Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Vienna, Austria; the Mediterranean - Present Day and 1707

Persephone Pyle's middle name could be Caution. Seph, as she is called, leaves nothing to chance. That is why she is the marketing director for Grant Company of Pilgrim Pharmaceuticals. No time for romance for her, but as she is preparing to leave the Pittsburg Airport to fly to Vienna on business, Seph is distracted. Could it be by her co-worker and travel buddy, tall, dark and handsome Tom Fraser? Yes, they are friends, even after a drunken, almost-tryst on top of the recycle bin. Since she cannot have a romance with Tom, she has been putting her thoughts into writing a romance novel with Tom as the hero, and herself as the heroine.

Captain Phillip Drummond's ship is in the middle of the Mediterranean in the midst of a hurricane, and he is looking at the walls of his ship. This should not be happening; hurricanes don't happen in the Mediterranean, ships do not have walls, and he knows who is responsible for this. Who does she think she is? He hears her thoughts, she whose middle name is Caution. It is time to end this madness, so he summons a gypsy.

To distance herself from Tom, Seph decides to browse through the shops at the airport. Nothing catches her interest until she sees a shoe store, but as a serious flat heel shoe person, Seph has no use for stilettos. When she sees a pair of pink stilettos in the window, however, she knows she must have them. As Seph puts on the shoes, the room starts to swirl, flashes of light appear, and in a booming crack of thunder, she finds herself tumbling through a black void, landing in a storm tossed sea! Seph sees swirling grey water, and knows she is going to drown. But, at that moment, a pair of strong arms pulls her to safety; she looks up and sees Tom, or not Tom, but a handsome man glaring back at her. What is going on?

TUMBLING THROUGH TIME will keep the reader on the edge of her seat. Seph is a control freak who knows that there is always a logical explanation. But, what rational thoughts can Seph use to justify being transported back to 1706? Or that the handsome Captain Phillip Drummond's life has become hell because he is a character in her story. What? The story she has not quite written yet? The secondary characters add to the suspense. It seems Captain Drummond isn't the only one who has heard her thoughts. Can she make it back to the present day, or will she change history and cause a calamity? Oh, why didn't Seph pay attention to her world history class?

TUMBLING THROUGH TIME is Gwyn Cready's debut book. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The author has created a well rounded, delightful heroine who needs to take a few chances in life. Readers can readily identify with Seph. I look forward to seeing more of Ms. Cready's work.

Deborah C Jackson