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Was there a book that made you fall in love with reading? I don’t remember the book that made me a reader (I do know it wasn’t Dick or Jane, no Dr. Seuss back then!), but I can pinpoint the book that made me want to be an author.
I was nine years old and watching a Disney movie called The Moonspinners (back then we could only watch movies in a theater–sometime I’m going to blog about that theater, its very cool!). It starred Haley Mills, who was one of my favorite actresses.
As the credits rolled, I noticed the movie came from a book. (You can see it at 2:19 in the video!)
I had to go to the library to get the book, which involved persuading the librarian I was old enough to read a book from the adult section of the library, btw. Later I bought my own copy and read that book to tatters. Not long ago I replaced it with the one in the picture. Mary Stewart is not just an inspiration-to-be-an-author read, but also one of my “comfort reads” that I pull out when I need something familiar.
I read–and eventually collected–all of Mary Stewart’s novels. I wanted to be her when I “grew up.” But somewhere on the way to becoming an author, I realized that I’d never be Mary Stewart. I could only be Pauline Baird Jones. And I couldn’t become Pauline Baird Jones writing the books someone else had already written. I needed to write books I wanted to read, books that hadn’t been written yet.
Everything I’ve written is something I wanted to read, books no one else could write, because they weren’t me.
I’ve wandered a bit among the genres in my publishing journey. I’ve written comedy mystery (The Spy Who Kissed Me, Do Wah Diddy Die) , romantic suspense (The Last Enemy, Byte Me, Missing You, A Dangerous Dance), science fiction romance (The Key, Girl Gone Nova, Kicking Ashe), mixed some steampunk into my science fiction romance (Tangled in Time, Steamrolled), and action adventure romance (Out of Time).
Me inside B-17
Out of Time was my sixth novel (I think), but it is the novel I’m giving away today and the novel I’d like to talk a little about for several reasons:
I think it would make a great movie. 🙂
It’s set partly during WWII and is my homage to the Greatest Generation, a generation that includes my dad.
I had an amazing time corresponding with WWII veterans while researching this novel, and who were so generous in answering my questions and sharing their stories.
I wove some family stories and lore into the book.
It’s family friendly (not as scary as my romantic suspense) and suitable for younger teens and adults.
It’s about family and family is important to me.
It involves time travel and I love time travel (though writing it is much harder than reading it!)
It’s a book that I hope delights readers the way Moonspinners delighted me so many years ago. Maybe it will even spark a young reader with a desire to become an author. 🙂
B-17 is important to my novel, so I toured one!
When people ask me how long it took to write Out of Time, I tell them it took me ten years and four months. Ten years to think about it, learn enough about writing to write it, to research it–and four months to put tush in the chair and fingers to the keys getting words on the page.
Each book I write is a unique experience, an adventure that is scary to begin with, wonderful (mostly) during the writing, and hard to leave when its finished.
And then there are some, like Out of Time, that are just special. I felt so close to both my grandmothers–who sent their young sons to fight, one of whom didn’t return–as I was writing this book. I also thought about my mom, who saw two brothers go off to war and only one return. I thought about hope, bravery and love–both lost and found.
It is my hope that the readers, when they pick up Out of Time, will not only get a ripping good adventure tale, they’ll get a look into a time when fine, young men answered the call of their country and did what had to be done. It is my very small thank you to all of those–past and present–who daily risk their lives for my freedom, who are rightly called heroes.
What others have said about EPIC Book award winner, Out of Time:
“Out of Time has Oscar nomination written all throughout its very well written and adventurous pages. I can see this being turned into a movie because it is so fleshed out; details are so vivid and the dialogue matched true to the characters that they seem to jump off of the pages. Ms. Jones has a winner with this story and it’s going on my keeper shelf.” Long and Short Reviews
Looking at the nose art.
“Jones is back and taking on new genres and challenges in this high-intensity time-traveling war thriller. Love can truly span generations, as these soul mates born out of time prove. Adding in the drama of being trapped behind enemy lines ratchets up the tension and thrill factor! ” Four Stars! Romantic Times
“What a great time I had reading…I can’t express how much this book made me think of other folks’ relatives who lived and died for our freedom.” Manic Readers
“Out of Time is a remarkable story that kept this reader glued to the pages…The reader is transported into yesteryear during a time of war where our heroes should never be forgotten in a war that costs so many their precious lives and loves, in a heart-felt story that spins with much creativity.” The Romance Studio
“In this homage to the Greatest Generation, Jones takes us on a wild and often poignant ride through time.” Shirley Wetzel, DorothyL
Here’s the blurb for Out of Time:
A time travel/action adventure/romance.
What happens when a twenty-first century woman on a mission to change the past meets a thoroughly 1940s man trying to stay alive in the hellish skies over war-torn Europe?
Melanie “Mel” Morton is an adventure reporter, who lost her grandfather in World War II. With no family left, she’s all about doing her job and finishing her grandfather’s biography.
Enter Jack Hamilton, sexy octogenarian, genius/scientist and former WWII bomber pilot.
What he tells Mel sends her on her craziest adventure yet—straight into the past to save her grandfather’s life—and change Jack’s future, if she doesn’t accidentally end it.
All Mel has to do is outmaneuver the entire German army–and not fall in love with Jack.
Unfortunately, eluding the German army is the easy part….
Links to more information about Out of Time:
My tour guide!
As part of my original promotion of Out of Time, I posted some family recipes here.
Behind the Book: The (mostly) true story behind the writing of Out of Time.
Out of Time book page on my website.
Read an excerpt of Out of Time
As a part of the blog hop, I’ll be giving away a digital edition of Out of Time to someone who comments on this blog any time between May 11th-17th.
In addition to the blog hop giveaway, anyone who comments on any of my May blog posts will also be entered into my May, comment love, giveaway. At stake is a $10 gift card to AnaBanana’s Bath & Body Treats. Winner will be announced in my June 4, 2012 blog post, so be sure to check back.
Pauline Baird Jones is both LDS and the author of twelve novels of varying levels of mayhem and excitement. She blogs here twice a week and also has a website where you can find out more than you want to about her adventures in writing and reading.
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I read–and eventually collected–all of Mary Stewart’s novels. I wanted to be her when I “grew up.” But somewhere on the way to becoming an author, I realized that I’d never be Mary Stewart. I could only be Pauline Baird Jones. And I couldn’t become Pauline Baird Jones writing the books someone else had already written. I needed to write books I wanted to read, books that hadn’t been written yet.
A time travel/action adventure/romance. 
