Author Blog Post and Giveaway: J. L. Bryan and Nomad!

Tips for Time Travelers

Guest post from J.L. Bryan

Traveling through time may sound like a great idea, but it’s not for everyone.  Before you decide to make that big jump into the future or the past, be sure you’re prepared!  Don’t let your first trip through time become your last.  Remember, research reduces regret!  Here are a few tips to consider before you violate the basic natural laws of the fourth dimension:

Money.  Did you think about this?  If you don’t have currency appropriate for where you’re traveling, you won’t be able to do much when you get there.  Buying antique coins in advance is usually cost-prohibitive, unfortunately.  Precious metals are accepted in just about any civilization in history, but stockpiling gold and silver in the trunk of your time machine can quickly grow expensive.

Here’s a handy alternative—check for other forms of currency.  If you’re visiting colonial America, tobacco is a cheap commodity that will serve all your shopping needs.  Should you find yourself captured and locked up in a prison camp, you’ll be in luck, because tobacco is accepted currency in most prisons throughout history!

When visiting Soviet-era Russia, American blue jeans are a must-have if you want to barter.  If you’re more interested in the ancient world, pack a block of salt, always a valuable trade good.  Consider bringing obsidian shards, too—prehistoric craftsmen can’t get enough of them!  You could get a great deal on a bearskin sleeping bag or a mammoth-ivory nose ring.  Some cultures accept certain shells or even glass beads as money—stock up on that useless junk in the future and cash in when you visit the past!

Food. Didn’t think about that, did you?  Is the food in other centuries safe to eat? (If you’re visiting the post-nuclear-holocaust world of the 23^rd century, the answer is a firm “no.”)  Even if the food is safe, is it up to your picky standards?  If you’re traveling into the preindustrial era, you can rest assured that all your food is organic, fertilized with only the finest (or most easily available) animal dung.  Dig in!  When traveling into times of famine, however, it’s best to pack your own lunch.

Mittens and Suntan Lotion.  Yes, you’ll need both if you’re going to see a variety of cultures!  Whether you’re dropping into the Little Ice Age to meet Napoleon, or doing some amazing shopping in the golden age of Timbuktu, you want to be ready for every kind of weather.  Also, bring comfortable socks.  You can never have too many of those.

Giveaway!  We hope these tips will help you prepare for time travel!  If you have another tip for time travelers, please add it in the comments below. Make sure you fill out the rafflecopter form! The winner will be chosen from rafflecopter. :)

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J.L. Bryan’s book Nomad, a new adult time-travel dystopian, releases today!  It’s just $2.99 for the book release (regular price will be $3.99). (Links are at his website). 

Nomad book description:

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day serving the toddler and animal community inside his house.  He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.  (His book Jenny Pox is currently free on Kindle, Nook, Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Smashwords!)  

J.L. Bryan’s links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon Author Profile 

J.L. Bryan has let me giveaway his new ebook! After what AimeeKay has said (her review), I can't wait to dive into this book! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Don't forget to answer J.L. Bryan's question (there is a prompt on the form). Since the giveaway is an ebook, it is international.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway