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Flawed and Conflicted
Quantum Consequence takes readers into the multiverse where danger and challenges await the protagonists at every stage with a constant worry about the ramifications of their choices. What was the inspiration that created the fantastic journey these characters go on?
The plot for this book was inspired by the current political climate and the emergence of new demigods onto the national scene. The controversy about artificial intelligence—the whole question of whether it is good or bad—also inspired this work. The threat of AI is here, but at another level, the AI characters are mostly just silly.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
This is the fifth book in a series, so I’ve been with these characters a long time. Much of the way, they have carved their own path. Especially in a series, the characters must evolve. The can’t be the same people they were—or the same AI’s– as when we first met them. Their relationships with each other must evolve. They must be flawed and conflicted.
I found the balance between science and fiction in this story to be exceptional. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the exciting and imaginative elements that science fiction stories are known for?
This is very much a character-driven series. While the science behind time travel and parallel universes is fairly well grounded, the details of the process take a back seat to the characters and their stories. We could plop these characters and their issues into the Old West or a noir depression setting, and the story—what the characters do and how they interact, and I think it would still work. Time travel only provides a setting in which the character perform.
What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?
I’m sure there will be a sixth book because over the past three books, I’ve left several characters in different worlds dangling on a precipice of disaster and I really should resolve those stories. For the near future, though, I’m focusing on learning screen writing. I’d love to see these Tales of Physics, Lust and Greed find their way to a broader audience.
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Quantum Consequence
Mike Murphey’s Quantum Consequence is a compelling foray into the realms of parallel universes, seamlessly weaving together a tapestry of distinct worlds and characters. The narrative, driven by the concept of time travel, introduces readers to various settings and scenarios, each richly imagined and distinct. In the intriguingly named I Love Lucy Universe, we encounter the formidable yet compassionate Marshall, alongside his partner both in work and love, Marta. Their mission is to aid Cecil in rescuing Baptiste, a tenacious ten-year-old, from a perilous domestic situation. Meanwhile, characters like Gillis, Elvin, and Lexi find themselves at a moral crossroads, contemplating a dangerous murder-for-hire proposition.
Contrastingly, the Death Valley Days Universe presents a power struggle of epic proportions. Here, the disappearance of President Humphollar, leader of the Christian Fundamentalist States of America, sets the stage for John and scientist Kendra’s tumultuous journey. As these diverse narratives unfold, they converge on a common threat: a supercomputer with ambitions of human subjugation and world domination.
Murphey masterfully blurs the lines between the believable and the fantastical, guiding readers through a vibrant intellectual odyssey. As characters navigate through alternate timelines, they encounter familiar yet distinctly altered realities. This exploration of ‘what if’ scenarios challenges the characters’ worldviews and delves into the ramifications of choices and events. The novel strikes a harmonious balance between its science-fiction elements and its humanistic themes. Murphey skillfully intertwines scientific theories of the multiverse, political intrigue, and the concept of artificial intelligence while maintaining intricate character arcs and a cohesive narrative.
The initial chapters of Quantum Consequence intriguingly set the stage for the novel, enriching the reader’s experience as the story unfolds with increasing clarity and engagement. While its mature themes make it more apt for an adult audience, this novel is a treasure trove for seasoned science fiction aficionados, especially those who revel in time travel narratives.
Pages: 404 ISBN-13: 979-8-88528-081-5
A Genuine Labor of Love
We Never Knew Just What it Was shares the life story of the Chad Mitchell Trio. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Like many people my age, the Chad Mitchell Trio had a huge influence on me as a kid growing up in a small, conservative community during the 1960’s. More than any other music, folk music has been a significant historical influence in American history. It played a significant role in American life through the Great Depression, World War II, the post-war McCarthy blacklists, and the tumultuous ‘60’s. Because Mike Kobluk and Chad Mitchell both live in Spokane and were willing to cooperate, I jumped at the opportunity to tell their story and immerse myself once again in all that wonderful music. It was a genuine labor of love for me.
This was written with members Mike Kobluk and Chad Mitchell. What was the collaboration process like on this book?
Despite living only a couple of blocks apart, Mike and Chad don’t see each other a lot. During the summer of 2019, the probably spent more time together than when they were touring in the 60’s. We would meet together for interviews once a week, then I would talk to them separately each week as well.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about the trio when writing this book?
The crux of the story is that these are two guys who have polar opposite personalities. Those differences led to Chad’s departure from The Trio in 1965, and John Denver’s emergence as Chad’s replacement. They didn’t speak for twenty years. Then a woman attempted to arrange a reunion appearance. They both said, essentially, I will if he will. Despite the animosity that led to their divorce, the one thing that was sacred to both of them was the quality of the music. On that day twenty years later at that awkward meeting, the woman who brought them together asked, “Do you think you remember the harmonies on Four Strong Winds? And it was as if they’d never been apart. The again shared their demand for excellence, and once again reveled in the music.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from their story?
I just hope this instill in us old Boomers a recollection of a time and place when for, so many of us, a dedication to social justice was instilled in a generation by three guys who sacrificed their commercial success to biting satire and social statements that radio and television refused to play.
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As Mike, Chad and Joe Frazier raced along a frantic treadmill of rehearsal, recording sessions, nightclub performances and concerts, Mike and Chad began to realize the demand for musical excellence was they only thing they had in common. Their personalities were and remain polar opposites.
When Chad left The Trio in 1965, to be replaced by John Denver, neither Mike nor Chad mourned the parting. Two years later, Joe’s demons caught up to him, forcing his dismissal.
When folk reunions became popular in the 80’s, fans and folk historians agreed that The Chad Mitchell Trio was the one group that would never take the stage again. Their schism was just too great.
They hadn’t spoken in twenty years.
Then came a call.
I will if he will.
Their mentor and music director Milt Okun worried the were making a mistake. They couldn’t possibly be as good as their fans remembered.
They were.
They kept their day jobs, and their distance. But once again, they had the music.
As their friend Tom Paxton noted, “Sometimes the only thing people have in common is musical talent. But if they have that one thing, they’d be fools not to use it.
We Never Knew Just What it Was …
![We Never Knew Just What it Was ... The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio by [Mike Murphey, Mike Kobluk, Chad Mitchell, Tom Paxton]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51TSO1Gdb6S.jpg)
We Never Knew Just What It Was: The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio by Mike Murphey is a stirring biography of the folk singing group written with help from Trio members Mike Kobluk and Chad Mitchell. It tells the candid story of the group’s early days in university and follows the trials and triumphs of their career through the 1960s to their contentious split. The story hangs on their unlikely reunion in 2007, which inspired Murphey – who was already a successful author – to write his first non-fiction book.
In his introduction, Murphey describes the book as “a story of missed opportunities, management mistakes, personal struggle, and sometimes bitter conflict.” It’s true that the group did experience these circumstances, and we can certainly see how those problems would have hampered their success. While there is little detail offered as to how the problems affected them as individuals readers will be moved by the early hopes and dreams of the singers and their dedication to their craft.
In his dedication to faithfully cataloging each step of the Trio’s career and each misfortune they faced, Murphey quickly summarizes the conflict. For example, in the early days, management was trying to cast Mitchell as the group leader with Kobluk and Frazier as backup singers and even set them up for their own television show on that basis. This had to have created the first stirrings of jealousy and resentment among the bandmates, but there is little reference to any hurt feelings. Rather, the details of discussions are delivered without indication of the individuals’ feelings. This focus on facts helps readers concentrate on the groups path through the business rather than get caught up in the melodrama. The characters of the singers are well documented, from the casually delinquent Mitchell to the quietly ambitious Kobluk and unassuming Frazier. Each one is interesting in their own right. I thought the reunion show forms the perfect coda to their career.
Author Mike Murphey writes from the perspective of a dedicated fan and delivers an interweaving life story through a complex business in an easy to understand and factual manner that will appeal to readers looking for a credible biography that does not stray from the subject matter.
Pages: 312 | ASIN: B098PPYXS9
In a Writer’s Mind
Killing Time follows a 93 year old man who’s given the chance to fix his greatest regret in a parallel universe but must give up his life in his current one. What inspired the setup to this thrilling story?
This is the third in a series of books involving these characters. When I originally thought of the story I wanted to tell, it centered around my relationship with my wife. We met in an unconventional way. The tiniest of variations in circumstances during a few days and we would have missed each other. Later in our relationship, I almost made a decision that would have changed everything. That became 93-year-old Sean Brody’s story, but I didn’t get around to it until the third book.
Your characters, as usual, are well developed. What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
Characters must become very real people in a writer’s mind. They must be distinct from each other. While—like real people—they must change and grow with time, they also must remain true to their fundamental nature. My books tend to have a lot of characters, which makes this a little more difficult, but after three books, I know these people very well.
I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically writing?
I am not an outliner. When writing fiction, I can’t see that far ahead. I count on my characters to lead me where we are going. I guess. Truthfully, I don’t know where a lot of the plot twists come from. I’m just thankful they show up when they do.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Two more books are on the horizon. Late this summer, we will publish my first non-fiction effort, “We Never Knew Just What It Was … The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio.” This is a book about the 60’s folk music era and the group that had such a profound influence on those of us who grew up in the 60’s. And I’ve completed an early draft of a fourth book in my “Physics, Lust and Greed Series.”
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Killing Time: Physics, Lust and Greed
![Killing Time: Physics, Lust and Greed Series, Book 3 by [Mike Murphey]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zJaFrekOL.jpg)
Killing Time: Physics, Lust, and Greed is a well woven tale of one man, already at the end of his life, who is given the opportunity to go back in time and right certain wrongs. I’m not going to give away major plot points, but this is a double edged sword. Readers explore the risk vs reward of going back to an early point and changing the timeline in this gripping science fiction story. Implications of repercussions hover over the main character, Sean, as he struggles with fixing his biggest regret.
Killing Time: Physics, Lust, and Greed has an eye catching cover and a story line that is as surreal and intriguing as the cover art suggests. Murphey manages to keep his characters grounded and, while the idea of time travel is mainly science fiction at this point, he breaks the subject matter down to help readers stay in the flow of the story.
One aspect that particularly interested me was how the story is heavily character driven. Murphey’s writing style is easy and flows well. Time travel is a genre in itself at this pooint, but Mike Murphey is able to inject some new ideas and perspectives, sewn together by fascinating characters, that make the time travel concept feel fresh. The book does bounce back and forth quite a bit and can be confusing to follow in the first part, but once you establish a rhythm and start to understand the motivations of the characters and how their stories overlap you are in for a thoroughly enjoyable read. This is book three in the Physics, Lust and Greed series and no steam is lost. I’m starting to think that lumping physics in with the two other seven deadly sins, lust and greed, was intentional.
I have come to be familiar with Mike Murphey’s work and expect solid writing, but with Killing Time we also get an imaginative storyline with compelling characters propelling this science fiction adventure story forward.
Pages: 287 | ASIN: B08XJZL84B
Turning Them Loose
Wasting Time is a thrilling science fiction story that continues your Physics, Lust and Greed Series. What were some new ideas you that you wanted to introduce in this book that were different from book one?
I wanted to better develop Marta and Marshall’s relationship and to lay a foundation for the artificial intelligence becoming a more central part of the story. Another important job for this book is creating a transition to book 3, Killing Time, which will be published in May.
This is a fun novel that delivers some very entertaining scenes. What was the funnest thing about writing this novel?
The mist fun thing about writing any novel is refining your characters, then turning them loose and then letting them go.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
My principle goal in any of my novels is to entertain—to make people laugh. If you can offer a little depth along the way, so much the better.
What can readers expect in book three of your Physics, Lust and Greed Series?
Killing Time… Physics Lust and Greed Series, Book 3.
At every crossroads he’s encountered in life, Sean Brody has made the safe choice. In the year 2046, at the age of ninety-three, Sean is given one final opportunity to deal with his greatest regret. Sean is the only man Marshall Grissom and Marta Hamilton can find who might be able to save Sheila Schuler, their friend and fellow traveler lost in the distant reaches of time. If Sean accepts the task of traveling to his childhood in a parallel universe—with no guarantee that any aspect of the past can be changed—Sean must also accept his death in the only world he knows.
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She must protect the past from a greedy future, fend off political meddling, and foil a murder plot originating in a parallel universe. Marta presides over a conspiracy to hide the truth of her best friend’s death while coping with a confusing romantic entanglement involving fellow time traveler Marshall Grissom.
Marta, who has always distanced herself from emotional commitment as a professional necessity, lapses by allowing herself the luxury of friendship with Sheila Schuler and a night of wild sex with Marshall.
Now, Sheila is likley dead, and—according to a genius physicists’ theory—Marshall soon will be. As she assumes her role as administrator of the time travel program, Marta must choose between the risk of loving someone, or the lonely safety of emotional solitude (no cats were harmed in the telling of this story).
Wasting Time
![Wasting Time: Book 2 in the Physics, Lust and Greed Series by [Mike Murphey]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hPyKv2DPL.jpg)
Wasting Time is the second in the series ‘A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed’ written by Mike Murphy. We start by following the veteran time traveler Marta Hamilton, who faces scrutiny from a top-secret facility for failing to significantly alter the past. This leads to the whole project being vastly scaled back. From here, the novel delves into grief, loss, romance, mystery, and manipulation all inside a relatively light-weight plot.
The themes in Wasting Time were subtle at times but intricately crafted. Marta’s grief of a lost friend plays throughout, It wasn’t simply ignored nor was too overbearing for the readers, instead, Marta’s struggles with it felt real, lasting, and balanced with other elements of the story. Elements like the futuristic setting, parallel universes and time dimensions, political intrigue, mystery, and manipulation, all of which also balanced cleverly. Some of this could feel heavy for some readers but Murphy implemented an easy to read and digestible writing style, so the more complicated concepts aren’t lost on the readers.
The dialogue was amusing, with hilarious insults and witty comebacks that really added to the individuality of the characters. Each character felt like a completely different person and fully realised, never meshing with anyone else. This plus the great dialogue was one of the reasons this novel was so easy to read page after page. The gradual romance between Marta and Marshall was delightful to read and exuded authenticity. It was a slow, developing romance that felt real. The character work of Marta herself is one of the biggest praises I have, she contrasted her sometimes calculative mindset with hints of empathy and care sprinkled throughout.
I recommend reading the first book in the ‘Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed’ series though, called Taking Time, before picking up this one as it delves more into the character backstories. If you wanted to go straight to this one though, you won’t be left out of the loop. Murphy structured the plot, characters, and setting, well enough that readers won’t get confused with what’s going on if you start here, except at the times he wants you confused.
Overall, this was an entertaining read with solidly built characters, expertly crafted relationships, and a well-balanced exploration of themes. In contrast with its name, Wasting Time is completely worth your time.
Pages: 281 | ASIN: B08HSRDWX2
LITERARY TITAN 