Author Guest Post with Donna Balon: Sam Time

Samantha (Sam) Hunter is living two lives.

Welcome to the September 28th stop on the blog tour for Sam Time by Donna Balon with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

What is one fun fact about you?
I sewed the blazer I’m wearing in my author’s photo.

Did you insert yourself in any of your characters?
One character is an accountant, another is an attorney. I practiced as a certified public accountant and tax attorney. If I’m a character in Sam Time, I’m Samantha’s mother, who has mastered waffle-making. But some of Samantha’s dialogue is like me. In the first chapter, she throws a tantrum in front of her fiancé. Later she regrets it and says, “I should come with instructions.” That’s something I would say.

Who designed the book cover?
Laura Duffy—she’s based in New York City–designed the cover. I did create the cover concept: a handsome photo of the light-blue-eyed Grant with the main character Samantha who befriends this American Icon.

What were your favorite classes in high school?
I liked English and American literature. Humanities was fun. But the most useful class was typing. I learned the keyboard, so I don’t need to look at the keys when I’m typing. Also I like pressing the keys and hearing the click, click.

What is the best writing advice?
Anyone who writes “I can’t explain it” or something to that effect, isn’t a good writer.

About the Book

Sam Time
by Donna Balon

Published 19 September 2023
Desert Day Press LLC

Genre: Historical Fiction, Time Travel
Page Count: 323
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

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

Samantha approached a horse stable and heard a man say,

“Lieutenant Grant.” Another said, “Ulysses.” She snapped her head around.

Oh my God, Samantha thought. Grant was promoted to captain in the middle of the decade, so if he’s a lieutenant, it’s 1850-ish. And this must be northern California.

The two men approached Grant, and Samantha watched. She no longer cared about keeping her unbonneted head down. This was her dream, and she wanted at least a glimpse of Grant. He was wearing an army uniform: an above-the-knee-length navy coat, with a stand-up collar closed by a single row of brass buttons down the center front; baggy pants; square-toed boots with a one-inch heel; and a black felt slouch hat with a wide brim.

The three men spoke for a few minutes and then the other two left, leaving Grant and the horse he was tending.

Samantha hesitated and recalled what she had learned of American history. Although the United States had separated from its mother country, the former colony still followed many of Britain’s customs. Named after Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, this period is called the Victorian era—with social rules: many dos and even more don’ts.

But Samantha wanted to have fun. So she approached Grant while thinking about all the customs she should abide by.

At age thirty and unmarried, Samantha was an old maid. Without a hat or a bonnet she could be mistaken for a prostitute, and there were plenty of those women around any town adjacent to an army fort.

About the Author

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.

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