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Before Anne After
Book 1 of the time-travel series. Through a series of small errors and oversights - a missed phone message, an unlocked high-security door, a lax in protocol, a falling purse - eight-month pregnant Annabelle Waring unknowingly stumbles into her husband's time-travel experiment. She awakens in a 1943 Charleston Navy Shipyard barracks with no memory of the event. Her existence and her sanity become questionable; if not for her newborn baby and a Charleston, South Carolina police officer, she would certainly have checked herself into the funny farm. Her doctor, alias German spy, learns before she does that she is not only a time-traveler, but a highly educated woman in the field of nuclear science and World War II history. When she finally discovers her own secret, Anne must strive to get both her and her infant daughter home, even at the risk to her own life.
Paperback
First published January 23, 2011
About the author
James R. Paddock
14 books275 followersJames Paddock spent his youth in the Big Sky Country, of Montana, graduating Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls. The following forty-plus years include a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Idaho, service with the U.S. Navy, owner/operator of a small business in South Carolina, a career as a Graphic Designer and a marriage that produced three fine children, who then have provided bragging rights for many extremely fine grandchildren. James is now living in Florida with his wife, Penny, enjoying the sun and working on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 11, 2014
James R. Paddock has given us a truly twisted time travel tale, more braided and interwoven than a typical story. It’s coiled, curled, bent, twirled, and looped like a snake with a back ache trying to swallow its own tail. This is a thriller suspense mystery of wonderful proportions. If you are looking for ‘Back to the Future’ or even H.G.Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’ go away. This is more. It is contemporary and history swirled together like chocolate and vanilla in a swirly cone.
In 1987 Anne is pregnant. Hot, tired and grumpy, she makes a few mistakes. Who hasn’t? Her husband makes a few more. What husband hasn’t. And it a blinding flash of light and a high pitched whine, she is thrown back to 1943, landing in the middle of a Navy barracks just as her water breaks. Can her husband and his team of scientists get her back? Can she even keep herself out of a mental institution while fighting off a Nazi spy and learn the secrets of her own family history?
Paddock does a masterful job of throwing those nasty time paradoxes in our faces. He boldly lays them out and flays them open, skinning them down to the bare bones and daring us to recognize them and reconcile them. He doesn’t play nice with his story, giving us real people in horrifying situations, all struggling to make sense of their lives in the now…whichever now they are stuck in.
In 1987 Anne is pregnant. Hot, tired and grumpy, she makes a few mistakes. Who hasn’t? Her husband makes a few more. What husband hasn’t. And it a blinding flash of light and a high pitched whine, she is thrown back to 1943, landing in the middle of a Navy barracks just as her water breaks. Can her husband and his team of scientists get her back? Can she even keep herself out of a mental institution while fighting off a Nazi spy and learn the secrets of her own family history?
Paddock does a masterful job of throwing those nasty time paradoxes in our faces. He boldly lays them out and flays them open, skinning them down to the bare bones and daring us to recognize them and reconcile them. He doesn’t play nice with his story, giving us real people in horrifying situations, all struggling to make sense of their lives in the now…whichever now they are stuck in.
January 2, 2012
About the Book: A pregnant Annabelle accidentally sends herself back in time by 44 years but blacks out during the trip, waking up sure of herself but not sure of where she is or what is happening around her. She is so sure that everything is all wrong when suddenly she goes into labor, four weeks early!
Meanwhile, her husband is doing everything he can to find a way to retrieve her from the past with the help of a stranger who has simply shown up. The stranger refuses to tell Steven all that he knows and won’t even really say why he refuses to tell him.
Add to this a German spy who susses the truth before Anne does and you have a powerful story of intrigue, with twists and turns, and a treasure chest full of clues.
My Take: I simply loved this book. Maybe the ending wasn’t to my liking exactly but the writing is superb. It must have taken me maybe two pages to get so hooked I couldn’t put it down. I loved how clues and twists are laid from the very beginning of the story though to the very end. The interrelationships are so well done as the story unfolds and then refolds onto itself, that I found myself doing the “Aha” thing over and over.
I enjoyed the characters, particular the police officer, who was so in love with Anne. Anne character was great, except for a tiny flaw. While I could understand Steven blaming himself for leaving the lab door unlocked, I couldn’t understand Anne’s blaming him. It was a bit like a thief blaming his stealing on the fact someone left the bicycle in the open. But flaws do tend to round out the characters and makes them feel more real and it is good to see a main character who is not perfect.
There were times where I thought there were continuity errors in the story only to find that everything indeed flowed perfectly. There were so many clues, starting with the first desk on page one, that to quote a reviewer of Fall of Eden “Personally, as soon as I finished, I wanted to go back and start reading it again, just to see if there were some things I might have missed while reading it the first time … fit …” * Not only did I want to reread it right after I was done, I wanted to reread it while I was doing this review.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys intrigue and science fiction. It is a long book but I so enjoy full fleshed books! If you do too, I suggest you give this one a try.
Meanwhile, her husband is doing everything he can to find a way to retrieve her from the past with the help of a stranger who has simply shown up. The stranger refuses to tell Steven all that he knows and won’t even really say why he refuses to tell him.
Add to this a German spy who susses the truth before Anne does and you have a powerful story of intrigue, with twists and turns, and a treasure chest full of clues.
My Take: I simply loved this book. Maybe the ending wasn’t to my liking exactly but the writing is superb. It must have taken me maybe two pages to get so hooked I couldn’t put it down. I loved how clues and twists are laid from the very beginning of the story though to the very end. The interrelationships are so well done as the story unfolds and then refolds onto itself, that I found myself doing the “Aha” thing over and over.
I enjoyed the characters, particular the police officer, who was so in love with Anne. Anne character was great, except for a tiny flaw. While I could understand Steven blaming himself for leaving the lab door unlocked, I couldn’t understand Anne’s blaming him. It was a bit like a thief blaming his stealing on the fact someone left the bicycle in the open. But flaws do tend to round out the characters and makes them feel more real and it is good to see a main character who is not perfect.
There were times where I thought there were continuity errors in the story only to find that everything indeed flowed perfectly. There were so many clues, starting with the first desk on page one, that to quote a reviewer of Fall of Eden “Personally, as soon as I finished, I wanted to go back and start reading it again, just to see if there were some things I might have missed while reading it the first time … fit …” * Not only did I want to reread it right after I was done, I wanted to reread it while I was doing this review.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys intrigue and science fiction. It is a long book but I so enjoy full fleshed books! If you do too, I suggest you give this one a try.
December 9, 2013
Lovers of time travel stories (me) will enjoy this book. The stories plot is engaging leaving the reader to speed through the story wondering if the stories dilemma will be resolved, and how.
Although the story progressed forward in a moderate succession, I wished it had been better edited. Parts of the story dragged without much forward progression. The paradox of time travel is discussed in great detail not just once, but three times. I had the feeling the author didn’t trust the reader to get it the first time. There are several scenes that didn’t really add much to the story that I felt the author put in for the fun of putting the character into a situation they wouldn’t be in if they weren’t a time traveler.
There was also a long involved back story near the end that I skimmed through. At that point I knew all I needed of this character. I didn’t need an after-the-fact explanation of him.
That being said, I put off stuff and went to bed early so I could read more of the story. If my issues with the story had been resolved, I wouldn’t have a problem giving a five star rating instead of four. The teaser of the following novel will have me reading it soon.
Although the story progressed forward in a moderate succession, I wished it had been better edited. Parts of the story dragged without much forward progression. The paradox of time travel is discussed in great detail not just once, but three times. I had the feeling the author didn’t trust the reader to get it the first time. There are several scenes that didn’t really add much to the story that I felt the author put in for the fun of putting the character into a situation they wouldn’t be in if they weren’t a time traveler.
There was also a long involved back story near the end that I skimmed through. At that point I knew all I needed of this character. I didn’t need an after-the-fact explanation of him.
That being said, I put off stuff and went to bed early so I could read more of the story. If my issues with the story had been resolved, I wouldn’t have a problem giving a five star rating instead of four. The teaser of the following novel will have me reading it soon.
January 18, 2012
LOVED this book!! I read it free on my Kindle Fire through Amazon Prime's Lending Library and it ROCKED! This is a science fiction book about time travel. It is soooo much more, though. I loved the character of Anne Waring. She could seriously be my hero. What a strong woman! The book grabs ahold of you and is impossible to put down. Seriously- it is worth more than most full-price books out there. The fact that I read it for free is just a bonus. AND- as if that's not enough, I found out today that the author who wrote this in 2003 (don't quote me there... I am pretty sure that's the year...) JUST wrote a sequel in 2011!! It is one that I am super excited to read. So glad I happened upon this great book!
April 28, 2012
You don't need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy Before Anne After. The author presents a fascinating look at time travel while weaving an intricate story of love, honor and treason.
In 1987 Anne, a liberated woman is accidently transported to 1943 WWII Charleston, S.C.To make it more interesting she is eight months pregnant.Will her knowledge of the future change the past? Will she ever return to her husband? Finally, how will a highly educated woman cope with the limitations of a 1943 society.Time travel, a love triangle, a German spy and a man of honor, truly an amazing read.
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In 1987 Anne, a liberated woman is accidently transported to 1943 WWII Charleston, S.C.To make it more interesting she is eight months pregnant.Will her knowledge of the future change the past? Will she ever return to her husband? Finally, how will a highly educated woman cope with the limitations of a 1943 society.Time travel, a love triangle, a German spy and a man of honor, truly an amazing read.
Comment | Permalink
February 29, 2012
I have to start this review out saying that I think the author has a brillant mind to keep up with all the twists and turns this book takes. It is an interesting take on someone time traveling. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book hoping and praying Anna made it back to her husband. Not only does she have to get herself back to the right time, she has to get her newborn baby back. I'm not going to give any of the plot away by telling any more of what happens. I think the book deseves a couple extra stars for the unique plot. James, you get 7 stars by me scorecard.
May 10, 2015
Wow, what a great story. It was a pleasure to read about Anne and her time travel adventure. A great plot full of humour,love,friendship,mystery and great characters.A must read for time travel fans. Don't miss it!
Did Not Finish
December 25, 2014I really tried to stick with this one. The story isn't bad, but the characters just weren't believable enough.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews