Blog Tour: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Today, I'm happy to be part of the blog tour for Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone. Today's post will include a review, an interview, and a giveaway! So without a further ado...

Book Review:

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

Can their love stand the test of time?

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Review:

I have a huge love for time travel books, but for some reason, there's never many YA ones out there. Therefore, when I learned about Time Between Us, Tamara Ireland Stone's debut about time traveling, I was beyond excited about it. It sounded amazing, especially with the little forbidden romance aspect. Sadly enough, I wasn't the biggest fan of Time Between Us. Don't get me wrong, it was good and it kept my attention well enough, but it just didn't prove that big "WOW" factor I was looking for among other things.

One of the things I had a love/hate relationship with was the characters. I liked Anna well enough. She was likable enough, but there was nothing I was able to really connect with her over. The same thing happened with Bennett. He was great and all, but I just wasn't able to connect to him one bit. Adding in to this, I never understood how their was relationship was strong enough for Bennett to even consider living his world for Anna's when he had friends and family back home. There was just so many loose ties involved in it. I did enjoy the variety of other characters in the book, though. Anna's friends were great as were Anna's parents.

The plot in this was good enough that it kept the book moving. I always enjoy seeing how authors take the time traveling aspect and make it their own, and that rang true with Time Between Us. My favorite part about this one, though, was the setting. I loved that it took place in the '90s as well as all the little references it included. It was a great little quirk for the book, in my opinion. However, I'm sad that Tamara didn't include more about Bennett's lost-in-time sister. She was a big part of what brought Anna and Bennett together, but yet when she was found not much was said about her besides that she was back home. There was just so much I would have liked to known about her disappearance.

The writing was done well. I thought Tamara did a good enough job with creating the plot and characters for the most part.

In all, while I didn't particularly connect to Anna and Bennett, others have, as I've seen in reviews, and I'm sure others will as well, so I still suggest giving this one a try if you enjoy time travel and forbidden romance. Who knows maybe you'll end up seeing something in it the cynic in me couldn't! :)

Grade: B

Time Between Us (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!

Source: Netgalley

Author Interview:

1) What are the top three reasons why readers should take a look at Time Between Us the next time they see it online or in stores?

1) Escapism. This story will take you to real places you might not otherwise get to see, and also into an imaginary world where the impossible is possible. It’s a fun adventure.
2) “What-ifs”. What if a cute guy could hold your hands and take you anywhere in the world at the speed of thought. There are many “what-ifs” in this story, but that’s a pretty cool one.
3) Big thoughts. This is a fun story, and I hear people say it’s a fast read. But there’s also a lot going on that I’d love readers to think about as they go. Ultimately, this is a story about the choices we make in life and how each one affects the person we become. I love it when readers say Time Between Us is as thought provoking as it is entertaining.

2) Time Between Us tells the story of Anna and Bennett so can you share with us a little about each? Also, if you could offer them any advice, what would you say?

Anna Greene is from suburban Chicago. She’s a loyal friend, a music lover, and a cross-country runner who dreams of traveling the world. She is sixteen and lives in 1995.

Bennett Cooper is from San Francisco. He’s a devoted brother, loves music (especially live music), and he can time travel to any location within his lifetime. He is seventeen and lives in 2012.

My advice? Anna didn’t listen to her best friend Emma, so she probably wouldn’t listen to me when I tell her that striking up a romance with a guy who lives 2,131 miles away from you is a bad idea. And Emma doesn’t even know what I know… that he also lives 17 years away. Of course, if Anna had listened to either one of us, this story would have ended on page 142. I’m glad she thinks for herself.

3) Time Between Us focuses on time travel, so if you had the ability to travel back to any moment, which would you pick?

There are so many moments I’d travel back to, but if I had to choose one within my own lifetime, I’d want to see the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember watching TV and being moved by the images of regular people, coming out in droves and taking a sledgehammer to it. 

I was born on an American Army base in Frankfurt, and even though I haven’t been back to Germany since I was a little over a year old, I feel a strong connection to the country. I would have loved to experience that incredible moment in history firsthand.

4) How did the tile of the book come to be? Was it always the title or did it come later on in the process?

The original title was Möbius. When I was first writing and researching this story, I became fascinated with the idea that some physicists who study time travel have used the Möbius Strip to consider how time could be twisted, each side representing a parallel universe. But as it turns out, that doesn’t make it a great title for a book. You can read the whole story here.

Honestly, now I can’t imagine this book being anything but “Time Between Us”. It is such a perfect title. This novel is about two people who meet in the exact middle of their combined lifetimes—1995—and the story takes place in this “between”. They spend time together. And the reality that “time” is the one thing they don’t share, constantly threatens to pull them apart.

Now that you know the backstory, look at the cover of the book. See Anna’s pendant? It’s a Möbius strip. My editor knew my fascination with the symbol, and because she is wonderful in every way, she put that necklace on Anna to surprise me. Isn’t that awesome?

5) I absolutely adore the cover of the book! What were your thoughts when you saw it for the very first time?

Thank you! And since I had nothing to do with it, I can also say, “Me too”!

When I saw it for the first time, my family and I were having lunch in a restaurant in San Francisco. I took a quick look at my phone and saw a message from my editor that said something like, "THE COVER!", and my stomach dropped.

I leaned over to my husband and whispered, "The cover's here. I don't want to open it. What if I don't like it?” He laughed and told me look anyway. So I did. And then this huge smile spread across my face. I handed him my phone. “Wow,” he said. “That’s really beautiful.” My kids agreed. We all stared at it for a long time. We ordered dessert.

6) What is your favorite part about being an author? Least?

My favorite part: I get to spend my days making stuff up! That makes it sound easy, but I’ll tell you—I’ve had a lot of hard jobs in my career, and this is by far the hardest one. I’ve always been a perfectionist, but when it comes to my writing, I’m a perfectionist with a capital “P”. But honestly, even when I’m drinking coffee at 2:00 a.m. because I’m on deadline, I’m still smiling. Because, yeah, I get to make up stories for a living!

The hardest part: Publishing is deadline driven, and there are many elements beyond my control. I’ve always worked, and my kids are used to that, but my nights and weekends have traditionally been reserved for my family. This new work schedule has been a big adjustment for all of us.

7) List three things your readers would be surprised to know about you.

· I worked directly with Steve Jobs and led the launch of the first iMac.
· My first job was as a “stuffer” at Taco Bell
· I wrote a good deal of Time Between Us on my iPhone. I wrote in parking lots. In the carpool line. In the middle of the night. I got this story in my head and I couldn’t write it fast enough.

8) What’s up next for you book wise? Is there anything else you would like to add?

I hope readers haven’t had their fill of Anna & Bennett, because I know I haven’t! The book I’m currently working on is a sequel to Time Between Us. We haven’t announced the title yet, but it will continue the story of Anna and Bennett’s unique relationship and the impact it has on them as individuals, and as a couple. There will be more international travel, and a lot more of Bennett experimenting with his time travel abilities. It will be out from Hyperion in Fall 2013.

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Thanks so much for stopping by! To find out more about Tamara and her books, visit her website.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Hyperion Teen, I also have ONE copy of Time Between Us to giveaway! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Be aware, though, that this giveaway is open to US residents who are 13 or older only! 

Good luck! :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway