Lost in Nowhere

by Barbara Pietron

Jeni has fully accepted her spiritual ability, and yet she's unnerved by the apparition of Marielle, the ghost of a pioneer girl asking for help. As the ghost’s tragic love story unfolds in her dreams, Jeni's resistance melts and she resolves to save the soul of Marielle’s lost love. When she discovers her own impulses cause Marielle to act uncharacteristically, Jeni believes she can change the past. Despite warnings against meddling with time, Jeni's convinced she can save the soul of Marielle's lover. Deep inside a dream and intent on her quest, Jeni is lured into a trap that binds her soul to Marielle’s. With no allies, no knowledge about crossing through time and with limited 18th century resources, Jeni is terrified: failure will leave her soul trapped in the past, or worse . . . lost in nowhere. 

Genres: Fiction

354 pages, Paperback

Published April 20, 2021

About the author

Hi! I'm the author of the urban fantasy Legacy in Legend series which includes Veiled Existence, Thunderstone, and Heart of Ice. I also have a stand-alone novel, Soulshifter. I loved witches and vampires way before they were trendy and still gravitate toward stories with supernatural elements both when reading and writing. Although classified as young adult, my books are enjoyed by a wide audience—pre-teen through adult.

I love to share my stories with others so the Legacy in Legend prequel, Heart of Ice, is FREE on my website: www.barbarapietron.com

My novel Thunderstone was awarded 2013 Book of the Year Finalist status by Foreward Reviews and before it was published, Thunderstone was a quarter-finalist in the 2012 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, winning a full manuscript review by Publisher's Weekly.

Before writing novels, I wrote non-fiction for magazines and was published both nationally and regionally. I'm an auto industry expat and a cancer survivor, and I believe in chasing your dreams and that if you can dream it, you can do it.

When not writing, I work in a library where I'm tortured by all the books I have yet to read. I'm a cult fan of the movies Labyrinth and Nightmare Before Christmas and a fan of all things Tim Burton. I also like to walk, garden and sew.

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan with my husband, daughter and a cat that often acts like a dog.

Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/barbara.pietron.19
And Instagram:
www.instagram.com/barbarapietron_author
Contact me through my website: www.barbarapietron.com or email author@barbarapietron.com

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful first time book from this author for me. The story unfolds with the main characters, Jeni and Ice. Jeni tries to help a friend but just might get caught in time. Definitely had me intrigued in the Jeni’s special powers. Loved it.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read the first two books in the series, and while it is clear when reading this book that there are other books in the series, not reading them does not cause any issues. In other words, this one can be picked up on its own.

Jeni stays clear of the Mississippi River, knowing that a spirit connected to the river can cause issues for her, but a family event makes this impossible. Accustom to seeing ghosts, she isn't shocked when Marielle, a ghost from long before, appears. Touched by the story Marielle shows her through dreams, Jeni finally decides to help her but finds herself transported back in time and placed in Marielle's body. Now, she needs to find a way to help Marielle or suffer the consequences.

This was a lovely read and does draw in with it's unique twist. Jeni has come to accept her abilities and, thanks to her concern for the ghost, hard not to like and root for. The zap through time is also well done...something I wasn't sure would work. But it does. Very well. There is a bit of confusion whenever Jeni comes back, but then, it's no wonder that Jeni would be confused. So, it comes across naturally.

The writing is well done and flows, while drawing in. There is enough tension to keep the pace quick while still allowing enough depth to draw into the characters. One of the side characters does come across a little inconstant in her reactions, but then, it could be part of her personality since one doesn't really know much about her...nor does the reader have to. Even the romance works and doesn't go along the usual swoony thread but shows more of a realistic side.

This is an engaging read with a wonderful historical twist.

[Tamalita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read the other books in the series, so at the beginning I did feel a little lost. I didn't really know the characters or what was going on.
I felt that the book was slow at the beginning as well.
But, once it kicked into gear, wow! Fantastic.
That author did a great job of describing people and places, the scenes were well described.
I would definitely be interested in reading more in this series!

[Kenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 /5 Stars

Reading this book during a heavy slump really set me on edge with irritation but I finished it and I have thoughts!

First this was given to me buy the publisher for a honest review. So thank you so so much!

I was told you could read this one even if you hadn’t read books one and two. And I could see that working but for me, I needed to really know these characters. So I will be reading both books and maybe a reread before book 4 comes out.

The book was so good, it had the right amount of action and spookiness. The character Jeni really interested me because she was kind of unsure of her ability but she was also very interested in finding out more about what it really was. By the end of her ordeal it’s save to say she’s determined to learn more about herself. Now her relationship with Ice is the reason I need to read both book 1-2! I need to read the start of that because it was just so cute!! The pace of the book was good and the historical aspect was very interesting as well. I really enjoyed the book.

The reason for the 4.5 rating was because I did become a bit lost when they mentioned events that happened in the other two books. Super cute read, I’m happy! I need book 4 because that ending left me with so many questions!

[Karen Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Mississippi River
*spirits
*time travel
I read this book as an ARC, thank you Edelweiss and Scribe Pub Co.
It is the 3rd in the series and I have not read the first two. But the author did a good job of filling in gaps for previous storylines. This book continues the story of Jeni and Ice and the trouble that they get into with the spirit world. The setting, once again, is based around the Mississippi river which draws me in since I live very near this mighty river. Book 1 is set in Minnesota where the river starts and book 2 is set on a Mississippi river boat cruise.

Jeni and Ice spend their summer vacation trying to help two lost souls from centuries ago pass over together into the after world. Time travel and historical fiction are two of my favorite genres and this author did a good job describing these events in this book. I actually enjoyed the scenes from the past more than the present.

I do want to know what is going to happen to Jeni and Ice and the author says that her next setting will be in Memphis, my hometown! In the meantime I will definitely read the first two books and put them in my high school library for my students to read.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the third book of the Legacy of Legends series, we again meet Jeni, her boyfriend and shaman Ice and Jeni’s family. Spending a week long vacation at a Missouri resort seems a great idea. Down time, family time, ghost time……Jeni has been trying to hone her ability to deal with the supernatural but isn’t having a lot of success until she sees the same girl twice in a few hours and understands she is long dead.

Asking the help of Ice, she finds that the girl can’t move on because her love is stuck in the In Between and she won’t leave without hi. Jeni immediately begins brainstorming ways to fix the problem, but she also knows that something is after her and she doesn’t dare let it in.

This book a YA Paranormal story was a quick read and held my attention. I hadn’t read the first two novels and, while that might have cleared up a few things; this book was fine as a stand alone. I enjoyed the characters – both past and present – and was disappointed that my library system didn’t have books one and two.

All in all, a good book and one my granddaughters would really enjoy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I received the ARC from the Library Thing giveaways in exchange for an honest review. I've always loved stories that include mythology or folklore spins aspects to them and this entire series is rooted in them, adding a wonderful tidbits of other cultures that make me want to look up the etymology and true stories they come from. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to read books out of order or at all if I haven't read the books that are supposed to come before them. While "Lost in Nowhere" is written well enough that it may be able to be read as a standalone for some, I'm glad I took the time to read it's prequels prior to reading "Lost in Nowhere." I feel like I would have felt like I was missing out on information I wouldn't have had otherwise and I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. Each has left me wanting to know what happens next for the characters.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 3rd book in the series and as I have not read the first two I will say it was hard to get into at first. But around chapter 3 it started to come together and after that I could not put it down. I loved the telling of the two stories...One being Marielle and Amakapa and then Jeni and Ice and how Jeni could feel the connection between both of them. I would have loved to know a little bit more of Marielle and Amakapas love story but there was enough that your heart just broke for them. Towards the end I just really wanted to jump to the last page to find out how it all turned out....not because it was boring but because it was so exciting I couldn't wait. But I made myself slow down and read it through and I'm glad I did. This book is worth the read.

I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewer for an honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ouija board for present is that a good idea?
Good action in this one I like Jeni even before accepting her abilities she has been a kind and helpful character in this one Marielle needs help. Marielle is the ghost of a pioneer girl. The problem is that the unexpected occurred and now Jeni has a serious problem.You will meet all sorts of characters in this on. Wonderful and clear description of the events that were occurring in the book and I like the one scene at the end with Lord of the Moon. It is clear that there will be more to come. Excellent book but the whole series is a must-read for fantasy lovers I am happy to recommend this book. I did receive a free copy of this book from Hidden Gem and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Lost in Nowhere in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of trouble getting into the story and characters here but keep in mind since this book is supposed to work as a standalone, I haven't read the other 2 books in the series so for someone who has, that issue may not exist. There's nothing inherently wrong with the story, I just found it to be a lot of telling and explaining and very little showing and letting the reader figure things out for their own and it left me bored and unengaged.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a placeholder for my friend’s unpublished book which hast the same name and amount of pages as this book.

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Lost in Nowhere by Barbara Pietron.

This is an Earlier Reviewers book I got the chance to read. I wished I had a chance to read one of the two books before this one because it took me time to get interested in this book. I thought the author did well with her writing. I enjoyed the characters and once I got into it the more the story flowed.

The book continues with Jeni and Ice getting in trouble in the spirit world. This was a time travel historic read from the past to the future. The story was well organized to where the reader kept track of time and place. In this book I thought Jeni had accepted her spiritual ability just by reading some of the back information from the other books. The story continues with Jeni who thinks she can change the past after being advised of interfering with time. It was an interesting story following Jeni quest getting lost in nowhere…

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really picked up about halfway through, and then I couldn’t put it down! The beginning really captured my interest quickly, I thought it was one of the better books in the series. Each book has gotten better with the plots and the writing. I could picture the locations really well, and I liked the plot a lot. I have always liked Ice and Jeni together, and seeing them spending time together is really sweet. Looking forward to still learning more about Jeni’s abilities (...the ending is killing me!) and where the next trip is!

I received this as an ARC to provide an honest review.