Sam Time Guest Post and Giveaway #GoddessFishPromotions

 

Sam Time

by Donna Balon

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GENRE: Historical Fiction, Time Travel

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BLURB:

When her fiancé is away on business, lonely Samantha Hunter despairs and absorbs herself in historical research. Her nighttime dreams being so vivid, Samantha believes she’s traveling to a past century. As she navigates the Victorian era rules of dos and even more don’ts, she charms Ulysses S Grant while struggling to maintain her present-day romance.

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Excerpt 

During the night, Samantha had a vivid dream. She was in a rural town wearing her Victorian-style dress. The weather was cool so she wrapped the crocheted afghan around her shoulders. And her sockless feet were cold in her slip-on shoes.

The few men she saw were in worn, soiled work clothes and walked with purpose. The so-called roadways were not paved but dirt paths. No cars or trucks, but horses and carts. A few wooden one-story buildings scattered here and there.

This must be a dream in which the clock has been turned back, Samantha thought. But where am I?

She strolled, aware she had not seen any other women. Pulling the afghan around herself snugly, she walked with her head tilted down to avoid catching the eye of any man in whatever this place was, glancing up often to learn more of her surroundings.

Then two women hurried toward her, each carrying a wooden bucket of water. Their cotton dresses hung to their ankles, with full skirts gathered at the waist of fitted bodices. Plain white cotton bonnets covered their heads, and shawls were wrapped around their shoulders. They looked at Samantha disapprovingly. Her dress was too fancy for this rural town. Moreover, she wasn’t wearing a bonnet or hat; a bare head was a means of solicitation by prostitutes. She hugged her body with the afghan, which served as a shawl to hide her uncorseted torso.

The dream seemed authentic. Despite her uneasiness, she thought, Enjoy the dream. If I don’t like it, I’ll wake myself up.

Around a corner, she spotted a few men in uniform. Soldiers. Maybe the army. This might be a small town next to an army fort, Samantha guessed. Still, not a good place for a woman.

Guest Post

Researching the Mid-19^th Century

Time travel is implausible. Readers accept this untruth for the adventure of escaping to the past. As an author, I’m allowed this one lie. Everything else must be plausible so readers can enjoy the ride.

I read over two dozen books in researching the mid-19^th century and my subject Ulysses S Grant. Grant’s and Julia’s memoirs and biographies provided much information, but other books filled in cultural details. No one book stood out as having everything needed. The norm was rather, I’d read over 300 pages to get a couple of nuggets. I summarize some of these nuggets below.

Roughing It, Mark Twain

I strived to write dialogue appropriate for this Victorian period. Roughing It is delightful and gave me hints of language usage. I discovered the word “greenswald”, which is a grassy area.

General John A. Rawlins, No Ordinary Man, Allen J Ottens

This is a biography of Grant’s chief of staff during the Civil War. From this book, I learned Grant typically had staff with him when he traveled on horseback.

In Sam Time when Grant rides on horseback to meet the protagonist Samantha, two staff officers trail him. As she watches the three men race out of town, Samantha is amazed and says, “This is the best vacation ever.”

Chloroform, The Quest for Oblivion, Linda Stratmann

In the acknowledgments the author thanks her husband for enduring “many months living with a woman whose sole topic of conversation appeared to be chloroform.” I laughed, feeling likewise, odd to be buying a book about this drug.

The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, Leander Stillwell

I used more tidbits from this book, which is in the public domain, than any other book. The author also saw Grant riding on horseback during the Civil War.

Manhunt, The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, James L. Swanson

This is in my top favorite nonfiction books. The inside cover displays the reward poster for the assassin of President Lincoln. It’s described in the Sam Time chapter “Mourning in D.C.”

Riding for Ladies with Hints on the Stable, Mrs. Power O’Donoghue

Equestrian women wore riding “habits” (clothes). Samantha wears riding clothes consistent with the descriptions in the book.

The Rise of Literacy and the Common School in the United States, A Socioeconomic Analysis to 1870, Lee Soltow and Edward Stevens

A literate population was a necessity for a young democratic nation. Although informal and sporadic, children often did learn to read, especially the bible.

In the early chapters of the book, Samantha meets the young Peyton sisters and asks them if they know A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. They say “yes”, which is plausible.

The Corset, A Cultural History, Valerie Steele

This is the go-to book for everything about corsets. After reading this book, I concluded corsets during the 19^th century performed the function of a 20^th century brassiere. They were typically worn snug but not tight.

Manners and Morals of Victorian America, Wayne Erbsen

This is a handbook, the front cover of which includes a drawing of a man helping a woman descending a buggy. Victorians considered a woman’s waist an erogenous zone. The front cover illustration correctly displays the man holding onto the elbows of a woman—not her waist—as she rests her hands on his shoulders. In Sam Time, Samantha descends from of buggy with Grant’s help in this same manner.

All the Modern Convenience, American Household Plumbing 1840-1890

Maureen Ogle

I learned indoor plumbing and water closets were available to the in some cities and affluent areas in 1880. In Sam Time, Samantha visits the Grants at their Long Branch, New Jersey, beach home. The home would have had a water closet, and Samantha excuses herself to use it.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author Donna Balon debuts Sam Time, a novel well-researched and professionally edited by quality talent from the publishing industry. Donna resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/41018186.Donna_Balon

Website: https://samtimebook.com/about/

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/donnabalon

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