NOTABLE 100
39
Time Trap
by Richard Smith timetrap.co.uk
Who was the mysterious Hector Lightfoot, and who were the two ghosts once seen in his house? Jamie and Todd are destined to find out when they are sent back in time to 1862, where they hold the world’s destiny in their hands. Only if they can find Hector will they have any chance of getting home again, but he’s gone into hiding. As Jamie and Todd struggle to find him, surrounded by danger and exposed to disease, they join a Victorian street gang in order to survive. Jamie then becomes convinced that the two ghosts in Hector’s house are following them... “It may be a cliché, but Time Trap really was a labor of love. It was 15 years in the making, and in that time, there were three plot changes before I got it right. Two of my passions are Victorian London and time-travel, so it was inevitable I’d write a story combining the two subjects. During the long time writing the story, my mum was always there, telling me never to give up, so I owe her a lot.” —RS 102 D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y
2016
40
Official State Flowers and Trees: Their Unique Stories by Glynda Joy Nord glyndajoynord.com
Official State Flowers and Trees: Their Unique Stories is an insightful excursion into the history of how the 50 states selected the flowers and/or the trees that are displayed on their emblems. The stories are riddled with political intrigue, legends, deception, war and conquest. Whether legislators adopted them due to the importance to their state’s history, economy, native or rare within the state, these symbols are honored by Americans. “As a retired florist, I was actually doing research on another book about the symbolism and the meaning of flowers during the Victorian Era. However, I discovered some interesting facts about the U.S. flower and tree symbols. I became so intrigued with the stories that I just couldn’t stop my research. Five years ago, I actually had a contract with a Texas publisher to print the book but the editor who liked the manuscript left the company and the new editor wasn’t interested. So, since the publisher broke the agreement, I decided to self publish and see what would happen!” — GJN