The Rewinding Time Series by Deborah Heal

From Professor Randall’s Notebook… FIELD RESEARCH SITE: Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. GOAL: Discover how 18th century Ohio River pirates preyed on settlers. PERSONAL NOTE: File under interesting job perks—Trevor Dalton, best dating lead in a while. A lot like Brett, only he’s not off-limits. Professor Merrideth Randall has an insatiable curiosity about the past... moreFrom Professor Randall’s Notebook… FIELD RESEARCH SITE: Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. GOAL: Discover how 18th century Ohio River pirates preyed on settlers. PERSONAL NOTE: File under interesting job perks—Trevor Dalton, best dating lead in a while. A lot like Brett, only he’s not off-limits. Professor Merrideth Randall has an insatiable curiosity about the past. But unlike other historians, she has the means to satisfy it—an amazing computer program that lets her rewind the lives of people from long ago. So when the topic of river pirates piques her interest, she packs up her laptop and goes to get her questions answered. The pirates’ base of operations was Cave-in-Rock, Illinois where they preyed on the thousands of settlers coming down the Ohio River on flatboats, heading for new lives on the western frontier. For a time, that stretch of the river was a black hole, where whole families disappeared along with their hopes and dreams. And treasures. And the only way for Merrideth to find out what happened to them is to get inside the head of Samuel Mason, the master mind behind the attacks. Pirates were not the only outlaws to ever infest Cave-in-Rock. Merrideth’s visit coincides with Hellhound Homecoming, a wild annual gathering of lawless bikers and punk bands. A confrontation with five attendees has her wondering if her curiosity will be the death of her. But God sends a guardian angel to her rescue in the form of Trevor Dalton, a tattooed biker who reminds her of two important truths: you should not judge a person by his exterior (or his mode of transportation) and you should not measure your sins against another person’s because you’ll both come up short. He has a lot in common with Brett Garrison, the McKendree College colleague who hopes for more than just a friendship with Merrideth. Yet the two men are as different as night and day. Which one should she choose—the man who is safe or the man with a past? less

In Lebanon, Illinois the annual Victorian Holiday Festival kicks off a month of celebrating Christmas—and Charles Dickens. He’s the town’s claim to fame ever since he stayed at the Mermaid Inn during his 1842 tour of America. But judging from the snarky comments Dickens wrote in his travelogue, he was certainly not a fan of Lebanon. Professor Merrideth Randall gets the opportunity to find out why when her “dream house” goes on the market, and a realtor gives her a key to the front door... moreIn Lebanon, Illinois the annual Victorian Holiday Festival kicks off a month of celebrating Christmas—and Charles Dickens. He’s the town’s claim to fame ever since he stayed at the Mermaid Inn during his 1842 tour of America. But judging from the snarky comments Dickens wrote in his travelogue, he was certainly not a fan of Lebanon. Professor Merrideth Randall gets the opportunity to find out why when her “dream house” goes on the market, and a realtor gives her a key to the front door. Built in 1839, it sits right across the street from the Mermaid Inn, so it’s the perfect place to use her amazing time-rewinding computer software. Brett Garrison, brilliant professor of physics during the work day, and her witty partner in historical adventures during the off hours, goes along with her. Spending time with the man she loves—while pretending they’re only friends—is even more difficult than she thought it would be. Together Merrideth and Brett meet an interesting assortment of Lebanon’s citizens in 1842, and they finally find out what Dickens was really thinking when he wrote about them. As usual, everyone from the past has much to teach Merrideth about mankind’s sinfulness and God’s plan to rescue them. Will she finally come to the point of trusting him, or will all the holiday hoopla around town get in the way of understanding the true meaning of Christmas? less

The Rewinding Time Series: inspirational novels of history, mystery & romance for adults (and teens)! Christian time travel with a unique twist—computer software that “time-surfs” through the history of old houses. It’s also squeaky clean romance, guaranteed to be flinch-free. And the kind of historical fiction you like to read—believable! More Than Meets the Eye book 5, the delightfully satisfying conclusion to the Rewinding Time Series... moreThe Rewinding Time Series: inspirational novels of history, mystery & romance for adults (and teens)! Christian time travel with a unique twist—computer software that “time-surfs” through the history of old houses. It’s also squeaky clean romance, guaranteed to be flinch-free. And the kind of historical fiction you like to read—believable! More Than Meets the Eye book 5, the delightfully satisfying conclusion to the Rewinding Time Series. Remodeling Professor Merrideth Randall’s dream house is turning into a bigger project than she and Brett imagined. Even so, they take time out when Merri’s father pleads for her to visit him in prison. When she boldly shares her new faith to the inmates and guards Brett proposes to her on the spot. Now, if only they can get the house finished it will be perfect for the wedding. The work would go faster if there weren’t constant interruptions by people needing help. But Merri has a new policy of people before projects, which is why she agrees to temporarily “grandma-sit” Josephine Sayers so she can stay in the home she loves—one of 156 Sears catalog houses built in Carlinville, Illinois in 1918. Merri uses her miraculous time-surfing software to meet Elizabeth Spaulding, the plucky lady on horseback who supervised the men constructing the houses. She’s a strong woman of the new century, but all she really wants is a Sears home of her own—and for her husband to be worthy of her respect.  After seeing Elizabeth’s struggles unfold on her screen, Merrideth prays that she will have the grace to keep her marriage vows to Brett—in good times and bad.  More Than Meets the Eye is a historical Christian time travel book and the conclusion of the Rewinding Time Series. Check out the History Mystery Trilogy, the prequel to this series, to meet Professor Randall as a “bratty 11-year-old.” less