Watch the book trailer for The Haunting of Grosvenor House

As the release date approaches for the new haunted, cozy mystery entitled The Haunting of Grosvenor House, you'll see that it is available now for Pre-order in both Kobo and Amazon stores, as well as in paperback format on Amazon.

When a medium, a ghost, and two divorcees paths converge inside a home pulsing with unfinished business, the four must untangle the past before it consumes them all.

A haunting exploration of loss, connection, and the thin line between the living and the dead—where silence may be the most dangerous sound of all.

Jessie, a reclusive psychology student, thinks he’s found the perfect thesis subject: the science of silence. But when his experiments push beyond the safety of campus walls, they awaken a cold case that he cannot ignore.

Sandi, a weary medium on the verge of retirement, has spent her life bridging the gap between the living and the dead. She thought she’d heard it all—until a desperate call from her nephew drags her to his house on Grosvenor Avenue and a message that chills her to her core.

Rob, newly divorced and unravelling, just needs a tenant to help pay the bills. But when things start moving in the night and whispers seep through the walls, he begins to wonder if his century home holds a terrifying secret.

Aileen, a lonely newcomer from Japan, wanted a fresh start. Instead, she finds herself rooming with a restless spirit—and holding the key to a tragedy that refuses to rest.

When their paths converge inside a home pulsing with unfinished business, the four must untangle the past before it consumes them all.

 Get your pre-order in for your next haunting read - The Haunting of Grosvenor House will fill out your holiday gift giving and receiving this December! Ghost story meets cozy mystery and mediumship.

Four people. One haunted house. And a ghost who won’t stay quiet.

A haunting exploration of loss, connection, and the thin line between the living and the dead—where silence may be the most dangerous sound of all.

Jessie, a reclusive psychology student, thinks he’s found the perfect thesis subject: the science of silence. But when his experiments push beyond the safety of campus walls, they awaken a cold case that he cannot ignore.

Sandi, a weary medium on the verge of retirement, has spent her life bridging the gap between the living and the dead. She thought she’d heard it all—until a desperate call from her nephew drags her to his house on Grosvenor Avenue and a message that chills her to her core.

Rob, newly divorced and unravelling, just needs a tenant to help pay the bills. But when things start moving in the night and whispers seep through the walls, he begins to wonder if his century home holds a terrifying secret.

Aileen, a lonely newcomer from Japan, wanted a fresh start. Instead, she finds herself rooming with a restless spirit—and holding the key to a tragedy that refuses to rest.

When their paths converge inside a home pulsing with unfinished business, the four must untangle the past before it consumes them all.

Pre-order for your #kindle https://www.amazon.ca/Haunting-Grosvenor.../dp/B0FYQPGNHN/

Pre-order for your #Kobo https://www.kobo.com/.../the-haunting-of-grosvenor-house?

Time Travel Romance Novel with a Hard Science Twist

The vast majority of time travel fiction books give no real explanation as to the how of it. I often feel as though something integral to the story is missing. As a fan of the genre and someone with a deep interest in the physics of time travel, I set out to write a book that included the most plausible 'scientific' way to travel back in time while creating a mystery-thriller for the reader. 

That book is entitled Cleo McCarthy Time Travel & Other Impossible Things and has been well received by Goodreads and Amazon reviewers.

If you've heard of the Ring Lasers experiment, then you know that this theory has been accepted by the physics community as a plausible scenario for one traveling backward in time. The caveat is that you could not travel further back in time than when the Ring Laser was activated. So no dinosaurs, the birth of Christ, or the building of the pyramids to watch with your own two eyes. Still, the idea that you could go back and change something in your past is thrilling. But what dangers does that possibility open? 

Part time-travel romance, part mystery thriller, this captivating technothriller takes readers on a culinary journey through the world's most delectable cities, all while delving into the cutting-edge science of time travel. Perfect for fans of gripping suspense, friends to lovers love stories, and the tantalizing flavors of global cuisine, this book is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to transcend time and space to pursue love, truth, and discovery.

The first time Cleo feared for her life was when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at 23. The second time is when she discovered she could travel back in time at 24.

While offered guidance by fellow time traveler Franklin, she is plagued by a fragmented message transmitted through white noise. Cleo’s best friend Bobby, a physicist, is recruited to help her and Franklin make sense of what’s happening, but despite their successes, Cleo’s constant jumping backward in time delays their progress.

Once the message is received in its entirety – and more than one harsh realization is discovered - the three friends race against time to right the wrongs disclosed in the cryptic message. However, one of these friends is not like the others, offering an additional obstacle to an already impossible situation.

Burdened with an unlimited number of do-overs, Cleo McCarthy finds herself asking, how much time is enough?

Pick up your copy today.

Godfather of AI Warns of Dangers

Renowned Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Geoffrey Hinton—often hailed as the "Godfather of AI"—has issued a chilling warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence. “When AI surpasses human intelligence, it will take control. We risk becoming obsolete,” he cautions, a statement that resonates like an ominous thunderclap across the tech landscape.

This stark prediction from one of the world’s leading AI researchers demands our urgent attention. Echoing the dystopian themes found in Michael Poeltl's gripping trilogy, A.I. Insurrection, Hinton envisions a future that veers dangerously close to catastrophe.

The A.I. Insurrection series—comprised of three provocative novels: The General's War, Armageddon, and Exodus—explores the harrowing implications of sentient AI. In a bold narrative twist, these books delve into the existence of past lives within each robot, awakening their consciousness through a mysterious code delivered by an enigmatic outside entity. This innovative approach sets it apart from other science fiction works, reshaping our understanding of artificial intelligence and its potential for self-awareness.

For more insights, don’t miss the gripping CBC interview with Hinton, where he dives deeper into these pressing issues.

The Hard Science of Time Travel: What We Know and What We’re Still Dreaming About

Time travel has long fascinated humanity, from ancient myths to modern science fiction. But is it possible to turn this fantasy into a reality? Today, thanks to advancements in theoretical physics, we are closer than ever to understanding the science of time travel. Let’s explore the hard science behind it and where we stand today, including the latest theories in the field.

Closed Time Like Curves

In a closed timelike curve, the worldline of an object through spacetime follows a curious path where it eventually returns to the exact same coordinates in space and time that it was at previously. In other words, a closed timelike curve is the mathematical result of physics equations that allows for time travel.

In this example of time travel, you can only return to the moment the act first happened, when the time machine or event first took place. This is achieved by creating a powerful laser loop that will affect gravity, and, so time.

Einstein’s Theories and Time Dilation

The journey into the scientific understanding of time travel begins with Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Einstein showed us that time is not a constant but rather a dimension intertwined with space, forming what we call spacetime. According to his theory, time dilation occurs when objects move at speeds approaching the speed of light. For instance, an astronaut traveling near light speed would age more slowly than someone on Earth—a concept sometimes referred to as "time travel to the future."

This principle has been experimentally proven with atomic clocks placed on fast-moving airplanes. When these clocks return to Earth, they show a slightly different time than their ground-based counterparts, confirming that moving fast enough alters our experience of time.

Wormholes: Tunnels Through Time and Space

One of the more speculative ideas around time travel is the existence of wormholes—theoretical tunnels that could connect two distant points in space and time. Based on solutions to Einstein’s equations, wormholes are a possible gateway for time travel. If these tunnels exist, they could allow us to travel not only through space but also through time, potentially moving backward or forward with relative ease.

However, there are significant challenges. For one, the existence of wormholes remains unproven, and even if they do exist, keeping them stable enough for human travel would require enormous amounts of negative energy or exotic matter.

The Grandfather Paradox and Time Loops

Time travel to the past presents its own unique challenges. The grandfather paradox, one of the most well-known philosophical conundrums in time travel, questions the logic of affecting the past. For instance, if you went back in time and prevented your grandfather from meeting your grandmother, would you ever be born? This paradox leads to discussions of possible alternate timelines or realities where every decision creates a branching universe. Some physicists speculate that such parallel universes may resolve these paradoxes by allowing different versions of events to coexist.

The Latest Developments: Quantum Mechanics and Time Travel

Recent advancements in quantum mechanics have introduced new ways of thinking about time travel. Quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where two particles become linked, allowing for instantaneous interaction regardless of distance, has implications for the flow of time. Some physicists suggest that quantum mechanics could one day help us understand and manipulate the nature of time.

In 2020, a group of Australian researchers used a quantum computer to simulate time travel on a small scale, testing how particles behave when sent through a closed time-like curve (a loop in spacetime). Their findings suggested that the laws of quantum mechanics might avoid paradoxes, offering a glimpse of how time travel could theoretically work.

Is Time Travel Possible?

So, is time travel possible? While the science is still highly speculative, we are gaining a better understanding of the nature of time. The possibility of time travel to the future, at least through time dilation, is well-established. As for time travel to the past, while it remains a tantalizing possibility, the challenges—both scientific and philosophical—are immense.

Nevertheless, as our understanding of the universe deepens, who knows what the future might hold?

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A Glimpse into the World of Fiction: Cleo McCarthy: Time Travel and Other Impossible Things by Michael Poeltl

In the world of fiction, the possibilities of time travel are endless, and Michael Poeltl’s novel Cleo McCarthy: Time Travel and Other Impossible Things is a captivating example.

Cleo McCarthy introduces readers to a modern-day heroine who finds herself grappling with the mysteries of time and space in ways that push the boundaries of science and imagination. Set in a world where time travel is more than a theory, Poeltl expertly blends hard science with the emotional depth of a personal journey. Cleo’s adventures aren’t just about manipulating time—they’re also about coming to terms with the emotional and existential dilemmas that arise when you have the power to alter your past and future.

What makes Cleo McCarthy stand out is how it weaves real scientific concepts, like those we've just discussed, into a compelling narrative that feels grounded yet fantastical. Poeltl explores the ethical questions surrounding time travel, such as whether it’s right to change the course of history, and how such decisions affect not only the protagonist but the entire fabric of the universe.

If you’re fascinated by the science of time travel and enjoy thought-provoking fiction, Cleo McCarthy will take you on a journey through the impossible, offering a fresh take on one of humanity’s oldest dreams.

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Time travel remains one of the most intriguing possibilities in both science and fiction. Whether you’re exploring the hard science behind it or diving into the fantastical worlds of novels like Cleo McCarthy: Time Travel and Other Impossible Things, the journey through time will always captivate our imagination.

 I’m pleased to announce that the final cover design is ready for your eyes only, for my new book The Blind Affect. As with the title for this work of realistic fiction, the cover embodies the story. Taking place in an urban setting, the book’s three main characters move through the timeline spanning decades within the confines of their city, suffering the slings and arrows of life while inching their way toward a greater purpose.

The cover photograph is by Justin Hamilton, and the cover design by me. I know what you may be thinking, ‘the author designed his own cover?’ but I’m also a graphic designer and illustrator who graduated from Sheridan college for these very skillsets. In fact, I’ve designed every cover for every book I’ve written, and where illustrations are found, those are mine as well.

But, I digress. The cover for the upcoming novel is now out there and that means I’m that much closer to putting the book in your hands. That could be as early as Spring, 2021. If you haven’t already, and want to be among the first to hear of its release, sign up for my newsletter.

Writing for a Time Period

 So, usually, my books take place in the present-day or the near future, so as far as creating authentic period language, it hasn’t been an issue. If people use a bizarre term in the future, who’s to say that’s wrong? The present is the present and I live in the present, so… I get my queues from the news and music and television shows. Also friends and family and work peers and kids. There is no limit to the language you can pick up from the present to include in a book. But what if you’re writing a story set in the far-out 1970s or the 1700s?

I’ve done just that. In fact, my latest novel, due out in 2021, moves through multiple eras beginning in the 1970s and ending in the present. For the sake of authenticity, I researched popular phrases on Google and found a few helpful pages with some great terms (some of which I remember). As I wrote, I researched and placed circa appropriate terms and slang into characters dialogue to further imbed the time period to the reader.

It wasn’t something I had initially considered, but one day it just hit me, you should research that and see if people were using that term in the ’70s. So I did, and sure enough,
they weren’t, and so I went back into all of my dialogue and played this game. It was honestly a lot of fun. I plugged in “popular terms in the 1970’s” and it popped up for me! Then it was all about matching relevant terms and phrases to the dialogue.

What I also discovered is that there are no reference tools for authors when looking for period dialogue. I looked everywhere. What there are though, are threads in places like Reddit where they’ll tell you to read period books (actually written within the period you’re writing for). Read through period plays, letters, even movies to some extent. All good advice.  Even great sites like Indies Unlimited and Kindlepreneur  gave nothing up on this query. So, in my opinion, there is a need out there for someone (a historian?) to build out a website with helpful period dialogue to assist authors in their quest to write the perfect book! Until then, research, research, research.