Eyes Like Stars Giveaway and Independence Day…

Best of all things on a summer day is reading a fascinating, fantastic book. A beloved favorite is always a good choice. However, as wonderful as it is to revisit an old literary companion, nothing beats that thrill, that excitement, and the anticipation of cracking open a new book: delving into another world and meeting yet unknown characters, having no idea what you will find there. And being a good bibliophile, I try and keep up with all the new releases, as evidenced by nearly 500 books on my to-read list, though some of those have been on there for years…

One book that has been on my list since it was posted on Amazon is Eyes like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. And right now there is a copy being given away at Squeaky Books All you need to do is comment to be entered into the contest to win a copy of what sounds like a fabulous book. (Shakespeare and faeries – what else could you possibly need to know?) You can be entered again if you blog about this contest and give a link to said post. Sadly, no international entries. No entries after midnight on Wednesday the 15th, 2009. Winner to be announced the 16th.

And the reason for this giveaway? Why, in celebration of our Freedom, recently commemorated on July 4th. And in honor of that momentous occasion, I’d like to share a post I read on Independence Day: Olde_fashioned A more timely or accurate sentiment I could not recall having heard expressed all that week. So, a belated Happy Independence Day and go try for a copy of Lisa Mantchev’s book!

Quote of the Day: “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” ~ Lemony Snicket

Summer Series: Merlin

The Cast of "Merlin"

I have enjoyed this series from the very first episode and am delighted that I can also share it with my family. It is rare these days that we can all sit down and watch the same show. This is one of those wonderful shows where we can. “Merlin” is loosely based on the Arthurian legends, and it follows none of them exactly. Rather, it takes inspiration from the source material, but interprets it in entirely new ways, recreating the myths yet again. Given that I pretty much have hated every take on the Arthurian saga I’ve ever read or seen, the revisonistic tendencies of this series do not bother me in the slightest and in fact actually allow me to enjoy it. Purists might take umbrage at what they may consider a grave travesty, but most will hopefully watch it and be willing to just enjoy the story.

This is a BBC series that NBC is currently airing over the summer. So, for a welcome change, the British accents are authentic and most of the actors are new, at least in America.  When I watch someone act, I want to focus on the character, not the actor. In general, the UK does not idolize its entertainers in the same sychophantic manner as the US and I think it shows.  The acting is first-rate. Again, another difference I noted immediately, even before realizing that the series was a BBC production, was the acting skills of the cast. I could tell that they were Bristish – I think it comes from so many of them having extensive theater training or something…

The first episode hit on that the relationship between Merlin, the young magician, and Arthur, the prince of Camelot is essential and pivotal to the plot. When they meet, they rather hate each other, but destiny brings them together. The first episode also reveals, very clearly, that magic is verboten in Uther’s kingdom, which adds another element of peril for Merlin.

It has a good, if highly inaccurate, setting at a castle in France and they shoot some scenes in Wales. It lends the perfect fantastical atmosphere to a series all about myth and magic. The costumes, esp. Lady Morgana’s dresses, are all out of sync with both each other and their time period, which is vague at best. The castle suggests 10th century or so, clothing ranges from 9-12th centuries, the dialogue is far too modern and informal, etc. and etc. But we are going to let that go because this is a fantasy, not a period drama.

Characters and the friendship plot. I am a sucker for any  good friendship story, which you don’t see come along too often. (Psych and Road to Avonlea come to mind…) The friendship between Merlin and Arthur is complicated, but enduring. Secrets, mysteries, betrayals, tests of trust and loyalty, confusion and a host of problems plague the inhabitants of Camelot and it is never a good idea to assume who is friend and who is a foe. Every character has flaws, demons they have to deal with, and all of them react in very different ways. But most are also shown to have some measure of goodness in them, even the characters you initially write off as worthless second-rate villain material. No one is a perfect paragon of virtue, least of all Merlin, or a villain without any credible motivation other than that they are bad so they obviously have to do bad things and always choose the bad thing to do.  I hope that they continue to keep their focus on the development of their characters in the second season.

I like that magic is shown to be neither inherently good nor bad, but that it depends on how it is used. However, the one inconsistency that I have noticed that really truly bothers me, apart from the inaccurate clothing and sets and dialogue which are all wrong for the time period, is the way that Merlin uses his magic. In the first episode Merlin is  capable of making spells with no mouthed incantation, which seems to indicate an unusual and unheard of magical talent. But then, for the rest the season,  he is seen using spells and incantations for everything, from opening a closed door to healing a sick person. Apart from the fact that you are much more likely to be caught using magic if you are muttering magical cantrips, it also makes no sense when it was obvious that Merlin could use magic without them. Or does he use the words because they give him control over his magic….?

And what about that dragon, hmm? As for the special effects, well, they are not tremendous, but then neither is Doctor Who.

Magic and morality. My favorite.  Not only is it entertainment, but it is the sort where lessons about  choosing what is right in life are interwoven into the story. Characters are repeatedly thrust into situations where they need to choose between what is right and what is easy, what they know is the correct course of action and what is expected of them, especially on a social level. Each decision made holds consequences for our protagonists and the people that they care about. Some of the morals expounded on are friendship, respect, patience, good will, and forgiveness.

Right now the show’s first season has ended with the 13th episode, and though we now have some answers, we have just as many new questions given the unsettling new information revealed about our characters in the finale.

As far as some complaints you may face about this show… I’ve heard people expressing lots of hateful and whiny messages, such as the show is cheap, historically inaccurate, bad actors (admittedly, some of the dialogue is lame, but that is hardly the actors’ fault), and it doesn’t follow the legends, etc. Hey, if you don’t like the show, fine. But no need to be a negative, beastly troll about it. Just say you don’t like it and move on. No one is forcing you to watch it. (Okay, yes you in the corner? Oh, they tied you up and made you watch it? They even propped your eyes open with tooth picks? Very well, you were forced. Very sorry. Yes, that was unconscionable of them indeed. But the rest of you? Just let it go.)

Foyle’s War: Series One

This is one of my favorite series, especially as it is a very authentic and detailed historical mystery series set during WWII in Britain. The attention to authenticity and the small features and aspects from clothing to dialogue to the cars and streets is what makes it such a treat to watch. Each episode (which is almost a small feature film given that they run anywhere from an hour and forty minutes +  to an hour and twenty+) is based on an actual event that took place at the time. It has great characters, most particularly in the reserved and deeply honourable Christopher Foyle (played by Michael Kitchen) and the ebullient, positive and slightly eccentric Samantha Stewart (played by Honeysuckle Weeks).

The premise is that Foyle, a police inspector during the Second World War is stuck at home investigating murders and thefts, looting and blackmail while an international war is being fought and he feels that he could serve better in another capacity. When we first meet him he is petitioning to be allowed to work for the War Office. Instead, he is told that he is needed right where he is and is summarily issued a driver, since he apparently never learnt. Given the shortage of men, a young woman from the MTC is pulled to be his driver. Sam Stewart is possibly the last possible person one can imagine Foyle working with as she is endlessly curious and talkative. In fact, Foyle tells her straight off: “I think that we should get one thing straight from the beginning. You don’t ask me what I’m doing, you don’t ask me what I’m  investigating; you simply take me where I want to go. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir. Completely, sir.”

I love how quickly that changes. Before long they are discussing the cases as they drive:)

Paul Milner is the other main character, but I’ll be honest and just admit his character never interested me much. He was rather dull and his storylines never really improved him in my estimation.

There are four episodes in the first series: The German Woman (a.k.a. The Pilot), The White Feather, A Lesson in Murder and Eagle Day.

The White Feather,  is a fascinating ep, especially how Foyle handles the situation. Charles Dance turns in another excellent performance as a creepy, nasty “gentleman”, Guy Spencer, who is an anti-Semetic, pro-Nazi bigoted blackguard. Milner shows up at one of his speeches and actually starts to believe in his filth, helped along by his own unhappiness over his war injuries. At the end, Foyle makes it very clear to Paul that Spencer is absolutely wrong and that further, Milner’s betrayal of Foyle’s trust by his dealings with Spencer and by talking about Foyle behind his back to Spencer are not to be taken lightly. Foyle says that he and Paul, and Sam, need to be able to trust each other completely and know that they are all on the same side.

Check out this website: http:// www.foyleswar.com/

Little Brother

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
“Trading privacy for security is stupid enough; not getting any actual security in the baragin is even more stupid.” ~ Bruce Schneier

This is the story of San Francisco becoming a police state following a terrorist attack, with constant surveillance and security checks, secret prisons and interrogations, all in the name of preserving safety and security, of merely retaining life while giving up liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the shot of maybe, someday, getting them back again. The pervading fear and paronoia, a government without bounds, a people too frightened or apathetic to care. They are so brainwashed by the media into a state of unquestioning subservience to a wise and benevolent state, which only has their best interests at heart, that they willingly go along with their invasive security measures, even if that means giving up their freedom. They are so cowed by the incessant reports of terror and crime and danger that they are quite willing to hand over their liberty for what they deem will be safety and assuarance of protection from harm.

Hopefully, this story will help people to really think critically about what is happening around them daily. Take a look at the security measures already in place. How effective are they? What is their real purpose? Look at the measures that are being proposed. What are the realistic repercussions if they are enacted? Consider the Paradox of the False Positive.

And what, you may ask, is so wrong about the government knowing where and when you bought coffee? Got gas? Passed through a toll booth? Withdrew cash? Rode a bus? Nothing. But it is another way of tracking you daily: where you have been, when, how frequently. And take a look at how governments around the world traditionally use that knowledge.

Here are a few words to ponder from survivors of the Jewish Holocaust…

“Complacency is more dangerous than hatred. Be aware of what is happening around you, and do something about it.” ~ Arnold Klein

“We must erase indifference from our society. You cannot be indifferent. If you are, you allow the forces of evil to win.” ~ Benjamin Meed

Content is mature. There is drinking, drugs, premarital relations, some profanity. Off-putting, yes. But it does not negate the fact that this is a book with ideas.

Recommended reading: Everyware by Adam Greenfield

Secrets and Lies by Bruce Schneier

Beyond Fear by Bruce Schneier

Check out freedom-to-tinker.com and tor.eff.org (The Onion Router)

“So close the book and go. The world is full of security systems. Hack one of them. Making vulnerabilities public forces security designers to design better security, and makes us all better consumers of security.”

View all my reviews.

Shoes & Boots

Born shoes; Fall 2008 collection

Target Fall 2008Ruffhewn “Antwerp” Fall 2008

Sofft “Tia” Fall 2008

These are the shoes of Fall 2008 that I wish I had, some that I nearly had. What do you think?

TV Series on DVD and Scams related thereof

I personally love being able to watch tv shows on dvd, on my own time. It is especially convenient when those shows are no longer being shown in syndication, or at least not on network stations. However, there are an awful lot of scams being perpetrated upon a gullible public in this forum. I thought it was odd that the only place I could find “Sue Thomas, F. B. Eye” series was on two websites, Tvaddicts and The DVD Store, that looked … fishy. No listing on Amazon and no licensing from the respective producer and distributor companies. No info at all. So, after all of a minute of searching, I found a topic discussing these very vendors on Complaintwire.org. All of the following are running scams, including fraudulent charges, selling bootleg copies and unlicensed material.

allmyfavoriteshows.com
americandvd.tv
cddvdforall.com
dvdavenue.tv
dvdclassicsonline.com
dvdcollections.tv
dvdcraze.tv
dvddiesel.com
dvddonkey.com
dvdigniter.com

dvdmd.tv
dvdmediastar.com
e-mediastore.tv
empiricalfilm.tv
internationalfilm.tv
kxzentertainment.com
mymediaoutlet.net
myrareshowsondvd.com

powerdvdstore.com
raredvds.tv
superbdvdsets.com
thebestdamntvshows.tv
thedvdplanet.org
themediadepot.tv
todvdornottodvd.com
toptvondvd.com
tvaddicts.tv
tvboxset.com
tvdvdland.com
tvdvdmania.com
tvdvdmania.tv
tvdvdplanet.com
tvdvdstore.net
tvdvdworld.tv
tvmilk.com
tvondisc.com
tvpast.com
tvshowmonster.com
ultimatedvdshop.com

The following ebay users are also aliases of these crooks:

greyhare68
*FLASHHASH*
shoot.john
huntyoudown
And a few more that have popped up:

dcmagicbox.com

mytvshowdvds.com
bestdvdentertainmentonline.com
dvdglobe.tv
unforgettableclassicdvd.com
unforgettabletvshows.com

Safe shopping out there? Trust nothing and no one when it comes to interent shopping.

Quote of the day: “My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.”
— Dave Barry

The Red Necklace

   By Sally Gardner, Book I of “French Revolution” series           

                                ”Our story is over, though in its end lies its beginning.”

A gorgeous story, with lovely descriptions and superb narration throughout, and an interesting plot. It is light on characterization, which is painted in rather broad strokes, with the protagonists spending very little actual time together. More of the main relationship is propelled through mystical/ emotional means.

 Sido, the shy, neglected and mentally/ verbally abused daughter of the weak and spineless Marquis de Villeduval is a decent heroine. I wished that a little more attention had been paid to her and what she must have endured. I did get irritated at her refusal to leave her awful father behind, who had only ever hated and hurt her, but I could understand it nonetheless.

The Marquis himself is almost comic in the pathetigue of his self-absorbed stupidity, selfishness and unmitigated blindness to reality.

Count Kalliovski, our villain, exuded creepy, evilness right out of the pages of this book. Murderer of Topolain, Anis and countless others. Mysterious. Lustful. It is hinted at more than once that he has made some sort of pact with evil. All we really know is that he is Yann’s father and that he had been “in love” with Anis, Yann’s mother, and murdered her when she would not have him. At the end, it appears the Devil really is going to get him, that “cursed soul.” Yann and Sido best beware!

Yann Margoza himself. 14 at story’s beginning, 17 at the denoument and on his way back to France at the height of the French Revolution to try and save innocents from the slaughter. A full-blooded Gypsy/ Romany, he is quite gifted. Able to see the future and read minds, he can also work the threads of light, not to mention a talent for throwing his voice. There are hints that Yann is a great shaman-possibly the most powerful yet… Possibly, also, the “King of the Gypsy. That was less clear.

This is all set against the breathless backdrop of the French Revolution, one of the darkest periods in the history of Europe and certainly one of the most devastating for humanity. The bestial cruelty and sheer hateful butchery that was daily engaged in during those years of confusion and wholesale slaughter is still sickening to even contemplate. Sally Gardner seems to present the Revolution as good ideas gone terribly, horribly awry. I believe that the ideas of equality and freedom are paramount to all of mankind, at all times. No argument there. But after having looked into the Revolution’s roots, I would have to say that Egalite and Liberte were not the driving forces that inspired those who engineered the Revolution – far from it as they sought to set themselves up as their own special class the first opportunity they had. They used those admirable and monumental goals to gain the support of the masses…. and then betrayed them when it no longer served their purposes to string them along. One review I saw suggested that Gardner portrayed Danton, Marat and Robespierre favorably, but I saw no sign of that. In fact, since they hang out with Kalliovski, I would say they are tinged by association with evil.

 I discovered that there is a second book in what is being labled the “French Revolution” series,though there is no indication if that is the end or if more are planned. It is due out next spring: The Silver Blade. Really looking forward to that volume. The Count is indeed back and kidnaps Sido, again, so Yann has to go get her…. I wonder what role the charm that Yann gave Sido will play?Oh, and the US cover? Did not like it. If the girl on the cover is supposed to be Sido, she should have dark hair. If not, who is she supposed to be?
 

 

 

Poetry

 Silentium Altum

by Blanche Mary Kelly

    I know a windswept hill where all day long/ Comes never footfall nor the sound of word,/ Only by swallow’s wing or woodlark’s song/ Is that immense and brooding stillness stirred.

 

  I sat awhile in that lost, listening place,/ And felt the pulse of Time beat slow, beat slow,/ Watching, upon the mountain sides of space,/ The bright feet of God’s heralds come and go.

 

  On pinions of that silence I was raised,/ With awe pervaded and pierced utterly,/ Like those that from an Ostian window gazed/ Beyond the bastions of eternity. 

 

 

  The Spy

by Sister Mariella

 

   I am a spy, and I have seen . . .

 

   But first I must tell you/ About the chinks and the keyholes/ Where you may be certain of spying./ You know some of them yourself if you/ Have ever lain on summer grass/ To watch the smooth white daylight pass,/ And have seen the night come down the sky/ Pouring gray wonder silkily/ Through apple boughs that straightway bloom/ With little stars and a full-blown moon.

 But the stars/ And the filigree of apple boughs/ Against a satin sky/ Are not the things on which you spy./ They are the signs/ That the time and the place are as right for peeking/ As down the pasture by the granite rock/ Where cool, damp, earthy smells come stealing/ Out of the tamarack swamp when day goes by./ What was it I saw in the orchard and down by the swamp?

 It was . . .

  I ought to be able to tell you/ Because I ran all the way back from the pasture/  With my eyes shut/ So that I could remember./ But I cannot tell you anything.

 That is why it is safe, I think,/ For every keyhole and every chink/ To be unstuffed and unguarded./ A daisy poising perilously/ Is a keyhole open for those who see./ But you can never remember/ What it is was that you saw./ That is why Lazarus never told anything when he came/ Back from the grave,/ Nor Jairus’ daughter,/ Nor the son of the window of Naim.

 Some day I shall go over into the strange land/ That I’ve been spying on,/ But then I can never come back/ And finish the first line of this poem.

 

Infinite Peace

by Maura Horton

 

The twilight pauses gently on the glow

Of haloed candle-flame and heads bowed low,

And here a peace as infinite, as great

As soul can find comes in to lift the weight

Of burdened heart. In silence they appeal

To Him, to Whom their earnest prayers have soared

And filled with humble faith and love they kneel

Receiving benediction of Our Lord.

 

The time soon comes to leave this peace behind,

Return to earthly cares, yet each shall find

That subtle sense of blessedness that stirred.

A moment in their hearts shall linger on

And touch with beauty every sight and word-

The moment spent with God is never gone.

 Quote of the Day:

To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch… to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

 

Fall Television Schedule 2008

This week kicks off the new season of network TV shows, not that things really get into full swing until October. Nonetheless, here is what my fall viewing schedule is looking like, though things might rapidly change depending on how well each series does in keeping my interest.

Mondays

Of possible interest is NBC’s third season of Heroes and FOX’s Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles (2nd season) and their mid-season series Dollhouse, from Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly.

Tuesdays

CBS: N.C.I.S. Season six, premieres September 23rd.

Of possible interest will be FOX’s Fringe (premiering September 9th), and CBS’ The Mentalist (which looks like a pathetic rip-off of USA’s Psych) . Hard to say if either will be worth anything.

Wednesday

ABC: Pushing Daisies. Second season. Premieres October 1st. Quirky, fun, colourful, vivid! At the end of a very short first season, we found out that Charlotte mother was still alive. Not too mention that sicko after her, convinced she smells strange. And this season Charlotte’s secret is out, as people discover that she is alive, and then she and Ned become involved in some very odd and dangerous conspiracy centered on them and bees…

FOX: Bones. Fourth season. Premiered September 3rd. Not much of a beginning, but this epsiode and the next two were actually part of the back half of season three and were moved to season four, so, well, that’s it. There really is no explanation for poor writing and lackluster plots. Hopefully, the season will improve… I really want to see the Grave Digger issue brought to a satisfying conclusion. I cannot believe that they have left that hanging for so long, especially after what happened to Brennan and Jack. I would have thought that a) they would have been a bit more traumatized, and b) that they would have been more driven to catch the creep. Angela promised Jack, who was the only one that seemed really shaken by the event, that they were going to get him. That was two seasons ago. They are way past due concluding that storyline!

Fridays

CBS: Numb3rs. Fifth season. Premieres September 26th. I am not sure how they are going to fix the mess they made of last year’s finale, but they had better. Charlie lost his clearance, over an issue that did not seem properly nor sufficiently motivated, but more of a plot device than anything else, and so now he can’t work with Don.

And for those lucky enough to have cable access

Sci Fi: Sanctuary (Season One) and Stargate Atlantis (Fifth and Final season) And Eureka (season 3), but I believe that is still on Tuesdays.

USA: Monk (season 7) and Psych (season 3)

I have to wait for the DVDs, but at least then we can watch them all closer together…

Quote of the Day: “The encounter with the beautiful can become the wound of the arrow that strikes the heart and in this way opens our eyes.” H.H. Pope Benedict XVI

The Gideon Trilogy

 

(a.k.a. The Time Travelers) by Linda Buckley-Archer

   Absolutely brilliant! Excellent, realistic and utterly likable characters. I loved Peter and Kate. And how awesome is it that the authoress is able to tell a tale of time travel, quantum physics, parallel worlds, and the logistical quandaries that would arise thereof, without sacrificing the readers’ connection to the protagonists and their predicament? She tackles a sophisticated subject with precision and plays out its consequences in the lives of Peter Schock and Kate Dyer, as well as their families and colleagues. A brilliant new talent!

Peter Schock and Kate Dyer, 12, find themselves in 1763, even though hours earlier, when they met for the first time, they were in 21st century England. Their time travel is somehow connected to the anti-gravity machine that Kate’s father has been working on, and which ended up with them in the eighteenth century English countryside. However, as it has been stolen by a hardened criminal known as The Tar Man, they really have little choice but to trust Gideon, a stranger who offers the children his help. Gideon appears to honestly desire to help them get home, even if he is a reformed cutpurse. The adventures and dilemmas that Peter and Kate encounter and the people that they meet, both friend and foe, help both of the children to mature. In particular, Peter, who was at odds with his workaholic parents, learns how much he misses his family, even as he and Kate become friends. Has a cliff-hanger ending, so you might want to have book two on hand.

 Also worth noting is the wealth of research and historical detail that was painstakingly incorporated into the tale and which gives its eighteenth century scenes an air of authenticity that is lacking in so many other tales of that time period, time traveling-related or not. A brilliant talent and well worth taking the time to investigate. Age 10 +.

(No romance. Plenty of action/ adventure, including peril and possible death from rogues and highwaymen. A gallows and gaol scene.)

 

The Tar Man (a.k.a. The Time Thief) by Linda Buckley-Archer

Product description: An accident with an anti-gravity machine catapulted Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to 1763. A bungled rescue attempt leaves Peter stranded in the eighteenth century while a terrifying villain, the Tar Man, takes his place and explodes onto twenty-first-century London. Concerned about the potentially catastrophic effects of time travel, the NASA scientists responsible for the situation question whether it is right to rescue Peter. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, but things don’t go as planned. Soon the physical effects of time travel begin to have a disturbing effect on her. Meanwhile, in our century, the Tar Man wreaks havoc in a city whose police force is powerless to stop him.

An excellent sequel that has its own important tale to tell and is not simply a hold over until the denouement. Kate has to go back in time to find Peter when the NASA scientists, and even her own parents, believe that it would be too dangerous to try and rescue him, fearing the effects of further tampering with the linear progression of time. Unable to live with that decision, Kate enlists the help of Peter’s father and together they set off through time to rescue him. Due to some tampering with the machine, Kate and Mr. Schock end up in 1792, rather than 1763. Now they need to find a way back to their own time. To further complicate matters, Peter appears, now an adult, having grown up an orphan in another century. He tries to conceal his identity from Kate and his father, hoping to spare them pain as he knows he must send them on to find Peter in 1763. All the while, Kate is starting to exhibit dangerous symptoms from her continued travels through time. Her determination to rescue her friend is beginning to take a drastic toll on her health.

 In modern-day London, the Tar Man is loose and wreaking havoc. I honestly found those sections of the story quite boring. Too much about the bad guys and their filthy lifestyles. The highwaymen in Gideonwere far better by comparision. This section would be for slightly older readers. Aged 13/14+, though the rest of the story is still age 11+.

(Tar Man’s excerpts contains a romantic relationship for one character, which I skipped over. Kate’s section has no romance. Action/ Adventure is pretty consistent throughout. Another cliff-hanger ending.)

***********SPOILERS*********SPOILERS**********SPOILERS*********SPOILERS*********SPOILERS*************

 

Lord Luxon (a.k.a. Time Quake & The Splintering of Time) by Linda Buckley-Archer.

No known release date in US. Uk pushed back until June 2009. AUS still says Nov. 2008.

http://www.howardpublishing.com/content/book.cfm?tab=73&pid=645960&app=buy_now

Product Description from Amazon.uk: Time itself is splintering. If the catastrophic consequences of time travel are now impossible to ignore, Lord Luxon only has eyes for its awesome possibilities. He has his sights set on no lesser prize than America. Abducted to 1763, Peter and Kate begin to understand that history has arrived at its tipping point. Adrift in time, Kate transforms into an oracle, able to see the future as easily as the past. While Gideon does all he can to help, he is tormented by the knowledge that The Tar Man, his nemesis, is also his own brother. As they pursue him through the dark streets of eighteenth-century London, and the time quakes begin, Peter realises that this monster may hold the fate of all of us in his hands.

Quote of the Day: “The secret of life lies in laughter and humility.” G.K.C.