Angels and Their Hourglasses

by J.M. Surra

Stranded in 1929, a time traveler struggles to convince a sleepy country that America must prepare to defend itself against its friends, the Japanese, in 1941. Eighty years in the past, Ben Ryan must start again. He learns to live and love, and he plans for a future nobody wants to hear about. Then he meets Howard Hughes, who believes him and forms a consortium comprised of fellow industrialists. They prepare in every way they can without the backing of the US government. The Japanese learn of their efforts, and move up their plans to attack Pearl Harbor in December 1939, two years earlier than the original history. The consortium learns this, but they’re still short of planes, supplies, and pilots. Is their hard work all for nothing? The race is on.

Genres: Science Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Not long ago, at a book-signing, a fan asked me, “Who inspired you along the way?”
Well, let's see. For many years, I lived near Bangor, Maine, where Stephen King lives. That’s pretty inspiring! I tend to read anything that my eyes fall upon, so any number of distinguished literary figures could lay claim to being my inspiration, at least in part. I gave my fan’s question a lot of thought before I finally answered, “Ol' Dan. Yeah. Dan Fogelberg.” Why a songwriter? Because he always had the strength to lead with his heart. I fancy myself to be that courageous, but am I?
Along with some famous and more than a few obscure writers, my inspiration may come from something as tangible as a sad song, a broken heart, or as intangible as aliens and UFO’s. I grew up near Chatham, New York, not far from Woodstock, and the unorthodox thought processes of the characters that populated my part of the world were a wellspring of inspiration. Okay, granted, a few of them were just nuts and bolts, but even that can be fun, and often a source of inspiration - if you keep an open mind.
I knew, even back then; I’m a people-watcher. On any given day, I encounter a wide assortment of people. Any one of them stands a good chance of ending up in the notebook I carry in my pocket, destined for that unique moment of fame where they become one of the strange, powerful, or perhaps wonderful characters populating my books. Sometimes I ask for permission to use their names. The right name can be a powerful character-shaping tool.
So, in truth, Dan Fogelberg was really only a partial answer. The unabridged answer is: People. People inspire me, and I doubt there will ever come a day when they cease to inspire me.
I’ve recently moved to the Seattle, Washington area, where every day I get to enjoy watching a whole new world of people!
Inspiration is a wonderful thing.
J.M. Surra

Reviews

[LaLine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

Once I got into the book it was good and an easy read. The author is a great storyteller. However, I had a hard time getting into the story during the first half of the book. Mainly because there wasn't enough information to help me get over my frustration that he was ignoring the Grandfather Paradox. Once I managed to talk myself into the fact that the story revolved around the fact that the main character HAD to change history, then it was easier to enjoy the story. There wasn't much to explain what/why the angel had a role to play in the story. I also had a hard time understanding the ending - all of a sudden the main character had a dad again, but there wasn't enough explanation to make that little piece of the puzzle actually fit.

[Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

a.k.a. AERODYNAMIC, great book, fresh approach to an old sci-fi subject.