Time Tsunami (Book 1 of The
Time Counselor Chronicles)
To stop a cruel serial killer, she must travel twenty-four years
into the past…
Gil Montgomery, a cadet in the Temporal Counseling Program,
can’t wait to pass her field exam and become a professional time surfer. The
TEMCO program targets death-row offenders for time-based counseling while
they’re children. For her exam, Gil will travel twenty-four years into
the past to counsel ten-year-old Danny Winston before he murders his abusive
babysitter, Rick Olsen. Preventing the stabbing should stop the chain of
events leading to Danny’s eventual execution. Gil’s assignment seems simple
until her adviser, Dr. William Ableman, learns that Rick is a serial killer
targeting Danny’s mother. If Gil stays and protects the Winstons, she
might not survive. William wants the woman he loves to be pulled from the
field, but if Gil fails to complete her assignment, it will unleash a Time
Tsunami and destroy the timeline. As TEMCO undergoes an emergency lockdown, and
Gil’s fellow cadets try to figure out what’s happening, Gil and William learn
the importance of faith and the price of true love. Everyone’s fate is resting
in Gil’s hands, but does she have the strength she needs to defeat a ruthless
serial killer intent on annihilating everyone in his path?
Will she return from
the deadly mission…
Time Tsunami is a fast-moving thriller with time travel twists that keep the
reader guessing until the very last page.
A Brief Interview with Danele
Danele, what do you love about this book?
I love my plot twists! At
times, my illness (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) was extremely painful, and on certain days, I would lie in
bed looking at the clock trying to convince myself that I could survive for
thirty more seconds. That’s how I got through some days—seconds at a time. But
when I started writing Time Tsunami,
my painful days changed. Rather than staring at the clock, I would peer up at
the ceiling and think up plot twists. I would try to imagine the most unlikely
thing that could happen to my characters and then I would figure out how to
write it into my story. Instead of concentrating on my pain, I began concocting
devious twists and sneaky clues that I could fold into my narrative. Time Tsunami is full of surprises! I’m
very proud of my plot twists—not only from a literary standpoint, but also
because each one represents my triumph over pain.
Introduce us to your most difficult character.
The most difficult
character in Time Tsunami was Crystal
Stuart—not because she was hard to write, but because she was so much fun. If I
let her, Crystal would totally steal the show. During my seven years of quarantine,
I wrote the first six books of The Time
Counselor Chronicles. In my first
draft of the books, Crystal stepped onto the stage at the end of book two—but
she wasn’t content to stay there. When I was revising the first book of the
series, Time Tsunami, Crystal
demanded to be part of the action, and eventually, she became a main character.
Crystal’s nickname is “Klutzy Crystal” and she really lives up to it. She’s
always getting herself into silly situations. She has a hard time fitting in
with her peers, but she has a heart of gold that’s just waiting to be
discovered. I really love Crystal—she’s one of my favorites.
Danele, can you share two things you learned while writing this story?
The first thing I learned
(although I already knew it) was that I have a really incredible family. When I
told my parents and siblings about my books, they rallied around me in a
unified show of support. They helped me proofread my manuscripts, and they gave
me excellent suggestions about how to make them better. When my editor at Prism
Book Group received Time Tsunami, she
was very impressed by its quality. I know that’s partly due to the unified
efforts of my wonderful family. I really love them!
The second thing I
learned was the truth of Romans 8:28. God really can make all things work together for our good. My illness and
quarantine stopped my life in its tracks. In many ways, I lost everything—my
health, my job, my social outlets—everything!
At the time, I thought my life was over. I thought nothing good could
possibly come out of such painful circumstances. But looking back now, I can
see that God brought incredible blessings out of my pain. I’m a different
person now. I’m stronger, kinder, and more patient. I’m also closer to God. The
silence of quarantine opened me up to hearing God’s voice. I learned how to be
still and listen. If I hadn’t been ill, I never would have stopped my busy
lifestyle. I never would have had the time to write my books. Every time I read
one of my novels, I realize that God has redeemed those painful years. He has
brought something wonderful out of my quarantine. He has indeed turned
something awful into something good. Time
Tsunami and the rest of the books in The
Time Counselor Chronicles are tangible testaments to the fact that God is
faithful and that Romans 8:28 is true.
What’s next?
When I was in quarantine,
I wrote the first six books in The Time
Counselor Chronicles. Prism Book Group has given me a contract for the
second book in the series, Time Trap.
Currently, I am polishing the third book, Time
Search, and preparing it for consideration by my editor at Prism. I’m very
excited about my book series. I believe that each book is even better than the
last. All six books deal with the same cast of characters, so by the time you
read them all, the characters feel like family.
What are you reading now?
I read so many books that
it’s hard to keep track. Lately, though, I’ve been rereading Brushing Fire: Soul Poetry by Anna Marie
Kittrell. Brushing Fire is a book of
Christian poetry that covers a wide range of topics. I really love it. I’ve
read some of the poems so many times that I practically have them memorized.
The poetry in Brushing Fire rings
with such inspired truth. I think it is incredibly beautiful. I’ve also been
reading your children’s book series, First
Children of Farmington, to my niece. I really love the Farmington
books—especially Green Leaf, the
Potawatomi Boy. My niece is enjoying them too! She’s also been having fun
with the hidden picture puzzles at the end of each Farmington book.
Lisa, thank you so much
for allowing me to speak with you and your readers. I’ve had such a marvelous
time. Thank you for this opportunity! I hope that you, and your readers, have a
really wonderful day!
My Great Pleasure :0 and thank you!
Please return next Friday for my review of Time Tsunami
About the Author
Danele Rotharmel grew up with a love of the literary word,
and by age five, she knew she wanted to
be a writer. However, her life took an
unexpected turn when a mysterious illness brought her close to death.
Eventually, she learned that a low-level carbon monoxide leak from a faulty
furnace in her home was slowly poisoning her. This poisoning triggered severe
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and partial amnesia.
During this
time, the hardest thing she faced was a crisis of faith. She had to quit her
job and stop going to church. She couldn’t write, couldn’t drive, and could
barely remember who she was. To say she was upset with the Lord was an
understatement. She began reexamining her faith in light of her illness, and
eventually, she came to the firm conclusion that God is real, God is good, God
is interested and involved, and God is trustworthy regardless of tragedy.
When her
illness became even more severe, she was put into quarantine and could only
talk to friends and extended family through the glass of a window. This
quarantine lasted for seven years. During this time, she wrote the first six
books in The Time Counselor Chronicles.
Danele
currently lives in Colorado where she
continues to write. Although her journey back to health was long and difficult,
it provided her with the opportunity to grow closer to God and to write her
books. For that, she is forever thankful.
