Magical and sweet, But Not Forever explores the power of family and a Victorian past that holds the key to dusty secrets and forgotten love. Behold Sonnet and Emma, crossing generations and splitting open the boundaries of time. 

“Letting my eyes close, I let Tor in, and watched his solitary tear weep for me. It formed a puddle in his eye, pooling over green marble swirls of moss and fern and pine, and then molded into a translucent drop on his lashes, falling after a moment to his cheek, inching down over the sunburned face where sawdust sometimes lay. I watched as it rolled and caught on his lip before continuing its journey to his chin, mixing with the golden stubble, flattening into a spot of wetness, no longer a trickle of salty river. I held the picture for a moment longer and then let it slide away. It landed . . . a video gently placed in a box. I closed the lid and locked it.

I would take it out again someday.

When I was stronger.”
 

2020 Book Excellence First Place Award in Preteen Fiction

2019 Chanticleer Dante Rossetti First in Category and Grand Prize Winner in Young Adult Fiction

2019 Nautilus Silver Medal Award in Young Adult Fiction

2019 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal Award in Young Adult Fiction

2019 Independent Publisher Silver Medal Award in Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction E-Book 

2019 Readers Favorite Bronze Medal Award Preteen Fiction

2019 Forward Indies Finalist in Young Adult Fiction

2019 National Indie Excellence Finalist in Young Adult Fiction

2019 International Book Awards Finalist in Young Adult Fiction 

 
 

Doppelgangers separated by twelve decades exchange places in this deftly intertwined fish out of water tale from debut author Jan Von Schleh. Magical and fast-moving, But Not Forever challenges social conventions, celebrates friendship, and demonstrates the resilience of love with an unflinching compassion which is sure to delight.

—Mindy Tarquini, award-winning author of THE INFINITE NOW and HINDSIGHT   

 
 
 

But Not Forever is a magical time-traveling adventure that captivates readers from the start. Von Schleh’s sparkling prose sets the stage for the thrilling, intertwining journeys of Sonnet and Emma. Doppelgangers born into separate worlds, both are forced to face family dysfunction and reexamine societal conventions. Love and heartache cross over generations while universe forces and unbreakable family ties are clearly at work in this page-turning tale.

—Heather Cumiskey, award-winning author of I LIKE YOU LIKE THIS

 
 
 

From the heart-thumping opening lines of But Not Forever, one begins a thrilling journey from 2015 to 1895 and back again. Set in an abandoned mansion in the romantically named place, Monte Cristo, Jan Von Schleh has a beautiful, fresh style that deftly straddles the two eras.

—Rohini Sunderam writing as Zohra Saeed, author of DESERT FLOWER

 
 
 

I stayed up well past my bedtime, devouring this charming, vividly imagined time-travel story. Jan Von Schleh plumbs the drama of her twin heroines’ dilemma with evocative period details, a cast of fully realized characters, and lots and lots of heart.

—Pam McGaffin, award-winning author of THE LEAVING YEAR

 
 
 

Outstanding. I hadn’t intended to stay up late, but honestly this story is just so good, I had to finish it.

—Sam Morton, author of JERICHO ROAD

 
 
 

Lush, poignant, enchanting. Sonnet and Emma, and their intertwining stories, grabbed me from the start and wouldn’t let me go.

—Julia Inserro, award-winning author of NONNI'S MOON

 
 
 

The author masterfully paints landscapes, colors, sounds, and emotions with her articulate play of words and phrases, enabling me to visualize Sonnet and Emma’s distinct worlds. The twist of the story came as a delightful surprise that challenged logical sense of time. Reading the last page left me wanting more.

—Bles Chavez-Bernstein, author of WITHOUT RHYME, a poet’s story