Sam
Time
by
Donna Balon
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GENRE:
Historical Fiction, Time Travel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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-19th 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-19th
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 19th century
performed the function of a 20th 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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