"Classic Ginger" Snippets Time Tantrums with Ginger Simpson

This week I'm sharing a snippet from Time Tantrums...my time-travel romance with an historical twist.  In this story, a modern day attorney and a pioneer wife change lives and eras and discover what it's like to walk in another's shoes.

 Let Me know what you think.  You cacn get your own copy via Books We Love.  Just click on my name and you'll be taken to my own page where you'll find all my books.   Take advantage of the BOGO sales.  Buy one, get one free...a great holiday value.

Time Tantrums

David sat beside Taylor’s bed, his heart aching at seeing his beautiful wife swathed in bandages, an IV in her arm, a tube down her throat. The large hospital bed dwarfed her five-foot-eight frame and elevated her head. 

The breathing machine’s swooshing and the heart monitor’s steady beep were the only sounds in the room. 

“Everything will be okay, baby. Just wake up.” He held her hand and offered words of encouragement even though he wasn’t sure she heard him. 

“Mr. Morgan?” The doctor entered with a serious look on his face. 

David rose from the chair, his pulse racing. “Yes, doctor. Have there been any changes since I spoke with you in the recovery room? How is she? Is she going to be all right?” 

“Mr. Morgan, as I told you, we don’t know right now. We did all we can. She suffered a lot of trauma. We’ve taken care of the internal bleeding and removed her spleen, so all we can do now is wait and hope.” He glanced at her chart. 

“Money isn’t an issue, doctor. If you think she needs a specialist—” 

“I assure you, Mr. Morgan, the surgical team consisted of the finest doctors. Now, only time will tell.” The doctor patted David’s shoulder, then turned and left the room. 

Tears welled and David blinked them back. He turned to his wife and took her hand. “Taylor, darling, you can make it. I know you can. I’m going to be right here. Do you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you do.” 

Her fingers curled around his hand. The grip was weak, but she responded. 

“Doctor, doctor!” David yelled. “Come quick. I think she’s waking." 

The doctor rushed back into the room.

David gazed at him, heart filled with hope. “She squeezed my hand. Squeeze it again, Taylor.” 

The physician put a stethoscope to her chest. He raised her bandage and lifted her eyelid. “Mrs. Morgan, if you can hear me, blink your eyes.” 

David watched her closely. She blinked, not once, but twice. 

“That’s good, Mrs. Morgan. You’re doing fine, just fine. You’ve been in an accident and were badly hurt, but you’re going to be okay. Your husband is here.”

David stood and leaned in. “Hello, darling. I’ve been so worried about you, but like the doctor says, you’re going to be fine.” 

He brushed a kiss against her cheek. 

* * * * 

You aren’t Frank! Where’s Frank? Why are you kissing me? I don’t know you. Somebody help... 

Who was this man? Mariah fluttered her eyes and barely lifted her head off the pillow. The mere movement caused her temple to pound. Her gaze darted around the room. Nothing looked familiar. Why did she feel so sore?  Nothing she saw made sense. Strange machines, dials, sounds, and the room—so white, so pristine. She tried to raise herself, but couldn’t. Where was she? 

Glancing down at the strange tube in her arm, she gasped, then raised her hand and touched her head. Bandaged? God help her. Where was her husband? Her mind formed Frank’s name but her lips failed to speak it as darkness shrouded her. 

* * * * 

A woman in white stood over Mariah. “Oh, Mrs. Morgan, you’re awake. We’ve been so worried about you. Your husband just went down to the cafeteria for something to eat. He’s been here every day for the past two weeks. You gave us quite a scare.” 

The stranger fluffed Mariah’s pillow and checked the tube in her arm. “Wouldn’t you know you’d wake up the minute he left? Poor fellow, he’s barely had time to change his clothes.” 

Cafeteria? The word meant nothing. Two weeks? She’d been here for two weeks? And where was here?   She tried to ask, but nothing came out. Vaguely recalling something thick and painful in her mouth, she swallowed. Thank goodness whatever had been there was gone. 

“Don’t try to speak, Mrs. Morgan." The stranger patted her arm. "Your throat is probably pretty raw. We just took the breathing tube out yesterday. You’ll be able to talk soon, but now you just need to rest and get well. Let me give you a little more pain medication.” She fiddled with some sort of bagged liquid hanging above the bed. Her fingers followed the tube down and smoothed the tape holding a needle in Mariah’s arm. “There, that should make you feel a little more comfortable.” 

Breathing tube? Mrs. Morgan? What’s happening? Somebody tell me, please. Confused and frightened, Mariah’s teary eyes focused on the man who walked through the door.

“Ah, Mr. Morgan, your wife is finally awake.” The woman in white greeted him. “She seems pretty alert.” 

“Taylor, sweetheart.” He rushed to the bed. “Thank God, you’re awake. I’ve been so worried about you.” 

Mariah turned her head to the side, avoiding the stranger’s kiss. “I’m not Taylor.” Her words were merely a whisper that no one heard. 

“What are you trying to say, darling?” He bent lower.

“I asked her not to try to speak yet.” The white-clad woman rubbed her own throat. “The breathing tube you know.” 

“Of course." He nodded. "The nurse is right. Don’t talk, sweetie. When you’re healed, we’ll have lots of time to chat. Just rest.” 

Confusion shrouded Mariah. Why did they keep calling her Mrs. Morgan, and mentioning Taylor? Why weren’t they using her own name?  A tear slid down her cheek. She’d rest for now, but when she could speak, she’d insist on knowing where she was and why a strange man considered her his wife. 

The man she knew only as Mr. Morgan stretched his hands over his head then massaged the small of his back. “Now that I know you’re on the mend, I’m going home to shower, shave and change clothes. Your parents are waiting for my call to update them on your condition. I’ll be back tomorrow. You get some rest, baby.” He bent and kissed her forehead. 

Yes, go away. I need to think…and answers...I need some answers. Mariah sensed herself drifting off. Something made her very drowsy. 

* * * * 

The nurse’s poking and prodding rudely awakened Mariah. “Good morning, Mrs. Morgan. I need to check your vitals.”  Sunlight barely filtered through whatever covered the window. Mariah’s head felt like it hovered somewhere above her. She blinked, hoping she was in the middle of a bad dream and about to wake up. 

A strange band squeezed her arm, and she grimaced. The nurse placed a round, flat object against Mariah’s skin, and appeared to listen intently. “Good blood pressure, Mrs. Morgan," she finally said. "How are you feeling?” 

How? Terrified! Mariah heard her own heartbeat. “I’m sore,” was all she could croak out. 

“Of course you’re sore. You were in a terrible car accident.” She jotted something on a board of some sort. 

Mariah's thoughts jumbled, and putting them into words proved impossible. What kind of accident was a car? Where was her family? 

The nurse rounded the bed and revealed the shortness of her skirt. Mariah widened her eyes and bit her lip to keep her mouth from gaping. How inappropriate to show so much leg. 

The woman tucked the covers in at the end of the metal frame. “Do you think you could manage a drink this morning? Perhaps some ginger ale? The doctor left orders for you to have liquids. Once we know you can tolerate drinking, perhaps we can get you a food tray.” 

Mariah was hungry. If she’d been here for two weeks, how had she survived without eating? Just the mere thought of being without food for so long made her stomach growl. “Yes… please.” She forced out the words. 

After the nurse placed a filled glass on Mariah’s tray, she pushed a button on the side of the bed. Mariah rose into a sitting position. Her gaze darted from the mechanism to the nurse, and questions burned in her mind. How had she done that? 

Amidst jumbled thoughts, she maneuvered around the tube in her arm and picked up the glass, anxious to ease the soreness of her throat. As she took a sip, he entered the room. 

“Taylor! Look at you. Sitting up! You must be feeling better.”

The man called David Morgan had combed his blond hair and shaved. He didn’t look nearly as haggard as she recalled. Not quite as tall as her Frank, the shirt he wore revealed the same muscular shoulders.  Mariah considered him good-looking, but his clothes, his shoes... everything about him and this place seemed strange. Everyone dressed and spoke differently. If only someone would explain what was happening. 

“It won’t be long before I can take you home, babe.” David Morgan interrupted her thoughts. “I’ll bet you’ll be happy to be back in your own home and bed.” 

Mariah’s hand trembled. She set her glass down, lay back against her pillow and looked away. Why would she go home with him? She didn’t even know the man. 

Using every bit of mustered strength, she turned her glaring gaze back to him. “I’m not Taylor!” she croaked.

**********************

Ginger's New Video for her Upcoming release

Hattie's Heroes is coming any day now from Books We Love, Ltd.  Roseanne Dowell, someone who is always willing to read my ARCs, had this to say.  I value her opinion and know she's always going to be truthful.  Of course, we share many of the same opinions when it comes to writing style.  *smile*


Ms Simpson has done it again. She's woven a tale of a young girl about to embark on a new stage in life. Hattie Carson leaves the orphanage where she grew up - the only home she ever knew- to start a new adventure. Taking a job as a helpmate to a family with three children leaving on a wagon train to California. Anxious, and a little bit scared, Hattie can't wait to start her new life. Much to her surprise and delight, she meets up with Billy Monroe and easily slips into a relationship with him.  

 Fearing Indians, Billy shouts at Hattie to swim to safety. She swims safely to the other shore, right into a strange new world. I enjoyed thi book and highly recommend it. I'm giving it five stars.

Ginger's Six Sentence Sunday

Sundays seem to roll around faster and faster.  Welcome back, or if you're a first timer, I'm sharing six sentences from my time-travel romance with an historical twist, Sister's in Time.  The story isn't confusing when read as a whole, but in bits and pieces, it requires a little set up.  

Two women switch bodies and eras, finding themselves far removed from their own husbands and comfort level.  Mariah, my pioneer wife is in a modern-day hospital, meeting a television for the first time:

When the nurse pushed another button, the screen immediately changed to a man kissing a woman. She depressed the button again—a person cooking, then someone talking about feminine hygiene. Mariah’s mouth gaped. Why would they talk about such a private thing? What was this thing called a remote control? Was it a product of the devil himself?

Find Sisters in Time at Eternal Press or on Amazon.



Be sure to check back at Six Sentence Sunday for more links from the SSS participants.  I have so many favorites there I'm following.  You're bound to get hooked.  Make sure to visit Angela Quarles, who features another time-travel that I'm loving.

Six Sentence Sunday

Happy New Year everyone.  I missed a few weeks, and I've gotten behind on reading the six sentences I enjoy on other folks' blogs.  This week, I'm going to start a new six sentence series, this time from Sisters in Time, my time-travel romance with an historical twist.

Here's the blurb to set the scene:

Two eras collide when a modern day attorney and a pioneer wife find themselves locked in a time not their own. Mariah Cassidy awakens in the twentieth century. Confined in a pristine environment, hooked to tubes and beeping machines, she’s scared, confused and wondering why everyone keeps calling her Mrs. Morgan. Who is the strange man who keeps massaging her forehead and telling her everything is going to be alright? Taylor Morgan tries to focus on her surroundings through a blinding headache. The patchwork quilt, the water basin, and the archaic room don’t strike a familiar chord. Her mouth gapes when a handsome man waltzes into the room, calls her darling, and expresses his delight that she’s on the road to recovery. Clearly something is amiss.

Here's my six sentences for this week:

Suddenly, an intense rumbling sound shook the prairie stillness. From an almost cloudless sky, thunder cast a single bolt of lightning, striking the ground with energy enough to propel dirt through the air and set fire to a small patch of grass. Immediately, calm prevailed; only a column of smoke billowing skyward remained as evidence.

Frank pondered the strange occurrence, but fueled by the need to find his wife, hurried in the direction of the fading smoke. “Mariah, Mariah, please answer me.” His boots cut a path through the heavy brush.

Bloghopping Day - Cat fight between Eras

Question for Thursday's Blog Hop:  What does the Great American novel mean to me:

I suppose when I think of that term, the names of books written ages ago come to mind--names that have been drilled into my head, and most I didn't even enjoy except for Gone with the Wind.  I think it's the Great American novel concept that stirred most of us to try to write something better--something to replace Catcher in the Rye.  OMG...I hated that book in high school.  *lol*  So...excuse me while I talk about one of my own Great American novels.  *lol*  Put on your thinking cap.

Imagine minding your own business then finding you'd been propelled through time, awaken in a body that isn't yours, and come face-to-face with a handsome man who calls you darling and assumes you're his wife.  Besides dealing with all the radical differences presented by being in a time and place strange to you, you now have to try to convince this so-called 'husband" that you aren't who he believes you to be.

Mariah, a pioneer wife from the 1880 Colorado Territory, awakens in a modern day hospital, hooked to machines that beep and buzz and is confused by all the strange gadgets surrounding her:  A bed that goes up and down at the touch of a finger, the woman who keeps pressing a flat disk on the inside of her arm while pumping the air out of her veins, that strange black box hanging in the corner that someone calls a TV.  What has happened?

Taylor, a modern-day, feisty female attorney, regains consciousness in a bedroom straight out of Bonanza.  Why can't the stranger who keeps calling her "honey" steer her to the nearest phone so she can call taxi?  More so, why does he pretend he doesn't even understand what she means.  And who dressed her in such horribly passe clothing?  The last thing she remembers is driving her Lexus to work.

Here's a peek at an interview I posted some months ago:

Today, through the power of the pen…okay, the computer keyboard, I’ve been able to bring together my two heroines from Sisters in Time.  I thought it might be interesting to the readers of this time-travel to hear from each lady personally about her thoughts on waking up in a new and strange era.  We’ll start first with Mariah Cassidy, our pioneer wife and mother of two children then go to our modern-day attorney, Taylor Morgan.

Ginger:  “Good Morning Mariah.  It’s very nice to have you here.  A reader can only imagine how strange it was to start off on a trip to town for supplies and awaken in another time and place. Tell us how you felt about it.”

Mariah: *runs her hand down her long gingham skirt and sits a little straighter on her stool.  “It’s very nice to be here, although it does bring back some frightening moments.  *glances around at all the equipment and leans back to study the cylinder-like mike.*

Ginger:  “Tell us a little about what happened the morning you woke up in 20th century Colorado.”

Mariah:  “There isn’t much I recall except packing a lunch for the trip and waiting for Frank to bring the wagon around.  The children and I had already done most of the chores indoors and were ready to go.” *sighs*

Ginger:  “Go on….”

Mariah:  “The last thing I remember is stopping next to a boulder so our son could… well you know.  A nest of rattlesnakes spooked the team and I reckon I was thrown off the wagon seat and hit my head. Frank did the best he could to manage the horses—”

Ginger:  “I’m sure it was a frightening moment for everyone, but tell us how you felt when you opened your eyes for the first time after the accident.”

Mariah:  *grasps her throat* “Scared.  There I was in some big ol’ bed, in a room filled with strange contraptions—like in here. *gestures to speakers and control panel* “I had a tube in my throat, couldn’t talk, and a man I didn’t recognize at all sat by my bedside constantly and called me Taylor.  I swear, you don’t have any idea how exasperating it is not to be able to speak.  I had no idea then who Taylor was or why he thought I was her.”  *turns and smiles at Taylor, seated next to her*

Taylor:  “Well it wasn’t any picnic waking up in your archaic bedroom with your pesky husband bugging me, either.”

Mariah:  “Pesky?”

Taylor: “Yes, pesky.  The man wouldn’t take my word that I wasn’t his wife.  And how you lived back then with no cell phones, hair dryers or nail salons, I have no idea.  *Bends her knuckles and examines her manicure*

Mariah:  *swivels on her stool* “Your husband was insistent, too.  I must have told him a thousand times my name wasn’t Taylor.  It wasn’t bad enough that I had to be in a hospital for such a long time, I couldn’t believe the… the tacky clothes he brought and actually expected me to wear them to your house.  I have doilies that cover more.

Taylor:  “You wouldn’t know style if it was forced on you…and it was.  Those things hanging in your… your armoire are a far cry from New York’s fashion center.  I couldn’t tell the difference between your daytime and nighttime wardrobe.”

Ginger:  “Ladies, ladies, we’re getting off track here.  Let’s get back to the interview.  Taylor, tell us about your first impression… in a kind way if you don’t mind.

Taylor:  “Can you imagine landing in a space in time where words like taxi, phone, radio, and Lexus don’t make any sense?  I felt like I came from Mars and spoke a totally different language.  Frank, Miss Priss’ husband, got frustrated with me.  How is that my problem?”

Ginger:  “It must be alarming to wake up in a place totally strange and then have to be without the usual comforts.”

Mariah: “It’s equally as frightening to wake up in a place full of gadgets you know nothing about.  I almost fainted when the basin in Taylor’s kitchen growled at me.  And I had no idea that ice boxes had come so far.  Frozen meat, sodas, and that little device that opened cans all on its own?  My goodness. Who could ever imagine such wonders. *Stops and smiles* I tell you what though; I’ll never be able to describe the thrill of flying.

Ginger:  “That’s right.  You flew in an airplane, didn’t you?”

Mariah: “Yes, David arranged for me to have that most wonderful experience.

Taylor:  *Her face red, her jaw tense*  “What other wonderful experiences else did David arrange for you?  Did you sleep with my husband?

Mariah:  *Lowers her gaze* “Not of my own will.  Remember, he kept insisting I was you.  *turns accusing eyes to Taylor*  “Well, you slept with my husband!”

Taylor:  “It’s not my fault.” *Hands on hips*

Mariah:  “Then whose fault is it?”

Taylor:  “I didn’t write the story, Ginger did. I was on my way to work, minding my own business when she dragged me into her plot.  It’s her fault.”

Mariah:  “Yeah, it is her fault.  Frank never would have thought of sleeping with someone else. We were perfectly happy until she dreamed up this combination time-travel historical. *cast a stony gaze at Ginger*

Ginger:  *checks her watch*.  “Oh dear, we’ve suddenly run out of time.  This has been very interesting, but we’ll have to say goodbye for now.  All I can say in closing is Sisters in Time is available now.  Visit http://www.eternalpress.biz or amazon.com.  Thanks for joining us.  I’ll be back next time with a book that features only one heroine.

P.S.  Don't have any idea why more authors aren't participating in the blog hop.  It happens every Thursday and all you have to do is put your name on the "linky tool" on the site.  Find the site link in the first sentence of this post, then go and add your blog.  Answer the question of the day, then do whatever else you'd like.  Sassy Brit puts a lot of effort into helping us promote our work.  Don't let it go to waste, especially when it's free.  *smile*

I'm very proud of Sisters in Time. I loved it when I wrote it, and the re-release is even better. I got great reviews the first time around, but it didn't get the exposure it deserved. I'm thankful to Eternal Press for re-releasing it, and I'd like to share an excerpt with you.

Two eras collide when a modern day attorney and a pioneer wife find themselves locked in a time not their own.

Mariah Cassidy awakens in the twentieth century. Confined in a pristine environment, hooked to tubes and beeping machines, she’s scared, confused and wondering why everyone keeps calling her Mrs. Morgan. Who is the strange man who keeps massaging her forehead and telling her everything is going to be alright?

Taylor Morgan tries to focus on her surroundings through a blinding headache. The patchwork quilt, the water basin, and the archaic room don’t strike a familiar chord. Her mouth gapes when a handsome man waltzes into the room, calls her darling, and expresses his delight that she’s on the road to recovery.

Clearly something is amiss.

EXCERPT:

Prologue

Mariah
Colorado Territory--1872

Mariah Cassidy sat on the front porch and watched her husband, Frank, ride through the gate. The large Rocking C, the ranch’s emblem, cast a shadow across his face as he rode beneath it. His muscled thighs gripped the flanks of his huffing, black stallion, and his hat rested in that familiar rakish tilt. He certainly knew how to sit a horse.

Frank dismounted and gave the horse’s reins to a hired hand. He dusted himself off then turned and strode to the porch. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

She smiled. “You were up bright and early. Would you like some breakfast?”

“No thanks. I already ate with the ranch hands, but... I might be interested in somethin’ else.”

Even after seventeen years of marriage, Frank’s innuendo embarrassed Mariah. Just a wink of one of his heavy-lashed, blue eyes made her heart flutter, but her desire for lovemaking never equaled his. She fretted about him leaving her to find satisfaction in the arms of another. Her mother had planted such deep-seeded inhibitions within Mariah that nudity made her uncomfortable. She loved being in his arms, but beyond that, her embarrassment got in the way of feeling free.

The same old thoughts niggled at her as she gazed into his face. Why didn’t she feel the same comfort with her body as Frank did with his? Would he be happier with someone else? He deserved a wife with passion to match his own. She massaged the creases in her brow.

“Mariah, did you hear me? Would you like to join me upstairs?” He nodded toward the house.

She held up a silencing finger while guilt niggled her. “Hush. The children will hear you.”
* * * *

Taylor
Denver, Colorado--2002

Lost in thought, Taylor Morgan sat and stared at the stacks of files piled on her large mahogany desk. The sun barely peeked through the office window of the high-rise building and the dim lighting matched her somber mood. Had she remembered to kiss David before she left home? It seemed she was always in a hurry these days. Rushing to put on make-up, darting off without goodbyes, working late, and barely finding time for her husband—something had to change. She didn’t want a repeat of the argument she’d had with David last night.

The thud of his fist on the dining room table echoed in her head. When he expressed frustration, her body trembled, much the same as the silverware had. She’d never seen him so angry.

His words had cut through her like a knife. “We’re like ships passing in the night. All we do is work, eat and sleep. You’re so busy with your job, that’s all you think about. You don’t cook, you don’t clean... Good God, we only make love on your schedule, never mine. What if I don’t want to wait five years to have children?”
The thought of having a child made Taylor shudder. She’d labored hard to achieve the status she enjoyed at the law firm. Giving up now wasn’t an option. Still, what about David? Didn’t he have a right to the family he wanted? She felt so conflicted. What if her husband wasn’t willing to hang around until she determined the time felt right?

If only there was a way to compromise. She nodded. Making David a priority seemed a good start if she wanted to save her marriage. Tonight, she’d leave work early, go home, and make dinner. A few candles, a bottle of wine—David would be pleasantly surprised.
She picked the most pressing files from her desk and threw them into her briefcase, planning to peruse them while she cooked. Grabbing her jacket from the chair, she slung it over her shoulder and reached the door when the urgent buzzing of her intercom summoned her back. She leaned over the desk and mashed a button with her fingertips. “Yes?”

“Ms. Morgan,” her secretary responded, “Mr. Abernathy requests you join him in the conference room right away. The senior partners have called an emergency meeting.”

“I’ll be right there.” Taylor plopped her briefcase back on the desk. She straightened her collar and smoothed her skirt then took a deep breath.

Maybe tomorrow, David, maybe tomorrow.

Here is my latest review - fresh from Mind Fog:


REVIEW: Ginger Simpson has created a magnificent tale with "Sisters in Time" Taylor and Mariah are two very different women from two very different eras. In 2002 Taylor is a well educated successful attorney who is more concerned with business than with life or her husband David. Mariah on the other hand is the wife of a rancher in the 1870's and her world revolves around her husband Frank and their two children. When the two inexplicably exchange places they are forced to reevaluate their views on life. The experiences they have while living each others lives will change them both forever.

"Sisters in Time" Took me to another realm. I began to read and was transported into the story from start to finish. The love scenes were well written and tasteful, and the characters had depth and believability. I recommend "Sisters in Time" to anyone who likes to curl up with a good book and leave their life behind for a while.


Note: Sisters in Time is available in ebook format at Eternal Press and in print format at Amazon. Hope you reading the book brings you the same enjoyment I found in writing it.