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Across Time #1
Across Time
Jessie Ferguson's life is going nowhere. She's tried drugs, alcohol, even sex to fill the void that has no name, but nothing seems to quench that dull ache that visits her nightly.
When she moves into a restored Victorian Bed and Breakfast, all of that changes the instant she hears a call from the past.
A call from her past.
A past life two thousand years ago from a place she knows nothing of, from a woman she's seen only in her dreams. It is a past that needs her, a past that has burst through the boundaries of time in order to ask for her help.
If you believe in soul mates, if you know you've had a past life, if you've ever wondered who you might have been long ago and who you might have loved, then join Jessie in the first of a series of adventures that takes her Across Time.
When she moves into a restored Victorian Bed and Breakfast, all of that changes the instant she hears a call from the past.
A call from her past.
A past life two thousand years ago from a place she knows nothing of, from a woman she's seen only in her dreams. It is a past that needs her, a past that has burst through the boundaries of time in order to ask for her help.
If you believe in soul mates, if you know you've had a past life, if you've ever wondered who you might have been long ago and who you might have loved, then join Jessie in the first of a series of adventures that takes her Across Time.
360 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
5 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Linda Kay Silva
48 books71 followersLinda Kay Silva, a.k.a. Storm, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner and a menagerie of animals. She wakes up happy, laughs all day long, and lives a life that had included African safaris, Thai temples, riding Harleys, and floating down rivers on bamboo rafts. By day, she is a World, American, British, Asian, and Women’s Literature Professor at a military university. By night, she is a lover of all things zombie-esque and will watch any movie where a zombie eats a human being. She’s has been known to offer parts in her books to her students, who touch her life as much as she hopes she touches theirs. She is proud to be with Sapphire Books and looks forward to a long and satisfying writing career with them. Linda Kay prides herself on responding to everyone who has ever written her, and she encourages you to join her and Sapphire Books on Facebook.
Linda Kay Silva is the recipient of the 2013 Alice B. Medal for her body of work.
aka Alex Westmore
Linda Kay Silva is the recipient of the 2013 Alice B. Medal for her body of work.
aka Alex Westmore
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 7, 2016
DNF @ 80 pages.
I think the concept here had a lot of great potential, and the author really writes the dynamic between the teenage girl and her parents in a way that was so incredibly real, I felt the character's frustration like it was my own. But the way it's told isn't handled very well. First there is not enough of the mystical stuff happening, then it all happens suddenly all at once, with an old psychic coming out of nowhere to explain (read: infodump) everything our protagonist needs to know in about ten pages.
It's not a bad book, it's just... nothing about it was compelling or held my interest. I signed up for a time-traveling lesbian adventure, and so far there are no queer characters and very little adventure.
I think the concept here had a lot of great potential, and the author really writes the dynamic between the teenage girl and her parents in a way that was so incredibly real, I felt the character's frustration like it was my own. But the way it's told isn't handled very well. First there is not enough of the mystical stuff happening, then it all happens suddenly all at once, with an old psychic coming out of nowhere to explain (read: infodump) everything our protagonist needs to know in about ten pages.
It's not a bad book, it's just... nothing about it was compelling or held my interest. I signed up for a time-traveling lesbian adventure, and so far there are no queer characters and very little adventure.
January 1, 2020
Excellent read. The time jumps took some time to grasps at first. Interesting take on time and love.
January 14, 2024
This could have been far better. Unfortunately I found myself skipping over much of it because it felt long winded. It does set the scene for the other books, but I won't be reading them.
March 26, 2025
I did not finish this because it's stated that it is lesbian fiction, when it is anything but. And I don't know why the author, who seems to be gay, is writing such stuff. A waste of time.
November 3, 2009
Never has a book spoke to me in such a way as this one, from the first time I picked it up I could not set it down, when I had to set it down I longed to get back to it. I needed to see where Jessie was, what she was doing, how she was going to help those who beckoned her from her life before. When I finished I had to jump right into Second Time, I needed to know what Jessie was up to, each book took a hold of me and kept there, I felt what Jessie felt, I saw what Jessie saw, for the first time in a long time, I actually felt as if I was somebody else, for 2 weeks, I became Jessie Ferguson. I can not wait for the next one to come out.
Not only are Ms Silva's Across Time series one to be read, I recommend all her books. If you want a good laugh with a great story, try Searching for Hemmingway. Want murder, conspiracy and mystery? Read Delta Stevens series Taken By Storm and the others that follow. In the mood for a real love story that survived hell? Tory's Tuesday is the book for you.
Currently reading Three Girls in a Teepee, so far I am just as satisfied as the rest of Ms Silva's book.
I recommend you go read all of them, and beg her for more!
Not only are Ms Silva's Across Time series one to be read, I recommend all her books. If you want a good laugh with a great story, try Searching for Hemmingway. Want murder, conspiracy and mystery? Read Delta Stevens series Taken By Storm and the others that follow. In the mood for a real love story that survived hell? Tory's Tuesday is the book for you.
Currently reading Three Girls in a Teepee, so far I am just as satisfied as the rest of Ms Silva's book.
I recommend you go read all of them, and beg her for more!
April 9, 2016
3 1/2 Stars. I have mixed emotions about this book. I was hoping for an epic, time traveling romance. It did have romance, but it was in the background belonging to one main and one secondary character. And it was more that you knew they were soul-mates, then reading about a relationship. I would not consider this epic either. A large part of the first half of the book was about a 17 year-old, having the most annoying parents on the planet. Towards the end of the book, there was some sparks of action, and that's where the story picked up for me.
Overall, parts of the book were very cerebral, which i don't mind when I know to expect it. However, in this instance I didn't, so that might be why parts were dragging for me. Let me make very clear this book was well written! The author has a story telling gift. My hopes are the parts I found repetitive and boring, won't be in the future books. That they were only in this first book to explain the time traveling aspects. I will read, the next series book, in hopes the excitement, adventure and romance will ramp up some.
Overall, parts of the book were very cerebral, which i don't mind when I know to expect it. However, in this instance I didn't, so that might be why parts were dragging for me. Let me make very clear this book was well written! The author has a story telling gift. My hopes are the parts I found repetitive and boring, won't be in the future books. That they were only in this first book to explain the time traveling aspects. I will read, the next series book, in hopes the excitement, adventure and romance will ramp up some.
April 8, 2013
In my opinion Linda Kay Silva is a classic storyteller. It doesn't matter what her characters look like, how much money they make, or what they do for a living. What she does make important about her characters is who they are as a person and what they intend to do with their lives. Across Time is a perfect example of that. I think what caught me up in this first of the "Time" series is the question, if you knew your past soul and its soul mate needed you would you help? And so the story of Jessie Ferguson begins. Silva does an outstanding job of taking an everyday teenager and making her into a warrior and a champion not only of her time but of a time in her past. The story is quick to pick up and within a chapter or two I was unable to put the book down. I wanted, no needed, to know how the same soul generations apart could come together to create Jessie. I can't wait to get the second in the series and find out where Jessie goes from here!
September 28, 2015
An enjoyable, comfortable story of teen struggles, family struggles, and historical crisis, wrapped up in a little bow of time travel and reincarnation, and with positive, no-nonsense treatment of lesbian characters to boot.
Downsides: It hits a couple standard urban fantasy notes I don't love -- the idea that the modern era is inherently soulless, the elevating of ancient cultures as morally or spiritually superior (exacerbated by focusing on the massacre of a European ancient culture without really touching on any people of color) -- and its treatment of reincarnation toes the line of trying to excuse the homosexuality of two of the main characters via mysticism, but doesn't ever quite dive into that territory.
I'd heartily recommend it for people who are into YA fantasy and that sort of style -- it's not a YA book, but it hits many of those genre conventions -- and anyone who wants to see a teenage character written well.
Downsides: It hits a couple standard urban fantasy notes I don't love -- the idea that the modern era is inherently soulless, the elevating of ancient cultures as morally or spiritually superior (exacerbated by focusing on the massacre of a European ancient culture without really touching on any people of color) -- and its treatment of reincarnation toes the line of trying to excuse the homosexuality of two of the main characters via mysticism, but doesn't ever quite dive into that territory.
I'd heartily recommend it for people who are into YA fantasy and that sort of style -- it's not a YA book, but it hits many of those genre conventions -- and anyone who wants to see a teenage character written well.
July 23, 2012
This book accompanied me across England, on various trains while working and travelling, I've never read a book that has both educated and changed my perceptions of modern life.
Across Time brings wonderfully built characters to life, the development and reader connection of Maeve, Cate and Jessie are something I've not experienced before, the story starts out in a modern day setting and then throws the reader 2000 years into the past, in the days of Druids and the the Roman Empire's attack on Britain.
I literally had to force myself to stop reading each night so I could sleep!
I fell in-love with the characters, the unique style of writing and the fantastic story seamlessly transitioning between modern day and 2000 years into the past.
I am going to be reading the next in the series!
Across Time brings wonderfully built characters to life, the development and reader connection of Maeve, Cate and Jessie are something I've not experienced before, the story starts out in a modern day setting and then throws the reader 2000 years into the past, in the days of Druids and the the Roman Empire's attack on Britain.
I literally had to force myself to stop reading each night so I could sleep!
I fell in-love with the characters, the unique style of writing and the fantastic story seamlessly transitioning between modern day and 2000 years into the past.
I am going to be reading the next in the series!
March 13, 2008
This is Linda Kay's best so far! At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to read a time travel, but she creates characters who are so real, that I found myself sucked into the book after the first ten pages. If you like series, if you like characters who make you fall in love, if you love plots that you tink about even when you're not reading the book, pick up Across Time. I loved it and give it a hearty two thumbs up!
December 10, 2013
The first in a series that I intend to follow. The author is an excellent story teller with a knack for creating realistic and interesting characters. The idea of some souls being able travel across time is compelling and the teenaged protagonist who discovers she possesses this gift is someone worth reading about.
August 2, 2009
A beautifully written book with a teenage protagonist who gets her life back together by helping others who live 2000 years in the past.
Author Linda Kay Silva has created believable characters and an imaginative plot in a book filled with deep wisdom.
Author Linda Kay Silva has created believable characters and an imaginative plot in a book filled with deep wisdom.
October 24, 2017
Is there a sequel?
Read
September 14, 2014Very Engrossing. Got my interest from the beginning.
Read
December 29, 2023DNF - too anti-Christian
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews