"every hill and mountain" by deborah heal + giveaway

   
About the book (provided by the author): Visiting another century…not the summer vacation Abby had planned. Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy, the first two books in the young adult time-travel trilogy, know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And you know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house. And now their computer program is starting to attract attention.

Since the program worked so well for the Old Dears’ family tree project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor Ned Greenfield. And Kate’s fiancé Ryan thinks the program has lucrative commercial potential. Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother invading their privacy.

The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. According to Kate’s research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place called Hickory Hill. The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep them away, telling them, “There’s nothing there for you to see.”

Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune. Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate’s ancestor Ned Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new.

My take: Every Hill and Mountain is a fitting conclusion to Deborah Heal's trilogy. Abby, John, and Merri, along with Abby's best friend Kate and Kate's fiance Ryan delve into the mystery of Kate's ancestors ... and along the way, they find much more than they bargained for!

Every Hill and Mountain is full of intensity and heartache. It's also a little squirm-inducing as the group learns the truth about Ned Greenfield. Seriously, my stomach churned as I read about Ned's life. I guess I've never really considered how horrific slavery could be. I mean, I knew it was horrible, but some of the things Ned was required to do were beyond my imagination.

I would say that I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the previous two. It's still very good, but overall I enjoyed the other books—especially Unclaimed Legacy—more. The time surfing parts of Every Hill and Mountain outshine the contemporary parts, so I wish we'd been able to spend more time in the past. But because of the intensity of the historical sequences, I'd have to say that this book is appropriate for older teens and adults. 4 stars.

See what other bloggers are saying.
Buy the trilogy: Time and Again, Unclaimed Legacy, and Every Hill and Mountain.
See my reviews of Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy. 

About the author: Deborah Heal, the author of the Time and Again time travel mystery series, was born not far from the setting of her book Every Hill and Mountain and grew up “just down the road” from the setting of Time and Again. Today she lives with her husband in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about regional history. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and two canine buddies Digger and Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob). She loves to interact with her readers, who may learn more about the history behind the books at her website www.deborahheal.com and her Facebook author page www.facebook.com/DeborahHeal. Her books may be purchased on Amazon.com.

About the giveaway:

Enter the Rafflecopter contest below for a chance to win a set of signed books—the whole trilogy! Open to U.S. addresses only. Winner will be announced May 16, 2013.

        a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an advanced reader copy of this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click the link and purchase an item, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

"unclaimed legacy" by deborah heal + giveaway!

About the book (from Amazon): Abby’s weird computer program is working again. And it comes in handy when they agree to help the Old Dears next door with their family tree. Except Abby and John learn more about one of the ladies’ ancestors than they ever wanted to know. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family’s reputation. But was he really guilty? Abby and John get inside the mind of a murderer to find out. But while they’re rummaging around in the Old Dears’ family history, they discover the truth of God’s promise to bless a thousand generations … … and a legacy waiting to be reclaimed.

My take: Wow! I enjoyed Time and Again (see my review here), but Unclaimed Legacy is in a class of its own! There's no sophomore slump for author Deborah Heal—Unclaimed Legacy is an absolutely fantastic book.

Unclaimed Legacy picks up right where Time and Again leaves off, with the special computer program on Merri's computer that allows the user to see into the past not working. John's tech-savvy friend transfers the program to John's laptop, and the action picks up there and doesn't quit until the end of the book. I loved digging into the past with Merri, John, and Abby, and I'm anxious to finish the story with book three! (Also, I'd now love to visit a Lewis & Clark museum!)

Unclaimed Legacy does deal with some weighty issues, like spousal abuse, infidelity, and drug use, so I wouldn't recommend it for kids younger than 13 or 14. But for older teens and adults (especially those who are interested in history or who live in Illinois), I highly recommend Unclaimed Legacy. 5 stars.

Read an excerpt: Merri leaned forward and studied the monitor and then, laughing, said, “It’s them.”

Frowning, John looked closely at the monitor. “That’s crazy. This is just a computer program. It can’t be them.”

“See the resemblance? Just project forward fifty to sixty years,” Abby said. “That’s definitely Beulah and Eulah.”

“Boo and Yoo,” Merri said. “Get it?”

“That’s insane! No one could make a program that could—”

“We don’t know what this is or where it came from. All I know is that it’s awesome,” Abby said. “And we really are seeing Beulah and Eulah back in the forties—you got the bit about food rationing, didn’t you? And if you think that’s wild, just wait until you see what happens when we lock onto one of them and go virtual mode.”

“Virtual mode? Show me.”

Abby smiled smugly and turned back to the controls. “Okay, John. Hold onto to your hat.”

First, there was a confusing blur of color and whirring sounds and then…

About the author: Deborah Heal is the author of the young adult novels Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy. She lives in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about southern Illinois history. She is married and has three grown children, three grandchildren, and a canine buddy named Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob). Currently, she is working on book three in the Time and Again trilogy. You may learn more about the author by visiting her website: www.deborahheal.com, her Facebook Fan Page, and Goodreads. Her books may be purchased on Amazon.com.

About the giveaway: Win a copy of Time and Again, the first book in the trilogy! ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­To enter, simply leave a comment telling me where you'd virtually time travel to if you had a computer program like Abby and Merri. One commenter will be chosen at random to win a copy of the book on Wednesday, October 24. For additional chances to win, see Deborah Heal’s official website and LIKE her Facebook Fan Page.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"time and again" by deborah heal

About the book (from Amazon): When Abby chose tutoring an "economically disadvantaged adolescent" as her college service project, she didn't realize how difficult her summer would be. Merrideth, her 11-year-old student, has been sullen and depressed ever since her parents' divorce, especially since she was forced to move to the dilapidated old house her mother inherited.

When Merrideth's dad sends her a top-of-the-line computer to make up for his absence in her life, she and Abby discover a weird program on it that invites them to "Take a Virtual Tour" of various houses around the world, including, amazingly, Merrideth's own house. And then they discover the program is more than a simple visual experience. Much more. Abby and Merrideth find they can "time-surf" to any date, including 1858 when the house was new and young Charlotte Miles lived there. By locking onto Charlotte, they can get into her head—know her thoughts and feelings—and experience her world, even when she gets on the train to attend the Lincoln/Douglas Debate. Watching from a distance as Charlotte faces the challenges in her life, including the hardships of the Civil War, gives Abby and Merrideth new perspective on their own problems.

Time and Again is a story told in the past and in the present. A story of self-discovery and faith.

My take: Time and Again is a great story that mixes history, time travel, pre-teen angst, and romance. Though I did struggle to get into the novel at first, once Abby and Merrideth discovered the computer program's capabilities (approximately 1/3 of the way through the book), I couldn't put it down.

I especially enjoyed the relationship between Abby and Merrideth. At first, Merrideth came across as a spoiled brat who didn't want to do anything but watch TV, play with her cats, and eat candy. But as Abby got to know her, Merrideth became a much more sympathetic character, as the reasons behind her attitude came to light. That seems to be a theme of Time and Again: there's more to every story than meets the eye.

As I finished the book, I couldn't wait to begin the sequel—Time and Again ends rather abruptly, and I'm anxious to learn the rest of the story! 4 stars.

Excerpt: “No…There’s no way that would work. I mean no one could invent a software program that could do that. No way.”

“What are you talking about?” Merrideth said, staring at her.

Abby didn’t answer, but taking the mouse from Merrideth, she placed the cursor on the View icon on the menu bar and clicked. “This is so similar to my brother’s architecture program,” she began, “that maybe we’ll be able to …”

When she clicked on Flip, both girls simultaneously gasped. “…do this,” Abby said with satisfaction.

The screen view had rotated on its vertical axis and now they were seeing the back side of Colonel Miles’ house. White sheets on a clothesline snapped in the wind. A young woman in a long blue dress and bonnet was stooping to pull a wet sheet from the wicker basket at her feet. A gray cat came out of the barn and, stepping delicately through the wet grass, cautiously bypassed the flapping sheets to lay in the sun on the back step.

After a moment of stunned silence, Merrideth said, “It’s her! It’s Charlotte.”

About the author: Deborah Heal is the author of the young adult novels Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy. She lives in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about southern Illinois history. She is married and has three grown children, three grandchildren, and a canine buddy named Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob). Currently, she is working on book three in the Time and Again trilogy. You may learn more about the author by visiting her website: www.deborahheal.com, her Facebook Fan Page, and Goodreads. Her books may be purchased on Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."