Here and Now and Then

Kin Stewart lives two lives - one as a secret time-traveling agent from 2142 stranded in our present day, and another as a modern-day family man with a wife and teenage daughter. After building a life in the current timeline, his rescue team finally arrives to bring him back to the future. The arrival forces Kin to navigate impossible choices between his two families separated by over a century. His mission to protect both worlds becomes increasingly complex as changes to the timeline threaten everyone he loves across past and future. Technology and time travel serve as the backdrop for a story centered on family bonds, identity, and sacrifice. This sci-fi narrative maintains focus on human relationships and emotional stakes rather than technical details. The novel explores questions about the true nature of family, the weight of duty versus love, and how much of ourselves we leave behind when circumstances force us to change. Through its examination of a father's devotion across time, it considers what makes a life authentic and meaningful.

Readers describe this as a time travel story that focuses more on family relationships and emotional stakes than sci-fi mechanics. Many note it blends genres effectively, combining elements of literary fiction with science fiction. Readers appreciated: - The father-daughter relationship at the core - Clean, straightforward writing style - Balance between character development and plot - Realistic portrayal of complex family dynamics Common criticisms: - Time travel rules felt inconsistent - Middle section moves slowly - Some plot points strain credibility - Romance elements feel underdeveloped Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (11,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (450+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (300+ ratings) Reader quote: "The sci-fi aspect takes a backseat to the emotional core of the story. If you're looking for hard science fiction, this isn't it. But if you want a story about family and difficult choices, this delivers." - Goodreads reviewer

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar Two time-traveling agents on opposing sides of a temporal war exchange letters across time and space while questioning their missions and their loyalties.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton A man must solve a murder mystery while inhabiting different bodies in a time loop, piecing together clues from multiple perspectives to uncover the truth.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch A quantum physicist finds himself in an alternate reality and must navigate through multiple dimensions to return to his original timeline and family.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North A man who repeatedly relives his life retaining memories from previous iterations discovers other people like him and becomes entangled in a plot that threatens the fabric of time.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai A time traveler from an alternate 2016 utopia accidentally alters the past and must decide between returning to his perfect world or staying in our imperfect reality.

🕐 Author Mike Chen wrote this novel while working as a freelance writer for NHL.com, combining his love of science fiction with his background in sports journalism. 🌟 The time travel mechanics in the novel were inspired by the author's desire to explore memory and connection rather than focus on traditional sci-fi paradoxes. 💫 The book's main character, Kin Stewart, was named after the author's daughter, reflecting the story's deep focus on parent-child relationships. 🎯 The novel took six years and thirteen drafts to complete before it was finally published in 2019. 📚 The story originally began as a much darker tale about a time-traveling assassin before evolving into its final form as a family-centered narrative about love across time.