Ten-year-old Susan Sinclair is a typical girl whose most exotic pastime, in the normal course of things, is her weekly martial arts class. But when a complete stranger gives her a rare crystal while she’s at a flea market with her parents, everything changes.
Every time Susan sleeps, she wakes up on a nineteenth-century migrant ship headed for New York City. There, she meets a young boy named Jeremy who was orphaned at the beginning of the vessel’s journey.
When Susan attempts to return the crystal, she learns it has chosen her to go to places in the past where something is wrong and must be set right, and she can’t give the stone away until it determines the time is right. Susan, who does not even like Jeremy, is outraged.
However, as her travels through time continue, she softens toward the unfortunate boy and decides to give this new adventure a chance. But on one return visit to the ship, a bully steals the crystal—and Susan finds herself stuck in the past. She will have to summon all the bravery and resourcefulness she can to escape from a danger beyond her wildest dreams.
5.0 out of 5 .0 stars A Wonderful Read! By Roberta A. Rich on August 3, 2016 Format: Kindle EditionWednesday, August 3, 2016 Crystal Journey: A Rare Gift is the story of a young girl and her slowly awakening social conscience. Susan Sinclair, a resourceful ten year old, buys a mysterious crystal at a flea market. The crystal she soon discovers has magic properties which cause Susan to travel back in time to 186o’s. To her dismay, she finds herself on a migrant ship bound for New York where she encounters a ‘nasty boy’, an orphan named Jeremy. Although she finds travelling back into the past confusing and frightening, Susan is pulled into the circumstances of Jeremy’s life.Susan is a clever girl who is not entirely happy with her new found crystal. At one point she goes back to the flea market and tries to find the old woman who sold her the crystal to give it back. The woman refuses to take it, explaining that Susan is the guardian of the crystal now and that the stone is meant to right events on the earth that have gone wrong. This is a turning point for Susan who decides to take up the challenge of the crystal and help the ‘nasty boy’, Jeremy she has met on the ship. As she tries to help Jeremy by bringing him food and clothing, she discovers the value of helping others and comes to regard her own family in Canada with new appreciation.I am not normally a reader of time travel but I found this well researched book irresistible for a number of reasons. It is written in a clear, fluid style. The characters are full of surprises, and are not what they seem at first. The book is wonderfully suspenseful. Every chapter ends with a –cliff-hanger-. The plot is filled with surprising twists and turns. The author, Ms. Ludlow has a good ear for dialogue. This is a book which will reward the reader with many hours of entertainment as well as giving insights into the world of migrant ships and harsh conditions at sea.
The first book in her Crystal Journal series, "A Rare Gift", has been short-list for the Chocolate Lily Award, which is a British Columbian award for books by B C Authors which have interest and merit for inclusion in the Province's Schools.
G. Rosemary Ludlow, is due to publish the third book in her Crystal Journal series. Entitled "Lady Knight" this episode takes Susan Sinclair to Medieval Europe where she rescues a royal runaway and travels across the Holy Roman Empire with her cousin who accidentally traveled with her from their own time.
“It is a lot of fun for me, dreaming up dangers for Susan and then working out how she will rescue herself and others.”G. Rosemary said in a recent interview.Being an indie author has offered many challenges for G. Rosemary as it requires that each author must work at their own marketing strategies.
Comwave Publishing House, has become the marketing arm for her books.With book 3, "Lady Knight", about to be published. G.Rosemary has begun working on Book 4.The working title is "Freedom" Expect to see it available in early 2018.
