September Sky (American Journey #1) by John Heldt-a review

September Sky (American Journey #1) by John Heldt-a review

September Sky

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 1, 2015

When unemployed San Francisco reporter Chuck Townsend and his college-dropout son, Justin, take a cruise to Mexico in 2016, each hopes to rebuild a relationship after years of estrangement. But they find more than common ground aboard the ship. They meet a mysterious lecturer who touts the possibilities of time travel. Within days, Chuck and Justin find themselves in 1900, riding a train to Texas, intent on preventing a distant uncle from being hanged for a crime he did not commit. Their quick trip to Galveston, however, becomes long and complicated when they wrangle with business rivals and fall for two beautiful librarians on the eve of a hurricane that will destroy the city. Filled with humor, history, romance, and heartbreak, SEPTEMBER SKY follows two directionless souls on the adventure of a lifetime as they try to make peace with the past, find new purpose, and grapple with the knowledge of things to come.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Mr John Heldt, you are one of my few fave authors to review for. Your stories truely whisk me away and make me want to go on a time travel adventure of my own. I LOVE IT! *Insert Happy Dance*

September Sky is the first book of John Heldt’s new American Journey Series. This book revolves around a father and son team who travel back in time from modern day to 1900’s Texas. Although hesitant to take the plunge in time, these two soon learn that living in 1900’s suits them both quite well. Although having strict rules to follow during their adventure, they soon find these rules somewhat tossed away and have to learn to deal with the consequences of their actions. Facing rivals, falling in love, trying to right many wrongs and anticipating a horrible disaster make this an adventure one can never forget .. especially if one cannot return to previously known way of living. Nope no more details .. this is an experience you will want to treasure. LOL

John .. you rock my time travel world. Here’s the thing too .. I am not a big fan of time travel. You however, have a way of creating the most vivid pictures with your worlds and before I know it I am completely captivated and engrossed in your creativity. Your character development is one of the most amazing I have ever experienced and I fall helplessly in love with all your characters .. be them bad or good. You weave a sweet romance in so much action and adventure and when decisions need to be made I find my heart really invested. I gush as you are truely gush worthy!

Thank you for making this another book of yours that I adore and I cannot wait for your next one!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Rachel T.

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The Mirror (Northwest Passage #5) by John A. Heldt-review and interview

The Mirror (Northwest Passage #5) by John A. Heldt-review and interview

The Mirror

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2014

On September 11, 2020, Ginny and Katie Smith celebrate their nineteenth birthday at a country fair near Seattle. Ignoring the warnings of a fortune-teller, they enter a house of mirrors and exit in May 1964. Armed with the knowledge they need to return to their time, they try to make the most of what they believe will be a four-month vacation. But their sixties adventure becomes complicated when they meet a revered great-grandmother and fall in love with local boys. In THE MIRROR, the continuation of THE MINE and THE SHOW, the sisters find happiness and heartbreak as they confront unexpected challenges and gut-wrenching choices in the age of civil rights, the Beatles, and Vietnam.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Know what I love about being a reviewer for this site?? Discovering authors that I likely would of never read, and providing amazing reviews for talent that should be bragged about. Well let me tell you, John A. Heldt is one of those authors. The Mirror is the 5th book in his time travelling series called The Northwest Passage and once again, I was blown away. The writing is crisp and refreshing, the mental images and emotions are clear and greatly felt. Pieces of real history come to life! There is a side of romance webbed within the story as well (I do love romance driven stories, and unless it’s non fiction, it has to have little something something going on for me to like it), BUT it wasn’t the romance that drew me in. John writes believability so well and that helps in this connection I feel with his characters and story line.

Okay .. so now that I have gushed like crazy, let’s get to the story! 😉

We start in 2020, at a country fair near Seattle. Twins Ginny and Katie (twin daughters of our previous time travelling couple Joel and Grace) have opted to have their fortunes read. After being warned that they are about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, they check out the House of Mirrors. Next thing they know, it 1964 and they are faced with the reality of “Toto we are not in Kansas any more!”

Both girls are familiar with time travel, as their parents have spoken of their own experiences, so they decide to handle their situation logically. Realizing that they do have a way back after all, they decide to make the best of it and all that 1964 has to offer. Well before they know it, they are dealing with issues that are completely foreign to the rather liberal lives they live in 2020. Girl dress modestly, dating is a ritual, first and second base are a big deal, THE BEATLES (enough said there right?? LOL), Civil Rights movements, Vietnam and one topic that really stood out … interracial relationships.

Of course, no John A. Heldt book would be the same without running into a much younger family member that doesn’t realize they are actually interacting with great grand daughters (can you imagine??). The girls soon begin to understand that not only are times so very different, but there is a fine line that they must walk to make sure they do not mess with “the future” .. OR … “the past”!

The only crummy thing I am going to say is that this series ends here! I know it is ending for the right reason, and it is going out on a high note, but I dislike the feeling of saying good bye to a cast of characters that I really enjoyed reading about. There were many moments that I became emotionally invested in throughout this entire series. I do take heart and feel good that while all had ended quite nicely in this series, it is still on my shelf waiting for a rerun!

One of the best time travelling series I have ever read! Well done John! 🙂

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Rachel T.

Interview seafoam:black

TRC: Hi John and welcome to The Reading Café.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow John: Goodreads / Website/Blog/ Twitter /

John HeldtJohn: I’m a reference librarian, a former journalist, and a married father of three who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. When I’m not writing, I like to fish, brew craft beer, and go for long walks with my dog.

TRC: What or who influenced your foray into writing?

John: I began writing for enjoyment in the first grade and kept it up over the years, thanks in part to encouragement from teachers, editors, fellow reporters, and finally a college friend who began publishing novels three years ago. When I saw the possibilities of doing the same, I began work on The Mine and haven’t let up.

TRC: The Mirror is the latest release in your Northwest Passage time-travel series. Would you please tell us something about the premise of the series?

The MirrorJohn: If this series has a premise, it’s that people who travel to the time of their not-so-distant ancestors can make a mess of things if they’re not careful. All of the books are about choices and consequences and how each of us is shaped by the decisions we make. The protagonists in the series don’t alter the outcome of major historical events, but they do profoundly impact individual lives.

TRC: What is the premise of THE MIRROR?

John: I wrote The Mirror to answer lingering questions from The Mine and The Show, bring back a popular character from the first book, and end the series on a proper note. Though The Mirror is a new story, it is one that incorporates many of the themes and lessons of the books that preceded it.

TRC: Is The Mirror the final installment in the Northwest Passage series? If so, what plans do you have for your writing future?

John: The Mirror is the last book in the Northwest Passage series. I have already begun researching and outlining the first novel in the next series. Like the NWP books, the next set of novels will feature humor, romance, and modern protagonists who rediscover themselves and their ancestors in twentieth-century America.

TRC: Are any of the characters based in reality or a culmination of many different variables?

John: The characters in the NWP books are drawn from my own imagination.

TRC: Each storyline features a different leading couple. Can the books be read as stand-alones or are they interconnected?

Northwest Passage series

Click HERE for our review of THE SHOW / THE MINE.

Click HERE for our review of THE FIRE.

John: The Mine and The Journey are stand-alone novels. The Fire and The Mirror can be read alone, though they are probably best enjoyed as sequels. The Show is the one exception in the series. It is essentially The Mine, Part II. Despite their differences, the books have much in common – including themes, venues, and even characters. Joel Smith and his mother Cindy appear in each of the five works.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background, historical accuracy etc) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

John: In researching and writing four of the five books, I relied heavily on outside sources. I was not around in 1910, 1918, and 1941 – and don’t remember much of 1964 – so I had to learn about those years through books, articles, web sites, and oral histories. The research wasn’t challenging, but it was time-consuming. I did very little research for The Journey. I lived in eastern Oregon as a teen in 1979 and 1980 and remember the place and time vividly.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in this storyline, which models or actors best represents your ideal image?

John: The leading characters in The Mirror are blond nineteen-year-old twin sisters. Katherine Heigl and Kate Hudson at that age would have been perfect for the roles.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

John: I direct the characters at the beginning. But there is a point in every book where the characters develop their own voice and personality. When that happens, I turn the manuscript over to the characters and go with the flow.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen?

John: A good writer must put himself in the head of his characters. He must approach a scene as if he is experiencing it firsthand – and not viewing it from the standpoint of a detached and dispassionate observer. If you can’t laugh or cry to scenes in your own book, you can’t expect readers to.

TRC: Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

John: They don’t invest themselves in their characters.

TRC: Writer’s block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

John: I go for a long walk. Fresh air is the best remedy for writer’s block.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

John: When writing the first draft, I usually consult my wife. Later, I ask the opinions of beta readers.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

John: I have begun planning the first novel of the next series. It will be set in Galveston, Texas, in 1900.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

John: I have a blog at:
http://johnheldt.blogspot.com
LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Chili

Favorite Dessert
Chocolate-chip cookies

Favorite TV Show
Downton Abbey

Last Movie You Saw
Captain Phillips

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark chocolate

Secret Celebrity Crush
Reese Witherspoon

Last Vacation Destination
Mesa, Arizona

Pet Peeve
Having to wait in long lines

TRC: Thank you John for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of THE MIRROR. We wish you all the best.

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The Fire (Northwest Passage #4) by John A. Heldt-a review

The Fire (Northwest Passage #4) by John A. Heldt-a review

The Fire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

About the book: Release Date August 13, 2013

When Kevin Johnson, 22, goes to Wallace, Idaho, days after his college graduation, he expects to find rest and relaxation as his family prepares his deceased grandfather’s house for sale. Then he discovers a hidden diary and a time portal that can take him to 1910, the year of Halley’s comet and the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Within hours, Kevin finds himself in the era of horse-drawn wagons, straw hats, and ankle-length dresses. Returning to the same time and place, he decides to travel again and again and make the portal his gateway to summer fun. The adventure takes a more serious turn, however, when the luckless-in-love science major falls for pretty English teacher Sarah Thompson and integrates himself in a community headed for tragedy. Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, THE FIRE, the sequel to THE JOURNEY, follows a conflicted soul through a life-changing journey as he makes his mark on a world he was never meant to see.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Man can John A Heldt write one heck of a story! Once again I was completely captivated and sucked into a story that was full of possibilities and consistently delivered chapter after chapter. The Fire by John A Heldt is the fourth book in his Northern Passage series and while we get to visit a few familiar characters this particular book is the sequel to his book The Journey.

This story follows Kevin Johnson (he is the son Sally Preston from The Journey). Kevin is graduating from college and about to take his first steps out in the world as an educated man. Right away, we read Kevin saying goodbye to his fave professor Joel (from The Mine and The Show) who had a huge impact on his college experience. Kevin decides to travel to Wallace Idaho to kick back, chill out as his family preps his grandpa’s (he’s deceased now) house for sale. Kevin comes across a hidey hole in his grandfather’s home that held a diary and comes to discover that the old wood shed is a time portal. Next thing we know, Kevin is in 1910. Although anxious to return to 2013, he happens to cross paths with schoolteacher Sarah Thompson and is completely smitten. Although dangerous, Kevin begins to travel back and forth between 1910 and 2013.

Much like Joel, Kevin begins to live another life in 1910 falling in love with Sarah, making friends and adapting to a whole new kind of lifestyle. Unlike Joel however, Kevin plays with fire trying to live two separate lives in two different eras. Mix in a real SOB banker (living in 1910) and forming an attachment to another girl named Sadie Hawkins (I chuckled at the name ..lol) also from 1910, and having the knowledge that there is disaster on it’s way to the residents of Wallace, Kevin is in constant conflict with himself as to what to reveal and how much history he can change without consequence.

Again .. so much more to the story but I won’t spoil or give away any more details than that! LOL

Okay .. so I was never a huge fan of time travel as some books are just downright cheesy, but John A Heldt has convinced me in the same manner that Diana Gabaldon has, that there are some authors who can write time travel absolutely BELIEVABLE. There is so much knowledge and detail given about 1910 and how one lived that the contrast between 1910 and 2013 was exceptional. The angst that Kevin goes through is heart wrenching. I prayed he got his lady love, felt for him when he was conflicted about how much history to reveal and feared for him as he travelled back and forth knowing that he was risking his life.

Once again, John writing style come to the forefront. Never once was I bored. I was engaged in the story and appreciated the smooth transition from 1910 to 2013 and 2013 to 1910. I had vivid images in my mind while experiencing strong emotions (I had to crack out the Kleenex again John ..lol) and I anticipate and predict this author is going places. I can’t wait for MORE MORE MORE!

If you like a well written time travel story that holds pieces of history, a beautiful love story, conflict and page turning moments please check this series out!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy supplied by the Author

About The author

Follow: Website / Goodreads

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAJohn A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of THE MINE, THE JOURNEY, THE SHOW, and THE FIRE, the first four novels of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com.

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John Heldt – The Show/The Mine – Combined Reviews

John Heldt – The Show/The Mine – Combined Reviews

The Mine
Northwest Passage series Book 1
Amazon

the mine

Description:
In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE is a love story that follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

Review:
4.5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

The Mine written by John A. Heldt is an incredible book.  This had a different feel to many of the books that I have been reading lately, and I absolutely loved that.  I am not normally a huge fan of time travel romances, but if it’s well composed and realistic than I am sold.  I am SOLD on this book.

We first meet our leading man Joel Smith in year 2000 while travelling with his buddy Adam through Montana.  Joel is about to graduate from college, has the world at his fingertips and intends to live life to the fullest.  Joel is described as a handsome, carefree, adventurous, full of wit soul that generally loves being himself.  I totally fell in love with him, but not for the gushing, swooning reasons I normally fall in love with my heros, but because he was believable and could be the guy next door.  He’s adorable, intelligent, risky in some ways, confident (but not in that arrogant way) and ultimately SO MUCH FUN.

So … while coming into some traffic blocks, he manages to talk his buddy Adam into taking a rough road up to a shut down mine so he can explore.  Turns out this so happens to be on the day that planets are aligned just right and there is some freaky cosmic phenomenon going on.  Joel notices a funky light in the cave (he is a geologist at heart so really the poor guy had no chance ..lol), has an encounter with a snake, a low level beam and somehow manages to come out the cave in 1941.

Joel comes to terms pretty quick with his time travelling ways (despite the fact that the moula and cell phone in his pocket are of NO HELP to him), jumps on a train (yes literally) and heads to Seattle.  After a rough few days, he meets a guy named Tom who befriends him, gets him employment and becomes his new best buddy.  Just so happens, Tom is engaged to his grandmother “Ginny”, but isn’t his grandfather.  Joel becomes completely smitten with Tom’s group of friends and really begins to live the 1941 way of life.

In this group he also meets Grace.  Grace was a bit of a colder fish for me at first but she has much to deal with in her life and as I continued to read I found her to be very “real” and likable.  Grace becomes Joel’s love interest and ultimately a huge part of the choice he has to make of “should I stay or should I go?”

In many of my reviews, I love to indulge the romance of the book, and while the romance was beautiful in this book, it was not the highlight nor the most enticing part for me.  It was Joel and his dilemmas about how to not intercede in history in the event he changes the future and perhaps his own existence.  He develops a true friendship with his grandmother, falls in love with her best friend and is best buddies with her fiance who he knows will not be his grandfather (nor why he won’t be).  Can you imagine having all this kind of knowledge and not being able to stand up and say “I KNOW WHAT’S COMING!”  Especially something as pivotal as a countries entrance into a world war.  That isn’t a small thing to carry on one’s shoulder’s.  Mix into the equation finding your soul mate and good grief, I am surprised this guy didn’t self com-bust!

I am going to leave the story explanation at that .. seriously so much happens, and chunks of the story are just way to good to spoil for you. The only reason this was not a solid 5 out of 5 for me was because I did find Joel’s reaction to time travel a little too accepting.  There was no freak out just a simple “yah okay I’m in 1941!”  I did find that a little far fetched.  I also am not in love with this book cover!  This is such a great book and that cover is way too dull.  

Leaving this review on a super happy note though, I add that this is an adventurous, page turning read that is hard to put down.  John A. Heldt is an honest to goodness very talented author.  From the beautiful descriptions, tidbits of history, the conversations between characters and the relationships formed, I was completely drawn in.  Do yourself a favour though, grab some tissues is you plan to dive in .. I sure needed them! 😉

HAPPY READING!

 

The Show
Northwest Passage Series – Book 3
Amazon

the showDescription:
Seattle, 1941. Grace Vandenberg, 21, is having a bad day. Minutes after Pearl Harbor is attacked, she learns that her boyfriend is a time traveler from 2000 who has abandoned her for a future he insists they cannot share. Determined to save their love, she follows him into the new century. But just when happiness is within her grasp, she accidentally enters a second time portal and exits in 1918. Distraught and heartbroken, Grace starts a new life in the age of Woodrow Wilson, silent movies, and the Spanish flu. She meets her parents as young, single adults and befriends a handsome, wounded Army captain just back from the war. In THE SHOW, the sequel to THE MINE, Grace finds love and friendship in the ashes of tragedy as she endures the trial of her life.

Review:
5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Oh John A. Heldt, how you write a beautiful story.  I completely loved this book and how it all tied together into a continuation of the first book in this series called The Mine.  The Show is a continuation of Joel and Grace’s story but this time it is told from Grace’s POV.

This book begins with Grace’s determination to make her way to year 2000 to be reconciled with her soul mate Joel.  She has come to terms that he was in fact from the future and her journey through the mine was an absolute joy to read.  It was wonderful to have some pieces filled in and revisiting little details that where mentioned in the first book and how she interacted with all these details.

Once Grace finds herself in year 2000 she is befriended and cared for by other kind souls (much like Joel was in The Mine) and is assisted in her reconciliation by none other than the very friend she had in 1941.  Reading Grace’s and Joel’s realization that they get their happily ever after was a bit of a tearjerker!  LOL  Fast forward a couple of years, they are now married, have twins and they are madly in love.  Grace has adapted to the future beautifully .. all is well!

One night Grace and Joel attend a retro movie night (kinda funny considering it doesn’t feel so retro to our couple) AKA “The Show” and Grace finds herself traveling through another time portal landing her in 1918.  Well let me tell you, our Graceful Grace isn’t so graceful when she realizes paradise is no more.  She FREAKS OUT!  Can’t say I blame her as now nothing is certain.  She has a husband and children in the future and tries desperately to return to only to find out it’s pretty much impossible.  She is thrown into an epidemic (Spanish Flu), and reunited with family she thought she had lost forever.  She gets to experience her parents young and falling in love (her parents died too early in Grace’s life) and become close and in love with another man (although not her soul mate) Captain Walker.  Captain Walker seems to ease the ache that Grace feels in her tornado of a life and it was quite endearing reading these two together.  BITTERSWEET!

John A. Heldt is so eloquent in his words.  His writing absolutely flows and captures a beautiful picture in the reader’s mind.  I dare say he is the best self published author that I have ever come across.  He effortlessly weaved a continuation of a time travel story from one book to another and added more depth to it all the while keeping the reader completely captivated.  

Once again, like The Mine, this isn’t just a love story.  I appreciated the love story, but again it was the history and the cast of characters that kept me intrigued and that were highlighted in this book.  Once you start reading, you will have a trouble putting it down! WINK!

So… do Joel and Grace once again reunite or has Grace resigned herself to the fact that she has time traveled twice in her life and it’s all for a reason?!  Does she concern herself with changing anything in the past only to negate the future??  You’ll have to pick up a copy of The Show to find out!  LOL

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviews by Rachel

Copies provided by Author

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