Visiting another century…not the summer vacation Abby had planned.
Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy, the first two books in the young adult time-travel trilogy, know that Abby Thomas, is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And you know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house.
And now their computer program is starting to attract attention.
Since the program worked so well for the Old Dears’ family tree project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor Ned Greenfield. And Kate’s fiancé Ryan thinks the program has lucrative commercial potential.
Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother invading their privacy.
The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. According to Kate’s research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place called Hickory Hill.
The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep them away, telling them, “There’s nothing there for you to see.”
Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune.
Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate’s ancestor Ned Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new.
Deborah Heal, the author of the Time and Again time travel mystery series, was born not far from the setting of her book Every Hill and Mountain and grew up “just down the road” from the setting of Time and Again. Today she lives with her husband in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about regional history. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and two canine buddies Digger and Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob).
She loves to interact with her readers, who may learn more about the history behind the books at her website www.deborahheal.com and her Facebook author page www.facebook.com/DeborahHeal. Her books may be purchased on Amazon.com:
Every Hill and Mountain
By Deborah Heal
Summer is winding down when Abby's best friend Kate decides to finally come visit Abby and Merri. But what Abby and Merri think is going to be an all-girls week-end turns out very different from what they imagined.
First off Kate brings Ryan her boyfriend/fiance with her. (FYI Ryan is a total jerk and he only gets worse as the book continues!) Kate isn't her normal self, deferring to Ryan's opinion even concerning what she'll eat! Abby, Merri, and John find Ryan to be opinionated and annoying.
Kate and her mother have been researching her family tree, but they can't information about Kate's many times great grandfather Ned Greenfield. After hearing about Abby and Merri's success helping Beulah and Eulah (or is it Eulah and Beulah???) find their Buchanan relatives, Kate is hoping to use the Beautiful House program to find out more about Ned Greenfield. But House Beautiful hasn't been working since finding the Old Dears Buchanan connection.
The night Kate arrives House Beautiful again shows them Charlotte Miles. Charlotte is helping runaways on their journey to freedom. What is the significance of this scene with Charlotte and is there a tie-in to Kate's search?
This is one journey through time you won't want to miss, just be sure to bring a box of tissue with you as this may well be the most emotional journey yet! A hidden brutality of slavery is brought to light one that is so horrifying that a small southern Illinois town is willing to rewrite its history to hide the truth!
But the potential to abuse Beautiful House grows as more people learn of its existence. Can Abby, John, and Merri keep control of the program and out of the hands of those who would abuse its abilities and use it for profit?
And will Kate see Ryan for who he really is before it is too late? Read Every Hill and Mountain to find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
I received a copy of Every Hill and Mountain from the author in conjunction with this blog tour in exchange for my honest review.
But the potential to abuse Beautiful House grows as more people learn of its existence. Can Abby, John, and Merri keep control of the program and out of the hands of those who would abuse its abilities and use it for profit?
And will Kate see Ryan for who he really is before it is too late? Read Every Hill and Mountain to find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
I received a copy of Every Hill and Mountain from the author in conjunction with this blog tour in exchange for my honest review.
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