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Out of Time #10.3
The Christmas Express: An Out of Time Christmas Novella (Book 3)
The Cross family is enjoying the perfect Christmas Eve until someone from the Council for Temporal Studies arrives. A time-travel pocket watch lost by one of their operatives has been found ... by none other than Mark Twain! Simon & Elizabeth must go back to 1898 and retrieve the watch before Twain accidentally wreaks havoc on the timeline—altering the fabric of history forever.
Their spirited ten-year-old daughter, Charlotte, joins them on their mission—a train ride across the country and into the very heart of Christmas. But the legendary author is a broken and bitter man, and it just might take a Christmas miracle to save the day. A fast-paced and charming celebration of the season, The Christmas Express is Simon and Elizabeth's most personal, enchanting, and heartfelt adventure yet.
Their spirited ten-year-old daughter, Charlotte, joins them on their mission—a train ride across the country and into the very heart of Christmas. But the legendary author is a broken and bitter man, and it just might take a Christmas miracle to save the day. A fast-paced and charming celebration of the season, The Christmas Express is Simon and Elizabeth's most personal, enchanting, and heartfelt adventure yet.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2019
56 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Monique Martin
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Monique was born in Houston, Texas, but her family soon moved to Southern California. She grew up on both coasts, living in Connecticut and California. She currently resides in Southern California with her naughty Siamese cat, Monkey.
Monique attended the University of Southern California's Film School where she earned a BFA from the Filmic Writing department. Monique worked in television for several years before joining the family business. She now works full-time as a freelance writer and novelist. Her novels Out of Time, When the Walls Fell, Fragments & The Devil's Due are the first three books in the Out of Time series.
She's currently working on an adaptation of one of her screenplays, her father's memoirs about his time in the Air Force's Air Rescue Service and the next book in the Out of Time series.
Monique was born in Houston, Texas, but her family soon moved to Southern California. She grew up on both coasts, living in Connecticut and California. She currently resides in Southern California with her naughty Siamese cat, Monkey.
Monique attended the University of Southern California's Film School where she earned a BFA from the Filmic Writing department. Monique worked in television for several years before joining the family business. She now works full-time as a freelance writer and novelist. Her novels Out of Time, When the Walls Fell, Fragments & The Devil's Due are the first three books in the Out of Time series.
She's currently working on an adaptation of one of her screenplays, her father's memoirs about his time in the Air Force's Air Rescue Service and the next book in the Out of Time series.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 12, 2019
A Christmas Miracle
I love the fact that Monique Martin is releasing Christmas novellas, following on from Christmas in New York and In Time for Christmas. These slot nicely into the main series, which I have been loving for quite some time now and are quite similar in the fact that Jodi Taylor also releases Christmas novellas, alongside her main series.
This novella is centred around a festive train journey (not quite the Polar Express) across country to Sam Francisco, to retrieve one of the time travel pocket watches from none other than Samuel Clemens. Well, this was a bit of a lesson for me, since I had no idea who that was. I haven’t read many, if any, Mark Twain books, although I am curious about his own time travel book which is obviously where this nugget of an idea came from.
Charlotte, Simon and Elizabeth’s daughter, is quickly becoming her own character at the moment. She’s 10, going on 20, during this book and is starting to take an interest in boys (I was still playing with dolls!), much to Simon’s chagrin. She definitely takes centre stage in this book, although she’s quite often sent away to “read quietly”, since they have travelled back to 1898, children should be “seen and not heard”. Well, that’s pretty much like waving a red flag in front of a bull, and Charlotte finds herself facing the wrath of a very grumpy Samuel at times.
This book does feel quite restricted, as it is a five day train journey, through snow drifts and blizzard conditions. Much like Voyage In Time, earlier in the main series, there is a slight claustrophobic feel to it, as they’re trapped on a train for the majority of the book. Apart from a slight escapade into the snow by Charlotte.
It’s the perfect book for reading, curled up by the fire, or under a duvet, while the wind roars outside and you can almost picture yourself on the train, trying to wrestle this watch from Mr Grumpy.
I love the fact that Monique Martin is releasing Christmas novellas, following on from Christmas in New York and In Time for Christmas. These slot nicely into the main series, which I have been loving for quite some time now and are quite similar in the fact that Jodi Taylor also releases Christmas novellas, alongside her main series.
This novella is centred around a festive train journey (not quite the Polar Express) across country to Sam Francisco, to retrieve one of the time travel pocket watches from none other than Samuel Clemens. Well, this was a bit of a lesson for me, since I had no idea who that was. I haven’t read many, if any, Mark Twain books, although I am curious about his own time travel book which is obviously where this nugget of an idea came from.
Charlotte, Simon and Elizabeth’s daughter, is quickly becoming her own character at the moment. She’s 10, going on 20, during this book and is starting to take an interest in boys (I was still playing with dolls!), much to Simon’s chagrin. She definitely takes centre stage in this book, although she’s quite often sent away to “read quietly”, since they have travelled back to 1898, children should be “seen and not heard”. Well, that’s pretty much like waving a red flag in front of a bull, and Charlotte finds herself facing the wrath of a very grumpy Samuel at times.
This book does feel quite restricted, as it is a five day train journey, through snow drifts and blizzard conditions. Much like Voyage In Time, earlier in the main series, there is a slight claustrophobic feel to it, as they’re trapped on a train for the majority of the book. Apart from a slight escapade into the snow by Charlotte.
It’s the perfect book for reading, curled up by the fire, or under a duvet, while the wind roars outside and you can almost picture yourself on the train, trying to wrestle this watch from Mr Grumpy.
December 21, 2021
A fun Christmas adventure with the Cross Family interacting with Mark Twain....
February 3, 2022
Simply Wonderful
For those of us who believe anything is possible, and those who only wish it were, this series is a must read. It combines time travel with the miracle of Christmas.
For those of us who believe anything is possible, and those who only wish it were, this series is a must read. It combines time travel with the miracle of Christmas.
December 3, 2019
What a Christmas gift
Once again, I devoured the story! It tugs at emotions all over the place. Clemens is one of my favorite authors, and it was interesting to see him portrayed here. Thank you, Monique, for another enjoyable story with such finely depicted characters. It was truly an enjoyable, if all too fast, read.
Once again, I devoured the story! It tugs at emotions all over the place. Clemens is one of my favorite authors, and it was interesting to see him portrayed here. Thank you, Monique, for another enjoyable story with such finely depicted characters. It was truly an enjoyable, if all too fast, read.
December 12, 2019
Excellent
Excellent Christmas book. I don't usually read time travel boos but this one was written beautifully. I especially liked the reference to Samuel Clemens words from his books. I fell in love with all the characters in the book!
Excellent Christmas book. I don't usually read time travel boos but this one was written beautifully. I especially liked the reference to Samuel Clemens words from his books. I fell in love with all the characters in the book!
August 6, 2022
Simon and Elizabeth Cross must spend another Christmas Holiday jumping around time in order to rescue one of the watches that allow one to travel through time. These watches are supposed to be controlled very very strictly, but back in 1898, one of them managed to fall into the hands of a rather well known author - by the name of Samuel Clemens - aka Mark Twain.
So for the Christmas of 1898, Mr Twain and other passengers are taking a train across the country from NYC to Chicago and on to San Francisco. Thus Mr Twain will be in a contained environment to try and remove the watch from his person. The Crosses are also persuaded to take their 10 year old daughter Charlotte with them.
The novel then ensues with several funny attempts by the parents to try and finagle the watch away from Mr Twain. Elizabeth Cross even challenges Twain to a game of poker - which Mr Twain wins - and thus he gets to keep the watch. During this train ride, Young Charlotte just wants to talk to Mr Twain because he is such an important person in literature. But she knows enough to not mention anything about the future.
What she doesn't know is that Mark Twain recently lost his beloved daughter and he is still grieving for her. So when a girl like Charlotte, is all curious around him and asking a lot of questions, sometimes Twain gets upset and angry, because she reminds him of the little girl he has lost.
After Mrs Cross lost the poker game, she got rather desperate and decided to break the rules and tell Mr Twain exactly why the watch is very important. Naturally he was sceptical, especially when they could not tell him anything of the future. He would have had no way of being able to prove it anyway.
At the end of the train ride once everyone is out on the train station platform in Oakland (they still have to take a ferry across the Bay to the City of San Francisco) Mark Twain eventually chooses to give the watch to young Charlotte. He then watches as the family gather up their luggage and move to a small side alley where they disappear in a flash of light. Mark follows them to the alley, and sees the flash of light, but by the time he gets there, the alley way is empty.
Mark Twin is a storyteller. Maybe he might write a story about this?
Excellent story. I gave this 4 stars, only because Simon Cross goes way over the top with trying to keep his daughter safe. He annoyed me rather a lot!!
So for the Christmas of 1898, Mr Twain and other passengers are taking a train across the country from NYC to Chicago and on to San Francisco. Thus Mr Twain will be in a contained environment to try and remove the watch from his person. The Crosses are also persuaded to take their 10 year old daughter Charlotte with them.
The novel then ensues with several funny attempts by the parents to try and finagle the watch away from Mr Twain. Elizabeth Cross even challenges Twain to a game of poker - which Mr Twain wins - and thus he gets to keep the watch. During this train ride, Young Charlotte just wants to talk to Mr Twain because he is such an important person in literature. But she knows enough to not mention anything about the future.
What she doesn't know is that Mark Twain recently lost his beloved daughter and he is still grieving for her. So when a girl like Charlotte, is all curious around him and asking a lot of questions, sometimes Twain gets upset and angry, because she reminds him of the little girl he has lost.
After Mrs Cross lost the poker game, she got rather desperate and decided to break the rules and tell Mr Twain exactly why the watch is very important. Naturally he was sceptical, especially when they could not tell him anything of the future. He would have had no way of being able to prove it anyway.
At the end of the train ride once everyone is out on the train station platform in Oakland (they still have to take a ferry across the Bay to the City of San Francisco) Mark Twain eventually chooses to give the watch to young Charlotte. He then watches as the family gather up their luggage and move to a small side alley where they disappear in a flash of light. Mark follows them to the alley, and sees the flash of light, but by the time he gets there, the alley way is empty.
Mark Twin is a storyteller. Maybe he might write a story about this?
Excellent story. I gave this 4 stars, only because Simon Cross goes way over the top with trying to keep his daughter safe. He annoyed me rather a lot!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2022
It's Christmas Eve and the Cross family (Simon, Elizabeth, and their daughter Charlotte) are just playing a competitive game of Scrabble when a knock at the door precedes their latest mission. The writer Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) has unknowingly acquired one of the time travelling watches and the Crosses must somehow replace it with a harmless replica before Mr Clemens' natural curiosity leads him to play with the buttons at the wrong time.
Hence the Crosses travel back to 1898 and board a cross-country train on which Mr Clemens is a passenger bound to San Francisco. The family have numerous scrapes and adventures, but it will take all their charm and ingenuity to part Mr Clemens from his watch before the next eclipse.
I had no idea there were Christmas novellas and I can't believe I've missed them all this time. This one was discounted to 99p and such a bargain.
Hence the Crosses travel back to 1898 and board a cross-country train on which Mr Clemens is a passenger bound to San Francisco. The family have numerous scrapes and adventures, but it will take all their charm and ingenuity to part Mr Clemens from his watch before the next eclipse.
I had no idea there were Christmas novellas and I can't believe I've missed them all this time. This one was discounted to 99p and such a bargain.
February 5, 2022
Monique Martin has a way of making the reader feel as if you are the invisible character in each tale. You see the characters…smell the food and partake in their feelings. Little Charlotte is truly becoming her mother’s child, much to the chagrin of her father, Simon. However, as she grows so does his already deep love for his child. Each of these characters are complex and their love and respect for each other are very comfortable reading at a time when it feels like those feelings are on the wain! Truly delightful read, as are every one of Monique Martin’s books. Only trouble is, I get so “into it” that I read each of them in one setting! (Yes even the longer ones)
May 2, 2024
A short tale full of big adventure.
It’s Christmas and the whole Cross family, sans Jack, must go back in time to rescue an errant watch from none other than Mark Twain himself. The entire adventure takes place on a train (first class, of course) from New York to San Francisco.
There’s never a dull moment as usual with this bunch, especially with Charlotte along to keep everyone on their toes, and the tension build right up to the very end. Will they or won’t they rescue the watch? If you’re a reader of the series you’ll know the answer to that!
It’s Christmas and the whole Cross family, sans Jack, must go back in time to rescue an errant watch from none other than Mark Twain himself. The entire adventure takes place on a train (first class, of course) from New York to San Francisco.
There’s never a dull moment as usual with this bunch, especially with Charlotte along to keep everyone on their toes, and the tension build right up to the very end. Will they or won’t they rescue the watch? If you’re a reader of the series you’ll know the answer to that!
December 22, 2020
Christmas Express
Monique Martin, has a way with storytelling and mystical Christmas storylines. I have enjoyed all three novels presented with a time travel holiday manuscripts. Worthy read.
Monique Martin, has a way with storytelling and mystical Christmas storylines. I have enjoyed all three novels presented with a time travel holiday manuscripts. Worthy read.
December 9, 2019
Kobo epub; 11.5 in series
Slightly longer than usual, I think - here the Cross family are on a transcontinental rail trip (New York to San Francisco) just before Christmas in an attempt to retrieve one of the Council watches which has somehow come into the possession of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). It's important to do so before Christmas when an eclipse is due...
Much the mixture to be expected from a Christmas story - especially with Charlotte along (now ten). The inevitability of thee watch falling into the hands of someone well known is probably also to be expected... time travel seems to inevitably involve the famous.
A pleasant enough read, if perhaps a trifle bland.
Slightly longer than usual, I think - here the Cross family are on a transcontinental rail trip (New York to San Francisco) just before Christmas in an attempt to retrieve one of the Council watches which has somehow come into the possession of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). It's important to do so before Christmas when an eclipse is due...
Much the mixture to be expected from a Christmas story - especially with Charlotte along (now ten). The inevitability of thee watch falling into the hands of someone well known is probably also to be expected... time travel seems to inevitably involve the famous.
A pleasant enough read, if perhaps a trifle bland.
December 20, 2019
Great as always
This book continues the story of the time traveling Cross family. I like that Mark Twain was in this book and that he had a watch for time traveling. The story was a nice Christmas story combined with the mission that they had to accomplish. Worth a read.
This book continues the story of the time traveling Cross family. I like that Mark Twain was in this book and that he had a watch for time traveling. The story was a nice Christmas story combined with the mission that they had to accomplish. Worth a read.
December 22, 2019
Another good one
This family's adventures are always very good reading and this one is no exception. A very refreshing Christmas story for this day and time..
This family's adventures are always very good reading and this one is no exception. A very refreshing Christmas story for this day and time..
December 24, 2019
A True Christmas Gift
Perfect time of the year (Christmas) to read this delightful story. Lots of nice stops on this Christmas Express. Well researched and heart warming.
Perfect time of the year (Christmas) to read this delightful story. Lots of nice stops on this Christmas Express. Well researched and heart warming.
December 27, 2019
I enjoyed this Christmas story featuring trains and Mark Twain!
January 4, 2020
Lovely Christmas read
Read
January 6, 2020I love the Out of Time series. This episode concerns a stolen time traveling watch and Mark Twain.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews