Excerpt: Lafayette Park Scene
Both books open in a park in San Francisco. In this scene, Anna is visiting the park for the first time.
Time Between UsLafayette Park from 32-year-old Anna’s point of view.
October 2011
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
Even from this distance I can see how young he looks. Younger than the first time I saw him.
He and his friends have been skating around Lafayette Park for the last couple of hours, and now they’re sprawled across the grass, downing Gatorades and passing around a bag of Doritos.
“Excuse me.”
Eight sixteen-year-old heads spin in my direction, looking confused, then curious.
“Are you Bennett?” I ask and wait for him to nod, even though I’m sure it’s him. I’d know him anywhere. “Can I speak with you for a moment? In private?”
He knits his eyebrows together, but then he stands up and flips his skateboard over to keep it from rolling down the hill. I catch him looking back at his friends and shrugging as he follows me to the closest bench. He sits at the opposite end, as far away from me as possible.
Everything about him is so similar, so familiar, that I almost scoot over to close the distance, like I would have done so naturally when I was younger. But sixteen years have come between us, and that’s enough to keep me on my side of the bench.
“Hi.” My voice shakes, and I twist a curly strand of hair around my finger before catching myself and returning my hand to my sides, pressing both palms into the wooden slats.
“Ummm… Hi?” he says. He studies me through the uncomfortable silence. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to know you or something?”
My instinct is to say yes, but I stop myself, press my lips together, and shake my head instead. He doesn’t know me. Not yet. “I’m Anna. Here.”
I reach into my bag, pull out the sealed white envelope, and smile as I hold it out to him.
He takes the letter and turns it over a few times.
“I thought it would be safer to explain in writing.” My next words are the most important. After all my practice, I should have this part perfected, but I think through each word in my head again, just to be sure. “It’s too easy for me to say the wrong thing today, and if I do, we may never meet at all.”
=
Time After TimeBennett’s point of view
Here’s a different day in the same park, this time from Bennett’s point of view.
August 2012
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
Sam stands up too, and steps hard on the end of his board so it flips into his hand. “Look, you’ve managed to avoid her all summer, but when school starts next week, you won’t have a choice. The way I see it, there is only one reason you wouldn’t ask Megan out.”
“Because she’s kind of… vacuous?” She’s a junior, a year younger than all of us, and I haven’t spoken to her long enough to know if this is true or not. But I feel compelled to steer Sam away from his “one reason.”
He looks back at me. “If you really don’t like her, I get it. But she’s Lindsey’s friend, you know? The four of us could go out sometime. It might be fun.”
My mind flashes on an image of Anna, Emma, Justin, and me, walking into a movie theater, my arm draped over Anna’s shoulder and Emma’s arm threaded through Justin’s. I already have a “four of us.” Or at least, I did.
I run my hand through my hair. “I’ll think about it, okay?” I won’t, but hopefully I put enough sincerity in my voice to make him think I will.
“Don’t think about it. Just ask her out. Because, seriously, she’s nice and really cool and, in my humble opinion, not at all vacuous. And Lindsey likes her,” he adds, knowing that could be a selling point.
The rest of the guys come back to grab their stuff and I’m relieved. They mutter good-byes and start down the path that leads to the bottom of the hill. Sam follows them, but then stops and looks back at me.
“You coming?”
“I’m going to grab a coffee,” I say, gesturing toward the Fillmore Street shops in the opposite direction.
He gives me a quick “See ya” and takes off with everyone else as I head the other way.
When they’re out of sight, I double back to the bench overlooking the bay and watch the sailboats skim across the water.
Nothing’s changed, but everything’s different now. Because Anna sat here once, right next to me, and handed me a letter that told me I’d meet her someday. I wish she’d warned me that once I had, I wouldn’t quite know how to be here without her.
***************
I can't wait to go pick up a copy of Time After Time.
ABOUT THE BOOKS
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.
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.
Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.
Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn’t. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.
It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work…until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn’t want?
Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us’s Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.
To find out more about Tamara's book, visit her website here.
The Giveaway:
I've got a copy of each book to give to one 1 lucky winner!!! To enter, just leave me a comment along with your email address. (US residents only, you must be 13 yrs & older to enter).
Check out the other stops in the tour:
BookHounds (10/11): http://maryinhb.blogspot.com
Reading Teen (10/12) http://www. readingteen.net
Jenuine Cupcakes (10/13) http://jenuinecupcakes. blogspot.com
Good Choice Reading (10/16) http://www. goodchoicereading.com
I've wanted to read these books for a long time! Thanks so much for doing a giveaway of them. Fingers crossed!
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I loved Time Between Us! I can't wait to read Time After Time
ReplyDeletekelseykd23@cox.net
I cannot wait to read Time After Time either!!
ReplyDeletekellis_amberlee at yahoo dot com
I loved Time Between Us. I love time travel books. I can't wait to read Time After Time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com
Haven't read anything by this author yet but I do love the theme.
ReplyDeletebookbunny68 at yahoo (dot) com
sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing ;)
ReplyDeleteefender1(at)gmail(dot)com
I must have them. Please! I have entered a lot of giveaways featuring these books and I am having absolutely no luck. I loved Time Between Us and would love to have it to reread and then read Time After Time. Wonderful story. Thank you so much for the chance.
ReplyDeleteEmail ~ Areuscared66@yahoo.com
Whee! I'm so excited to read Time After Time!!! Loved Time Between Us!
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haebookhae (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks for the giveaway! I'd love to read these books! debbied_1 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds so good! :D
ReplyDeletelaughs4life14(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
I really want to read these books! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletenaruto_and_hinata(at)hotmail(dot)com
I've read Time Between Us and looking forward to reading Time After Time. I really enjoy time travel romances. :) krazybooklady(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an amazing series!!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Time Between Us has been on my TBR list forever. I've heard so many great things about the novel! Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeletepeacelovebooks5 (at) aol (dot) com
Ooh, they sound great, thanks!
ReplyDeletesara(dot)bowers(at)cox(dot)net
I've heard really great things about these books, so I can't wait to read them!
ReplyDeleteraquel_494@hotmail.com
Time Between Us
ReplyDeleteKay-smilezz@hotmail.com
They both look so good!
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