A Matter of Time: an inspirational novel of history, mystery & romance

Note to Self: You can’t afford your dream house, even if is the absolute best one you’ll ever find. And stop dreaming about Brett, too. Remember, he’s just a friend.

In Lebanon, Illinois the annual Victorian Holiday Festival kicks off a month of celebrating Christmas—and Charles Dickens. He’s the town’s claim to fame ever since he stayed at the Mermaid Inn during his 1842 tour of America. But judging from the snarky comments Dickens wrote in his travelogue, he was certainly not a fan of Lebanon.

Professor Merrideth Randall gets the opportunity to find out why when her “dream house” goes on the market, and a realtor gives her a key to the front door. Built in 1839, it sits right across the street from the Mermaid Inn, so it’s the perfect place to use her amazing time-rewinding computer software.

Brett Garrison, brilliant professor of physics during the workday, and her witty partner in historical adventures during the off hours, goes along with her. Spending time with the man she loves—while pretending they’re only friends—is even more difficult than she thought it would be. Together Merrideth and Brett meet an interesting assortment of Lebanon’s citizens in 1842, and they finally find out what Dickens was really thinking when he wrote about them.

As usual, everyone from the past has much to teach Merrideth about mankind’s sinfulness and God’s plan to rescue them. Will she finally come to the point of trusting him, or will all the holiday hoopla around town get in the way of understanding the true meaning of Christmas?

What Readers Are Saying…

“Absolutely magnificent book! The last several pages in this book made me cry. That's not a surprise to me; I've cried at one time or another with Merri in every book. I love reading the personal perspective of every character from history that Deborah Heal's fertile brain has supplied for the readers.”

“Kudos to the author. This one is a keeper. Step back in time and enjoy!” (Laura Davis, author of Unlocking the Truth of Daniel)

“Deborah Heal is one of my new favorite writers right up there with Jan Karon, Beverly Lewis, Diane Mott Davidson, and several others.”

“Alongside the "time" journey, we also follow Merri on her Spiritual journey. She is unsure of all the claims of Christianity and we see her struggle to understand.”

“I love how Deborah Heal incorporates the Gospel message into the story without being pushy and preachy.”

“I am…"heartbroken" to learn there is only one more book to go. It's a painful beauty when characters seem more like friends, and I am already missing them.”

“Can hardly wait for the final installment, although I will probably go through withdrawal when it comes to an end. Excellent author. Excellent read. Highly recommend.”

Merrideth’s historical adventures and her search for love and faith continue with the delightfully satisfying conclusion to the series, More than Meets the Eye.

The Rewinding Time Series: Christian time travel with a unique twist—computer software that “time-surfs” through the history of old houses. It’s also squeaky-clean romance, guaranteed to be flinch-free. And the kind of historical fiction you like to read—believable!

And check out the History Mystery Trilogy, the prequel to the Rewinding Time Series. Meet Professor Randall as a “bratty 11-year-old” and see the origin of her amazing computer program.