  Christmas Eve Secret: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas Publisher: Broadback (September 16, 2019) Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christmas Available in Print and ebook, 440 pages | Tour Dates: October-November, 2019 Description: A mysterious man from the past steals the time travel lantern. When Eve and Patrick find it, they destroy it. Eve’s life is shattered. She must return to the past, where secrets await. In the third novel of THE CHRISTMAS EVE series, Eve and Patrick Gantly are living a normal life in 2019 New York, preparing to celebrate the Christmas season. Patrick is taking courses in forensic psychology and Eve continues to work as a nurse practitioner. To their delight, she is three months pregnant. Despite their happiness, Eve is having premonitions that something dreadful is about to occur. Concerned about the future and the safety of their child, she insists that they destroy the time travel lantern. Patrick is more cautious. One afternoon when Patrick is out, a sinister man breaks into the apartment and forces Eve to give him the lantern. In many ways, Eve is relieved the lantern is gone. She hopes they can now live a more normal life. A day later, Patrick shadows a woman who has been staking out the Gantly’s brownstone apartment, and he confronts her. To his and Eve’s utter shock, they learn that Lucy Rose is from 1924 and that she time-traveled with the man who took the lantern. He returned to 1924, but she chose to stay behind. She offers to sell the lantern back to Eve and Patrick, and they reluctantly agree, hoping to keep it out of unscrupulous hands. Convinced that the lantern is a threat to their future happiness, Eve and Patrick decide to destroy it. But the lantern has more power than they could have ever imagined. Once the lantern is destroyed, Eve’s life is completely changed. She must set off on an adventure, in a struggle that will return her to the past, where she will learn the secret of the lantern’s origin and delve into the farthest reaches of her heart. Buy Christmas Eve Secret: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas Amazon REVIEW by LAWonder10: Time travel at its best! Patrick and Eve were in love, expecting a baby and living very comfortably in upper New York City. It felt too perfect and Eve had a foreboding feeling that something was going to upset this utopian existence. Little did she know the part she would play in shattering this existence. Elyse Douglas effectively captures the reader's interest and maintains the steady flow of events and suspense throughout her novels. Each of this series can be read as a stand alone", but by doing so, the reader will definitely lose the full impact of this romantic escapes into the past, always risking landing in the wrong place in time. The scenario in this third book, threatens to undo all the progress and happiness Eve has experienced. The reader will be emotionally "moved" and kept in suspense until the enD. As always, the characters are very diverse, yet realistic in a way the reader will feel connected to them. The scenes are very visually portrayed, as well. The Book Cover and Title are simple, but very applicable to the story. The cover will easily catch the "browser's" eye. There are a few crude words but it is, mostly, clean and Young Adults will find this entertaining, too. The only other negative would be that during the midst of the book, it felt a little too "wordy" and slightly repetitive. This earns a Four Stars rating. *This book was gifted me with no pressure to offer a positive review. This is my honest review.  Excerpt Two: The Christmas Eve Secret by Elyse Douglas Two days later, on Sunday evening, Eve returned from Riverside Park with Georgy Boy after a walk. She unfastened his leash, and he frolicked off toward the kitchen to drink some water. While Eve removed her coat and hat, she noticed Patrick standing by the bay windows, gazing out of slightly parted draperies. “Did you notice anyone when you came from the park?” he asked. “What do you mean, notice anyone?” Patrick faced her. “I’ve seen this woman hanging around outside for the last day or so.” “Are you getting tired of me, Mr. Gantly? You seem to be spending all your free time watching women come and go.” “I’m serious, Eve. Twice when I’ve made a run to the wine shop or market, I’ve felt someone following me. It’s the old detective in me. Early this afternoon, I saw that same woman outside, two doors up, looking at our brownstone. Yesterday she was across the street near that pin oak tree.” Eve stepped to the fireplace to warm her hands. “How old is she?” “I’d say late twenties, with a thin build, small nose, oval face, wearing a black ski cap, dark hair sticking out, a long royal woolen coat and sheepskin boots. She moves about nervously, frequently glancing up and down the street.” Eve started over to him. “I didn’t notice anybody in the park or walking up the street, but then, I’m not a former police detective and I’m not studying forensic psychology like you are. Is she there now?” Patrick turned back to the windows. “No… I don’t see her.” “It’s cold out there. You can’t stay out long in that sharp wind. Even Georgy Boy was happy to get back.” Patrick moved from the windows to the fireplace, turning his back to it, feeling its warmth, watching the dance of shadows on the walls from the firelight. “The girl is not my imagination. I’ve seen her four times now, and I’ve never seen her around here before. Her coat and hat do not look especially prosperous, and I get the feeling she’s scared.” Eve shook off a shiver. “I don’t like it when your voice gets all low and serious. You sound like the detective I first met back in 1885.” Patrick abruptly left the fire, went to the closet and removed his hooded black parka. He slipped on a pair of gloves and passed Eve a glance. “I’m going to see if I can find her.” Eve crossed to him. “Are you that sure?” He nodded. “Want me to come?” “No. I’ll text you if I see anything. Meanwhile, you know where the .38 is?” Eve dropped her gaze. “I don’t like it, Patrick. You know I don’t like guns.” Patrick gently took her shoulders. “If that guy comes back, you might need it.” “Why would he come back? He’s got the lantern.” “Eve, I’m not going to stand here arguing. I won’t be gone long, and I’ll be watching the building, but don’t let anyone in unless it’s me, okay?” “Of course I won’t let anybody in.” “All right.” He leaned, giving her a peck on the lips. “See you soon.” Eve reached and tugged the hood up over his head. “Be careful out there, Detective Sergeant Gantly.” After he was gone, Eve returned to the windows, parted the drapes and cast her eyes about the quiet street. The light was leaving the day, and two amber streetlights blinked on, their light gleaming off the two-day-old snow. She watched Patrick retreat left and walk down the street toward Riverside Park. When he left her line of vision, she felt a small twist of fear. ~~~~~~~~ Praise Christmas Eve Letter.............. ~~~~~~~~~ Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas“If you are a fan of authors such as Nicholas Sparks and Marybeth Whalen, or H.G. Wells or Jack Finney, you need to add this book to your shelves. This is a romantic suspense novel with many dangerous and tense moments. As always, when one travels in time, the concern of consequences and potential changes to history and the future weigh heavily on both the traveler’s and readers’ minds. Those worries added to the atmosphere but were also handled skillfully. I smiled at a certain twist of color. It is a perfect bookclub read.”-Laura’s Interests “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 “The Christmas Eve Letter is a wonderful time travel book and one of my favorite books of the year.”–The Book Return Blog Praise Christmas Eve Daughter: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas“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  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 | Twitter | Facebook |
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10/3/2019 11:47:58 am
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