| Title | : | September Sky (American Journey, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 412 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2015 |
September Sky (American Journey, #1) Reviews
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September Sky by John A. Heldt is a 2015 publication.
September Sky is the first in a new time travel series and I’m glad I was able to start at the beginning. I have read other books by this author and have been quite impressed with his work.
This story centers about Charles- aka- Chuck, and his son Justin, who get a second lease on life in the most unusual of ways.
Chuck is a reporter from San Francisco, but his job has been phased out, right at the moment his son, Justin, begins to have doubts about his chosen profession, expressing a need to take an extended break from university.
Chuck had neglected Justin when he was a child, choosing to pursue his career, and is now filled with many regrets. So, he and Justin board a cruise ship in hopes of making up for lost time. As it happens, time will indeed become a priority for this father and son, but will it work for them or against them?
Novels that employ time travel are sometimes hit or miss for me, but I try really hard to remember this is just a fantasy and not to be taken too seriously. Still, I don’t like my intelligence insulted with ridiculous methods of time tripping, or cheesy science fiction. Thankfully, this story doesn't fall into those traps, and handles the true historical events surrounding the great hurricane in Galveston in the 1900’s with respect and authenticity.
Chuck and Justin do not waste their golden opportunity to travel back in time, either. They decide to solve a murder case and prevent a man from hanging for a crime he did not commit.
In the process, Chuck meets the woman of dreams, as does, Justin, but of course their time in the past was limited and certainly complicates any chance of a happy ever after.
The characterizations are vivid and the mystery is compelling, but it often took a back seat to the complications of romance, especially with Justin and Emily. I admired Emily because she was a woman well ahead of her time, but her petulance was hard to take, a trait she never could quite shake off.
However, all the pieces do eventually click into place, and although there were a few convenient occurrences, and the plot did grow implausible a time or two, this is a very well thought out and well written story that is quite entertaining.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series with much anticipation!
4 stars
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Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Rating: 4.5/5
I've always been a huge fan of Mr. Hedlt's books and The Mine and The Journey are one of my all time favorites. As a result, I had huge expectations from this one and, I must say, that September Sky didn't disappoint me.
The storyline is well thought out and thoroughly researched. All the historical facts and places are to the point. Though the plot felt a little far-fetched at times, I still enjoyed it, given that the book was about time-travel, a far-fetched concept in itself.
This book is written in third person multiple POVs which give a very clear idea about everyone's thoughts and reflections. Author's writing is one of the best parts of the story and I can't sing enough praise for it. It is simple, relatable and flows beautifully.
It book had a slow start but it picked up the pace gradually. This, however, is a point that I have gotten accustomed to while reading Mr.Heldt's books. So, when I read his books I know what to expect and that makes it a little easy for me to get through the slow start of his books. But might be a problem for anyone who'll be reading his book for the first time. So bear in mind that his books are worth the initial labor.
The ending is amazing. In spite of being a romance novel, I really didn't see it coming, so it was a pleasant surprise. All the questions were answered with great care at the end and I was completely satisfied with the way things turned out for everyone.
The characterization is really good and I felt a connection with each and every character (even with the secondary ones) and thoroughly enjoyed reading about each and everyone.
As this is the first book in the American Journey series, I'm really looking forward to reading the next one.
You can also read this review at
The Reading Bud. -
What happens when a father and son, with no bright prospects for their future attend a lecture on, off all things, time travel? They are given the hard-to-believe opportunity to travel back in time to Galveston, Texas, the year-1900. Chuck and Jason Townsend find themselves intrigued and begin learning all they can about the time, the events and even their family history. Given strict instructions NOT to do anything but make records for their scientist benefactor, they are off, equipped with all they need for their journey and a strict time limit that must not be missed.
Like any normal human, the first thing they do is totally cast aside their instructions and get completely immersed in their new world. What they didn’t count on was finding a purpose, a direction in life, danger and love. Will their interference in history change the future? What will happen to the love they have each found? Will it be possible to leave these women behind? Not enough for you? Galveston is going to become a casualty in a battle against nature and the fury of a devastating hurricane. Who will survive? Will father and son be separated by death? Has their window of opportunity closed to go back to 2016, cellphones, the internet and all the “comforts” of living in the 21st century?
September Sky by John Heldt, one of the ruling supreme timetravel/romance authors is one more gem to add to his already glittering pile of novels! Mr. Heldt’s world is so well described, I have to wonder, does he know something about time travel that we don’t? From start to finish, once again, I was spellbound by his imagination and ability to breathe life into each and every character. And the world he takes us to? In turn, beautiful, exciting and dangerously deadly, I’m not sure how John Heldt can pour so much darkness and white-knuckle action into a tale that clearly had me smiling at the end. I think it’s his gift of storytelling and finding love and romance that breaks the barriers of time and place, testing and pulling on heartstrings one word at a time. Great story, great pacing, great tension, great talent!
I received this copy from John A. Heldt in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: January 1, 2015
Publisher: John A. Heldt
Genre: Romantic Fantasy/Time Travel
Print Length: 409 pages
Available from:
Amazon
Reviewed for:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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****I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review****
“September Sky” is a science fantasy novel about a father and son who are given a rare opportunity to travel back in time to experience 1900 as it unfolds around them, but they have to be sure to return to their time before a colossal hurricane destroys the city they visit. The story centers on Chuck, a reporter just let go from his job in San Francisco, and his son Justin, who drops out of college following a break-up. The two embark on a cruise where Chuck aims to find out why his son, who he has had a hands-off relationship with prior to his wife’s death a few years ago, would leave and hopes to convince him to go back to school. During this cruise, they attend a lecture on time travel and one thing leads to another and then BOOM! The two embark on a father / son adventure that has very little to do with time travel and much more to do with finding themselves and someone new to love along the way.
This is a time travel book, so why do I refer to it as a science fantasy rather than science fiction? For much the same reasons that Star Trek is science fiction and Star Wars is science fantasy. One is steeped much more in plausible science that actually leads to advances in science because it gets people thinking and inspired. The other uses a science setting and concepts but doesn’t use science to really explain the complicated concepts introduced. Both stories are wonderful, but don’t read this expecting more science, it’s just not there. Heldt’s explanation for time travel is simplistic (almost overly so) and is more mythical than scientific. Other than as a device used for Chuck and Justin to go back and meet their love interests, the time travel aspect of this book might as well not be there with how little it’s explored in terms of the “how” and how delicately they should proceed once they are in the past. Without time travel, this book would fit very well in the “historical fiction / romance” genre.
Because the book isn’t really about the time travel itself, it allows for a lot of “convenient” opportunities. Meeting the time travel professor, the professor deciding to send them back in time, is just some of the early, and obvious conveniences. When they arrive in Galveston, Texas, they seem to immediately meet everyone they need to for the rest of the book, their love interests, the man they are there to save, the murder victim and their killer (even though they don’t know it yet). Also, because of the lack of science fiction, Chuck comes off as overly reckless. He’s a father, bringing his son into a distant time that may turn into a one way trip, and he doesn’t seem to give it much of a second thought, this is an opportunity and that’s all that excites and matters to both Chuck and Justin.
From the onset, Chuck decides that he’s going to use this opportunity to go to the past and change his family’s history. He wants to save a long dead relative from being hanged for a crime he didn’t commit. This may trouble hardcore science fiction fans, or fans of Doctor Who, because the idea of changing the past and its outcomes on the future could be catastrophic. If people live who were supposed to die and suddenly have children they were never supposed to have… that could trigger a cataclysmic event. I mean, there’s at least 4 episodes I can think of in the newer Doctor Who alone that center on that very topic and the terrible consequences it has even if your intentions were noble.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the story, but just know this is more a love story as the vast majority of the book is about both Chuck and Justin falling in love and then deciding what to do and tell these women when it comes time to go back to 2016 before the hurricane that is destined to wipe out most of the city. So if you are a fan of the romantic sub-genre of a science fantasy, then this is a charming read, a bit long, but cute with how Chuck and Justin become so enamored with the women of 1900. But Chuck and Justin are terrible time travelers, they go back wanting to change the past and any fan of Star Trek and Doctor Who-like time travel science fiction series will cringe at how willingly and constantly they defy the Prime Directive, so there’s that.
This is not a quick read, its length aside, there are certain times where the story takes longer to get through because the tension that would normally propel these kinds of stories forward is absent until about 70% through. The rest of the time, we’re meandering through Texas with Chuck and Justin and their leading ladies, making this more a cozy historical fiction then a high energy science fiction adventure. When they eventually tell people who they are, there’s very little surprise or outrage, most people come to terms with it really, really quickly and most other conflict in the book is resolved very neatly in order to focus once more on either Chuck or Justin’s relationship. The most tension and excitement we get is towards the end with the hurricane, so don’t expect a lot of action until then.
There’s a lot of “tell” through dialogue rather than “show” through action as well, making the dialogue feel a bit unnatural and the various characters sound the same as, on more than one occasion by many different people, someone will ask a question and then someone will say something like “That’s an excellent question. I’ll give you an answer…” and then gives the answer. Or someone will be asked to sit, they will respond with an “OK” and then sit. Those instances may seem small, and they would be, but they happen so often for every character that it slows down the narrative and makes the flow of the book a bit choppy and robotic because you aren’t seeing the characters move, they are always talking.
Ultimately, that’s what kept me from loving this story. It was hard to get into it when the dialogue and the conveniences kept me from really FEELING these characters. They seemed so similar that it was hard for me to get into their minds and fall in love or experience heartbreak alongside them. Heldt’s writing, and story, is best when he is writing a close third person perspective without dialogue. Where we can see how a character views and admires someone else’s actions, when we can see what those actions are rather than being told. There is far too little of that in my opinion so I sincerely hope that Heldt’s other books are different for he IS a good story teller. He does his research before bringing the reader into the world so what we’re seeing is as close to an accurate representation of 1900 Galveston Texas as we’re likely to get. Too few authors do that kind of research in the fiction genre thinking that just because these people and situations aren’t real, you don’t need to make them accurate. Heldt doesn’t do that, he respects the reader to do his own homework first, I just wish I could have gotten into these characters more.
Because of the sheer amount of convenient and overly lucky situations that make the plot weak, in addition to the dialogue that made so many of the characters feel too similar to one another, I couldn’t rate the book as highly as I wanted given the time and research Heldt did (which would have easily gotten him a 4 star rating alone). At the end of the day, that’s why I’m rating this on the lower side of 3.5 stars. The story lacked the tension it needed to make this not just a well-researched romantic romp through time, but an engaging and heart pounding one (which it could have been) as well. -
Interesting time travel mystery
Chuck and Justin, the father and son live in present times. They have a complicated relationship, mostly because they have neglected each other for too long.
Circumstances are such that both of them take a trip back to the times when a great hurricane struck Galveston in the 1900s.
In the past, both father and son decide to solve a mystery to prevent a man from wrongly going to prison.
There is a little romance for both father and son as they meet two women in the past.
Considering that it is a time travel mystery, I enjoyed how the elements of the past were brought in and solved by the two heroes. Though sometimes the story seemed a little farfetched, I enjoyed the way the story was weaved. Liked it. -
September Sky takes the idea of time travel to a whole new level. In this thrilling adventure, reporter Charles Townsend and son Justin are offered the chance of a lifetime by an eccentric Professor Bell. The story was believable and recounted several types of transitional periods that we experience in life. The writing style flowed well and conveyed every subtle emotion of the main characters.
Strong females are a welcome addition to this tale, which is set for the most part in the early 1900s. In a time where sexism is rife, we are given a rare glimpse of those few individuals that could rise up amongst their male oppressors and make a life for themselves.
I really did feel as though I had traveled back in time with Chuck and Justin. This was a charming tale of love, life, and new opportunities.
My rating: 5 stars. -
September Sky by John A. Heldt
Chuck Townsend and his son Justin take a trip to mexico. It is 2016 and they both are trying to rebuild their relationship and battle some inner turmoil. The come across an almost unbelievable opportunity, to travel back in time to 1900. Although a bit skeptical they both decide to go for it.
Once they arrive in 1900 the go to Galveston Texas, and things get a bit complicated. They each meet wonderful ladies they, know a horrific hurricane is about to destroy Galveston and come face to face with two business rivals.
A fantastic well written time travel story. Both Chuck and Justin are very likable and their personal problems are real. Watching how they change (personally), the choices they make, what the consequences of their actions is gripping. Not only a time travel story, but one of family, bonding, unconditional love, friendship, heart ache and page turning suspense.
I highly recommend
September Sky to those who love Time Travel/Suspense/Romance. -
This could have been far more engaging than it ended up being and I think I was disappointed for all the same reasons as the professor was with his time travellers at the end. Where he’d hoped for a time capsule, he got a soap opera. Where I’d been looking for a historical thriller, I got a slow burning romance and that just isn’t my scene.
Forget the crime that our lead character wants to try and prevent; it only really matters in the last hundred pages. The first three quarters of what is a really slow novel are almost entirely focussed on the love interests. Both father and son find their new beau on this trip back in time and from that early moment onwards, it’s as though the author didn’t care about anything but the romance. It’s a pity, because the hook of the plot had the potential to be brilliant, but in reality so little time is spent with the characters who matter in regards to that aspect of the novel, I couldn’t really bring myself to care about it.
If I had realised that this was a slow burn romance, I would never have purchased it. I was anticipating a tightly woven narrative about trying to prevent a tragedy and save an innocent man from the hangman’s noose. What I got was sap. It’s very much a slow and gentle romance romp and I therefore couldn’t help but be bored stiff for vast swathes of the first three quarters of the novel. Even when the action got moving at the end, it was still a slow read. It didn’t help that the authors writing style is methodically plodding rather than emotive or tense. I was just rather uninspired. Or bored.
Nor indeed did it help that I found the authors characterisations lacklustre. Everyone seemed rather flat. Even characters who were meant to be interesting just didn’t do a lot for me. And the main characters - our lead father, son duo and their respective love interests are just bland. None of them have interesting flaws or curiosities... they are almost cardboard cut outs of what the author would like his characters to be, how he would like them to behave... they are like children on their best behaviour in their Sunday best at grandads funeral; you never see anything real or meaningful. You never see anything human.
As a final note, I noted one - at least - huge medical inconsistency that nearly had me put the thing down in disgust. If you are going to write a CPR scene then please, for the love of God, refrain from having your patient sit up immediately after and say how perky they are feeling. If you have had CPR performed on you, then you will not be feeling right as rain. In fact, chances are you will not even be conscious. Hell, chances are you won’t survive CPR but let’s not go there. Even if you are conscious and alive, you will hurt. A lot. CPR breaks ribs and can cause seriously internal damage. When you have a character sitting up and joking immediately afterward, it makes your novel seem foolish because it is in no way, shape or form - at all - realistic. People who have been medically dead - I.e. no respiration or pulse - do not jump up again happy as Larry. -
John Heldt produced some marvellous escapist reading in his Northwest Passage Series of books and this new series, American Journey, beginning with September Sky promises more.
With a convincing collection of eclectic characters; heroic and dodgy, good and evil, September Sky does not fail to absorb the reader in its tale of time travel to Texas in 1900 at the time of the disastrous Galveston hurricane.
Until I discovered John Heldt’s books I was not a fan of reading time travel novels but his stories are enthralling, believable and historically sound. September Sky is not any different. It grips the reader from the start and never fails at being totally engrossing.
I know few authors who can effectively and believably combine murder mystery, romance, history, natural disaster (and the associated aftermath and grief) and family relationships all interlinked in a gripping plot.
September sky is a brilliant combination that fulfils my love of history and a good mystery novel.
I must give John Heldt a highly commended for his history research. His list of books and people in the acknowledgement at the back of the book are an indication of the depth of his research. I knew nothing of the Galveston hurricane but September Sky had me looking it up on the internet. I have been entertained and educated in one story!
I would love to see this Heldt’s books in print so I can have them in my library alongside my two other favourite writers, Agatha Christie and Dennis Wheatley.
Write faster John, I can’t wait for the next one.
My review is also available on my website
www.pam.id.au -
I love time travel stories and this one (or three) is a good one. An unusual way to travel into (only) the 1900s... This first one sends a father and his son on a trip to 1900 where they find adventure, a mystery and long lost relatives.. oh, and love too :) Will they get back to their own time is the constant question in the reader's mind .. and do they really want too???
Looking forward to book 2 :) -
Read in four sittings!
Not the knd of book I normally read, but once started, had trouble putting it down.
Many unexpected twists and turns. Ended differently to how I imagined too. -
Vikki’s Musings
I discovered John A. Heldt’s fascinating time-travel stories a couple of years ago when The Mine came up for review for Romantic Historical Reviews. I fell in love with that one and went on to read every book he had published. When the offer came to review September Sky, I immediately asked to review it. Again, Mr. Heldt has written an intriguing tale of adventure, mystery and romance.
Charles Townsend finds himself unemployed when his newspaper downsizes. He chooses to join his son, Justin, and take a cruise to Puerto Vallarta. While on the cruise the pair begin to grow an astranged relationship. They meet a quacky professor who does a presentation on time-travel. When asked to fill out a questionnaire, they both participate.
Shortly after their return to Los Angeles, Justin receives a call from Professor Bell asking the duo to come for an appointment at his office the next since he had liked their answers on the questionnaire. The next day the professor offers them the chance of a lifetime, to travel back to 1900. After taking time to discuss it, Justin convinces his skeptical father to agree.
When they make the trip through the magical tunnel and arrive in 1900 Los Angeles, the pair are supposed to travel to Chicago as they had agreed to do, but instead, Chuck wants to go to Galveston and try to right a wrong and save an innocent man’s life and make sure they leave Galveston before the great hurricane in September 1900 arrives.
Will Chuck and Justin be able to change this piece of history, or will two lovely ladies distract them from their goal and put them in the path of the most deadly hurricane known to mankind?
This is definitely a plot-driven story and a very intriguing one to say the least. Mr. Heldt gives a detailed account of the horror that occurred in Galveston on September 8, 1900. His vivid descriptions kept me on the edge of my seat for the last 25% of this book. There is no doubt that he must have done a great deal of research, which gave authenticity to this amazing event in history. This is what I love about his books.
Now for what did not work as well for me. I never became fully invested in the characters and the emotions they should have been feeling. There are actually three love relationships going on in this book, Chuck and Charlotte, Justin and Emily and Wyatt and Rose. Of these three, the one between Rose and Wyatt should have been heart-wrenching, but I never felt the deep connection to their characters. That may be because the book is told from Chuck and Justin’s point of view.
For most of the book, I felt as if I were sitting on the sidelines and not a participant. That kept me from becoming emotionally involved with what was happening to the characters, especially Rose and Wyatt’s sub-plot. I did become more engaged with the happenings between Justin and Emily toward the end of the book. In fact, I held my breath as the final act of their story played out and found my eyes tearing up. The ending definitely redeemed the story for me.
I do recommend September Sky to anyone who enjoys a well-written adventure story with lots of historical details, a decent romantic storyline and plenty of action toward the end. I will definitely read future books by Mr. Heldt because his stories are always compelling and enthralling, as well as filled with accurate historical details, and this one satisfied the history buff in me quite nicely. Happy reading! -
September Sky, book one of the American Journey series, was given to me in e-book format by author John A. Heldt. I include his middle initial because there is another author, John J. Heldt who writes totally different books.
September Sky is the fourth book by John A, I have had the pleasure of reading. Like his Northwest Passage series, the American Journey is a time travel series. Mr. Heldt is still bringing fresh ideas and plot lines to the time travel genre. As I have said before, one of the things I like most about Heldts' writing is that he does not spend inordinate amounts of space on the technology of time travel. It is possible so we go with it. Of course the main characters have to be convinced it works, or we would have an awful short book.
A big difference in September Sky is the time travel is more purposeful, limited and directed rather than accidental. Our heroes know when and where they are going. Naturally, they stray from the intended why, and therein lies the story. We have a big mystery to contend with, two romances, a little non-graphic kinky sex, action and a time-travel conundrum to deal with. Our heroes have knowledge of an impending natural disaster; so what to do? You know I'm not telling.
I surprised myself and actually guessed one part of the mystery. I thought then that I had figured out the whole story, WRONG! I should know better. There are twists and turns. We know from John A. Heldts previous work, that we are going to ultimately have a happy ending. The always confusing thing is how he's going to pull it off.
September Sky is a deceptive read. The flow is smooth, encouraging the reader to join in for the ride. At the same time there are undercurrents of plot lines ( I think some people refer to them as "plot complications") that kept me engaged. The book does not end in a cliffhanger (way to go John). We know there is more to come but we are not left with the uncomfortable feelings cliffhangers create.
I guess the best way I can describe the feel of Heldts' books is, that while they are sci-fi time travel stories, they are presented in a comfortable readable style. I know, sci-fi means not real, but this author has a way of convincing us to suspend our disbelief and accept the reality that he creates. The suspense and tension increased until I found myself reading well past my usual bedtime in order to finish the book.
If you haven't guessed by now, I have become a great fan of John A. Heldts work. I do already have the available books in the American Journey series and will be reviewing them soon.
For all fans of time travel, history, action, romance, and good fun reads, John A. Heldts September Sky, book one of the American Journey series is an excellent entry in the genre. It will, at times, break your heart, then quickly renew your spirit. I think you will find his work very entertaining. Enjoy!
Mike -
As reviewed for The Reading Cafe 12 Feb 15
5 out of 5 for this reader folks!
Mr John Heldt, you are one of my few fave authors to review for. Your stories truely whisk me away and make me want to go on a time travel adventure of my own. I LOVE IT! *Insert Happy Dance*
September Sky is the first book of John Heldt's new American Journey Series. This book revolves around a father and son team who travel back in time from modern day to 1900's Texas. Although hesitant to take the plunge in time, these two soon learn that living in 1900's suits them both quite well. Although having strict rules to follow during their adventure, they soon find these rules somewhat tossed away and have to learn to deal with the consequences of their actions. Facing rivals, falling in love, trying to right many wrongs and anticipating a horrible disaster make this an adventure one can never forget .. especially if one cannot return to previously known way of living. Nope no more details .. this is an experience you will want to treasure. LOL
John .. you rock my time travel world. Here's the thing too .. I am not a big fan of time travel. You however, have a way of creating the most vivid pictures with your worlds and before I know it I am completely captivated and engrossed in your creativity. Your character development is one of the most amazing I have ever experienced and I fall helplessly in love with all your characters .. be them bad or good. You weave a sweet romance in so much action and adventure and when decisions need to be made I find my heart really invested. I gush as you are truely gush worthy!
Thank you for making this another book of yours that I adore and I cannot wait for your next one!
HAPPY READING! :) -
September Sky is another time travel book by John Heldt. This book takes place mostly in Galveston, Texas with a father/son duo who have traveled through time from 2016 to 1900. Chuck and Justin travel back in time with the purpose of solving a mystery and saving a life. Of course, it's never as easy as that. They both fall in love and make some good friends along the way. Oh, and they run into a few spots of trouble. With a murderer on the loose and a devastating hurricane on the way, trouble might be putting it mildly.
One thing I really enjoy in these books is the bits of history that come through. It's always nice to get a clearer picture of events in time while being entertained with romance and mystery.
This book took me quite awhile to get into. It started out slowly and I had a hard time staying focused. The book picks up steam about half way into it and by the last third of the book I was invested and fully into things. It just took so long to get there. This is definitely a plot driven book.
While I enjoyed many parts of this book, there were some content issues for me. Several characters in this book have sexual relationships outside of marriage. There are a couple encounters between a couple in a hotel that are filled with innuendo and descriptions of the scenes (handcuffed to bed, etc.) that I just didn't like. The actual sex is not described in detail but it all just didn't sit well with me. There are a few instances of mild swearing. -
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I have always loved time travel stories. This is one that is really great for many reasons. First of all the reader knows the rules of time travel from the beginning. The two main characters are very well developed. They are believeable because we know people just like them. You know who I am talking about. The father who has spent so much time with his career that he has forsaken his son. The son who barely knows his father and now they are trying to mend that relationship. While on a cruise to do just that, the two of them attend a conference about time travel by a Dr. Bell. When they return home they are given the opportunity to travel back in time with the idea they will do nothing to change the course of history and will gather data for Dr. Bell. Things change because Chuck, the father immediately breaks the rules. He had his own agenda. Not to mention they both fall in love. The author did a lot of research for this historical time period. He also included the Galveston Hurricane to spice things up.
This is an easy read and once you get started you really don't want to put it down. So, if you are like me and love time travel books that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is the book for you. Highly recommended. -
An interesting twist on a time travel story. I think it's perhaps longer than it needs to be and I question the main characters readiness to encourage relationships when their time is limited.
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Chuck and Justin Townsend take a cruise to Mexico in order to rebuild their relationship. While on the cruise they sit in on a lecture on time travel and answer some questions before they leave. They’re surprised to receive a phone call from Professor Bell, the time travel lecturer, inviting them to experience the opportunity of a lifetime. Chuck and Justin decide to take the professor up on his offer and travel back to 1900. However, Chuck abandons the professor’s plan and instructions, instead heading to Galveston to help a distant relative. SEPTEMBER SKY is an interesting and well-researched time-travel novel. I liked the author’s take on how time travel is possible and its limitations and restrictions. The characters were well-developed and it was easy to relate to them. I think people who prefer the fiction side of science fiction will highly enjoy SEPTEMBER SKY as it's a very character-driven novel.
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The first thing I want to say is that if you’re in a book slump, you should pick something up by Mr. Heldt. This book was so fast paced and fun to read. I love the idea of time travel and definitely think it is/it will be possible in the near future, so when John asked me to read this book I was thrilled to! It was so well written and very entertaining throughout the whole book. Chuck and Justin go on a cruise in 2016 and meet a man giving a lecture about time travel. While they’re on the cruise they just think that it could be fun to just listen to him talk, so they go and listen to his lecture. Afterwards, the man hands out cards asking some general questions about how they feel about time traveling. A couple days later, the man calls the guys and asks them to go time traveling and gives them a few options of dates to go to, and they choose 1900...
Read more here!
https://pointextaken.wordpress.com/20...
Aubrey Joy -
I'm reading the paperback book version. I enjoyed reading John A. Heldt's book, September Sky and look forward to reading the next in the journey.
This book is more intense (or maybe the word should be bold) than the first series of books I read by him. The author chose the setting to be in Galveston, Texas just before and during the hurricane that literally ripped through that town on September 8, 1900. I learned something about history that I didn't know before--had to look it up. John A. Heldt did a wonderful job of describing what it must have looked to the observer before, during and after the storm. Gruesome, sad, horrible, etc.
September Sky had all the ingrediencies for a good and clean book--adventure, action, romance, human nature and good versus bad people. The book is not a fast read, but a quality read. I had to put the book down many times due to life's interferences, but was able to get right back into it when I did pick it up. -
This is the 3rd book that I have ready by this author and I really have enjoyed all of them. I like the time travel aspect and in this book they can choose a specific time period to go back to and experience. The story has many facets including the relationship between a father and son, and how this one wasn't very strong and improved with their journey.
I enjoyed reading about Galveston Island and the hurricane that hit this island in 1900. The author does a great job of detailing the town and this tragedy that occurred.
The ending was a little bit of a surprise but I thought very fitting considering what Chuck and Justin experienced during their travels and what brought them to this point in their life. -
My Review: I am never disappointed when I read one of this authors books. I love his time travel concepts and the characters he weaves into them. This story is no exception. Really like the time period this book deals with and the relationships that develop between the modern day father and son and the people of the past. In meantime you get to learn about a few historic facts of Galveston Texas. The twist at the end was great too. I give this book a full 5 stars. Keep up the good work Mr. Heldt. You have a fan here.
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“September Sky” was a bit too predictable for my tastes. I, perhaps foolishly, went into it hoping for something new, fresh, and exciting. However, it didn’t take long to realize this story was going to suffer from the oft-used Contrived Stupidity trope…and not in any subtle or unique way.
In this case, Chuck Townsend made dumb choices—like bringing his cellphone and copies of fax/microfilm of events that hadn’t yet occurred—because they were needed to drive the plot. In regards to the first issue, he could easily have bought a watch and an early Kodak camera (which also would have fulfilled the professor’s request for a souvenir), and the second was just a weak plot point, especially when all he really needed was names and dates. He exhibited the primary failings of every bumbling ‘hero’ of every time-travel movie, even though he was both warned and knew better. He was previously presented as a relatively smart individual, too, which made his choices even more eye-roll worthy. Once I realized that was what the plot would hinge on, I almost DNF’d this one.
I decided to stick it out, though, and found a pleasant, if unsurprising tale of adventure, love, and father-son bonding. Neither Justin nor his father were exceedingly strong, well-developed characters, but Mr. Heldt gave us enough to make them interesting. Some of the secondary characters were fun, and they did give a believable glimpse at turn-of-the-twentieth-century life/society.
One thing I appreciated about “September Sky” was the simplicity of the time-traveling. Time travel is one of those story elements with which a reader is asked to suspend his or her disbelief to varying degrees. Here, it was pretty straightforward and we weren’t asked to delve into the realms of deep sci-fi or endure endlessly technical science Jargon. Once the manner of travel was utilized, the story rapidly moved on and I was able to focus on more important things. Sure, we all knew as soon as Professor Bell gave them the crystals and explained their purpose and importance for returning to the present that it would become a plot complication later, but it wasn’t of immediate concern.
From an editorial standpoint, this novel was pretty clean. I spotted a typo here and there, but nothing pervasive, and it was clear Mr. Yost did a thorough job as editor. Mr. Heldt ’s writing style was simple—almost to the point of blandness in places—but he was clear, concise, and made it easy to determine who was doing/thinking what and when. The dialogue didn’t really flow like natural conversation most of the time, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me, merely an annoyance.
Bottom line: This book was ‘meh’; I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it, either. I was engaged enough to keep following the Townsends’ journey despite its slow start and was satisfied with how it ended (though I don’t think I’ll continue the series). I’d recommend “September Sky” for those who like time-travel fiction and don’t mind the traditional, somewhat worn tropes often found within the genre. -
September Sky American Journey bk 3 by John A Heldt Review
Can two time travelers solve the mystery and save a relative from the gallows???
When unemployed San Francisco reporter Chuck Townsend and his college-dropout son, Justin, take a cruise to Mexico in 2016, each hopes to rebuild a relationship after years of estrangement. But they find more than common ground aboard the ship. They meet a mysterious lecturer who touts the possibilities of time travel. Within days, Chuck and Justin find themselves in 1900, riding a train to Texas, intent on preventing a distant uncle from being hanged for a crime he did not commit. Their quick trip to Galveston, however, becomes long and complicated when they wrangle with business rivals and fall for two beautiful librarians on the eve of a hurricane that will destroy the city. Filled with humor, history, romance, and heartbreak, SEPTEMBER SKY follows two directionless souls on the adventure of a lifetime as they try to make peace with the past, find a new purpose, and grapple with the knowledge of things to come.
What did I like? My second love is time travel and I have fallen in love with this series and have now read all five books. I loved the concept of the books and each of the players in all the books. The thought and the research that it took to write each of the books but to be able to pull them all together is incredible.
What will you like? The facts of the books for anyone that is a history buff will put you into the series and the emotional depth to each will pull all the strings to your heart. Filled with humor, romance, intrigue, mystery, and history will have you till the last page. You can see the comprehensive and full-scale research but take it a step further into the details of each movement of their journeys from the clothes, paperwork and time frames. What an incredible trip it would be for anyone to experience. With the descriptive descriptions, I felt each step and held my breath for every heartfelt mistake they made while they were there. -
Chuck Townsend is a reporter that spent a lot of his time wrapped up in his career. Chuck pursued his reporting career instead of spending time with his family. Now his job is over and his wife has passed, he wants to make up for lost time with his son Justin. They decide to take a cruise to Mexico and catch up. While there they attend a lecture on time travel and find themselves back in Galveston, Texas in 1900.
They have been given the instructions that they are only to observe what is going to happen but both of the men throw that rule out the window when they both fall in love with two women from Galveston. But Chuck has decided that he wants to fix some family history. At the same time that they go back, a family member was accused of murdering a man. Chuck wants to set the records straight.
Of course, we all know that there is a huge paradox about changing the past and how it can affect the future. But on top of this, both men have to decide how they are going to progress with their relationships. They can’t stay and they can bring the women back to our time.
I have read John’s Northwest Passage series and absolutely loved it. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this series. One thing I want to warn you, this book is relatively slow going as John builds the world around you and the romance between Chuck, Justin, and the ladies. But it does pick up toward the end.
This is a great historical romance/time travel fantasy story. It is a great start to the series and I can’t wait to see where it is going from here.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
