Archimedes' Claw - A professor figures out the key to time travel. Government agents are watching his every move.Others who want his secret are closer than he realizes, but all Professor Finn McGee can think of is visiting his deceased wife and preventing her death – and his unborn child’s.
Interview of Theodore M. Homa M.D. by Linda Lee Kane:
What was your motivation in writing this fascinating novel?
I always had a desire to write. I never found enough time! I explain in the preface the conception of the idea for the plot. It was fancifully dropped upon me at cocktail hour by a close friend who is a professor of classics. Once the seed was planted, my mind, pregnant with the story, fostered its growth. The opportunity, if one can call it that, came with a dreadful disease. My heart was attacked by a virus and I found myself spiraling toward death. Technology saved me. While undergoing CPR I was whisked to the operating room and placed on a heart lung machine. Six days later I awakened with an artificial heart. Six months after that I was fortunate to get a heart transplant. That was six years ago. Suddenly I found significant time on my hands, while on disability for two years. It is then that I gave birth to "Archimedes'Claw".
Give us a quick summary of Archimedes' Claw.
I would say that the story is about discovery, obsession and passion. My hero afflicted by all of these conditions, goes on a hunt for the ultimate secret to universal design. Science has only dreamed about what he discovers. Because he is just human and not a super hero I gave him some flaws. Impulsivity and guilt when unleashed drive him. Miraculously he not only discovers anti-gravity but in the story he comes upon a second paradigm shift. He learns how to navigate and travel in time. His flaws take over as he deals with the reality of his discovery. He spins out of control in quest of solving personal problems and dealing with personal guilt. Alas, the invention spins out of control taking him with it. I won't give anymore away at this juncture except to tell the reader that in the end he finds personal redemption and learns to live with his losses. The theme of the novel is the exploration of the concept of creation as the Grand Design. Not simply a story one can read in scripture, but the deliberate guided and exquisitely inter woven nature of creation itself. This approach to creation makes the Creator even grander than the usual colloquial concepts.
Your novel incorporates the cultures with biblical implications. Are those subjects that interest you?
I think the theological essence of my novel is based on my own afterlife experience. I have written a book about that which is available on Amazon. The title is "Standing Between the Gates of Heaven and the Precipice of Hell- a Doctor's experience with the Afterlife".
How did you decide upon the title of Archimedes' Claw?
The title of Archimedes'Claw comes from history. Archimedes was a great scientist and inventor. His weapon designs kept the Roman army at bay for three years during the second Punic War. The Claw was a fearful weapon that was cast over the walls of Syracuse and used to scoop Roman ships out of the sea.
If you could travel anywhere in the world to do research for your next book, where would it be?
Of course being a patriotic American the history that made us unique drives me. Given all the free time possible I would explore our own country for more clues about our past. My belief is that a focal point in our constitutional government's ability to endure was the critical decisions made in the Civil War conflict. If I could go back in time and observe it first hand I would be happiest. In that regard I envy my novel's hero, Finn McGee.
What are your interests outside of writing?
I love and devour science. I dream about the vast unknown fountain of scientific knowledge we as humanity have yet to learn. I love to fantasize about "what if" and "why not". My first passion was high school biology. I knew after the first class that I wanted to be a medical doctor. History is another passion for me. My interests in Roman and Greek civilizations prompted me to explore those countries in modern days, in quest of more palpable knowledge than I could find in the written word.
What is the best advice you could give an up and coming writer?
If there is one thing that I have learned in life, it is to do my best at any endeavor. Love for your subject is critical to the writer or in any profession. Always have a passion for what you do. Research counts when writing or problem solving.
Thank you, Theodore
I have certainly enjoyed being your guest today, Linda. I sincerely hope that those who chose to read Archimedes'Claw-Time Travelers edition, enjoy it as much as I did in the writing.
Archimedes Claw on Black Opal Books
Biography:
Dr. Theodore Homa is a practicing physician, seasoned history buff and avid science fiction enthusiast. Among his favorite themes are time travel, the unknown and places of unique historical interest. He spent most of his career devoting consecutive weeks – without weekends off – to his medical practice until a health calamity seized his body, leaving him unable to work for an extended period. Utilizing serendipitous time, he began the journey of writing his first fiction novel. And after one year between his suburban-Chicago penthouse and his summer home on Cape Cod, Dr. Homa typed the last word of Archimedes’ Claw.
Dr. Homa is once again working the long hours of a dedicated doctor but continues to pursue writing. He self-published a memoir and is exploring the option of a sequel to Archimedes’.
From life as a successful doctor attending church just to set a good example for his family, to his pilgrimage to Medjugorje, to his life-altering experience with congestive heart failure and an eventual heart transplant, Homa takes us on a journey both geographical and spiritual.
Dr. Homa is currently part of a private practice where he specializes in internal medicine with an interest in geriatrics. He graduated from Fordham University and subsequently St. Louis University School of Medicine. Between his internship and residency he served in the US Navy. He is board certified in both internal medicine and geriatrics and is a guest speaker at varied conferences. He is available for speaking engagements and recently published an article in a medical journal in 2013.
Thank you Dr. Homa and Linda Lee Kane. The next author in the Author Interview chain will be interviewed by Dr. Homa. Stay tuned.
J.J.
