A Switch In Time?

Once upon a time I wrote a novel in which two timelines intertwined. In one, the protagonist was middle-aged, trying to resolve the issues she still had after childhood abuse. In the other, the abuse was yet to take place, and readers followed along with the child while innocence headed to betrayal. I was told the novel would never sell - it never did - and that writing multiple timelines was a strict no-no, especially for relative unknowns.

The novel truly never sold, but it's been rewritten since then. The later, much better version is called Infinite Sum and I'm eagerly awaiting its release from Indigo Sea Press. Meanwhile, I've snatched some very enjoyable moments from the (also very enjoyable) time of my mum's visit, and read some excellent books that do, in fact, blend more than one timeline successfully and enticingly. I dream and hope my novel might be up to the quality of these.

So, grab a coffee; remember the rating is just to tell the blend of coffee to choose; and pick your book:

Rainbow Gardens by James Malone is an amazing tale of two World Wars, the time between them, the trials, hopes and despairs of being an immigrant, and trolls. If that sounds impossible, please pick up the book and find out how the author intertwines timelines, lifelines and a wonderful touch of mythology, plus the Mark of Cain. If it sounds intriguing, please pick the book up too, and enjoy with a perfect cup of rich, elegant four-star coffee.

The Good Life by Marian Thurm blends a present day timeline, where a family with two young children vacations in Florida, with the story of how the couple met over a muffin, bonded over the longing for stability and family ties, and rejoiced in a good life that was never quite what either of them thought. There's a thread of dread from first page almost to the last. But it's a thread the author ties beautifully and managed to tinge with hope, also from first page to last. A wonderful, surprising, haunting read, this is another one to enjoy with some complex four-star coffee.

Five Bullets by Larry Duberstein blends timelines too, this time following the story of a Jewish family living in Prague during the Second World War, and a successful American businessman in the time that follows. But Carl Barry and Karel Bondy are the same person, and a wall of silence separates the present day from the past. The author brings the horrors of war and holocaust vividly to life, and shows that blood and family can be far more than they seem. It's another wonderful novel, deserving another complex four-star coffee as you read.

Then there's Donna Fletcher-Crow's An All-Consuming Fire which blends a historical narrative of early English mystics with present-day murder, mystery, moderate mayhem, and the wedding of two religiously inclined Christians. It's a very cool mix, full of the magic of English landscapes, well-wrought details of British television, modern teenage rebellion, and genuine faith. Enjoy with another complex four-star coffee.

Highly recommended - all four of these. And coffee too.




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