Published: March 8th, 2019
A tale of love, time travel, humor, and healing hearts. The adventure of a lifetime. (Think you know how it ends? You don’t.)
In 2018, two friends discover an open door in the summer forest in Maine. It’s winter inside and they’ve never seen anything like it. When they realize that it’s 1980 on the other they hatch a plan to go to New York and save John Lennon.
In 1980, a stranger invades Sarah’s dreams on a nightly basis. He’s handsome and funny, but when she bumps into him in real life she can’t believe her eyes. But his story of time travel is preposterous and it’s difficult to decipher his motives for acting so weird. He claims to be from 2018.
Can love bloom under such circumstances? Will Richard be trapped thirty-eight-years in the past?
Payton is from a thousand years in the future; he’s trying to stop Burton from time jumping because it can cause changes that could have serious repercussions. Burton has arranged for Taft and Richard to save John Lennon, but will it all go terribly wrong?
EXCERPT
Friday, November 28, 1980.
A little over an hour ago Sarah and her brown-haired, brown-eyed friend Mandy were at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert having a wonderful time, there was nothing quite like a great concert to make one’s heart sing. Now they were approaching Andrews Coffee Shop to get a bite to eat, both had smoked some Columbian weed and were in an elevated mood. Life was made for friends and family.
“You remind me of such a little girl sometimes,” said Sarah. “I just mean that you look a lot younger than you are. Maybe it’s because you’re natured thin as my mother says.”
Mandy shook her head. “Shut up, I’m not that skinny.”
“Remember the time you squeezed through that fence when nobody else could?” Sarah smiled knowingly.
“I was only thirteen!”
Sarah shook the hair out of her eyes. “I’m just teasing. Imagine being married to Bruce Springsteen! I love that song Born to Run. Thought he was never gonna do it, but finally the third song of the encore! Yes! Thought I was gonna have to run on stage screaming Born to Run! I wonder if they plan their encores?”
“That was so totally amazing!” Mandy shouted, getting a few looks from passers-by. “Too bad Carl had to do something with his father? What is it with him and his old man anyway?”
“Stupid fishing trip in Florida; said his father wouldn’t let him get out of it.” Sarah had the munchies and couldn’t wait to eat something good, even after the popcorn they ate she was still hungry. “His father’s grooming him to take over the business when his Dad turns fifty, I guess he wants to retire while he’s young enough to travel the world; drives a BMW so they have money. Not that I care too much about that, but it’s better to have it than not have it.”
Mandy imagined herself in England. “That sounds so cool. Have the money to go anywhere you want. Everyone should be rich enough to travel. I’ve always wanted to see Europe. See Buckingham Palace. I wonder if they have tours?”
Sarah nodded. “I have no idea. But it definitely takes money to travel. I can see myself in a cabin on the beach in Hawaii, surrounded by palm trees. Waking up to the sound of ocean waves. Going to sleep to the sound of ocean waves. Tropical birds singing as I drink my morning coffee.”
“Cool. Go swimming every day. Doing it on the beach under the light of the moon. So how are you two making out?” asked Mandy.
Sarah looked surprised. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I caught Carl looking at engagement rings in an expensive catalog, but he quickly closed it. Tried hard for a diversion so I let him get away with it. I guess he wants it to be a surprise.”
Mandy squealed with delight. She knew that Carl’s parents were rich and he would be a wonderful catch. “Oh my God, are you serious? You think he’s really going to ask you to marry him?”
Sarah shrugged. “Maybe.”
Mandy occasionally had weird vibes from Carl, saw the way he looked at other women when Sarah wasn’t looking, but it wasn’t something that she wanted to bring up, especially not now. “Don’t you think you should wait a year or two? Really get to know him? Of course, you could take him for half his money if it comes to that and you could take me to England.”
Again Sarah shrugged. “I don’t think I can say no. That would be the end of it. Maybe we’ll be engaged for a year or two if it happens?”
“You know,” said Mandy, “it puts a lot of pressure on a woman when the guy asks will you marry me. If the woman is ready that’s one thing, but if it’s too early in the relationship she’s almost forced to say yes even if she’s not sure. It should always be the woman asking the guy. That should be the rule. Women have more to lose, and there’s always a chance that she ends up alone with the kids.”
“Women do get the shitty end of the stick in a lot of ways. We even get paid less for doing the same job. That’s because guys do most of the hiring and they can do whatever the hell they want to do. Carl and I have been together less than a year.” It was making Sarah think. It would be the biggest decision yet, and making the wrong one might have unpleasant ripples for the rest of her life.
“What are you gonna say?” At twenty-one, she thought Sarah might be too young to get married. It would certainly change their bond. She thought they would likely drift apart, maybe not at first but it probably wouldn’t take too long. She’d be running in different circles. Of course, it was all just a guess.
“I’m leaning toward yes.”
As they approached the restaurant, they both saw him simultaneously in the booth in the window; Carl was kissing another woman and it definitely wasn’t platonic. Sarah turned and ran crying with Mandy trying hard to catch up with her.
In a second Sarah’s life was again turned upside down.
“Asshole!” Mandy screamed.
About the author:
A. J. Gallant is the best selling author of several books, including Knights of the Dragon (of Knights and Wizards series) and Dracula Hearts series, the first book in the series is Dracula: Hearts of Stone.
Detective Olivia Brown Mysteries is also gaining in popularity. (Anita's vacation in New York City ends tragically when she's killed in Central Park, but instead of the end, it's only the beginning. Her soul remains at the scene trying hard to process what happened. There are other ghosts that don't seem to be much help. And,of course, the new reality of being a ghost does not sit well with Anita.
What is she supposed to do now?)
The author has two cats that make him rise at 5 each morning to keep him on his toes.
Author's Giveaway
Sounds like a great book. I love how the cover looks like a doorway to the past.
ReplyDeleteI think the cover looks great.
ReplyDeleteBoth the cover art and read is super unique.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by the title. I would love to read this book.
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing cover
ReplyDeleteInteresting cover. My husband has a print on the wall very similar.
ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI like the cover-thanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeletetiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
I hope my daughter never feels like she has to say yes to a man proposing to her! If she feels forced, I haven't done my job as a mother.
ReplyDeleteDianna
This book sounds interesting. I like the door on the cover. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting.
ReplyDelete