Timeless Beginnings

Time Flies #1

by Jill Wallace

Avid dog lover, law enforcement psychic and former Air Baobab air hostess Lucky van Niekerk has a gift for sniffing out answers. From helping to solve cold cases to reliving past lives, she’s torn between worlds—the past and the present; the dead and the living.
She’s helping agents track a dangerous killer. But there are some things she can’t find. Her soulmate, for instance.
Determined to solve her own mystery, Lucky learns she must first help others to help herself. She’s sure she isn’t the only one whose life has been touched by the past, so she sends out a call to her former colleagues. Four other air hostesses answer—and they’ve all experienced past-life dreams in the crew rest aboard the same 747 jumbo jet at 36,000 feet. Can Lucky help them solve the mysteries locked in their dreams, or will they be destined to make the same mistakes they made in a previous life?
Discover the power of uncorking past lives and start the journey with Lucky in this first book in the Time Flies women’s fiction series, as five virtual strangers are drawn together in their quest for fulfilment and love.

290 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2024

About the author

About the Author:

Jill Wallace was born and bred (her mother would prefer ‘brought up’) in South Africa, and lived the second half of her life in America. She feels like the African baobab or “Upside Down Tree”, with roots that look like branches. Like the confused baobab, she no longer knows where the South African ends and the American begins. She’s comfortable in her duality and hopes like hell it affords her some degree of complexity. A girl can always hope :o)

Sometimes, she loves dogs more than people, chocolate more than good sense, and Netflix binge-watching more than house cleaning (well… make the latter ALL the time!)

Jill’s addicted to writing. Expect her novels to have a South African flair, and no matter the century of her characters, she’ll strive to keep their situations relevant and their emotions real.

Wallace listens to the voices in her head which describe their dilemma and state of chaos. Then she waits, pen poised, to see what they’ll do about it. She records how they find the courage and strength to attain what they really want—be it friendship, peace, acceptance, or everlasting love. That’s the magic that keeps her heart pounding in her throat and her fingers flitting across keys.

Jill started her writing career as a screenwriter. Her first script was twice optioned by producers for movies. When disappointment flooded in and dreams collapsed, an author friend said, “To hell with them all. Write a book.” So, she did. It took her three years.

War Serenade is inspired by a true story about a bon vivant Italian opera star forced into WWII, who is shot down, captured by the allies and sent to a run-down POW camp in South Africa. Broken and longing for death, he sees a spunky red head through the barbed wire and when their eyes meet, she becomes his reason to live. But he is a prisoner, and she, his enemy…

War Serenade won a number of awards, the most recent are the Golden Quill Contest Winner Desert Rose RWA, and Rone Awards 2020, for best audio book.

Zebra, a #1 Amazon New Release, is Jill’s second novel and largely based on her husband’s experiences. Athol grew up in a remote resort in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa during the apartheid era and fought in the Bush Wars in the 60’s and 70’s. This literary fiction/historical/action adventure/coming-of-age saga spans 4 decades. Though the times are incendiary, Zebra is not about politics but a divine, true bond of friendship.

Learn more about the author and her books at http://www.jillwallace.com

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this complicated and chaotic historical fiction mystery, readers follow former Air Baobab flight attendant and current law enforcement psychic consultant Lucky van Niekerk as she helps local law enforcement track a dangerous killer and bring them to justice. However, her gifts will not help her solve her own mysteries or track her soulmate -- lost to her for decades at this point -- and she must help others (like the law enforcement officers she’s working with and four other former flight attendants who have experienced past-life dreams) solve their mysteries before she can solve her own. With a dangerous killer on the loose and four women with more questions than answers, Lucky has her work cut out for her in this fascinatingly twisted novel. The characters in the novel are particularly interesting to follow since the novel is vaguely nonlinear and full of shifts around Lucky’s life. The parallel mysteries in the novel are very distinct from each other and do not confuse the reader, and their different plot lines really add to the tension of the novel and allow Lucky’s character to develop. Lucky’s character development is particularly interesting and complex, and readers will look forward to seeing what happens in her future in the rest of the series.

Thanks to BookSirens and Tsotsi Publications for the advance copy.

[Renee Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me intrigued from the very beginning. Lucky was born with a gift, a gift that she used to help solved cold cases, but while helping bring closure for families with missing loved ones, she couldn’t help herself find her soulmate who disappeared thirty years ago. She realized her dreams in her youth of seeing the world as an airline hostess and a chance meeting of her soulmate . But then he suddenly disappeared. Her own mystery prompts her to turn to social media and had four responses from former airline hostesses who had experienced the same thing. Dreams while sleeping on the same mattress while on break on the plane. Each from different places with different backgrounds with one thing in common. After planning a reunion and with high hopes that Lucky’s special gift can help them answer questions fron years ago. I enjoyed the book so much and enjoyed meeting each character, each with awesome and very different personalities. I am looking forward to reading book 2 in Time Flies series

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

TIMELESS BEGINNINGS - a wonderful new series authored by the very talented writer Jill Wallace!

Hold onto your fondest memories as you take off on a whirlwind adventure with Lucky van Niekirk!
Lucky has a nagging feeling of some important part of her life that is left undone.
Through the years, she has put aside her longing to reconnect with her soulmate and forever love, whom she has not been able to locate.
Determined to remedy her unfulfilled destiny, she reaches out to her friends and colleagues from her airline hostess career, and begins a journey
that is both hilarious and edge-of-your-seat thrilling to read. Lucky has an uncanny ability to capture past and future events in her primary career as an assistant investigator for several law enforcement agencies, which sets the stage for many adventures!
This novel is an excellent read, fast-paced and filled with humor and "Oh-my-goodness-NOW-what!" page-turning intrigue!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I initially expected, though I must have read the description before choosing it. I felt the title alone suggested a saga, or a historical timeslip mystery. The story took place in a modern setting, and somehow the protagonist wasn't the type of character that I had in mind.

The story felt a little bit odd to read, and in some ways, the protagonist struck me as an unusual character. I was interested in whatever story the protagonist had to tell, but at some point, I sort of lost track of what was going on.

For the most part, I enjoyed it and found it interesting, but it wasn't the type of book that I'd choose to read again.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a free copy to review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lorena Spensley]

Get your favorite drink, a deck chair in the sun, grab Timeless Beginnings and be prepared to be transported away into a wonderful land of superb storytelling. Escapism at its best!
I have read other Jill Wallace books and this is another winner.
This book has a bit of everything, lost soul loves, the supernatural, romance, female friendships, suspense, murder and more, all cleverly woven through the lives of the diverse characters brought to life by Jill's unique style of writing.
We get to meet Lucky and her special gift that sets the foundation for the series.
So glad this is a series and can't wait for Book two to hit the shelves.
Which "hostie" soul love will Lucky's gift unlock.

[Kerry Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless Masterpiece!
Timeless Beginnings is a brilliant romance, drawing the reader in from the first page and not letting go. Her masterful writing takes readers on a journey through time and seamlessly blends historical detail and emotional depth.

Lucky’s journey is beautifully crafted, as are the vivid descriptions and meticulous historical and personal research that brings the settings to life. I was immersed in the settings; each scene came alive with color and texture. It was more than a book; it was an experience!

The author’s ability to weave a compelling narrative with complex characters and a richly detailed setting makes this book a must-read for fans of historical romance and time-travel fiction. This story will linger in your heart and soul.

[Kimberly Keyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Wallace has written a masterpiece of world building. Get ready to be immersed in South African English language dialect. Her heroine, Lucky, around whom each of the stories, the main one and the side ones revolve, is so real and sympathetic she comes off the page. She's someone every woman would want as a friend, for her humility and wit and smarts and kindness. When we learn about her "gifts" it's almost written like a memoir. For fans of psychic mysteries, sweet heat romance, spiritual fiction, and, crime fiction, I highly recommend Jill Wallace's Timeless Beginnings! Warning! While the crime mystery is solved, the ending does leave you wanting more, and you will need to read on for answers to the over-arching mysteries.

[Sahar's Honest Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Story

This is a unique tale, difficult to put into a specific genre. It is a story with many elements—romance, friendship, psychic mystery, crime, and more. Lucky lost her soulmate years ago, and she is on a quest to find him. On her journey, she connects with past colleagues to help them solve mysteries in their past lives. Lucky does find a killer, but she has a long way to go to find her soulmate. The end of the book leaves you wanting more, waiting for the next book. I look forward to finding out what happens next.

[Linda Fazio · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Timeless Beginnings" is an extraordinary book that combines old time "girl" humor with stealthful overtones of condemnation, and the demeaning, sexualization of women.
But, that is only the Beginning..... the world of our spirits, our past lives is powerfully portrayed in "Lucky", the main character. Surprise and mystery are artfully woven into this story and I found myself yearning, waiting for the next clues to unfold.

Now, onto the next "Pirouette" of enticement.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this interesting, fun novel. I found it to be a deep and thoughtful all while still maintaining a sense of fun and adventure. The authors passion is palpable throughout each chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it.

[Sheri DeVaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself wrapped in this book, like I was part of the story. I couldn't put it down. I love when you can find an author that brings you on a journey. Looking forward to the next book in the series.