gmail.com