September Sky

September Sky, book one of the American Journey series, was given to me in e-book format by author John A. Heldt. I include his middle initial because there is another author, John J. Heldt who writes totally different books.

September Sky is the fourth book by John A, I have had the pleasure of reading. Like his Northwest Passage series, the American Journey is a time travel series. Mr. Heldt is still bringing fresh ideas and plot lines to the time travel genre. As I have said before, one of the things I like most about Heldts' writing is that he does not spend inordinate amounts of space on the technology of time travel. It is possible so we go with it. Of course the main characters have to be convinced it works, or we would have an awful short book.

A big difference in September Sky is the time travel is more purposeful, limited and directed rather than accidental. Our heroes know when and where they are going. Naturally, they stray from the intended why, and therein lies the story. We have a big mystery to contend with, two romances, a little non-graphic kinky sex, action and a time-travel conundrum to deal with. Our heroes have knowledge of an impending natural disaster; so what to do? You know I'm not telling.

I surprised myself and actually guessed one part of the mystery. I thought then that I had figured out the whole story, WRONG! I should know better. There are twists and turns. We know from John A. Heldts previous work, that we are going to ultimately have a happy ending. The always confusing thing is how he's going to pull it off.

September Sky is a deceptive read. The flow is smooth, encouraging the reader to join in for the ride. At the same time there are undercurrents of plot lines ( I think some people refer to them as "plot complications") that kept me engaged. The book does not end in a cliffhanger (way to go John). We know there is more to come but we are not left with the uncomfortable feelings cliffhangers create.

I guess the best way I can describe the feel of Heldts' books is, that while they are sci-fi time travel stories, they are presented in a comfortable readable style. I know, sci-fi means not real, but this author has a way of convincing us to suspend our disbelief and accept the reality that he creates. The suspense and tension increased until I found myself reading well past my usual bedtime in order to finish the book.

If you haven't guessed by now, I have become a great fan of John A. Heldts work. I do already have the available books in the American Journey series and will be reviewing them soon.

For all fans of time travel, history, action, romance, and good fun reads, John A. Heldts September Sky, book one of the American Journey series is an excellent entry in the genre. It will, at times, break your heart, then quickly renew your spirit. I think you will find his work very entertaining. Enjoy!

Mike