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Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Tuesday 10 November 2020

The Christmas Eve Promise - Spotlight and ReviewChristmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas


Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas


Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel (Christmas Eve Series, Book 4) by Elyse Douglas Publisher:  Broadback (September, 2020) Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christmas Tour dates: September-November, 2020 ISBN: Available in Print and ebook,  405 pages The Christmas Eve Promise

Description Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel

 by Elyse Douglas

Eve and baby Colleen are travelling to Ohio for the Christmas holidays to spend time with Eve’s parents. After a few days in Ohio, they all plan to fly to Florida in Eve’s father’s private airplane.  Patrick will meet them there after he completes exams for his forensic psychology degree. Nothing goes as planned.  The day Patrick is to leave for Florida, he receives a shocking telephone call from one of Eve’s cousins.  Sobbing, she tells him a terrible tragedy has occurred.  It stuns him and shakes him to his heart’s core. His life shattered, Patrick knows he has but one chance:  he must use the time travel lantern to return to the past in order to prevent the current tragedy. But once again, the time travel lantern has a mind of its own, and Patrick is hurled back to a time where he must confront a strange, unfamiliar world and learn why the lantern transported him there. When Patrick comes face-to-face with a mysterious, beautiful woman who looks and acts like Eve, and whose name is Eve, Patrick is haunted. He recalls the promise he and Eve had made to each other on Christmas Eve the previous year—no matter what happens; no matter if they’re separated; no matter what time or place they find themselves in; no matter what obstacles they must face, they will always find each other, help each other, and love each other for all time. The Christmas Eve Promise is a journey about the enduring promise of hope and the infinite, unbreakable bonds of love.

Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

The Christmas Eve Promise
Elyse Douglas

Excerpt

In the early afternoon, Patrick sat alone on a park bench in Riverside Park, not far from their apartment.  The morning sun had fled, and the sky had turned overcast, with a chilly wind and a scattering of snow flurries.

Patrick tilted back his head and watched two squirrels in a game of chase, skittering along the branches of tall trees, leaping, clinging like acrobats.  One false step and they’d plunge to the ground.  But they didn’t fall.  They were skilled, fast, and daring.    

He turned his collar up against the blowing wind, noticing that he was the only person in sight, sitting on a park bench as if it were a beautiful spring day.

A dog walker came into view, a tall woman, wearing a long winter coat, boots and a red ski hat.  Her pet was one of those little waddling dogs, with fluffy white hair, a panting tongue and a springy step.  To Patrick, he looked like a wobbling snowball.

As she was passing him, she glanced over.  “Merry Christmas.”

Patrick nodded.  “Yes… Merry Christmas.”

The woman paused, her dog sniffing at the air.  Patrick thought she looked about his own age, somewhere in her thirties, and she was attractive, with a friendly face.  She looked him over. 

“So, are you escaping from the family for a while?  I am.”

Patrick lowered his eyes.  “No…”

She lifted a hand, catching snowflakes.  “We’re getting a white Christmas.  How nice.  I can’t remember the last time.”

Patrick thought he should say something, so he nodded.  “Yes, can’t remember.”

“You’re sitting on my grandfather’s bench.”

Patrick sat up, gently startled.  “Pardon me?”

“No… It’s okay.  It’s just that we dedicated that bench to my grandfather.  See the little bronze plaque on the back?”

Patrick stood up, turning to face the bench.  Sure enough, there was a small plaque screwed into the upper back rail, and he stooped to read it.

The woman said, “It says, To Amos Lewis, a Lover of Parks.”

Patrick straightened and looked at her.  “Yes, I’ve seen these inscriptions.  Very nice.”

“He used to sit there and smoke a cigar.  Smoking is prohibited in the park, but he did it anyway.  He was old school.”

Patrick nodded wistfully.  “Old school.  I can appreciate that.  The plaque is a good way to remember someone.”

“Are you Irish?” she asked, taking a step closer.

“No, not really.  I was born in New York.  My father was from Limerick; my mother from a village in County Clare,” Patrick said, again turning toward the plaque.  “How did you arrange to get the plaque?” he asked.

“You can go online, to the Riverside Park website.”

He nodded.  “Well, that’s a lovely thing, isn’t it?”

“Please sit down,” the woman said.  “I’m sorry if I interrupted you.  I often pass by and look at the bench.”

Patrick kept his eyes on the plaque.

“Is there someone…” The woman said, then hesitated.  “Are you thinking of someone you’d like to dedicate a plaque to?”

Patrick turned, folding his arms across his chest.  “Perhaps.”

The woman didn’t move, but her dog was itching to go.  He looked up at her and whined.

Patrick didn’t meet the woman’s eyes.  “I guess he has squirrels to chase,” he said.

The woman lowered her chin.  “Yes.  Well, yes, I should go.  Enjoy the bench.  By the way, do you smoke cigars?”

“Not in a while… I used to, but that was a long time ago.  Centuries ago.”

She smiled sweetly.  “Perhaps you should have one someday while you join my grandfather on the bench.”

“Perhaps… Yes.  Perhaps I will.”

And then she started off.  “Merry Christmas.”

Patrick gave her a little head bow.  “And Merry Christmas to you and to your family.”

He eased back down on the bench, his low mood falling deeper into darkness. 

Why had he put off the inevitable?  Why had he refused to enter Eve’s bedroom closet, kneel by the safe, open it and remove the lantern?  Yesterday, in a drunken stupor, he’d almost summoned the courage, but he’d stopped in the doorway, stopped cold.

 

MY REVIEW (four stars)

This is the fourth in this time travel series, and although I hadn't read any of the previous books, I was able to follow it with no trouble, and soon got to know the various characters, who were easy to like and identify with.

I won't go into details about the plot, apart from the fact that it  features a mysterious lantern which has enabled Patrick to travel from the past to the 21st Century, and the book begins with a promise that he and his wife, Eve, will always find each other and always love each other, no matter what time period they find themselves in.

I would have given five stars, but withheld one star for several instances of wandering body parts: (there are a couple of instances with eyes roaming around 😊) and a tendency to change p.o.v. mid-scene. A bit picky, I know, but these did 'suspend my belief' for a minute or two, which was a shame as it is such an intriguing and enjoyable story.

 Yes, I did enjoy this book and will be checking out the others in the series, and I do like the fact that while there is obviously scope for a follow up book, and although it is a series, this story did not end in a 'cliffhanger' like many books do these days. This is a definite page turner and should appeal to any reader who enjoys a proper 'time travel' story where the main character ends up in a time they weren't expecting and needs to get back again.

 

 Praise for theChristmas Eve Series by Elyse Douglas

“The Christmas Eve Letter is a beautiful, poignant story. It is well written and will have you turning the pages eagerly. All of the characters are well thought out, and believably written, together with the well-constructed scenery, that has you feeling as if you yourself have just stepped into the past. The story is unique and moving. It will hold you long after you turn the last page. A perfect Christmas tale of love and hope.”-Whispering Stories “This book is the perfect vehicle for a movie, and I can only hope that there will be more in the series. This novel is truly as close to perfection as the reader could imagine! 5 Stars!”--My Devotional Thoughts Blog and Reviews “I enjoyed the new characters, an update on characters from the first book, and the possibility for more books.  If you enjoy time travel-themed novels you will love these books!”--StoreyBook Reviews “I am most impressed that this book did so well as a stand-alone novel. Kudos to the author! If you are looking for a good Christmas book with time travel, give this a go!”--Carole's Bookshelves “I love this whole story, and I especially love Patrick and Eve's romance and all of the adventures that they go on together. Eve is exactly my kind of character.  I still can’t stop thinking about the feeling that it gave me and the arc that the characters went on. Everyone really developed a lot in this story and it was so rewarding as a long-time reader to watch that happen. It feels like every new book in this series just keeps getting better and better and I love these characters more and more. Every time a new one comes out I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. The Christmas Eve Secret is my favorite in the series so far, but if you have not read the first two books I would recommend doing that as soon as possible! If you enjoy romance, time travel, mystery and great writing, I promise that you won't regret dipping a toe into this series.”--Cuzinlogic

Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

About Elyse Douglas

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature.  She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist. Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader.  He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years. Website: www.elysedouglas.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas
 

Buy Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

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Giveaway Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas This giveaway is for 1 copy for 3 winners. Print is is open to the U.S. and Canada only and ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends November 26, 2020,midnight pacific time. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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