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Time Is Eternity
1989
Back in 1989, Theo Wellis made a mistake: he ran from Luke, the man he loved. He’s regretted it ever since--especially because the man in question died more than twenty years ago. One lonely, drunken night, he gets the chance to change the past. Will he take it or run away once again?
34 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Sam C. Leonhard
17 books33 followersSam C. Leonhard is a journalist by profession who lives in southern Germany. Writing has been part of her life since age twenty, but somehow it was never enough to report the latest news about small-town politics. She wrote short stories for friends and family until a few years back she discovered the world of fandom. The Petulant Poetess is where she feels at home; slash became an addiction as soon as she stumbled over the first story.
If not writing—which isn't half as often as she'd like—Sam takes care of her son, her dog, a few cats, the madness at work, and life in general. She likes to believe she’s got some humor left after years of dealing with people who usually don’t understand what she’s talking about when she says she’s writing fantasy and gay porn on top of it.
If not writing—which isn't half as often as she'd like—Sam takes care of her son, her dog, a few cats, the madness at work, and life in general. She likes to believe she’s got some humor left after years of dealing with people who usually don’t understand what she’s talking about when she says she’s writing fantasy and gay porn on top of it.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 12, 2017
A short but beautiful story of second chances. For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.
December 7, 2017
This one has forever sitting in my reader. I'm glad I browsed and read it. Finally.
And I really enjoyed the story.
Ever think if you can turn back the clock and wondering what would happen when you choose a different path in your life?
It can be worse, or better, a wrong path or the right path.
This story makes me wonder.... 'what if...?"
And I really enjoyed the story.
Ever think if you can turn back the clock and wondering what would happen when you choose a different path in your life?
It can be worse, or better, a wrong path or the right path.
This story makes me wonder.... 'what if...?"
June 19, 2012
3,5 stars
That was kind of a drastic version of the "getting a second chance" theme.
Good short story that made me root for the characters to get their HEA but the thoroughness and finality in which it happened...I found it a bit creepy...
That was kind of a drastic version of the "getting a second chance" theme.
Good short story that made me root for the characters to get their HEA but the thoroughness and finality in which it happened...I found it a bit creepy...
June 7, 2012
Second chances are a fascinating concept, and the stories that make them happen hold a special place in my heart. The type where time is ‘rewound’ or just completely restructured to adjust for past mistakes are even more special to me. Maybe because in our ‘reality’ they can never happen, or maybe because, deep down, my inner romantic prefers those. 1989 is a great example of a story with a few surprises and a very elegant solution for a devastatingly heartbreaking problem.
Theo is a man who was afraid of his own shadow, and now has to deal with the consequences of his own cowardice. He lives a life he hates, has more regrets than should be legal, and is totally helpless to change a single thing. The man he loved, and ran from is dead, and nothing Theo does will change that. His emotions were so clear, I felt for him from the very start. When the change comes, I wasn’t sure what was going on. As it becomes clearer to Theo, and me by extension, I became fascinated by the idea of what was happening, even if the ‘how’ remains shrouded in mystery. Which doesn’t matter in the least, because the focus was, rightfully so, on the impact it had on Theo. Very, very well done!
For such a short story, there is a lot of emotion between the characters. Theo, the narrator, is someone I immediately cared for and his predicament of having made a major mistake in his past is one I was able to relate to. If you like stories with a twist, want an unconventional look at time and how we relate to it, and if you like stories where second chances lead to a happy ending, this one is for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Theo is a man who was afraid of his own shadow, and now has to deal with the consequences of his own cowardice. He lives a life he hates, has more regrets than should be legal, and is totally helpless to change a single thing. The man he loved, and ran from is dead, and nothing Theo does will change that. His emotions were so clear, I felt for him from the very start. When the change comes, I wasn’t sure what was going on. As it becomes clearer to Theo, and me by extension, I became fascinated by the idea of what was happening, even if the ‘how’ remains shrouded in mystery. Which doesn’t matter in the least, because the focus was, rightfully so, on the impact it had on Theo. Very, very well done!
For such a short story, there is a lot of emotion between the characters. Theo, the narrator, is someone I immediately cared for and his predicament of having made a major mistake in his past is one I was able to relate to. If you like stories with a twist, want an unconventional look at time and how we relate to it, and if you like stories where second chances lead to a happy ending, this one is for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 18, 2026
This short tells the story of Theo Wellis, desperately unhappy man. He’s never kissed a man, but came close once. Unfortunately, it was his best friend, Luke, and Theo panicked and pushed Luke away. With tragic consequences. Since then years have passed and he is a heavy smoker, married to a soon-to-be-ex wife who never loved him which is fair since he never loved her either. He is absolutely trashed at a dingy pub, wondering what happened with his life. He is heading down memory lane, talking to the disinterested ear of the bartender. Talking about Luke, and how that December 10, 1989 night unfolded; how he wishes he had been different. The bartender just wants to close up and go home. Theo just keeps reliving that night in his head, which he does when he passes out at the bar.
Good grief, this hit just the right notes for me. How many of us would give much to be able to revisit a situation, real or in our dreams, and change the way we reacted, the things we did or said?
This author is new to me, and I can’t wait to see what else she can do.
She put so much into such a short story, made me care about Theo and want something good to happen for him. And I was completely in love with the very end. Yes, there are much worse jobs than that. So recommended.
Good grief, this hit just the right notes for me. How many of us would give much to be able to revisit a situation, real or in our dreams, and change the way we reacted, the things we did or said?
This author is new to me, and I can’t wait to see what else she can do.
She put so much into such a short story, made me care about Theo and want something good to happen for him. And I was completely in love with the very end. Yes, there are much worse jobs than that. So recommended.
June 3, 2012
Theo is approaching forty, with unhappy marriage on his belt, and a joke of a life. Then, he ends up one night in a bar, drunk, and thinking about that night in December 1989, when he refused a kiss from a friend named Luke. That night changed everything in Theo's life that resulted in his present situation. But when the clock strikes midnight, Theo finds he is back in 1989. Can he get one more chance to make things right?
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This is the time-travel story that gives one a chance to fix what is going on in the past. For a short story (only 20 pages), I think it captures the idea pretty well. The story is straight-forward. The only thing that 'surprised' me is how Theo's refusal ends up in a very tragic situation . But other than that, once Theo is back and decides to make a different choice, it all leads to one happy ending.
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This is the time-travel story that gives one a chance to fix what is going on in the past. For a short story (only 20 pages), I think it captures the idea pretty well. The story is straight-forward. The only thing that 'surprised' me is how Theo's refusal ends up in a very tragic situation . But other than that, once Theo is back and decides to make a different choice, it all leads to one happy ending.
March 25, 2013
Typical time travel story but so well written it's amazing. I love the description of the change in the bar, it felt so real I could see Theo's pain and feel a little bit of his headache in my own head!
June 6, 2012
This is surprisingly a good short story. I was positive impressed.
April 27, 2024
Great short story of redoing life. Of having a second chance at love. A quick fast read.
I love this short story. The characters were great and the story line fun and sweet.
I love this short story. The characters were great and the story line fun and sweet.
August 13, 2012
This title was provided free by the author or publisher for review purposes. Review originally posted at Brief Encounters Reviews.
Rating: B-
1989 is a deceptively simple little second chance time travel story, yet almost perfect in the way everything is resolved.
Although I really warmed to Theo in the end, the first time I read this story I had a hard time getting into it. Theo Wellis in the present day is a pretty unlikable character, drowning in a mixture of booze and self-pity as he attempts to drink himself into oblivion. Overweight, unfit, and a chain smoker—not only is Theo physically unappealing, but he’s trapped in a life he hates. He might make plenty of money as a stockbroker, but he hates his job and the trophy wife he married for convenience rather than love.
In case you’re thinking that makes the closeted Theo a complete bastard, rest assured his wife Kelly is every bit as awful as he is. Theo, however, has a reason for being so depressed and rudderless: the loss of the man he loved over twenty years ago. It was Theo’s cowardice that ultimately resulted in him losing Luke forever, and since then he’s been hiding behind his grief and his money. Only now is he able to tell the truth, and only to a surly bartender who really couldn’t care less and only wants to get the pub closed for the night.
But of course, being a second chance tale, when Theo passes out he’s catapulted back in time and into his younger body, on the night of that fateful almost-kiss. At this point, the story really began to captivate me.
One thing that surprised me about the drunken Theo was how clearly he managed to tell his story to the bartender—he didn’t really come across as drunk in his speech. However, that’s a minor quibble, as on the whole the writing in this story is rather splendid. There’s a lyrical cadence to Sam C. Leonhard’s prose that really drew me in. It’s especially evident during the moments of heightened emotion, such as Theo’s second chance kiss, where repetition is used to emphasise the bleakness of Theo’s outlook:
I loved the descriptions of the boathouse, which came across vividly. What really impressed me about the story, though, was the way the author deals with the return to the present, and the confusion of two different timelines sorting themselves out. I really felt that the time travel aspect, although not explained in any science fiction terms, was a carefully thought out aspect of the story rather than mere wish fulfilment.
There were just a couple of small things that niggled at me as I read, and I’m sure they’re a reflection of the fact the author is a German writing a British set story. Most of the time the British vocabulary is perfect, but there were references to a cell rather than a mobile phone, and a motel rather than a hotel. I doubt readers from the rest of the world will notice them, but they seemed odd to a British reader. There was also a rather anachronous reference to a gay wedding in what would have been 1994, when civil partnerships only became legal over here in 2005. Perhaps this is simply an alternative reality, though.
Despite its very short length, this story packs a great emotional punch and was more satisfying than many longer books I’ve read. I’ll definitely be seeking out more by Sam C. Leonhard!
Rating: B-
1989 is a deceptively simple little second chance time travel story, yet almost perfect in the way everything is resolved.
Although I really warmed to Theo in the end, the first time I read this story I had a hard time getting into it. Theo Wellis in the present day is a pretty unlikable character, drowning in a mixture of booze and self-pity as he attempts to drink himself into oblivion. Overweight, unfit, and a chain smoker—not only is Theo physically unappealing, but he’s trapped in a life he hates. He might make plenty of money as a stockbroker, but he hates his job and the trophy wife he married for convenience rather than love.
In case you’re thinking that makes the closeted Theo a complete bastard, rest assured his wife Kelly is every bit as awful as he is. Theo, however, has a reason for being so depressed and rudderless: the loss of the man he loved over twenty years ago. It was Theo’s cowardice that ultimately resulted in him losing Luke forever, and since then he’s been hiding behind his grief and his money. Only now is he able to tell the truth, and only to a surly bartender who really couldn’t care less and only wants to get the pub closed for the night.
But of course, being a second chance tale, when Theo passes out he’s catapulted back in time and into his younger body, on the night of that fateful almost-kiss. At this point, the story really began to captivate me.
One thing that surprised me about the drunken Theo was how clearly he managed to tell his story to the bartender—he didn’t really come across as drunk in his speech. However, that’s a minor quibble, as on the whole the writing in this story is rather splendid. There’s a lyrical cadence to Sam C. Leonhard’s prose that really drew me in. It’s especially evident during the moments of heightened emotion, such as Theo’s second chance kiss, where repetition is used to emphasise the bleakness of Theo’s outlook:
Only being dead would explain this.
So kissing Luke was no big deal at all.
Only it was. Only it felt better than anything he’d ever done before, and how sad was that coming from a man his age? His real age?
I loved the descriptions of the boathouse, which came across vividly. What really impressed me about the story, though, was the way the author deals with the return to the present, and the confusion of two different timelines sorting themselves out. I really felt that the time travel aspect, although not explained in any science fiction terms, was a carefully thought out aspect of the story rather than mere wish fulfilment.
There were just a couple of small things that niggled at me as I read, and I’m sure they’re a reflection of the fact the author is a German writing a British set story. Most of the time the British vocabulary is perfect, but there were references to a cell rather than a mobile phone, and a motel rather than a hotel. I doubt readers from the rest of the world will notice them, but they seemed odd to a British reader. There was also a rather anachronous reference to a gay wedding in what would have been 1994, when civil partnerships only became legal over here in 2005. Perhaps this is simply an alternative reality, though.
Despite its very short length, this story packs a great emotional punch and was more satisfying than many longer books I’ve read. I’ll definitely be seeking out more by Sam C. Leonhard!
October 6, 2012
Theo, drunk and in his forties, looks back on his life and realizes that his fear of his feelings toward Luke have led him to a path he doesn't want. But it's too late now. Luke is dead. His wife wants a divorce. He wants Luke. The bartender justs wants Theo to leave so he can close up. Theo falls off the bar stool and hits his head. Suddenly, Luke is alive and he's back in 1989. Does he have the chance to do-over? Is it just hallucinations from the fall? Theo doesn't know but he's not taking a chance. He's grabbing Luke with both hands and doing what he should have done all those years ago. I liked Theo even if he is a maudlin drunk. Though the bartender is a small part of the story, I liked him too. His thoughts and seeming lack of compassion made me chuckle. Good story and it makes you think of the possibilities that could exist.
March 15, 2014
This is a wonderful, quick story. So beautiful, and teaches the lesson to go for what you want so you don't end up with regrets and guilt. Don't let fear ruin anything. You get to experience Theo's lonely and painful life after one night when he ran away from the man he loved, and then, that man, Luke, died the same night. After drinking himself into oblivion, Theo gets a chance to go back and change that night. Wonderful little read, perfect if you want a little window into their lives. I think everyone should buy it, no question.
January 18, 2015
Theo is turning forty drowning his sorrows at an bar telling his story to the bartender. His in a loveless marriage. All he wants is another chance with the guy name Luke when back in 1989 he turned away from a kiss. Something happens while his drinking himself silly. He has a chance to do right read and find out if it set right.
December 6, 2016
If turning left changed your entire life, given the chance would you go back and turn right?
Chris is given that chance when he goes back to the night of 1989 and has the chance to make up with the one man he ever loved but refused. But with nerves and fear that it's a dream, will he take the chance? I liked the idea and the love and found the little story a nice read.
Chris is given that chance when he goes back to the night of 1989 and has the chance to make up with the one man he ever loved but refused. But with nerves and fear that it's a dream, will he take the chance? I liked the idea and the love and found the little story a nice read.
November 14, 2015
Love those second chances!
September 29, 2014
3.5 Stars
It was good, but I found the story to be just a little bit too short to really get attached to the characters.
It was good, but I found the story to be just a little bit too short to really get attached to the characters.
October 2, 2014
Nice short story. Perfect for when you have little time or want to read before bed.
June 2, 2016
Absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love fast!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews