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Window of Time #1

Window of Time

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ASIN B019EP3H10 moved to the most recent edition here

CIA courier Lucy James never gets used to seeing innocent people killed, but she copes with it—every day. Cursed with the ability to glimpse into the future when a death is about to happen, she has a short window of time to interfere—risking her life in order to change it. No one knows about her curse, until she saves a handsome Los Angeles firefighter trapped between her and foreign operatives hell-bent on intercepting her current assignment.

LA firefighter Johnny Cartwright’s life changes the moment he meets Lucy. His uncomplicated days flip to dangerously unpredictable after he’s drawn deeper into her secretive world of premonitions. His attraction to Lucy grows as he helps her stop a terroristic plot against the U.S., putting his life between her and certain death.


298 pages, ebook

Published January 4, 2016

51 people are currently reading
166 people want to read

About the author

D.J. Erfert

9 books11 followers
Alternative name for author Debra Erfert

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5 stars
41 (43%)
4 stars
38 (40%)
3 stars
10 (10%)
2 stars
3 (3%)
1 star
3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Stuart Macmartin.
716 reviews5 followers
September 19, 2017
Hi. I'm a doctor. I know the difference between poisonous and venomous, but I don't know the difference between nauseous and nauseated. I spend 5 minutes doing nurse things and the rest of my time doing a mission I'm not qualified for. I did try being a guard but I didn't do so well at that because the first thing I did is leave my post to have lunch. I'll do the most dangerous task by myself and the pilot because why would I take along the ex-marine?

Hi. I'm with the CIA. I have a superpower. Somehow I accompanied my husband on his CIA operations even though I'm only a courier for plot reasons. I can run and fight even though [oops, that would be spoilers] but I won't kill even though the situation demands it because I'm good, except oh well. I have lots of skills because that's what CIA agents can do except the doctor. I'll bring unqualified people along on a dangerous clandestine mission because they want to. My superpower comes with one big flaw that doesn't get in the way in the climax because, you know, plot.

Hi. I'm a firefighter. That's paramedic to you. Me and my bud have 3 weeks off so we thought we would act silly and brave, because, you know, awesome CIA woman needs big strong man. (Well, to be fair there's a very good reason for one of them, and once one civilian, why not two?)

Hi. I'm a director at the CIA. I'm sending my agent with a concussion who just might be getting sick on a mission because it's personal for her and it's really really important and I suspect she might be wasting skills as a courier. I have a superpower too. I can move a satellite anywhere I want and have it stay over one location for hours.

Doctor again. Let's do operations in the middle of a battle.

Sigh.

I really wanted to like this book. I liked the premise, straight out of Galaxy Quest. It really needed proofreading from a CIA agent, a doctor, a fire fighter, and someone who knows something about satellites.

(15ml of a ketamine knocks a horse out for 20 minutes. How much is needed for 4 hours, and what does that do to a human, especially as administered?)

(Book was discounted and came with the next two. Maybe the writing got better. Some day if I'm really bored I'll find out because I really wanted to like this first book.)
Profile Image for Diane.
952 reviews49 followers
June 2, 2017
Window of Time by D.J Erfert is a very well written book which features CIA Courier Lucy James in a new adventure. Lucy has a gift which she wants to keep secret. Just before the death of someone in close proximity to her, Lucy has a sensation of being able to see into a window of time, a few minutes in the immediate future. If she is alert and quick enough, will she be able to change the situation or death? After the vision and the action she takes to prevent the death, Lucy falls into an exhausted sleep for 73 seconds. During this time she is vulnerable and unable to help herself.
I won’t post any spoilers, but this story is fast paced and will keep your interest. I enjoy to read bravery and energy of Lucy. She doesn’t hesitate to do what it takes to complete her mission. In this story, she has to destroy her package, to keep it from being taken by foreign agents. The package was film taken by a covert agent which had not been reviewed…what could have been in those undeveloped pictures????
Lucy meets a handsome fireman named Johnny who will have a connection to her that is very unexpected. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Teya Teya.
Author 9 books103 followers
January 7, 2016
This book pulled me write in. Unique, fun, adventurous and I fell in love with the characters. I love the girl power, she knows her stuff, smart and has adapted to her unusual abilities. I really can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Mary Rose.
73 reviews74 followers
May 21, 2018
I am so glad I joined this writer's review team, receiving this as my first free book from her for review consideration, as otherwise it might have taken me longer to discover this treasure. The blurb sounded interesting, but normally I'm more of a fantasy/historical romance reader. However, as soon as I opened it, I was captivated and literally could not put it down until halfway through (at 3 am!!). The first half therefore gets 5 stars which I only reserve for the most amazing books! It was a beautifully-judged balance of suspense, romance, character development, and action, with heart-pounding swoons and scares and lovely tender moments.
The second half did not reach quite as high a mark, but it was still very good, so I give it 4 stars. More characters come in, which at first detracted nothing but eventually weighed it down a bit, especially during a long mission which lessened both the tension levels and the romance development. It just seemed more... strung out. My attention lessened at times during preparation scenes, etc. Also, a few questions were raised about the romance which didn't seem adequately answered - I hope they will be in the next books!
Overall: I loved the characters and their interactions (though I felt that Lucy could be overly stubborn at times) and they felt very real. The future-flash aspect was very well done - it seemed real and immediate even though it hasn't been yet explained. So 4 1/2 well-deserved stars! :)
Profile Image for Janice Bates.
185 reviews
August 15, 2017
Fast Paced Action

Lucy James is a CIA courier who has a gift. No, she's not Wonder Woman. Lucy can see immediate disasters and has a brief window of time when she can change how things happen. Lucy often partnered with her, now deceased, husband and saved his life on numerous missions.

Now widowed, Lucy has decided it is time to settle down. As she is currently assigned to the LA office, she buys a home there. While at city hall attending to this personal business, Lucy sees two men, dressed in grey suits, pull guns and start firing, killing or injuring several innocent people. Re-wind, and Lucy escapes, drawing the danger away from the innocents.

Some of the people saved were firefighters. One, in particular, was close enough to Lucy when she saw the vision, that he somehow saw it also. Johnny Cartwright wanted to learn more about this mystery and this mysterious woman.

All this and more in just the first chapter! Very well written, action packed paranormal thriller romance. I highly recommend Window of Time and I look forward to reading the remaining books in the series.

387 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2017
I was not sure if I would like this but after reading the description of the book I decided to give it a chance.

When things happen to Lucy I felt like I was there with her.

I like the characters in the book.

The action starts on the first page and then lets you catch your breath and then it seems like non-stop action after that. I kept wondering how Lucy could live like that.

I believe you will like this book and the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
4,192 reviews23 followers
June 8, 2018
If you have a special gift, seeing a snapshot of the future, it isn't incomprehensible that you would learn to keep your gift hidden, due to the odd reaction of others.
This story is about a young woman, with such a gift, who has beeb working as acourier for the CIA. She encounters a man, who is not affected by her gift, other than being extremely supportive. Various adventures are encountered by this dynamic pair.
Profile Image for M.
788 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2017
2.5 Stars. I really liked the premise of the windows, but the book didn't deliver for me. The paranormal stuff was fun, but the rest of the book was far-fetched outrageous decisions, attitudes, and events. I had a hard time reading it and struggled to finish.
667 reviews26 followers
January 6, 2019
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting with the main characters extra unique talent to see death before it happens. I enjoyed the love starting between the main characters too. It has a great plot and lots of excitement. I want to read more from this series too.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,370 reviews12 followers
November 23, 2019
I love stories about people with psychic abilities. This book doesn't disappoint. A fast paced, action packed thriller about a CIA agent. D. J. Erfert gives us a strong female character that is not afraid to show weakness. I would highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Kerryn Forsyth.
158 reviews5 followers
January 28, 2018
Something a bit different to what I normally read. The characters are likeable and the storyline kept my interest.
Profile Image for Glen Tucker.
69 reviews3 followers
August 6, 2019
Couldn't put it down, a mixture of CIA/FBI terrorist hunting but with a psychic mix, just my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Robyn Echols.
Author 5 books28 followers
January 6, 2016
Window of Time is a paranormal romantic suspense that delivers on all three descriptions.

One challenge of portraying paranormal events is to make them believable. The experience which Lucy James, a courier for the CIA, called a "window of time" was described in a way that was understandable and believable. Part of her challenge once she meets Johnny, a firefighter for Los Angeles, is to explain to him what these experiences are, what they allow her to do, their limitations and the consequences if she does not act upon the knowledge she receives when she witnesses what takes place once the windows open before her view.

A romance begins Lucy and Johnny, but that is not the only romance in the book. What I liked about the story is that it did not revolve only around these two characters and their dealings with a series of window in time experiences as the relationship between them developed. There were other relationships that formed and developed throughout the story. However, I never felt overwhelmed with dealing with a plethora of new characters all at once which tends to leave me spending half or better of the story trying to remember names and keep relationships straight. The characters in Window of Time were introduced gradually enough I felt I was able get to know each character, appreciate each personality, strengths and weaknesses. Whether they entered the story at the beginning or towards the end, they each had an important role in the plot. I became just as attached to those introduced later as I did Lucy and Johnny.

There was plenty of action in this story, and it did not all revolve around the windows of time Lucy experienced. As the cast of characters embarked on their assignment, the statement made by one, Captain Sizemore, summed up the nature of what they faced: “Either you are very brave or very foolish. Sometimes it’s only a fine line between the two.” The action scenes were well-written and held my interest to the end, although involving non-CIA people in a CIA operation did stretch the credibility factor for me.

Window of Time is well-written, suspenseful, and proceeds at a pace that made me want to keep reading. The romance elements were clean. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Amber.
701 reviews
May 4, 2016
Lucy is a tough, independent CIA courier with an ability to catch a glimpse of the future moments before a catastrophic event strikes. Though cursed with death's presence, Lucy uses her gift to change the future to save others. It's a secret she's never shared, until a handsome firefighter becomes entangled in one of her escape attempts. He discovers her secret and the way to her heart which might be exactly what Lucy needs for her next mission.

I love that the characters in Window of Time seem like real people. Lucy is an intellectual prodigy, tough, and independent, but her curse hasn't hardened her past feeling emotion. Johnny is handsome and muscular, yet very tender-hearted. Lucy and Johnny are very three-dimensional which makes them relatable (unlike Hollywood movie stereotypes). Despite their heart-wrenching backstories, they've grown into exciting characters who still have room for compassion. I love that Johnny is a "real" guy who reacts with emotion (but not in an overemotional way). Best yet, Window of Time is a clean romance. The worst I found was maybe two or three total uses of the word damn or hell. Debra Erfert is fantastic at creating romantic tension that makes me cling to the book without ever making me worry about whether or not the content was appropriate to read. The banter between the main characters (and another pair later on, but I'm not supposed to give away spoilers;) is a perfect mixture of cute and funny that I'd expect from any romance.
Author Debra Erfert also doesn't mess around getting straight to the action. This creates a steep learning curve for the reader, but gaurentees her audience will never suffer from boredom.
The ending is perfect for such a high-action thriller. It's sweet, satisfying, but leaves strong hints toward a sequel. However, Debra Erfert quenches my thirst for a second book with a few teaser excerpts:)
Overall, I'd give this 4/5 stars. This thriller is perfect for adults who love romance and suspense-packed action. It was great for my car ride home from my holiday vacation and I highly recommend it for anyone's round-trip flight or relaxing evening in a bubble bath.
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Melanie Mason.
Author 17 books39 followers
May 25, 2016
I loved this book!!! The story was full of danger, adventure, spies, romance, gun fights, and of course a narrow twist of paranormal. It had it all!!! I couldn't put it down until the very last page.

I fell in love with Lucy from the beginning of the book. She is a strong character with her own personality, struggles, heartaches, and secrets. Her secret: she can see into the future when someone is going to get killed. Her second secret: she can change that future.

The story pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go.

Though the story is told from a few different viewpoints, Lucy's is the strongest. I love her reactions to the other characters and her stubbornness. Every scene makes you want to know more about her and her life. But you also get involved in the characters around you and of course I want to know even more about them.

Johnny is a fantastic opposite to Lucy. He is brave and daring, but also caring and gentle. They make the perfect couple and their unexplained connection and his ability to help Lucy makes you want to cheer for them both all while begging Johnny to stay safe on the sidelines, of course he doesn't. :)

I highly recommend this book to all my readers. It is a clean, exciting, page-turning, book. It is also the first in a trilogy and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!!!
23 reviews
January 4, 2016
I really enjoyed being able to read Window of Time. This book gets right into the action within the first two pages and then any back story you need is interspersed with the present action. It helps pull you in quickly and avoids having long gaps of slow, but necessary back story, bogging down the cadence. I love the main female character being so kick ass! I always enjoy having female characters who don't have to rely on a man but who are not anti-male, and this book fits that quota. While this is labeled ‘Paranormal’ it is not the freaky type of paranormal but written in a way that makes it seem completely normal and plausible. There was once or twice during the story words get a little muddled and I had to re-read the sentence a few times. However I understand that the Author has done a new edit since I read this ARC and these may have already been fixed. I really look forward to the next books in the series, and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, mystery, romance and a fantastic strong female lead.

I received an ARC from Loving The Book so I could give my honest review. I recieved no compensation for my review
Profile Image for Bethany Swafford.
Author 47 books90 followers
January 8, 2016
Lucy is a courier for the CIA, but she has a secret of her own. When someone is about to be killed and there is a chance Lucy can change it, she has a vision right before it happens. She has to think and act quickly to take advantage of each opportunity.

I liked that there were consequences for when Lucy made the changes. She manages to keep a positive attitude about what she views as her curse. Johnny was a sweet hero and I really enjoyed them coming to trust each other.

There were some points I didn’t like. It goes from no one knowing about Lucy’s gift to many.

A fantastic thriller for anyone who is a fan of fast paced novels.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the Loving The Book blog tour.
Profile Image for Donna Weaver.
Author 89 books459 followers
June 3, 2016
Lucy's just a CIA courier. Kind of. Her "gift" of seeing "windows" -- a precognition of when someone is going to die, gives her an edge. She's able to save lives sometimes.

Enter Johnny, a firefighter who would have been murdered if Lucy hadn't had a "window" of the event and stopped it. He happened to be touching her hand when she had it--and he saw it too.

So begins a crazy roller coaster ride of a story, as Lucy tries to figure out who wanted to kill her so badly they were willing to go through five firefighters in a public building to get to her. The romance is a sweet addition to the suspense and that there's a second romance is frosting on the cake.
Profile Image for Maria Hoagland.
Author 32 books394 followers
May 3, 2016
This book has just the right amounts of action, romance, and espionage, with a little paranormal thrown in to add even more interest. I love the premise, and the characters pull it off well. It is fast-paced and fun, and completely clean (you can let your teenager read it!). And (little bit of a spoiler, but not really) I loved the second book even more. You won't be disappointed with DJ Erfert's Window of Time and Window of Death.

*I received a complimentary ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.
48 reviews2 followers
January 4, 2016
this ARC was given to me and I thought it was a good book. It was about a girl who can glimps into a "window of time" she is able to see when a person is about to die and how. she it's being chased by some bad guys and has to try to figure out who and why...I enjoyed this book it was packed with lots of action that kept me very interested. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a little adventure or just a good read.
Profile Image for Shanae Branham.
Author 2 books45 followers
July 13, 2016
Window of Time does an excellent job of combining paranormal, romance, and espionage. This fast-paced book starts out right in the middle of an adventure and doesn't let go. The idea of Lucy's gift is very creative. DJ Erfert crafts a well-written story where the concept of a window of time is very believable. The impact Lucy's gift has on her life is explored in an interesting way. Enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Heather.
Author 164 books1,597 followers
January 13, 2016
A rollercoaster of a novel by author Debra Erfert. The opening chapter pulls you right into the action and doesn't let up from there. I loved main characters Lucy and Johnny and the depth of their characters. Lucy's paranormal abilities are intriguing too. Overall, a great clean romance and nail biting suspense!
Profile Image for H.B. Moore.
Author 35 books340 followers
January 13, 2016
A roller coaster of a novel by author Debra Erfert. The opening chapter pulls you right into the action and doesn't let up from there. I loved main characters Lucy and Johnny and the depth of their characters. Lucy's paranormal abilities are intriguing too. Overall, a great clean romance and nail biting suspense.
Profile Image for Howard Katzoff.
280 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2016
Great story!!

This was a delightful thriller filled with all kinds of action. The characters were fun and multi dimensional. A real delight.
Profile Image for Bonnie Dale Keck.
4,677 reviews58 followers
March 30, 2017
Some are Kindle Unlimited, some either freebie day or freebie here ya go we hope you review it.

Window of Time Trilogy
Window of Secrets: Mission: Oasis de Huacachina - Window of Death- Window of Time
A Deadly Glimpse: A Lucy James CIA Novella
Profile Image for Norma.
770 reviews
April 5, 2017
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

I liked this book. It wasn't your typical plot which isn't a bad thing. I'd read this author again.
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