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*
