| Title | : | The Mine (Northwest Passage, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 291 |
| Publication | : | First published February 13, 2012 |
| Awards | : | SFR Galaxy Award Best Time Travel Romance (2012) |
The Mine (Northwest Passage, #1) Reviews
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3.25 Stars
I enjoyed this time travel romance. I have a high expectation for time travel books as so often they can so often be done poorly. This one was delightful.
Joel is on a road trip with a friend in the year 2000 when he stumbles across an abandoned mine. It just so happens that some strange celestial event is occurring at the same time and once he enters the mine he is thrust back in time to 1941. With money he can't use because it hasn't been printed yet, and no identification, he has to quickly learn how to make his way in a world that is about to be ravaged by war. He also happens to come across his grandmother and fall in love with her very-much-engaged-already best friend Grace. If the opportunity to go home again came, would he take it?
I loved the characters. Joel was a fantastic character! I loved how he was forced to navigate through this foreign time with nothing but his wits and intelligence, and luckily a good memory of history. I enjoyed his sense of humour and take on life. I was a bit perplexed by some of his choices in regards to his love life, but overall he was a great character.
I enjoyed the other characters too but I feel it lacked a bit of conflict. I find I really enjoy stories where the main character makes an enemy or has to work out how to deal with a foe, I felt that this story lacked a bit of OOMPH for me. Don't get me wrong it was a lovely romance, but I felt at times it was a little slow moving without too much strength in the story to keep me totally hooked.
I really enjoyed the friendship that bloomed between Joel and Tom. That was one of the best parts of the book for me. The predicament he was in, that if he didn't let Tom go, he would never be born.
The book was extremely well written and easy to read. I polished it off fairly quickly.
As for the romance. I don't know... I just felt it was slightly forced and unbelievable. I found Grace to be quite a dull character and their interactions were quite drab. And Joel sure was forward to get the attention of the already extremely ENGAGED Grace. And knowing that any alterations that he makes in regards to the timeline may have dire consequences, some of his actions did surprise me. Especially towards the end. However the twist at the very end made up for this and overall it was a satisfying read.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, If you enjoy a nice feel good romance and a bit of time travel with a touch of history, The Mine is for you.
Many thanks to the author John A Heldt for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
For this and more reviews, visit my blog
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Originally published at
Book Lovers Inc
The description does not do this one justice. When I finished (at 2 in the morning!) I lay there and stared at the ceiling for a long, long time. The Mine is one of those stories that will stick with you. It was just about perfect.
Time travel stories are supposed to be messy, as a recent column by Charlie Jane Anders in io9 put it, and the messiness of the time-travel is the crux of the dilemma for Joel Stein. Not the mechanism, that's as improbable as time-travel usually is (a six planet alignment and a cave in an abandoned mine--think of the Stargate SG-1 episode "1969" for a not-dissimilar concept). The way the time-travel occurs is not the point. It's what time-traveler Joel Stein does afterwards that lodges deep in the reader's heart.
Because he doesn't go back that far. From Memorial Day in the year 2000, Joel goes back a mere 59 years. But those years are crucial. He arrives at the beginning of the United States' last summer of innocence, The summer before December 7, 1941, before Pearl Harbor. And he is the only one who knows the future.
One last golden summer before the war that is already raging in Europe and Asia engulfs the U.S.
There are no cell phones, no credit cards, no computers. Joel is broke. He has skills, but no identification. The Great Depression has not lost its hold on the country. He has no home, no job, no friends.
His family is in Seattle. The grandmother that he remembers is a young woman in 1941. Seattle is still home. He does what other down on their luck young men did during the Depression. He hopped a freight train from that abandoned mine in Montana to the west coast.
Trying to get a night's sleep on a bench outside a bar in Seattle, dead tired, looking and feeling like a bum, he saves a guy from getting beaten up over a gambling debt. That guy turns out to be his grandmother's first fiance--the one that Joel knows, absolutely knows, will be killed in the war that is to come.
But Tom Carter doesn't know a thing. All he knows is that this down on his luck guy rescued him from three bruisers. He takes Joel home with him, gives him a place to stay. His dad gives him a job. Joel makes a life. Becomes part of Tom's circle of friends. Lives life to the fullest in that last golden summer.
And falls irrevocably, irretrievably in love with a woman, even though she's engaged to someone else. Even though he can't tell her the truth about himself. And manages to win her heart.
The summer turns to Fall. October turns to November. Just before Thanksgiving, He worries about what he's going to do on December 8th. Every able-bodied man is going to volunteer for the Armed Services, and he's not registered for the draft. What if he takes a bullet meant for someone else? What if he saves someone who shouldn't be saved? How much of the future has he already changed?
Then he sees an article in the paper that the same alignment of planets that brought him to the past is going to happen again. On December 8, 1941. He has to try to go back. He's afraid he'll change too much if he marches off to war.
But he's leaving his heart behind.
Verdict: This is beautiful, simply beautiful. The story is absolutely heartbreaking in Joel's immersion into life in 1941, because he (and the reader) know how fragile it all is, and how soon everything is going to go smash. He feels the poignancy of it and conveys it so well. He's happy and is aware of how precious and fleeting it is. At the same time he's selfish enough to pursue Grace Vandenburg just because he wants her, and not thinking about the consequences (he is only 22 after all!).
When Joel comes back, he has changed, and the world hasn't, and he feels something a lot like survivor's guilt. Was it real or did he dream it? His loss and his loneliness, his need for validation were so well-done, I wanted to cry. And the ending, well, that was just the one I hoped for.
I gladly give The Mine 5 brightly shining stars properly aligned for time-travel. -
Who says men can't write paranormal romantic Chick Lit????? The Mine by John A.Heldt has funny moments, sweet moments, sad moments, inspirational moments, and yes, sigh-worthy moments. I'm not trying to have the author's man card revoked, but, wow...
A slightly spoiled and brash, fun-loving college senior enters an abandoned mine shaft at the same time as a rare planetary alignment is taking place, the year is 2000. He exits said mine shaft and things look "different" and he discovers he has somehow ended up in the year 1941, just before the U.S. enters World War II. Joel Smith charms his way into the lives and hearts of those he meets, including a young woman who will be his grandmother in the future! Keeping his secret is sometimes difficult, especially when he knows things that could drastically alter the future if he told, not to mention, he would probably be locked away somewhere. As he learns the ways of the 1940s, he finds he actually likes the simpler times, the way people seem to be less hurried, more "people friendly." When Grace enters his life, Joel knows he has found his one true love. But the rare planetary alignment is also going to happen in 1941, and Joel must decide whether following his heart and doing the right thing means staying in a time where he doesn't belong or going back to the future, if that's even possible. Either way will cause pain for someone, has he learned to be unselfish enough to leave the past alone?
John Heldt did some homework recreating 1941, bringing it to life with amazingly realistic characters that I wanted to know! I was walking down the streets with these people, feeling the night air or enjoying a garden party in the sunshine! The romance was sweet, almost completely innocent, the teasing and flirting was, well, cute! The ending, priceless! Five Stars and a big, dreamy sigh for this wonderful escape from reality!
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3.5 stars
I have a real weakness for time travel books.
I think my love of time travel started with the Back to the Future trilogy that I was obsessed with as a child. Either way, I gravitate towards books on time travel and this one came highly recommended on Goodreads.
Maybe it is because I read a lot of time travel books but this one didn't feel as fresh to me. I enjoyed the story and was excited to see what would happen but I didn't adore it like I expected to. I end up comparing it to my favorite time travel books and this fell a bit short. I liked that it was about WWII, which was a nice change of pace for me. Overall, a good read but there are better time travel books out there. -
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Positives
The Mine is the best time-travel book I’ve read in a really, really long time! It’s a brilliantly written book and the strong and realistic characterization will definitely blow your mind. Joel Smith, the lead, is such a gentleman and is just so adorable that I really can’t praise enough. You can feel the connection, with Joel, develop over quite a few pages but once he time-travels and starts his new life, you’ll start understanding him better and better with every page you turn. Joel is my new favourite time-travelling character. He is everything a stud, time-travelling brilliant and smart guy should be. He handles the fact, that he has indeed walked into a time-machine and come 59 years before his time, pretty well and starts acting accordingly.
Among the other characters, Ginny really stands out. She is this amazing women whom you really idealize and start respecting instantly. John has left a lot of big authors far behind in the race when it comes to character building (atleast for me!)
The plot is amazing and develops slowly in a very subtle way. It ends beautifully and leaves you craving for more and more. From the historical point of view, as far as I know, John has paid very close attention to the details which is highly commendable.
Negatives
None!
Conclusion
The Mine is a beautifully written book and definitely a must read. I’d recommend it to everyone, particularly the fans of Time-Travel, Science-Fiction, Adventure and Historical-Romance. Trust me, you really don’t wanna miss out on a wonderful book like this one!
You can also read this review at
The Reading Bud -
There are so many wonderful aspects within the pages of this novel. I don't know where to begin. I guess that's a good beginning as any: I'm at a loss for words.
The Mine sets a high standard for the romance genre. Its sci-fi undertones provide enigma and wonderment. I really have not read anything like it before. H.G. Well's, The Time Machine, was the best time-traveling novel I had read and my favorite sci-fi tale. I would dare say that this novel equaled what I felt when I finished that classic. My mouth hung open. My skin tingled. Simultaneously the hairs on my arm stood up. Heldt's prose holds that kind of power over a reader, as if some kind of mystical energy is channeled through his words as they are read and processed.
Reader's will fall in love with Joel, one of The Mine's major characters. His sense of humor lights up every scene he is in. Joel's characterization fits the romance genre perfectly. I cannot say much about his character's progression without spoiling the plot, but I can say that his decisions throughout the novel are believable and make him a very dynamic character.
Heldt always provides well-thought out descriptions of his characters, using similes and metaphors to bring their most unique qualities into focus. His rendering of 1941 must make readers feel as if he, himself went back to the time period, took extensive notes and returned with the barebones of The Mine in hand. Indie authors: read The Mine if you are planning on writing anything romance related. Heldt will show you how its done.
I recommend The Mine for readers who enjoy thrilling romance novels: this one will take your breath away. -
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In the beginning are two teenage boys out for a good time. I enjoyed the interaction and enjoyed where the story was going. The main character goes back in time, and that's when the book lost me.
I've been "taught" that good historical fiction - the definition of a book being historical fiction - is that the storyline wouldn't make sense if it was dumped into any other time or place. I don't believe this book fits the bill (not that the book is labeled as historical fiction, because it's not; but it does take place in the 1940's which means the book is striving for at least some historical fiction elements).
Joel, as most characters in time travel books do, doesn't need much more than five minutes to adapt to the fact that he's living in the past. Pet peeve #1! If I was thrust into a different time period I'd be freaking out for more than five minutes, and Joel doesn't freak at all. Reading other reviews would lead me to believe that this was well written historical fiction, but I didn't particular feel like Joel was walking down a 1940's world - there were too many references to too many things that weren't historical accurate, for one thing.
Then all of a sudden the book starts talking about another character with no reference to what time frame Grace is in, leaving me confused and pissed off and not really wanting to read another page. You eventually figure it out, but the author could have inserted a heading or started a new chapter or something to make you aware of what was going on. pet peeve #2
I continue to stumble upon reading the book and of course everything magically falls into place, just way too conveniently... pet peeve #3.
The action continues, though at a much slower pace then I would prefer and without spoiling anything, the book of course ends.
The book was written well enough, well edited, the premise was ideal, but all in all it wasn't my cup of tea.
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I received a review copy free the author but was not paid for my review. -
Joel Smith, in weeks leading up to his college graduation, takes off on a road trip with his friend Adam. When in Minnesota, they stumble upon an abandoned gold mine, which Joel, a cocky geologist that he is, decides to enter. He sees a snake, a glowing chamber … things get murky … he passes out … he wakes up and leaves the mine to discover … it is a memorial day of 1941.
He finds his way back to his hometown Seattle, WA, where he is befriended by a guy named Tom. Tom helps him out with his housing situation, job, even the ladies. Tom becomes his best friend. Tom also, as it turns out, is dating Joel’s young grandmother.
Temptations to mess with the past ensue.
It absorbed me like a sponge soaking up spilled wine
– Solid pacing, albeit slow and meandering. But once you settle in for the massive dose of description and strange linguistic and dialogue choices, you won’t have to worry whether it will disappoint later on. In other words, if you like the first few pages, you’d like the whole book.
– Intriguing stakes and questions raised along the way, such as “If I knew the outcome and had the power to change it, do I do nothing or prevent my best friend’s death thus threaten an unprecedented shift in the future?”
No amount of wine could redeem this
– Unfortunately, questions like the one above were addressed in the utmost boring vanilla way, leaving me so fruh-huh-uh-strated, I could scream. I understand, the main character is worried about the whole butterfly effect and shifting the paradigm—as any sane person traveling back in time should. If it were a good ol’ boring real life, that is. But this is fiction, for Pete’s sake! I need more than the rational, well-I-don’t-want-to-mess-with-the-past-in-fear-of-messing-up-the-future outcome! I want fire, I want sparkles, I want the unexpected. Oh, and did I mention that Joel is selfish? Yeah, he is, because even his reasoning for the above conundrum is “Well, what if I do something and as a result I’m not even born in the future?” While things like “Well, what if I break up this engaged couple and get the girl to date me instead, would that result in some other amazing people from being born in the future?” questions never even enter his mind. UGH. So much frustration.
– This one is especially devastating for me, because connecting with a character on an emotional level can be the biggest hook … and the utter lack of it, a crushing disappointment. Not that the characters weren’t likeable (they were) or that I didn’t care about what happened to them (I did), but for a story told from multiple POVs, there is so little emotion in words that at no point during the read did I find myself experiencing their fears, affections, longing, hatred, etc. Even when Joel emerged out of the mine in 1941, he kind of just shrugged and went about his day like it was just another Tuesday. Where’s the terror, confusion, doubts of one’s sanity? When he met the younger version of his grandmother, where was the total WTF moment? HOW could this be construed as something so ordinary?!
Bottom Line
The Mine is a “does he get the girl” science fiction romance with 100% romance and almost 0% science fiction.
Read complete review on Unfazeable Reader:
http://unfazeable.com/book-reviews/th... -
The Mine by John A. Heldt is a self published novel released in 2013. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Joel and his friends explore an old mine in the Seattle area, in the year 2000. While his friends go on their merry way in the mine, Joel has a bit of a different experience. He encounters a snake, then a blue glow, tripping him back into the year 1941.
Joel, thinking fast on his feet, helps a guy out and winds up living with his family, and working in the family owned furniture store. He learns that his new friend ,Tom, is dating a young lady named Ginny. As it so happened, Ginny is Joel's grandmother. Whoa! While Tom's family questions Joel's story, they pretty much mind their own business. But, Ginny isn't fooled by Joel at all. Her questions are disquieting, but she keeps her opinions to herself, only offering Joel some sage advice here and there.
Quickly adjusting to all the changes in his life, he gets to know Ginny's friends and meets a girl named Grace. Grace is engaged to be married, but she and Joel have a connection. Grace struggles to understand what her future should be like. Stay will Paul or follow her heart and be with Joel.
Meanwhile, Joel can't resist having a little fun with the knowledge he has about the future. Knowing the outcome of boxing matches and baseball games is too good to pass up. But, Joel also knows some darker truths about the future is hoping he is wrong.
Will Joel stay in 1941 and make the best of things? Can he ever return to the year 2000? What will happen with Ginny if he stays in 1941? What would happen to Grace in the future?
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. But, I certainly didn't expect this. What a wonderful story. Joel's journey to the past and the impact he has on the lives of those he encounters is incredible. He falls in love, meets his future grandmother, makes the best friends he will ever have, and faces the hardest choices he will ever have to face.
A bittersweet love story that touches the heart and will leave you with both tears in your eyes and a smile on your face. Don't miss this one. Really. I'm looking forward to the next one. -
John. A. Heldt, Author of the 'Northwest Passage Series' and 'American Journey Series,' brings us a unique Sci-Fi Romance novel in 'The Mine.'
Set in Montana USA, and later Seattle USA, Joel is your average twenty-two-year-old college student, about to graduate with high prospects. Whilst exploring an abandoned mine on a hiking trip with buddy Adam, Joel finds himself transported back in time, to the 1940s. At first, he is anxious to return home, but when he meets twenty-one-year-old Grace, a stunning and intelligent blonde, he may just have a change of heart.
'The Mine' is told from a third-person perspective, split between main characters Joel and Grace. Both characters are equally fascinating; Joel with his sharp wit and carefree attitude, and Grace with and her complex life history, and the way in which she lights up around Joel from the start.
Joel meets many wonderful new friends, who help him to develop a lot over the course of the book. He at first only seems faintly connected to his own emotions, but as each of these newcomers finds a place in his heart and mind, we find him delving deeper into himself. I felt as though I was experiencing Joel's every emotion alongside him and was frequently on the edge of my seat.
Forbidden love and cocky humor are key in this tale. There was a good amount of foreshadowing, which made it in some ways a predictable read. Don't let that deter you. Every moment counted in this novel. We see Joel make some impossible decisions; decisions that made me question every one I have ever made in my life. I asked myself, 'Would I be willing to make these same decisions, given the choices presented to Joel?' I found myself without any answers as I wondered which path Joel would take.
The Author's style of writing makes for fluid reading, and also paints subtle pictures of every scene. A read well worth your time and a great accomplishment. -
Okay, so I'm continuing my mini time travel binge of books and I decided to give The Mine a try. Luckily for me, it was available on Kindle Unlimited and pretty easy to dive into. Unlike some of the other books I've read so far, this was a bit tamer than them. Don't get me wrong, it was still interesting in some parts but in others it was boring. The beginning started to suck me in but the rest of the book was just... okay.
It was also pretty hard to connect with Joel. I tried to find something likable about him or maybe even find something entertaining about his time traveling adventure. Trying but not succeeding. At one point, I was just hoping that Joel would make one good decision. Maybe more than one but I wasn't holding my breath. It just sucks that the ending kind of made it seem a bit forced. Or maybe it's just me. Not sure.
In the end, I tried and he tried. -
The description of this book does a good job of telling you what the book is about. What you find out from reading it, is that the author created some amazing characters and really brought them to life during this story. I literally just finished this book minutes ago and couldn't keep myself from getting on here to sing its praises. I didn't expect to like this book so much, what a terrific surprise. Others have done well in their summation of the events that occur so I won't reiterate them here. Did I say how much I liked this book yet??? You don't need to be a sci-fi or time travel fan to like this book.
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I'm really not loving this story. I'm guessing all of the plot twists in advance and the protagonist is annoying me because he's so 'perfect'. I've been trying to read this book for almost a month now and it's just putting me in a slump, I think I'm done with it for now :(
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The first in a series of time-travel romance novels, John A. Heldt's The Mine had a strong premise, but unfortunately it was poorly executed. Full of fluffy dialogue, indistinguishable characters, anachronistic diction and unnecessary exposition, I felt that it could have been better done, and although Heldt's writing is above average, the novel is at best mediocre; at worst it was infuriating.
Joel stood in the middle of the sidewalk and stared blankly at a grocery store across the street. It advertised bread for eight cents a loaf and milk for thirty-four cents a gallon. A pickup truck honked as it passed, snapping him out of his daze. He peered down the street in both directions and decided to head south, toward the downtown core. He entered his strange new world with angst, disbelief, and wonder.
Joel Smith, a university student "who looks like an underwear model" and his buddy Adam take a detour on their way home from a weekend away, to explore an abandoned mine. However, Joel enters the cave in 2000 and emerges in 1941. Stranded without valid money or friends, he must find his feet in a world he knows of through history books, in the town he grew up in, in a year before he was born. Along the way, he meets Grace, a dazzling blonde who is (unfortunately) engaged to another man. With Pearl Harbor looming in the near future, and the consequences of America's involvement in the second World War weighing heavily on his mind, as well as the risk that changing anything could negate his own existence, Joel has a difficult decision to make.The festivities ended at nine, after two girls left for the library and Linda left for the ladies' room. She gave back to Harlan's on three separate occasions.
Grace provided comfort each time, helping Linda to a sink to wash her face and then to a glass of water to wash her throat. At the end of round three, Grace wiped a bit of celebration from the hem of her white cotton dress.
Initially the writing seemed pretty good, and as I settled in to read the novel, I thought the premise was an interesting one. However, as I read on, I became more and more infuriated by this novel. From the start, I couldn't distinguish Adam and Joel from each other; they were both pretty flat characters. In fact, with the exception of a few stylized caricatures in side characters who appeared once and were never seen again, the majority of the characters in this novel were Barbie and Ken dolls. They're all gorgeous, articulate, intelligent, and distinguishable only by hair colour and certain plot-related vices. Their reactions to any given situation are a smile, a grin, or a laugh. Joel is no exception; he's more Marty Sue than Marty McFly. It was a good thing that the author frequently explained (explicitly) who everyone was, to remind me.As Grace stepped away from Tom, she threw her eyes at Joel. His beautiful smile was back. but it was sad and wistful, not flirtatious or cocky. It was the smile from Forty-Seventh Street and not the one she needed to see tonight.
The biggest weakness of the novel, for me, was the stilted and unnatural dialogue, which seemed to focus more on exposition than anything. Furthermore, there were pages and pages of unnecessary dialogue that was amateur, repetitive and dull. Dialogue should never be used as filler; it should provide an insight into characters through what they say and don't say, and should reflect the different ways that different people speak. In this novel, all the characters followed the same linguistic patterns, and what they were saying was boring. There was frequent call-and-response dialogue which was excruciatingly dull to read, and often the dialogue simply rehashed what had happened on previous pages."This is the most fun I've had in a long time."
"Don't mention it. Besides, it's your birthday. You're supposed to have fun. "
"Thanks for the other stuff too. " Joel throttled down and turned to face his friend."You didn't have to take me in and your dad didn't have to give me a job. I might still be walking the streets looking for work had you not given me a break."
"I seem to recall that you rescued me first," Tom said, laughing. "Either way, it's no big deal. We're happy to have you. Dad thinks you're the best salesman on the planet, Mom wants to adopt you, and Brenda wants to bear your children. That's what I call a productive week."
Another problem was that there were an abundance of cliches, which often were anachronistic or jarred with the setting. While some attempt was made to depict the 1940s accurately, through descriptions of clothing and cars, a great deal more could have been done with the way the characters spoke and behaved. For instance, Ginny contemplating her "relationship status" felt a little post-Facebook to me; even though it is a phrase that may have been used in the 1940s, its current connection to social media is so strong that it seemed anachronistic regardless. Further complicated by the 1940s setting was the depiction of women. While women may have been relegated to certain social roles in the 40s, we are supposed to be experiencing the novel from Joel's 21st century perspective. As such, a lot of the descriptions of women made me swoon onto my chaise-longue, calling for the smelling salts as my female weakness got the best of me.Ginny pushed several boxes to the wall, making a path as she went, and strutted into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with a broom, a dustpan, and resolve.
"It's time to get busy, girls. Let's make this house a home."
The repetitiveness of the expository dialogue, insipid and boring characters, and proliferation of cliches contributed to a plodding pace. It also felt over-written; every action was described in great detail. As far as time-travel romances go, I feel that while this is a great deal better than a lot of self-published romance I've read, it is not at all in the same league as something like Audrey Niffenegger's The Time-Traveller's Wife. I think Heldt has potential, and with some work on the dialogue and some thick-skinned editing of the cliches, sexism and purple prose, the novel could greatly improve.Joel marveled at the ease with which she handled suds. Jana could pour a gallon of beer into a teacup and not spill a drop or leave a head thicker than a quarter of an inch. Like Ginny Gillette, the former beauty queen was a girl who could play with the boys on their turf, and not leave an ounce of her femininity on the sidelines.
There were a few good sentences, but overall, The Mine was underwhelming and at times quite irritating to read. The cliches, purple prose, repetitive dialogue and expository writing ground the pace to a drunken stumble, and while the premise and plot were interesting, they could not rescue it. I would not recommend it.
To read more of my reviews, and find out what kinds of books I do recommend, please visit my
blog. -
I absolutely loved Joel's time travel experience in 1941. (Joel is from the year 2000) I was right there with him while he struggled to find his way. He needs money, shelter, a job and food.
He just happens to be in the right place at the right time to help out a stranger who helps Joel back.
Joel has the big challenge of not changing history.
He meets the young version of his Grandmother. She is not dating his Grandfather though. Joel is heartbroken to know that the kind man she is dating will die in the war.
Joel also meets the love of his life.
1941 comes alive in this story. I couldn't put this book down.
I was able to read this book because it was offered for free on Amazon. Today I found another free book by this author and I'm going to read it next. -
This was one of the best-written indie books I’ve read in a while. I must compliment the wit and creativity of the writer. It kept the story moving nicely, and I wasn’t distracted by typos or grammatical booboos. The story was a well-thought-out adventure in time travel.
This college kid, Joel Smith, is a dare devil of sorts, the type of risk taker that everyone secretly envies but would publicly ridicule. He and his friend Adam were on a five-day bike-and-hike trip to Wyoming from their college campus and hometown in Seattle. The guys needed a break from studies and relationships and decided to go on this mini adventure a couple weeks before finals. After grubbing at a local diner in Montana, they headed back on the road but encountered some construction. Impatient Joel discovered a gravelly, dirt road as a detour and decided to explore. He was especially enticed by a sign that pointed to an old gold mine that had been closed for 100 years. Against his friend’s wishes, he bartered for 15 minutes inside the mine. Adam hesitantly agreed and waited outside.
This is where the story pulled me in. A glowing light, a snake and a bump on the head later, Joel was catapulted into 1941. He exits the mine looking for Adam and, instead, finds himself in a whole other realm of existence. Heldt did a wonderful job of making the characters believable for the era. I felt like I went back in time also. Joel found himself in a time with no Internet, credit cards, cell phones or technological luxuries. He was broke and inappropriately dressed with a band-themed T-shirt and cowboy hat. And! He ran into his grandmother and her friends, all of whom he became very close to while trying to hide his true identity. He even fell head-over-heels in love with a friend of hers named Grace who was engaged to another man. The characters were likeable, and the one I had an issue with was Linda who came across way to moody and possessive of Joel. Too bad she got ousted from the love triangle.
I enjoyed the ‘40s baseball facts that Joel used to win some big money bets, descriptions of the social norms of the time, dirt-cheap prices and references to Pearl Harbor and the impending war. He found himself enjoying the last beautiful summer before that attack, before the young men were drafted for the war, and all the while, he had to suffocate his knowledge of the country’s inevitable fate. It was a balanced mix of romance, chaos, friendship and dilemmas as Joel made himself as comfortable as he could in 1941. I didn’t blame him for falling in love and making new friends. He had no idea if he would see his modern world ever again. He managed to make a best friend, break a heart, steal another man’s fiancé, become a remarkable salesman and win over a family’s love in just six months thanks to the perfect timing of a rare planetary alignment and contact with an old mine.
What made this book so compelling was watching a modern-day playboy find ways to fit in with his grandmother’s generation. It made me wonder if I could have pulled that off so smoothly. Joel’s controversial love story with Grace was very touching and won me over. I liked that it wasn’t cheesy but believable, and the sacrifices they made for each other were bold and moving.
I remained eager as the story progressed. I couldn't wait to know how he’d let all these people go if or when his time came to return to 2000. Heldt did a wonderful job of covering Joel’s tracks as he tried to hide his true self. No matter what they asked him, Joel had an explanation for everything. I He stayed with his new friend Tom's family, and it was a tense scene when Tom's mom was innocently snooping and discovered Joel's cell phone! She urged her husband to ask him about it, but that never happened.
The time eventually came when he knew he had to make crucial decision, stay or leave the '40s and the love of his life behind? He put two and two together after seeing a news report about a rare planetary alignment in ‘41, and he knew what he had to do. Logic was his guide in deciding to head back to the mine in hopes of rediscovering the portal back home to 2000. It left me feeling sorry for his ‘40s entourage, thinking of how they would suffer sadness and shock if he disappeared from their lives, especially Grace who had made him her entire world.
I was disappointed by the ending of this book as it seemed way too abrupt. Yes, it was a happy one and all, but it seemed rather forced, like Heldt was so exhausted after writing this whole, amazing story that he just wore out at the end and hurried it passed the finish line. Don’t let that idea stop you from reading this book, though. Opinions about story endings are subjective, and this is MY book review. So you might feel differently about it. Despite being left dehydrated at the end and wishing I knew more about how Grace found her way into 2000 and how she reacted and adapted to the new age of technologies she’d never seen the likes of, I am glad I read it. It left me wanting more. If this was a series, I would have wasted no time in getting book two. Best of all, it left me thinking about the story hours after I’d finished reading it, which is a great sign! So, I highly advise you to read The Mine! -
This review can also be found on
My Fiction Nook .
This was an incredibly moving read, and an exceptional debut offering from a new author.
Small spoilers in the review below.
Joel Smith is about to graduate from college in the year 2000 when he and his friend Adam stop at an abandoned mine near Helena, MT. On that day, a rare cosmic event takes place, and when Joel steps into the mine, he is somehow transported back in time to 1941, shortly before Pearl Harbor and the US entering WWII. Without any means (credit cards were not yet invented, his cell phone doesn't work), Joel makes his way to Seattle where he fortuitously encounters a young man, Tom Carter, in a precarious situation. From there, Joel meets and becomes friends with Tom's family and friends, gets a job and forges a new life. Tom is friends with Ginny Gillette - who is also Joel's grandmother and quite a special character. When Joel meets Grace Vandenberg, he forgoes his plan to not do anything that might change the future and subsequently falls in love with her.
The author did a fantastic job researching the time period shortly before the US entered into the 2nd World War and created an exquisite line-up of characters that really made this book shine. The situations Joel finds himself in, knowing what the future holds and yet unable to say anything, are finely crafted to forward the plot. And yet he also gives Joel enough spunk to bet on sports events for which he knows the outcomes, thus giving him a way to make a little money on top of his job.
When Joel realizes that the rare cosmic event will happen in 1941, on the same night that Japanese fighter planes attack Pearl Harbor, he is faced with a huge decision - stay and possibly die in the coming war, or go back into his own time and thus leaving the woman he loves behind.
While this book on the surface may look like a simple time traveling story, with a young man having to choose to either stay or return to his own time, it's actually a deeply moving account of the mindsets of young people during that critical time frame in which it takes place. One of his new friends is a Japanese-American, and Joel knows what's likely in store for her. He wonders what he can do to help her, and finds a way. He knows that Tom will not survive the war, because Tom is not the man his grandmother married, and that knowledge weighs heavily on his mind.
I found it hard to determine a fitting genre for this book as it transcends a mere romance, yet is also not a simple sci-fi novel either, or even just a historical fiction. The author cleverly combines these genres to deliver a novel that is refreshingly different.
As far as future-travel novels go, this one avoided all of the cliches that seem to permeate that genre - Joel actually has knowledge of the time period and uses that to his advantage, yet always keeps in mind that were he to say too much, he might irrevocably change the future, not only for those people he meets, but also himself. And he realizes that his budding romance with Grace is selfish, but he's also human enough to not be able to help himself. He's honest with himself, and I appreciated that in his character. All events are seen through Joel's eyes, and his sometimes snarky silent commentary was rather humorous on occasion. The author crafted a strong protagonist, with all the characteristics of a 22 year old, but also much heart.
I had a rather difficult time putting this down for any long measure of time. It enthralled me from the first few chapters, and kept me invested throughout. The climax of the story was what I had hoped for, and I am so grateful the author chose to go that route. Reading about Joel weeping
had me in tears myself.
Mr. Heldt's writing is utterly brilliant, and the way he built the tension as the days progressed towards December 7, 1941 was very impressive. I foresee a long, successful career for this author, if he continues to deliver books of this caliber.
Thank you, Sir, for bringing your book to my attention. It was a pleasure reading your novel. I look forward to your next offering.
I received a free electronic copy of this book directly from the author as a review request. A positive review was not promised in return. -
Always when a story featuring time travel is mentioned, Back To The Future movies jump into my mind. They are one of my childhood favorites. But, although main hero does meet his grandmother, The Mine could not be compared to them. Best comparison is the novel The Outlander and similar romance novels. Although time travel is used as plot device, The Mine is a story about love, growing up and life in general.
Joel Smith might start the journey as pampered, youngest son who never knew fatigue and hunger, but everything will change when he ends up in 1941. Mobile phones do not work. And if it worked, who he gonna called? (Please don’t say Ghostbusters.) Credit cards are invalid. Even a little bit of cash he has is printed in the future and is regarded as forgery.
Honestly, I expected Joel to fail. But he surprised me. With hard work, never losing his optimism and sparkling humor and positive look at life, he manages not only to survive but to find friends, love and grow up.
All the adjectives I used for Joel can be used for John A. Heldt writing style. Light, easy to read, with specific type of humor which for me felt just right.Grace wondered whether there were enough dump trucks in Seattle to carry Joel’s social observations to the proper destination.
One weird quirk in writing is that John A. Heldt tried to not repeat names of the characters too much. So sometimes instead of ‘Joel said’ he would use ‘driver said’ (if Joel was driving the car). This impersonal attitude toward characters makes connecting to them a bit harder.With Brenda babysitting and Tom and Joel returning from Westport, Sandy Carter had no one to cook for and no one to talk to, save the inattentive man hiding behind a newspaper at the other end of the table.
“When do you think the boys will get back?” She asked, seeking both an answer and signs of intelligent life.
The only thing in The Mine that did not sparkle is the romance. I mean Joel traveled back in time - I expected the love story to be epic and the girl to be one of the kind. And although others told me that this is the case and that she is amazing etc. I was not impressed.
If you are looking for action involving time traveling twists, then The Mine is not for you. But if you want to read warm and realistic story about a young man’s journey to adulthood and finding love, then this is the book you are looking for. Recommended for lovers of thoughtful time-traveling romance novels.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from author in exchange for a fair and honest review. This text is also posted on
my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition. -
Who doesn't love the idea of time travel? Getting to witness different parts of history would be pretty amazing. It would also be a little terrifying and confusing. In The Mine, college student Joel's adventurous spirit leads him to an abandoned mine in Montana. Despite his best friend's frustrations, he insists on taking a look inside and gets more than he bargained for, waking up in a different time. Literally. I tried to imagine what it would be like if I got dropped in the middle of 1941. I rarely ever carry cash, I wouldn't have a cell phone to call for help, and more importantly I wouldn't have anyone to call even if I did need help, because no one would believe you if you told them the truth. I would be incredibly frightened and distraught. Joel on the other hand handles himself a lot better than I would have. Of course he's understandably disoriented by all of the things he has to adapt to, but he immediately sets out to find a way to survive.
Joel was really brave, charming, and confident; it's no wonder he found friends almost immediately. They all had an impact on his life, but there were two that altered his life in a major way. The first person he really gets to know is Tom; Joel helps him out of a pretty intense situation and Tom returns the favor by helping Joel get on his feet. The other is Grace, a blonde-haired beauty who is friends with Joel's 21 year old grandmother. I know, weird right? Grace is newly engaged, however that doesn't stop Joel from pursuing her. I really liked them together; she was a little quiet at first, but wasn't afraid to put him in his place if he did or said something she didn't like. Despite all of the obstacles between them, they were just drawn to each other.
As I watched their relationship grow, all I could do was worry with each page because I had a feeling that Joel would get the chance to return to the year 2000 at some point and I wondered what he would do if that happened. On one hand, his entire life was 59 years in the future; his parents, his friends, his girlfriend, and college, which he was close to graduating from. On the other, he met Grace, whom he had an immediate connection with, and many other friends in the new life he had built. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect.
No, I will not tell you what happens at the end. I will say that I didn't realize how emotionally invested I had become in these characters until I had tears running down my face. It was a combination of the story itself and how the author chose to have the events unfold; they simply affected me in a way that's hard to describe. Were they happy tears, sad tears, frustrated tears? I guess that's for you to find out when you read The Mine.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit my book review blog,
Lucky Devil Reviews. -
I had mixed feelings about this book at the beginning, but by the end, I loved it, and the empathy it aroused for those caught up in the events of WW2 will never leave me. On the surface it looks like a simple story about a man who finds himself catapulted back to a previous time where he falls in love and later must decide if he will stay or return to his own time - alone, but there is a great deal more to it than that because of the brilliant way that Heldt has written the world of 1941 and the unique challenges facing his central character. Heldt undoubtedly knows his craft. The book is tight, insightful, clearly expressed and moving.
Blurb: In 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 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.
Imagine if you lived in the US before that nation entered the second world war and you knew what was coming. Imagine that the man your grandmother loved and lost in the war became your best friend. Imagine that you had one chance to go back to the year 2000, but leaving meant leaving the woman you’d come to love and staying meant that you would have to fight in a war and if you lived, be eighty years of age before you saw your parents again. What would you say to a Japanese American friend when you know how their fellow Americans will turn on them after the US enters the war? These are the kind of questions that give this story its depth.
I was very impressed with how the author built the tension as the date for Pearl Harbour came closer. This is certainly not an action story, but I couldn’t put it down. Like the best Indie books, it defies exact genre classification. It’s undoubtedly a romance, but not in the style of most traditional romances; it’s also excellent historical fiction but with a science fiction twist that throws a whole gamut of different challenges into the mix. It’s well worth a read and I recommend it for inclusion in the Awesome Indies listing. -
My full review:
http://aprillwood.wordpress.com/2014/...
“He entered his strange new world with angst, disbelief, and wonder.”
Joel Smith is a college student only three weeks away from graduation, when he goes on a road trip with his best friend Adam. On the way home, Joel gets the idea to explore an abandoned mine, with thoughts of gold and glory as an outcome. However, his outcome is very different… He walks out to different surroundings, in a different time period.
“He was without hope and ideas, a modern man mired in a not-so-modern time. He tried to maintain a tenuous hold on what was left of his sanity.”
Joel is living on the streets, homeless, penniless, and confused. When he notices a fight break out, Joel steps in and saves the victim from his victor. This was a very wise move, because this action leads him to getting a place to live, and a job.
The victim is Tom Carter, his future grandmother’s boyfriend! Now he is afraid of what may happen. After all, he doesn’t want to meddle with his own existence!
Through Tom and his future grandmother Ginny, he meets Grace who he begins a romantic relationship with. Joel has to make a tough choice, to stay in 1941 with the love of his life, or return to the present, and avoid the war that he knew was about to happen…
The Mine, by John A. Heldt, is a time travel/romance that pulls you in and doesn’t let go, much like the mine pulled Joel in. I absolutely loved the characters, and found the story that Heldt created to be extremely unique and interesting. The happily-ever-after will leave you SPEECHLESS.
I would recommend this novel to both lovers of science fiction, and romance… and of course to people who enjoy the idea of time travel!
What I Loved:
Dynamic, believable characters.
Dialogue was true to both 1941, and 2000.
A love story that withstood time and place.
The main and secondary characters.
What I Disliked:
The plot slowed down in the middle, but significantly picked back up towards the end.
That it ended! ;) I was sad to put this book down, which thus ended the adventures of Joel Smith.
5 Stars!
***I was given a copy of The Mine, from the Author in exchange for a thoughtful, honest, and fair book review. -
I loved reading The Mine by John A Heldt. Although it's not a large book (short for me), I didn't have time to read it continuously, but that never diminished the story. The moment I picked up the book again, I was right back into it. I loved the main character, Joel, with his witty, intelligent humor and love of life, no matter what era he was living in at the moment. He made the most of what he had. The story is an easy, very clean read that is wonderful and refreshing for young teens to mature adults. It has romance, adventure, time travel, history, problems, fine ending - all the things that make a good and wholesome read. I don't remember a boring part in the story. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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Going back in time wasn't what Joel Smith had in mind when he and his friend Adam took a break from finals.
It was the year 2000 when he started his day and the year 1941 when his day ended. He had barely any money and only credit cards which definitely were of no use to him in 1941.
Joel found himself back in the time when everything moved slowly and without technology it moved even more slowly, but Joel made the best of the 1940's. In fact, things were working out very well for him after about a week.
I was reading this book while on a train across Pennsylvania to New York. It turned out to be the perfect book for this trip because of the nostalgic feel of the train and the adorable towns that whizzed by. It felt like I had been transported back to the 1940's for those 10 hours, and I loved it.
The author had plenty of humor, flashbacks, a great storyline, wonderful characters, and great detail. The characters were very likable, and it was easy to feel their pain, their sorrows, and their agony with decisions. It was a sweet, nostalgic trip back in time but turned a little eerie when Joel met future relatives. Joel did have some fun, though, when he could bet on fights and baseball games and win big in gambling games with others because he knew the outcomes.
This book was quite enjoyable. The author did a great job with the storyline and in keeping my interest. I am not sure I would have wanted to have been transported back to another time period, but it was perfect for a quick, delightful read. 5/5
I received this book free from the author in return for an honest review. -
**The author has sent me a copy of this book for an honest review.**
TITLE: The Mine
AUTHOR: John A. Heldt
PUB. DATE: December 6, 2013
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon, Audible, iTunes
FORMAT: E-ARC
The Mine: 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 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 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: This book was pretty good!
I like historical fiction as well as time travel books, so I really enjoyed the concept of The Mine. This story takes place in the (distant) 2000s, with Joel, who is gives off a playboy aura. He finds himself in a pickle when he accidentally travels back through time and spends six months in 1941.
I haven’t read many books that took place in WWII but I really took a liking to this one. (It was informative as well as a bit educational for me -
Okay I will openly admit I was curious as to what a man could do with a romance novel. I am not in any way attempting to be mean and I am sure that there are actually some men writing romance under female pen names. However this is my first one very written by a man that I know of right out of the gate. I must say that The Mine was a really great time-travel book! John Heldt really did his homework when he was writing! The characterization is so realistic that you really get the feeling that you are in 1941 when you are there.
The romance was very sweet and the story was slow and steady if that makes any sort of sense. It wasn't this heart pounding, intense story. Instead it was this exciting read full of twists and turns. Those that make you stay up all night to get to the end. This is the perfect weekend read when you want to get away from the intense romance and instead just take yourself away on a pleasant ride.
I was given a copy of The Mine, from the Author in exchange for a honest book review.
This review was originally posted on Blushing Reads -
If you have ever wondered if it's worth the effort to read an independently published novel then the answer is yes, if you pick up a novel written by John A. Heldt.
This is well-written (both in term of content and editing) love-story set to the back drop 1941, mere months before the US's involvement in WWII. The twist of the story is the main protagonist, Joel Smith, who is accidentally hurled nearly sixty year into the past.
I could only give this book four starts and not five, because I find that the love story took too much precedence over other aspects and topics that were briefly touched upon, but could have been focused on more, than what they were. This is definitely not a fault of the author, he wrote exactly the story that he meant to write. Love stories have just never been my coup of tea.
John A. Heldt's writing could ever disappoint and is definitely worth your effort and I more than enjoyed reading it.
This review is also posted on my
blog. -
The Mine (John A Heldt)
It is May 2000 and Joel Smith a college senior, goes to Montana and finds a mine. He enters the mine and comes out in 1941. There he meets his 21 year old grandmother and her friends. He tells no one of what has happened. He tries to adjust to life right before World War Two begins. Only he know what lies ahead in the future.
Armed with this knowledge Joel is faced with many challenges, he is at risk of making a wrong move and changing history and even his own destiny.
Then the opportunity comes where he can go back to his current life. He is faced with many challenges and decisions. Should he stay, or should he go back? And if he does go back what are the consequences?
A fast paced time-travel/romance. I really enjoyed The Mine and recommend to those who love historical fiction/time-travel & a bit of romance. -
Change of pace for me
Loved this book. Bored with the same tired stories, I was ready for something different, this fit the bill. The ending was une
