Crossing Day #GoddessFish

 

CROSSING DAY

William A. Glass

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GENRE: Young Adult/Alternate History

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BLURB:

It's been one hundred and sixty years since the Confederacy won its independence at the Battle of Altamaha Crossing. Slaves of African descent still perform most of the work in the South. This seems normal to Ryan Walters and his friends who attend high school in Huntsville, Alabama. Like teens everywhere, they enjoy sharing videos, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. Jaybird's drive-in is their favorite gathering place. There, they befriend Mish, a slave girl who works as a car hop. When the drive-in’s owner sells Mish to a dirty old man, Ryan and his friends awaken to the injustice around them. Despite the danger, they decide to help Mish escape. Will they succeed?

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Excerpt

Melanie wanders into the dining room and finds her parents already seated at the table with their personal slaves standing behind them. Her mother, Dorothy, takes a sip of orange juice and replaces the glass on the lace tablecloth. Her servant, Natty, immediately gets a pitcher from the sideboard and refills the glass. Meanwhile, James is smiling at Melanie. “Morning, Miss,” he says. The white-haired Black man pulls out her chair. Once she’s seated, he spreads a cloth napkin over her lap.

“What was all the ruckus at Jaybird’s last night?” Dan Montgomery asks. He’s the mayor of Huntsville and knows everything.

“A German boy started it,” Melanie says defensively.

“Yes, and his father already called me to complain. He’s a big wheel at The Space Flight Complex.”

“Sorry!”

Montgomery points to the syrup. His slave, Parker, reaches for it and then pours. “Enough,” Montgomery snaps. He turns back to Melanie. “You and all the others will have a week of detention.”

Melanie gasps. “What about cheerleading practice?”

“You should have thought of that before you went to the drive-in. That’s where all the delinquents hang out and you with them.”

“I won’t go anymore. Please.” Melanie bats her baby blues at her father. His expression melts. “Go to detention after school today, and maybe we’ll see about tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Montgomery cuts off a bite of pancake and pops it into his mouth. That reminds Melanie to eat as well. It’s almost time for the bus.

Guest Post

THOUGHTS ON WRITING IN A NEW GENRE

William A. Glass, Author

Thank-you for featuring my novel, CROSSING DAY on READERS ROOST! This is my third novel but the first one in the Young Adult genre. My previous books, As Good As Can Be and Off Broadway are Historical Fiction based on personnel experience. Because they are autobiographical, the stories were already in my head. Crossing Day belongs to a new genre for me. It takes place in a speculative world. So, for the first time, I encountered the challenge of making a narrative up from scratch. It was fun!

The similarity between the new book and my previous two is that all are based on actual history. Crossing Day is in the Alternative History subgenre of Young Adult. The story follows a group of teenagers living in Alabama one hundred and sixty years after the Civil War. Readers learn about the causes of the war, and how it started. The alteration in actual history is that in my story, the Confederacy gained its independence in the war. So, even though the time period covered is the present, the characters in the book are used to living in a country where slaves of African descent still perform most of the labor. The teenagers complacency is shattered by an event that causes them to rebel against the system. Since the repressive Confederate government doesn’t take kindly to descent, the action now becomes hot and heavy.

I really enjoyed writing in a new genre, tackling controversial subject matter, and letting my imagination run wild. Early readers of the manuscript were effusive in their praise, so I’m excited to get the novel out there. The launch date is May 15. Crossing Day will be available wherever books are sold.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Bill is a retired business executive who now lives in a small southern town with his wife, Bettina. She’s a retired high school German teacher. Bill coaches soccer at a small college. Often, Bettina, who has a commercial driver’s license, pilots the soccer team bus to away games.

Bettina and Bill have three sons, Alex, Robert, and Gordon who have all graduated from college and moved away to pursue careers. Instead of having an empty nest, Bettina and Bill now host three rescue dogs. They enjoy finding promising hiking trails to explore with their dogs.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.glass.50767

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamasaglass

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WilliamAGlass3

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-glass-1281609/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20170818.William_A_Glass

LibraryThing:  https://www.librarything.com/profile/Glaswa4611

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Day-William-Glass-ebook/dp/B0CW8HBGV4/ref=sr_1_1

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

William A. Glass will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway