New Thriller/Romance/Historical for Review: A Matter of Time by Michael Bowler

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Michael Bowler will be touring September 4 – 28 2012 with his thriller/romance/historical fiction, A Matter of Time (Outskirts Press).

Short Description:

The world’s greatest evil stalks the world’s greatest ship, and the only one who can stop him hasn’t even been born yet.”

Long Description:

What is your destiny?

This question haunts 20-year-old Jamie Collins. A junior at Santa Clara University in 1986, Jamie has friends, a professor who mentors him, and a promising future as a writer.

Then the dreams begin – nightmarish visions that transport him back to a time and place fifty years before he was born: Titanic’s maiden voyage in 1912! Less than a week before the 74th anniversary of its sinking, Jamie discovers that his fate is inexplicably linked to that of the famous vessel. Somehow, the two timelines are overlapping, and when Titanic dies this time, Jamie will die along with it.

The dreams reveal something evil stalking the ill-fated ship, something that expedites the collision which sinks her. Jamie realizes that the only way to stop this evil and prevent his own death may be to prevent Titanic from sinking in the first place.

But how? How can he stop that ship from sinking in 1912 when he hadn’t even been born yet? And even if he can stop it – should he? What will be the effect on history if he succeeds? Jamie’s quest to fulfill his destiny ties friendsand family together in ways he could never have imagined.

A Matter of Time is an emotionally charged voyage into the value of friendship, the power of love, the impact of evil, and the vagaries of Fate.

326 pages

You can visit Michael online at www.MichaelJBowler.webs.com.

Book Excerpt:

Jamie said not a word to Maggie on the trek back to the dorm, merely mumbled over and over to himself about how stupid he’d been not to have seen it. Maggie trailed behind like a puppy and when Jamie burst into his room, a startled Dan looked up from his studies to see Maggie waving his questions into silence. Jamie bee-lined to his bookshelf and pulled down a large, hardcover book. Off flew his hat and sunglasses, the cloak dropped to the floor, and down he plopped onto his bed, rapidly thumbing through the book.

Dan cast Maggie another questioning look, but she just shrugged and shook her head.

“Ah, ha!” Jamie shouted so loudly that Maggie jumped, and he slammed the book shut for added effect, looking up at brother and sister, his eyes ablaze with triumph. “Now I know for sure who is inside of me!”

Dan and Maggie exchanged a worried, bewildered look.

Jamie didn’t seem to notice the look or care if he did. “His name was Jack Phillips and he was the senior wireless operator aboard . . .” He held up the book and displayed its title: A Night To Remember. “. . . the Titanic!”

Maggie’s face dropped. “Oh, my God . . .” Stunned by this announcement, she sank into his desk chair.

Dan gaped in surprise. “Huh?” was all he could manage.

Jamie stood up and began to pace the room energetically, like a caged lion. “It all fits, Dan. The ship in my dreams seemed familiar because I read so much about it as a kid. I was always fascinated by that story. On the day Titanic struck the fatal iceberg, Jack Phillips had been very tired and lethargic, just as I’ve been feeling. Because of his exhaustion, he failed to send several crucial ice warnings to the bridge.”

Maggie looked dubious. “I’m a history major, remember? And we just covered Titanic last month. The wireless operator was very overworked from the passengers sending frivolous messages to shore, and that’s why he forgot those warnings.”

Jamie did not take offence, as she thought he would. He merely nodded. “That has always been the conventional wisdom. But consider this. At 2:05 am, 15 minutes before Titanic took her final plunge into the sea, Captain Smith relieved Phillips and junior wireless operator Harold Bride of duty, saying they could do nothing more. Bride went forward onto the boat deck where the only remaining lifeboats were being unloaded. But Phillips inexplicably went aft, towards the rear of the ship. I always wondered why he did that. Now I know. He was being summoned, by a vampire!”

Jamie’s mind was racing as fast as his mouth. Yes, it all fit!

Dan and Maggie exchanged another dubious look, but they both forced an appearance of calmness into their demeanor. Dan cleared his throat awkwardly. “Did this guy go down with the ship?”

Jamie fixed his fiery blue eyes so intently upon Dan that the bigger man squirmed uncomfortably. “No. He turned up later on one of the

overturned collapsible lifeboats, and hung on with the others until just before dawn, when he suddenly died.” Now Jamie ran a finger across his chin, as though directing his next words more to himself than to them. “Why did he die when he wasn’t in the water that long? I’d always wondered that. Now I understand. He was so weak from loss of blood.”

Maggie’s heart thumped wildly, but she affected as casual a tone as she could muster. “I don’t know, Jamie. It all sounds a little far-fetched.”

Dan’s eyebrows shot up. “A little?!”

Jamie ignored them both, continued his frantic pacing. “But it all fits. These days right now coincide exactly with the days Titanic was on the open sea. And it’s a little known fact that Phillips lied about his age to get into the Marconi company. He was only 20, same as me.”

Dan nodded, finding a certain amount of clarity in Jamie’s thinking. Maybe there was something to all this after all . . .

But Maggie remained unconvinced. “Are you sure about this?”

Jamie nodded, and slowly lowered himself to a sitting position on his bed. “In two days, on April 15^th, I’m going to die, just as Jack did 74 years ago.” He sucked in a deep breath. “He would’ve risen as a vampire had the sea not claimed his body. I won’t be so lucky.” He looked up at Maggie, tears building just behind his eyes. Fight them back! “Maggie, my birthday is April 15^th.”

“Damn!” Dan whispered. Jamie’s arguments and obvious belief in them were swaying him. Maggie glanced over at Dan, but he merely shrugged. This was way out of his line. Either Jamie was completely nuts, or there was something to what he said.

Maggie decided to play along for now. “Let’s say this is all happening just like you said. How can you stop it?”

Jamie’s features hardened. “There’s only one way I can see – I’ve got to board Titanic before she sinks and prevent Jack Phillips from that final rendezvous with the vampire.”

* * * * *

If you would like to review A Matter of Time, please fill out the form below or email Dorothy Thompson at thewriterslife(at)gmail.com. Please mention which date would work for you. Michael is also available for interviews and guest posts.

Deadline for inquiries end August 25 or until the tour is filled. Thank you!

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