The Time Travelers Tarot: A Romantic Journey Through Story, Image, and Sound

My mother‑in‑law has always called me a romantic. Not the hearts‑and‑flowers kind—she knows perfectly well I write historical fiction and have been known to kill off a character or two (sorry). Her definition is different. To her, a romantic is someone drawn to beauty and imagination, someone who seeks awe, wonder, and the sublime.

And when she says it, she rolls the R in that Dutch way—rrrromantic—as if the word itself has weight, texture, and a bit of earth under its nails. Solid. Grounded. But unafraid to reach for beauty. I’ve come to love that description.

Where It All Began: Books, Music, and a Sense of Wonder

I’ve written before about my dad and how he introduced me to books. The equation is simple:

I write books because I read books. I read books because my dad gave me books.

But he also gave me something else: music.

My dad listened to classical music or nothing at all. He had a good ear—he could hear the architecture inside a symphony, the way themes folded into each other, the way emotion lived in structure. My early memories are a blend of Doctor Who on TV and classical music filling the house. Music wasn’t just background; it was atmosphere. It was story. It’s probably no surprise, then, that Jamie Poole eventually developed her own soundtrack.

The Time Travelers Tarot: A Multisensory World

When I created The Time Travelers Tarot, I wanted it to be more than a deck. I wanted it to feel like stepping into Jamie’s world—past, present, future, and the liminal spaces in between.

So I composed a song for each card in the Major Arcana. I'm also creating music for many of the characters in the Jamie Poole series—characters who appear on the cards themselves.

The goal is simple: an immersive experience for anyone who approaches Jamie Poole. A world you can see, read, and now hear.

How the Music Was Made (And Why I Chose This Path)

I want to be transparent about my creative process.

I write my own books. I don’t use AI for that. For the tarot deck, I’ve said openly that AI was used as an enhancement tool—but not the foundation. The cards began with a camera, my own photography, and several editing programs. My background in art and writing shaped every choice.

Music, however, is a different landscape. I wrote the lyrics myself. But I don’t have an orchestra in my backyard. I don’t have the funds to hire one. And I did have access to an emerging tool that allowed me to bring these compositions to life. So I used it. Not as a shortcut. Not as a replacement for human creativity. But as a way to build something I otherwise couldn’t.

About the AI Conversation (And Why I’m Not Here to Debate)

AI is a controversial topic for some, and I’m not interested in turning this into a battleground. What I have noticed, though, is a familiar pattern: A new tool appears. Some people use it. Some people don’t. And instead of discussing systems, we start attacking individuals for participating in something that already exists.

We’ve been here before. Cars. Electricity. Cell phones. The internet. Every new technology arrives with fear, resistance, and predictions of doom—often posted on the very platforms people claim are destroying society.

And the “real artists” argument? Most AI‑generated images were never going to be commissioned from a professional artist. They exist because the tool makes playful, experimental, low‑stakes creativity possible. The choice was never “AI or paying an artist.” It was “AI or nothing at all.”

We’ve already lived through this with photo filters, retouching, background blur, and editing tools built into our phones. These didn’t replace photographers. They simply let people play.

Same tension. Same debate. New technology. And yes, AI uses energy. So does streaming, online banking, cloud storage, social media, online shopping, manufacturing, payroll systems, and the entire internet—where most of the outrage is posted. Opting out is a personal choice. Turning that choice into a moral measuring stick for others doesn’t move the conversation forward.

What Matters Most: The Art Itself

Jamie Poole Books—and every project connected to it—is, at its heart, romantic in the truest sense of the word. Beauty, imagination, wonder, and emotional resonance are the compass points. The Time Travelers Tarot is meant to be an invitation. A doorway. A hand extended across time. When Jamie Poole says, “Take my hand. I will show you,” I want you to feel the world open around you—in image, in story, and now in sound.

The Time Travelers Tarot is available May 26, 2026. Get on the Early Bird list for an early discount. info@jamiepoolebooks.com