Author: Nathan Van Coops
Narrator: Neil Hellegers
Series: In Times Like These, Book 1
Publisher: Skylighter Press
Released: Sep. 12, 2016
Length: 13 hours 47 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction; Time Travel
They have a dangerous past. They just haven't lived it yet.
"We broke something. How do you break time? Can something so bad happen that you fracture the world?"
Benjamin Travers has been electrocuted. What's worse, he and his friends have woken up in the past. As the friends search for a way home, they realize they're not alone. There are other time travelers, and some of them are turning up dead. When Ben meets an enigmatic scientist and his charming, time-traveling daughter, salvation seems at hand, but escaping the dangers of the past may lead to a deadly future. If he hopes to save his friends, Ben must learn to master space and time, and survive a journey where past and future violently collide.
Action heats up in this first book of the time travel adventure series.
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Neil hails from the green hills and not-so-busy streets of River Vale, NJ, where he divided his time between theatre, literature, percussion, and policy debate. He is happy to note that he has managed to maintain this balance for the entirety of his adult life.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, PA, with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and a Minor in Psychology, Neil acquired a M.F.A in Acting from the Trinity Rep Conservatory, in Providence, RI. He returned to NYC in 2003, and, since then, has made a career of theatrical performance, percussion, theatre education, and audiobook narration, and is currently living in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife, rambunctious son, and their mutt!
Starting his professional acting career working at festivals and and international tours performing Shakespeare opened his mind to the sweeping potential of theatre in performance to inspire and delight, a sensibility he has carried into contemporary theatre, new play workshops, film, TV and commercial work, and audiobook narration. Neil also has sought and developed educational opportunities, considering teaching as a means of advancing the craft of both student and teacher, and also a vehicle for social and political change. Neil has played drums in a wide variety of bands and musical groups, from punk, to prog, to jazz, to folk, and in theatrical performance, most notably for the Philly-based-90s-progressive-instrumental-rock-band, Lexicon.
As an audiobook narrator, Neil specializes in fiction, genre and non. A voracious reader of science fiction and fantasy, Neil strives to bring the same thrill of the possible to the actual, with non-fiction ranging from self-help both spiritual and practical, history, and cultural studies. Recording at home from a Studiobricks One Plus, he is an Audible Approved Producer, and has worked for numerous publishers, including Tantor Media, Penguin Random House Audio, Blackstone Audio, Audible Studios, Deyan Audio, Spoken Realms, and more. He is a proud member of SAG AFTRA.
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Q&A with Author Nathan Van Coops
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- It didn’t used to be. But now Neil has become such an integral part of the process that I factor his accent abilities and narrative style into the characters I create. It also influences word choices and word combinations. Sometimes as writers we think about the way words look on a page but not the fact that they might be tongue twisters for the narrator to say. I once got an email from Neil that was only two lines.
"tarnished brass backsplash" You bastard. :)
We got a good laugh out of it. He said it only took three tries to get it recorded which was impressive.
- It didn’t used to be. But now Neil has become such an integral part of the process that I factor his accent abilities and narrative style into the characters I create. It also influences word choices and word combinations. Sometimes as writers we think about the way words look on a page but not the fact that they might be tongue twisters for the narrator to say. I once got an email from Neil that was only two lines.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I’m definitely an audiobook listener. I used to do a lot more reading of print books but since I’m on the go so often, audio has really helped me to keep up with my reading. I think the performance of a great narrator can add so much life to a book. I even love hearing my own books in audio because even though I wrote the book, it feels like a new experience!
- Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- There is one particular scene in The Chronothon where the main character Ben is speaking inside of a space helmet. Neil managed to actually make it sound like he was speaking through a transmitter of some kind. I was really impressed. That sort of skill can go a long way to transporting you into a scene as the listener. I love being transported as the reader and feel like I am living the adventure. That’s partly why I wrote In Times Like These in first person. Anything that can put me closer to the action is great. Good narration does that.
- If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- I would absolutely use it. First stop would be to meet my dad when he was still alive. He passed away when I was a child before I could make any of my own memories of him. It would be great to have a conversation with him. After that I would be off to see the future. I’d love to see where the world is headed in terms of technology and how we solve a lot of the problems we have today. If a person from two-hundred years ago were to arrive in our time, I think they would be absolutely astounded by the progress we’ve made. I would like to experience that feeling for myself.
- In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
- Stand-alones are great for people like me who don’t tend to have the time to dive into long series. I like the satisfaction of reading a book and knowing the story is done. On the other hand, if someone really falls in love with characters, it’s so nice to be able to continue to share their world. As an author, I definitely recommend writing in series, but I tend to write each book within a series as a stand-alone adventure, that way the reader can walk away feeling satisfied with the resolution at each stage. I never want my readers to feel tricked or shortchanged. There’s nothing worse than investing your time into a book or series that fails to pay off on the expectations set up in the writing. Whether in series or as stand-alones, I work hard to make sure that anyone who reads one of my books feels like they have gotten a lot of adventure for their time.
- What's your favorite:
- Food: Tacos. Was there any question?
- Song: In My Life by The Beatles
- Book: The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende
- Television show: Tough one! I don’t watch a lot of TV. I was big fan of Community while it was on. The first paintball episode was the best thing ever. Lately I’ve been enjoying The Good Place for a laugh.
- Movie: So difficult to choose. I like Christopher Nolan’s style of filmmaking. The Dark Knight is near the top of my list. I also love Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Scott Pilgtim vs The World, and a dozen other titles I could easily try and fail to fit in my top 5. I just love movies.
- Band: Beatles for sure, though my first love in music and my first concert was They Might Be Giants. Still a fan.
- Sports team: Tampa Bay Rays. We’re not great but I have to root for the home team.
- City: Saint Petersburg! I love my city. Gets better every year I’ve lived here.
- Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
- Absolutely. Saint Petersburg features heavily as it is also Ben Travers’ hometown. There are more than a few of my real life favorite spots that make cameo appearances in the books, including taco shops, gelato places, and even the Rays Stadium, Tropicana Field.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Consistency pays off. Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut to success. It may take you five years. It may take you ten. But if you keep at it, the results show. Book by book you learn the craft and how to market. It’s not a sexy answer but it’s true. You just have to keep at it. As long as you’re having fun, it’s not going to feel like work. Time flies so you may as well be writing. One day you will look back in awe at all that you have accomplished. It feels great.
- Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Your choice of narrator is huge. Take the time to get good auditions. Pay outright. Royalty-share is an option but I recommend keeping your rights in your hands. If you have a free Kindle book on Amazon, make sure it has an audiobook! It will be your biggest seller in audio.
- What’s next for you?
- I’m having a blast working on my latest series, The Skylighter Adventures. It’s a steampunk, sky pirate adventure featuring the very talented Jayme Mattler as narrator. If you like adventure stories, I highly recommend her performance. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the series come to life in audio. After that I’m brimming with new ideas and also ways to continue the In Times Like These series. So many books to write! Wish I had started sooner. If only I could time travel....
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